Lot Essay
Thomas Crehan, an Irishman from Cork, wrote his M.A. thesis on Shaw during 1940-41. As Shaw surmised, he was indeed a relative of Ada C. Rehan.
Details
GEORGE BERNARD SHAW (1856-1950)
i) Two-page autograph note, three lines in red ink and 11 lines in pencil, initialled and dated 'G.B.S. 24/2/40' on the bottom of a letter from Thomas Crehan, 2pp, 8°, asking Shaw how far his belief in the Life Force explains his literary, social and political criticism, he also asks how much Carlyle is an influence. Shaw replies firstly in red ink by asking if he is related to Ada C. Rehan, the Irish-American actress, 'her name was Crehan: it became Rehan by a printer's error' and then continues in pencil 'Damn your conundrums!! I do not bother about Carlyle or anyone else when I tackle a problem.', talks about motive in his novels and then states 'I am at present dealing with your last question. Don't ask me any more.' (creased on folds, some smudging, red ink offset), with original autograph envelope.
ii) One sheet of lined paper, 4°, with autograph answers in red ink to three questions posed by Thomas Crehan, initialled and dated 'G.B.S. 12/6/40'. To one question he answers 'It is no use asking me to give examination marks to my works and aphorisms. My mind does not work in that way', and to another he mounts a scathing attack on the war and its unimportance in the greater scheme of things, 'A scrap between two earwigs on one of the Stones of the Great Pyramid of Cheops does not trouble the pyramid, nor would the slaughter in battle of 1000 million men - all of whom would die presently anyhow' (creased on folds, some smudging), with original autograph envelope.
(2)
i) Two-page autograph note, three lines in red ink and 11 lines in pencil, initialled and dated 'G.B.S. 24/2/40' on the bottom of a letter from Thomas Crehan, 2pp, 8°, asking Shaw how far his belief in the Life Force explains his literary, social and political criticism, he also asks how much Carlyle is an influence. Shaw replies firstly in red ink by asking if he is related to Ada C. Rehan, the Irish-American actress, 'her name was Crehan: it became Rehan by a printer's error' and then continues in pencil 'Damn your conundrums!! I do not bother about Carlyle or anyone else when I tackle a problem.', talks about motive in his novels and then states 'I am at present dealing with your last question. Don't ask me any more.' (creased on folds, some smudging, red ink offset), with original autograph envelope.
ii) One sheet of lined paper, 4°, with autograph answers in red ink to three questions posed by Thomas Crehan, initialled and dated 'G.B.S. 12/6/40'. To one question he answers 'It is no use asking me to give examination marks to my works and aphorisms. My mind does not work in that way', and to another he mounts a scathing attack on the war and its unimportance in the greater scheme of things, 'A scrap between two earwigs on one of the Stones of the Great Pyramid of Cheops does not trouble the pyramid, nor would the slaughter in battle of 1000 million men - all of whom would die presently anyhow' (creased on folds, some smudging), with original autograph envelope.
(2)