www.robertgraves.org

[notarius]

The Times today includes an article by D. R. Thorpe (on p.69 of the printed edition), 'Demosthenes meets DVDs in the hush of Charterhouse's handsome new library'. The printed edition boasts a photograph of this fine new addition to Robert Graves's old school.

It's well known that Graves disliked his time at Charterhouse, as he famously recalled in Good-bye to All That; although he did write more kindly about it in later life. Like all British schools, it will of course be very different today from the time Graves was there, almost 100 years ago, close to the beginning of the last Century.

However, the new library, which is to be opened formally tomorrow by Sir Peter Stothard, Editor of the Times Literary Supplement and former Editor of The Times, still provides two points of Gravesian interest:

1. The entirely new library has been built within a vast Victorian schoolroom, but the opportunity has been taken to preserve in the centre of the room the old Victorian fireplace, 'where Graves and his contemporaries gathered for their poetry readings'. This remains a focus of the room and now surrounded by couches and armchairs, as probably it was then.

2. The library contains the Carthusian Collection of Archives, which Thorpe describes as 'one of the great unsung archives in private hands in this country'. It contains the manuscripts of many old Cartusianans, including some of those of Graves (see the database of Robert Graves manuscripts at the home page of this site). The article also states that the new library also contains 'first editions of books by Old Carthusians and Charterhouse masters', including , of course, the mountaineer George Mallory, Graves's friend and English teacher.

Sounds like it would make a good venue for a future Robert Graves Society meeting!

Patrick