SHAW (George Bernard, 1856-1950, Dramatist & Critic)

Remarkable long Typed Letter Signed to My dear Kennedy with lengthy autograph postscript saying that he has "been puzzling over this business of the amalgamation with the 300, which was evidently made without any serious attempt to think it out. Neither we nor Mrs Whitworth provided for the situation which was bound to arise if Mrs Whitworth pressed her privilege. But the disadvantage was more hers than ours, because we had nothing to do but pursue our normal course, whereas she had to attack it ... Until we have definitely refused her some specific demand she cannot go to the courts to claim specific performances and damages. And we must avoid a lawsuit, because the bank would probably call in the overdraft if we became involved in litigation ... I do not think we can now rely on her failure to supply the expected addition to the membership, because we have accepted her contribution as sufficient by letter her do the Lawrence plays ... At all events, let us waive that, and consider what she can claim ... Mrs Whitworth is entitled to a certain proportion of the season's plays by simply proposing them ... The effect is to set up a dictatorship of Mrs Whitworth plus one supporter over a substantial part of the Society's work and revenue. Such an arrangement could work only with a dictator of supreme talent and tact, and a fairly representative taste in plays; and the fact is that she is breaking down shoews that the tact at least is lacking .." small closed tear in blank right margin at fold

Since 1903, Constable had been Shaw's distributor 'on commission'. Shaw did all the contact with Clark's - not easy for them, given Shaw's idiosyncrasies of spelling. The story is splendidly told in Bernard Shaw and his Publishers, edited from his letters by Michael Pharand, 2009.
Ackermann was on the point of a 4th edition of his Popular Fallacies. (1st ed., Cassell, 1907). It came out with the imprint London, Old Westminster Press, 1950, who had also printed his Scientific Paradoxes and Problems and their solutions in 1925. Simpkin Marshall, the famous wholesalers, were the sole distributors, so it appears Ackermann followed Shaw's advice.
Ackermann was 82 and Shaw 93!

Item Date:  1949

Stock No:  38041      £1275

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