WITTGENSTEIN (LUDWIG) Autograph letter signed ('Ludwig Wittgenstein') to Rev. John Burnaby, Trin...

WITTGENSTEIN (LUDWIG) Autograph letter signed ('Ludwig Wittgenstein') to Rev. John Burnaby, chair of the Trinity College Garden Committee ('Dear Burnaby'), thanking him for removing the border of veronica ('...the bed didn't seem to me to look vulgar any longer...') and suggesting further improvements by removing the border of short dahlias ('...like a cake which one's put somewhere where it has no business to be... a hybrid between a bed & what one might call a screen... the kidney shape asks for something more formal...'), perhaps planting dahlias through the middle of '...a low (2' or 3') absolutely inconspicuous plant...', including three diagrams by way of illustration, and ending '...Possibly this won't work either...it's only a suggestion...', 2 pages on lined paper, dust-staining and marks, creased at folds, discolouration along horizontal fold, 4to (235 x 174mm.), Trinity College, 5 November [19]34 Footnotes: WITTGENSTEIN SUGGESTS IMPROVEMENTS TO THE FELLOW'S GARDEN AT TRINITY. The eight acres of land that became the Fellow's Garden was purchased for Trinity College (Cambridge) in 1871 and a garden was designed there by William Brodrick Thomas (1811-1898), who also worked at Sandringham. Summer grasses in the garden were traditionally left uncut but in 1933 some paths were cut through as an experiment, much to Wittgenstein's displeasure. He offered his opinion of the new plan and planting schemes in an extensive letter to John Burnaby, dated 17 October 1934, suggesting changes to the design and including a sketch plan of the garden (this letter in Trinity College Library, Cambridge, Add. MS a/584). Amongst other suggestions, he requested that the veronicas around the dahlias in the kidney-shaped bed be removed - 'This fringe makes it look like a gaudy birthday cake' he wrote (Tim Richardson, Cambridge College Gardens, Drawing Matter website). Our letter, dated 5 November, followed after some, although not all, of his suggestions were taken up by the committee, and here he reiterates the birthday cake analogy with regards to the planting of the 'kidney shape' bed. Wittgenstein had an interest in gardening, having worked as a gardener's assistant at a Benedictine monastery, Klosterneuburg Abbey, near Vienna in 1920. It was at a crucial turning point in his life when he had turned his back on his wealthy family and graduated as a teacher: '...He found the manual labor relaxing and rewarding, so much so that the Abbot of the monastery commented that 'So I see that intelligence counts for something in gardening too' (Monk 191)...' (Paul D. Wilke, When Wittgenstein Became an Elementary School Teacher, online article). The recipient of our letter, Rev. John Burnaby (1891-1978) was a fellow of Trinity College, respected Professor of Divinity and chair of the gardening committee. In 1948 Wittgenstein asked him to be a literary executor of his will, a request that Burnaby declined. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing