IAN HAMILTON FINLAY

LETTERS + DOCUMENTS

VINTAGE XEROX OF A LETTER FROM FINLAY TO CHRISTOPHER MACINTOSH. 1985.

Little Sparta: Saint-Just Vigilantes (Finlay), 1985 30 x 21cm, 2pp (recto only) vintage xerox of a letter from Finlay to Christopher MacIntosh noting that the Scottish Arts Council had (after earlier requests) agreed to hear Finlay's case for them to support his actions against the Strathclyde regional Council. Finlay asks MacIntosh as one of the Saint-Just Vigilantes to write to the SAC stating that the latter believes the Garden Temple to be a religious building and to return the letter to Finlay. The letter also has short passages by Finlay where he states clearly his belief that the building is clearly religious in nature and pointing to the equivalence of Apollo and Saint Just as both revolutionary and classical. "A garden may be a paradigm of Revolution since it consists in the shaping, not of an artefact, but of an actual piece of territory." Slight rust around where a staple has been removed in the past else VG.

LETTER FROM THE COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC SAFETY, LITTLE SPARTA TO THE SAINT-JUST VIGILANTES. 25TH JANUARY 1985.

Little Sparta: Finlay, 25th January 1985
An original vintage xerox 30 x 21cm, 1pp with a round robin letter from Finlay to all of the Saint-Just Vigilantes.
The letter lets the Vigilantes know that the Sheriff Officer had informed Little Sparta that he "has received explicit instructions from Strathclyde Regional Council to proceed with a Sale of the effects earlier removed" from the Garden Temple.
Finlay explains that some of the artworks removed had other owners and were therefore illegally taken. Finlay explains the role of the Scottish Arts Council (a role he is unhappy with) as a potential mediator but notes their failure to take that role. He asks supporters to write to the SAC and others to demand that the illegal sale of works be cancelled and that the "Region be obliged to return to the notion of law."
The letter ends with "Meanwhile, will all Saint-Just Vigilantes who are available for active service at the front, please be in touch with Little Sparta. "Only those who take part in Battles, win them." - Saint-Just.

HANDWRITTEN LETTER FROM SUE FINLAY TO JOHN STATHATOS DATED 29.1.85 ON ULYSSES WAS HERE STATIONERY.

Little Sparta: Wild Hawthorn Press, 1985
15 x 10.5cm, 4pp (made of a single folded sheet printed one-side only). A hand-written letter on printed Ulysses Was Here stationery (one of the few times we have seen the printed letterhead used in such a folded manner) from Sue Finlay to John Stathatos letting the latter know that the Wildflower Vases are available for £100 each. VG+.

Sue Finlay

FREE ARTS. c. 1985.

Little Sparta: s.p (Finlay), n.d. (c. 1985) 30 x 21cm, 1pp offset sheet with a text by Finlay regarding a proposed "Free Arts scheme": essentially a method by which potential buyers of art can make regular advance payments to a bank account. The proposal did not take place. Staple top left is a little rusty and the additional pages to which it was originally attached (a xerox of a letter to Christopher Macintosh) is catalogued separately here as the two documents were not related. VG+.

ORIGINAL SIGNED TYPED LETTER TO CHRISTOPHER BARKER ON STATIONERY IN REPLY TO A LETTER REQUESTING A PHOTOGRAPHIC SESSION. 1985.

30 x 21cm, hand typed letter on printed letterhead paper.
A letter sent by Finlay to Christopher Barker dated 26.11.85
The letter agrees to the poet's photograph to be taken by Barker for a book in response to the latter's letter (see below) asking for a session. Finlay as ever is funny - he claims that "Like Plotinus I hate to be photographed" and that "I don't expect it will take any longer than having a tooth pulled."
Signed in full in black ink by Finlay at the end.

JOINT WITH:
Original typed letter (unsigned) from Christopher Barker to Finlay dated 6.11.85 requesting to be allowed to visit Little Sparta and so to include Finlay in a book of photographs of British poets planned for publication and asking for one poem to also be included in the book. Blue printed stationery.

ENVELOPE HAND ADDRESSED BY FINLAY WITH RUBBER STAMPINGS. 1985.

Little Sparta: Finlay, 1985
Standard hand addressed DL manilla postal envelope to Christopher Barker franked 27th November 1985. Notable for the blue rubber stamp impression added by Finlay to the front: "LITTLE SPARTA IS A LUCID MOMENT IN STRATHCLYDE REGION". Return address stamping on back. Cleanly opened.

