A book for kids

Component identifier:

Item 77

Content Summary:

Portion of the carbon copy of the author's script for this book. The script includes a poem, 'Tales', which was omitted, with note thereon by Hal Gye, that it was unpublished. A number of the pages have tracings made by the author from his own drawings.

With this script is a pencil caricature of Dennis, also an amusing drawing of him sitting in front of his fire-place, feet on the mantelpiece (his favourite posture) working upon the script for this book. Both sketches are by Hal Gye.

Inserted is long autograph letter from the artist to Chaplin, dated from Armadale, October 1, 1952. He writes: 'You have here most of the typewritten copies, or manuscripts, of C.J. Dennis's A book for kids...which were typed by 'Den' at Toolangi, upon his Empire typewriter...I was living at Toolangi when 'Den' was busy writing the verses, which generally happened after dinner, of an evening. 'Den' sitting on his couch, feet up, jotting them down on a pad and trying them on Mrs Dennis...Unfortunately all these pencil drafts probably went into the fire when he typed them out. With the exception of the coloured title and frontispiece 'Den' was illustrating his own book. He said he was going to read like a kid for kids. The story about the boy who rode into the sunset was written for my son Neville and in the frontispiece I drew my son. You will notice there are some copies of 'Den's' drawings and I think they are interesting. They are 'Den's' own handiwork, and he got a lot of fun drawing them. I enthused over them as much as I could - his illustrator was missing a goodly sum of money when the poet became his own illustrator...'

The scripts are bound in decorated boards, with photographs tipped in. One is of the artist as a young man, and the other shows him standing with his son Neville outside 'Den's' front gate at Toolangi, in 1960. The caption is 'Then and Now'.

Hal Gye relates an incident which took place in a Melbourne cafe one lunch hour. Dennis was dining Gye when Randolph Bedford came in and sat alongside. In the course of conversation Bedford said: 'Oh, Den! I've written a play, just finished it!' 'What's it called?' said Den. The sentimental bloke, said Bedford. 'Do you object?' 'No!', said 'Den', 'but my solicitor will!'

Together with a series of letters from Mrs Dennis to Hal Gye. In one letter Mrs Dennis makes some reference to Angus Robertson Ltd and some of the old employees. '...had several letters from one of George Robertson's Grand-sons. I knew him when he was a little boy. If he is anything like his Grand-dad, he'll do me'. A reference to George Ferguson.

Immediate source of acquisition:

The collection was purchased from Harry Chaplin in 1981.

Names:

Chaplin, Harry F.

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