Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
User Collection Public
The collection consists of a complete autograph diary detailing four years in the lives of Robert Graves and Laura Riding. The period covered is from 22nd February 1935 to 6th May 1939, during which time Graves and Riding lived in Mallorca, Lugano, England, Brittany and Pennsylvania. The 1,546 page diary also contains 117 enclosures of letters from Graves' children, photographs, and press cuttings, as well as 99 other miscellaneous items such as typescripts of poems, articles and letters.
This important diary represents a highly detailed record of four years in the lives of both Robert Graves and Laura Riding, from whom he was seldom separated for more than a few hours throughout the period that it covers. As well as giving full accounts of domestic events - building projects, gardening, jam-making, shopping expeditions, visits from friends and the like - Graves notes precisely the work that he and Laura Riding have accomplished each day, both separately and in collaboration. All their working projects are minutely documented.
Please also see the Robert Graves Diary project website.
Image: Accession Number: 2002-030, Box 5, Folder 6, Lot Gr-24, Item: Gr-77
Permalink: http://vault.library.uvic.ca/collections/cd1721f5-933f-421f-866f-317957fef51d
Collection Details
- Items 1731
- Last Updated 2025-02-21
Parent Collections (1)
Works (1731)
241. Oct 20 Sunday
- Title:
- Oct 20 Sunday
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Authors, English and Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1935-10-20
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-241
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1935-10-20.html and Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- Oct 20 Sunday No criada today. Housework. Reworked Address to Customers , now called Receipt for Moneys ; & if Laura approves recent reworking etc now have 15 poems. Cooked lunch. Laura working on Schools . Answered W.B.Yeats' anthology request for: Pure Death , Land of Whipperginny , Dialecticians , Landscape , & his threat to come to Mallorca this year. Dark drizzly day. Potted out two pinks, Can Massiana flower, & two bulbs unknown. Laura wrote to Norman Went to Costa D'or Hotel & had fish & pork: overcharged as usual. (Heavy rain) Played 66 there Went over Karl's typing of Almost Forgotten Germany Laura wrote long letter to Nathan Reichenthal? in answer to a nasty one of his.
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.
242. Oct 21 Monday
- Title:
- Oct 21 Monday
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Authors, English and Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1935-10-21
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-242
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1935-10-21.html and Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- Oct 21 Monday The day Maria Luna came to us. Work Got up at 6 & went to village to order things. Then worked all day on Almost Forgotten Germany (200 pages). Raining. Went to Salerosa, borrowing pinks and also wall-flower seedlings, put them in at the Posada (syringa in bloom there), where the water was up to the first join. Cutting of jasmine, or is it plumbago, from Can Bi. Nothing from Sabater. Gelat spoke to him seriously. 'Our corner' at the Sala cleared of extra chairs. The new woman Anatolia gave us good soup & grilled peppers without their peel. Laura doing ' Schools '.
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.
243. Oct 22 Tuesday
- Title:
- Oct 22 Tuesday
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985 and Authors, English
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1935-10-22
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-243
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection and Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1935-10-22.html
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- Oct 22 Tuesday Cold, cold weather. Corduroys & heavy socks. Up early & taught M Anatolia to get breakfast. Men working on Casita ; making a bridge, too. To Posada: planted violets, freezias, red geranium creeper, stuff from the tunel , nasturtiums, ancharisa, passion flower. Water steady in well. Also marigolds. Excellent meal, from customary ingredients. Wrote to Honor, Hillgarth. Old Soldier Sahib has been accepted as the title: entries about dum-dum bullets & the Drunken Private's name & regimental number. Laura cleared out my folders for me. Investigation programme for Schools . Aqueducts book came: thanked. Laura finished introduction to Schools : I read it over then. More money from Germany £73 odd in all. From Harrison Smith sending Old Soldier Sahib advance, asking about Fool of Rome Replied must first write to Korda. (Did so.) Gelat in bed with cold. Juan reports 3 dedos of snow at Valldemossa. On the way to village heard terrific crash of peñasco . Laura reminded me of a joke of mine. It makes a blankverse line And cellophane, the nudists' winter-wear. Another excellent meal.
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.
244. Oct 23 Wednesday
- Title:
- Oct 23 Wednesday
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985 and Authors, English
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1935-10-23
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-244
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1935-10-23.html and Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- Oct 23 Wednesday Took down Obras Publicas : put up Laura's story Anatolia finds work too hard, but likes us. Her cooking justifies getting other help. To Posada, watered the flowers, recovered Salamo's lead. Gelat took better. Juan & J.Vives shot 3 rabbits, driving in car between olives at Valldemossa, chasing the rabbits with headlights. Gave us one. Took Sally stove to Can Torrent: Laura nearly decided to leave Troy: then changed. Put lock on Anatolia's door. Laura dreadfully tired from housework, clearing out cellars etc. Hernandez died.
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.
245. Oct 24th Thursday
- Title:
- Oct 24th Thursday
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Authors, English and Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1935-10-24
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-245
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1935-10-24.html and Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- Oct 24th Thursday Much warmer. Casita half-risen: preparations for blasting rocks in the orchard. Karl 'muffish' so strangeness all day. He told me finally that he had had a headache all day & eaten nothing. Went over Schools introductionwith Laura . Kept Sally going all day for Laura: who wrote a long letter to James. Telegram to Constable about Epilogue spine. Letter from Kegan Paul about Lars Porsena . All afternoon gardening — making a long row of St Brigid's anemones in properly prepared earth: hitherto all clay in that front part of the flower-bed. Transcopied Schools . The inlaid mirror came: hung up in Mesquida; also shaving mirror for Karl. Catalina came: & Anatolia, keeping in the kitchen did her stuff. Laura writing to Sally Graves about her poems in Troy in the evening: me too, at the round table, checking Karl's typescript of her poems.
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.
246. Oct 25 Friday
- Title:
- Oct 25 Friday
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Authors, English and Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1935-10-25
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-246
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection and Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1935-10-25.html
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- Oct 25 Friday Looking over books in search of Schools material. To Posada where planted some double stocks. Lars Porsena copies came: started work on them. Wrote to say I would. Potted out the 'obispo' in a fabi . Pepe put up tomato-rack in cellar. Spli Blasting rock in orchard. Laura back at Troy work. It rained furiously in the night. W
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.
247. Oct 26 Saturday
- Title:
- Oct 26 Saturday
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Authors, English and Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1935-10-26
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-247
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1935-10-26.html and Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- Oct 26 Saturday Working at Lars Porsena . To Palma Laura decided to go to Palma to get maids. (At 2 o'clock)to Short & various places in El Terreno. Gelat did most of the work.Bought glass fruit plates, tablecloths, rings for Magdalena & Anita , needles etc; ordered candle-grease coppers, silver button-brooch for Laura's Ibiza jacket. A tortoise stove for me. Letter from Honor: hope about her cottage. Rosa brought a new brown shirt for me. To bed early. No news yet of Calabat bancals . Blue velvet cushion made from skirt of Laura's.
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.
248. Oct 27 Sunday
- Title:
- Oct 27 Sunday
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985 and Authors, English
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1935-10-27
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-248
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1935-10-27.html and Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- Oct 27 Sunday Worked at Lars Porsena to p 17. No Catalina, but Maria worked curiously well. Laura a little Troy . I went over 12 more pages Almost Forgotten Germany Coffee & witzen printen at Can Caballo. 66 & then to Sala & more
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.
249. Oct 28th Monday.
- Title:
- Oct 28th Monday.
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Authors, English and Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1935-10-28
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-249
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1935-10-28.html and Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- Oct 28th Monday. Lars Porsena — p 50 Casita going up still: barrenos . My stove came & I put it up. A few more pages Almost Forgotten Germany Paid Estanco by cheque. 200p[ts]. Watered Posada flowers. Wire from Sabater that paper had come. Rosemary flowering.
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.
250. Oct 29 Tuesday
- Title:
- Oct 29 Tuesday
- Description:
- Page from Robert Graves diary manuscript. The diary includes 1,546 pages with 117 enclosures: letters, clippings, photographs post cards, notes, games.
- Subject:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985 and Authors, English
- Creator:
- Graves, Robert, 1895-1985
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1935-10-29
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 1 page : 12 x 19.5 cm or smaller
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- The diary is written on quarto sheets, folded horizontally to form octavo booklets, one recto page devoted to each day.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Robert Graves Diary, 1935-1939
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- diaries
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1969-003, Item: Gr-1-250
- Fonds Title:
- Robert Graves collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC050
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collection finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/robert-graves-collection and Robert Graves Diary project URL: http://graves.uvic.ca/diary_1935-10-29.html
- Date Digitized:
- 2002-07-19
- Transcript:
- Oct 29 Tuesday Palma, at 8.30 Engaged Margarita as chambermaid; Catalina as cook. Bought oval Regency mirror: to be mirrored. Capella for San Juan. Shorts. Tablecloths. A saphire & diamond brooch for Laura 140[pts]. 2 old maps, inlaid picture frame for Mesquida, glass bottle 12 p[ts. ] in all. Laura & Karl to Sabater who is printing. News that Juan Vives has brought Juan of the Molí round to an arreglo ; Doctor throws up case. New pair of glasses. Karl gives me olive wood ruler. Laura's pink construction bought. Laura's brocade stuff bought 50 pesetas for 1 metre 40 and a piece of peach velvet for cuffs. Order furry boots for Laura. Bought ladle, & gave our spare one to Strenge Maria told by Laura she must go. Weeps: is given a month's pay. Letter from James. Wired him to come.
- Technical Note:
- 300 dpi TIFF. Migration metadata by MT.