ORIGINAL SIGNED TYPED LETTER TO CHRISTOPHER BARKER ON STATIONERY. 1985.

30 x 21cm, hand typed letter on printed letterhead paper.
A letter sent by Finlay to Christopher Barker dated 17.12.85
The letter notes the enclosure of a contribution from Finlay to an anthology - the actual enclosure is to be found here in this section. This letter notes that an alternative offering might be made if Barker asks but Finlay would prefer those. Finlay clearly knows Barker as he note the enclosure also of a "very small Christmas Box, of a neoclassical nature, for your Mother."
The letter is signed in full in black ink with a PS "that underlined words in the manuscript are to be italicised".
The same stationery design as used in the contribution is here but printed in green.

2 ONE-LINE POEMS. ORIGINAL SIGNED TYPED MANUSCRIPT ON STATIONERY. 1985.

30 x 21cm, hand typed letter on printed letterhead paper.
A letter sent by Finlay to Christopher Barker containing two original "1 one-line poems". These were sent to be included in an anthology of poetry and photographs edited by the latter.
The first is thus:

Classical Warfare
The capital fell to an enemy column

which is a wonderful joke based on the parts of Greek columns as well as a cold statement about defeat in war.
The second is:

CLassical biography
No man is a hero to his valley.

Both are from "Monostichs de la Guerre de Petite-Sparta" a publication we have not yet seen under that title (which references the Littlle Spara Wars).
The letter is signed in black in at the bottom by Finlay in full.
The stationery as ever with Finlay is amusing in itself - the text under the address reads "Neo-classical Flutings, Columns & Small Arms,/Groves & Emplacements, Sacred & Profane" in red. At the bottom there is a quote from Tibullus about the efforts of bees.
An important and document with perhaps unique content.

ENVELOPE SENT BY FINLAY WITH RUBBER STAMPINGS. XMAS 1985.

Little Sparta: Finlay, 1985
Standard C5 white postal envelope to Christopher Barker - the franking cannot be read but probably December 1985. Notable for the red rubber stamp impression added by Finlay to the front: "STRATHCLYDE REGION HAS ABOLISHED LANGUAGE - ABOLISH STRATHCLYDE REGION". Return address stamping on back. A little roughly opened and slightly grubby. .

FROM MONOSTICHES DE LA GUERRE DE PETITE-SPARTA. PAGE LAYUP FOR PRINTING. 1985.

24.5 x 21cm, xerox copy of original typescript with pasted on reproduction of the artist''s signature.

This appears to be a paste up for later reproduction of the two original "1 one-line poems" sent by Finlay o be included in an anthology of poetry - namely, Classical Warfare and Classical biography.

ENVELOPE WITH MANY RUBBER STAMPINGS SENT AS A GIFT WITH HANDWRITTEN NOTE. 1986. UNIQUE.

Little Sparta: Finlay, n.d. (1986)
Standard hand addressed DL manilla postal envelope notable for many red and blue rubber stamp impression added by Finlay to the front and the back. Sent as a gift to the editor of Art Monthly, Peter Townsend (not the musician). JOINT: 15 x 21cm, black ink on paper - with a handwritten note to Townsend: "A little medley of "insulting" war stamps. Evidently authoritarians are people of very delicate sensibilities and very little capacity to read and think.". VG.
JOINT:
A standard mailing envelope hand addressed to The Editor Art Monthly by Finlay and rubber stamped with "The peopole has a right to rigorous bureaucracy.". Opened neatly.

Peter Townsend

LETTER FROM FINLAY TO THE SAINT-JUST VIGILANTES. 22nd DECEMBER 1986.

Little Sparta: Finlay, 22nd December 1986
An original vintage xerox 30 x 21cm, 1pp with a round robin letter from Finlay to all of the Saint-Just Vigilantes explaining the the Consumer Protection Department has begun an investigation of "Follies: a National Trust Guide" by Headley and Meulenkamp and published by Jonathan Cape. Finlay asks if his supporters can write to the CPD with letters explaining why Little Sparta is not a Folly and why it should not be included in such a guide. Finlay hopes the investigation may lead to the withdrawal of the Follies book. The letter ends with one of Finlay's "detached sentences on the National Trust":
"One cannot preserve the meaning of a building by preserving the building alone."

Gwyn Headley, Wim Meulenkamp