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The Bloomsbury Group

Alice-nice-Alice

I wondered if there are others here who like me are into The Bloomsbury Group and their satellites? I was ignorant of the amazing work they produced for a large part of my life, they were just vaguely famous but I had no idea why ( I studied sciences at uni and careers which evolved from that). Then I discovered a small paperback book of the love letters between Vita (Sackville-West) and Virginia (Woolf), I was immediately hooked. 


Im gradually buying and reading everything I can of their writing, in first editions where possible, researching their lives, understanding their art and collecting their books. Im loving it especially as it is such a fascinating and intelligent collection of people who lived through some of the most important years of the 20C yet it is contained within a bubble which the present I detest does not touch). I am enjoying it as escapism and also an intellectual challenge. There are incredible modernist novels, post impressionist art, relationships which challenged the then accepted way to live and love, outstanding but under appreciated poetry, letters upon letters between many of them, and I feel safe being in my mind in their world  

It probably helps that I lived in Bloomsbury 1976-1979 so know that part of their physical world well, but Sissinghurst, Knole, Charleston, Rodmel  and their other homes are as yet still aspirations. 

There are a few movies about them made well after the events. Vita and Virginia is the most successful in my view, but Carrington I think the most fascinating. There are numerous biographies, several by their children, though these are not necessarily the most objective, plus many critical and academic works. Truly though one has to read the original works, not the opinions of others about them.

We were talking on Conwy station earlier today about Vanessa Bell’s family photos many of which have been published in books, two such books in particular shed a strange light on the evolution of social values in terms of what is seen as acceptable and what not being separated by maybe twenty years. It challenged me to realise how incrementally affected I have been by social changes between these two books - I need to think further about this. Yet my crucial conclusion was that how horrified I would be if after my death my family photos, letters, diaries and jottings were raided for publishing as these were.

Anyway if there are other Bloomsbury fans on here Id love to discuss 

Thanks

Alice

(Please excuse typos and spelling errors)

Parents

  • I first visited Charleston Farmhouse in 1986 on its opening as my friend was reporting on it.

    From that point I was hooked.

    I have read a lot of books too.

    I have since visited many times, and also the home of Vita and Harold, Sissinghurst, and Virginia's home Monk's House, Rodmell.

    One of the many aspects I find fascinating about them is how they transitioned from the Victorian mores they were brought up with into an incredibly 'modern' lifestyle.

    Vita's and Harold's marriage was so unusual.

    When you bear in mind that being homosexual in those days was illegal, they were very open but also, despite their other relationships, retained a loving one of their own.

    The life that was led at Charleston is one that I've not heard of since - so groundbreaking and their inter-relationships based on love and tolerance.

    And all that doesn't even take into account their respective talents.

    Some history (for others) about Charleston and the people who lived there:

    https://www.historyhit.com/locations/charleston/

    and the Charleston site itself:

    https://www.charleston.org.uk/

  • in reply to B

    I agree that their transition from Victorian to modern times was fascinating and so important, both in their art + writing, and lifestyle and relationships. 



    Im reading a small book at the moment called Virginia Woolf’s London by Dorothy Brewster. It describes the London of her time with chapters on her main novels, seemlessly intermixing Virginia’s writing and her own. You will have come across the phrase coined by Virginia “street haunting” and it builds on this idea. Having lived in Bloomsbury when at UCL I did exactly the same yet had never heard of the phrase. I walked all over London, observing and enjoying the people and architecture, the gardens, churches, buses and tube. 

    A more modern writer and painter who builds on these ideas is Louisa Albani, she has produced the most beautiful pamphlets, I found her at Much Ado Books in Alfriston, Sussex. I had travelled there for a chamber music weekend, also on that holiday I discovered the art of Eric Ravilious. All utterly wonderful.

    Alice 

Reply
  • in reply to B

    I agree that their transition from Victorian to modern times was fascinating and so important, both in their art + writing, and lifestyle and relationships. 



    Im reading a small book at the moment called Virginia Woolf’s London by Dorothy Brewster. It describes the London of her time with chapters on her main novels, seemlessly intermixing Virginia’s writing and her own. You will have come across the phrase coined by Virginia “street haunting” and it builds on this idea. Having lived in Bloomsbury when at UCL I did exactly the same yet had never heard of the phrase. I walked all over London, observing and enjoying the people and architecture, the gardens, churches, buses and tube. 

    A more modern writer and painter who builds on these ideas is Louisa Albani, she has produced the most beautiful pamphlets, I found her at Much Ado Books in Alfriston, Sussex. I had travelled there for a chamber music weekend, also on that holiday I discovered the art of Eric Ravilious. All utterly wonderful.

    Alice 

Children