GREENE, Graham (1904-91). Autograph manuscript, 'The Grillardin Club', in pen, with revisions, La

GREENE, Graham (1904-91). Autograph manuscript, 'The Grillardin Club', in pen, with revisions, La Residence des Fleurs, Antibes, [1980s], 2 pages, 8vo, with typescript copy. Provenance: Albin Schram Collection; Christie’s, 3 July 2007, lot 73.

Greene provides a humorous history and spurious pedigree of the famous dining club founded in 1823 at Boulogne with three objects: to protest against 'the infamous laws of Bankruptcy', to give moral support to fellow-countrymen in temporary difficulties and to promote good gossip. He traces its removal to Calais in 1830 and its flight to Nice in 1940 'where after a period of necessary inactivity, it was revived in 1947 with the help of four surviving members'. Invitations were sent out in 1977 to offer honorary membership to 30 distinguished people. Greene outlines the rules of the Club, stressing the fact that 'The black ball has never been a tradition of the Club'. He describes the tradition whereby 'for reasons of discretion' the Honorary Secretary always bears the name 'Mr Nemo'. As to financial arrangements: 'No I.O.U.s were accepted in 1823, nor are credit cards or cheques accepted today.'

The typescript copy has a pencilled note in an unknown hand in the upper left-hand corner, 'A play with John Sutro. Fizzled out I think'. Sutro, film producer and bon viveur, was a friend of Greene, Evelyn Waugh, Harold Acton and others. He was nicknamed 'Greene's ventriloquist's doll' in the Spectator (29 September 1984) and he participated in many of the clubs (ephemeral and otherwise) patronized by this set including the Oxford University Railway Club which had its 40th Anniversary dinner on the Brighton Belle in 1963.

View on Christie's.com