T. E. Lawrence Correspondence – Page 348

24 4/13/42 To Col.C.E.Wilson 14 Barton St. N.r.2.20 Dear Colonel Wilson I hope neither you nor I would patronise Kennington! He's reputable, & charges about fifty pounds per drawing, & has gone about forty for me. Quite a friend of mine. Artists are like dentists & doctors, in doing their dirty work for one another free of charge, and ito an artist now, on the same that I've written a book, Kennington's "pay" (by his own asking) consisted in a copy of that book. One of only six copies, & an In-valuable not much less than his drawings. He read the thing, & said that "Teddeii Wilson" sounded the sort of head he'd like to draw. It came about like that. I was blinding or some similar slight on you, but the chance of another Kennington is too good to miss. I can't promise you the drawing afterwards. Kennington often gives them, but all I have the right to is the reproducing of it if, or when, my book is to be published. However the cost to you will be (i) Railway fare to London (i.e. large at Litherland, Chiswick Mall) (aii) A night's lodging there - (iii) Return fare to Basingstoke and in return you may get a "Kennington" pastel for your own: & I will get a good head of you for my reproducea galley. Time:- no hurry: but Kennington's leisure rather dictates the actual day. I'll see him next week, write again. It will be only a head: clothes any you please. I'm not over-fond of khaki myself! They won't show anyhow: only as far as ... your chin, pro- bably, unless Kennington decides on something different from usual. You shall read the book - or have an opportunity of reading it (it's stodgy & very small print) - as soon as one of the present tenants returns me his copy. There are only three bound copies, & they circulate very slowly. It isn't much of a record. ..... personal to my own adventures, & 8pitenful; also it's very long.... I've just scored an excellent head of Clayton, by Richardson, & a good Aden Danway, by Rothenstein. Hogarth, Wilgate, & Winter- ton are being drawn at the moment. There are only six or seven more to go. I can't make up my mind what to do with the whole galley when it's finished. My regarcis to "rs.Wilson. I'd like to run down & see you, & & prob' have, if it d settled my mind in the way of securing a new job. 'Till then I'm Jerky on the... under-grads secietd. bas brought us back to Aldershot district. It's very good of you to agree to sit. I feel it specially, for by waiting in my text is only amateur-work, & often mis- my character-drawing as well as drawings correct false sayings; besides leading, & the portrait-drawings will correct false seyings; besides they will make the eventual book magnificent! Yours ever J.H.Ross. 721