This is going to be fun @blitzschnitz - Tumblr Blog

#Lawrence of Arabica #coffeebreak

#t.e. lawrence #peter o'toole #lawrence of arabia

From "Theatre World", August 1960.

#sorry about the photos #the volume is very tightly bound #t.e. shaw #t.e. lawrence #lawrence of arabia #tel #alec guinness #terence rattigan #really would have like to have seen this

archaeos

was anyone going to tell me that one of the earliest recorded usages of 'for fuck's sake's' was set down by TE Lawrence of all people or did I have to find that out myself

source

ashley-slashley

@david-watts

#interesting #t.e. lawrence #te lawrence #jh ross #t.e. shaw #the mint #te shaw

Looked at the Carchemish excarvation reports in the University Library. As they are so fragile you were not allowed to borrow them, one can only peruse them in the reading room (no scanning or photocopying allowed, I just took a few sneaky photographs).

#t.e. lawrence #archeology #leonard woolley #carchemish #hittites #t e lawrence #tel #most photographs were probably done by t.e.#i wonder if he would have stuck to archaeology if the war had not broken out

What is known about Dahum's biography?

Very little is known about Dahoum's biography. Most information about him is from the writings and photographs of TEL, and there are a few comments by people who met or worked with him like Leonard Woolley at the Carchemish dig.

Let's start from the beginning. It is supposed that Dahoum was born in the late 90s of the 19. century. His mother supposedly named him Dahoum (little dark one) as a joke as he had a fair complexion. His name is also credited as Selim Ahmed. He started working as a water boy for the dig in 1911 and progressed to a general assistant of TE (mainly in photography) and even a foreman of the dig. He had taught himself to read and write a bit and TE wrote about him being one of the cleverest workers and his wish of supporting his education (but not too much, he did not want to get him too westernized).

He was a constant companion to TEL during his time at Carchemish. When TE lay sick with dysentry and was nursed back to health by Sheikh Mahmoody in 1911, Dahoum came to visit every day. TE took them both back to Oxford in 1913 for a brief visit where the two Arabs made quite an impression cycling around Oxford in their robes.

Dahoum - according to TE - also asked for a tap to take home in order to have warm water back in Carchemish. This sounds rather naive and may just have been another TE-like anecdote, I kind of refuse to believe this, as this boy had travelled all the way to England on ships and trains and had worked with cameras.

He probably died in 1916 as a famine and diseases swept through the area, it is assumed that TE only found out about his death in 1918.

There has been a lot written about him by various people here on tumblr, a lot of information can be found for example on the blog of @ouphrontis, so I am not going into full detail, you can look up a lot of stuff there.

What fascinates me is the way how Dahoum actually was utilized by various people in order to convey messages about TE himself.

Leonard Woolley wrote about him being "a boy of about fifteen, not particularly intelligent (though Lawrence taught him to take photographs quite well) but beautifully built and remarkably handsome. Lawrence was devoted to him." Then he told the story of the carved figure and Dahoum posing for it, but hurriedly denouncing any hint of homosexuality. Thereby rubbing it in intentionally.

Faridah el Akle in her turn heightened Dahoum into some kind of symbolic figure representing the pure Arab as such (not unlike TE himself whose description of him and Dahoum visiting the ruined castle ties into this notion: ‘Come and smell the very sweetest scent of all’,). Akle claims Dahoum said : "‘You ask why we love Lawrence? and who can help loving him? He is our brother, our friend and leader. He is one of us, there is nothing we do he cannot do, and he even excels us in doing it. He takes such an interest in us and cares for our welfare. We respect him and greatly admire his courage and bravery: we love him, because he loves us and we would lay down our lives for him.’ This boy in fact saved Lawrence’s life three times."

Tom Beaumont, a former gunner in the Arab Campaign, even told the journalists Simpson and Knightley that TE had been in touch with Dahoum throughout the campaign, using him as an intelligence agent, and even meeting up with him at Umtaye in 1918. Beaumont claimed Dahoum died in TE's arms: “He’s finished. He’s dying. He’s got typhoid.” I’m sure it was typhoid he mentioned because we all gotemergency typhoid shots soon afterwards. Lawrence turned awayand pulled his kuffieh over his face and I heard him say, “I loved that boy”. When he turned back I could sec that he had beenweeping. I overheard the bodyguards talking and I caught theArabic wordfor death and I saw them make gestures like Lawrence holding Salim in his arms." I think this is really quite tasteless, Beaumont was a notorious liar when it came to TE and he really liked the attention. (He even claimed to have a photograph of Daud and Farraj, which was published in one of the lesser known biographies. As we know they were not even called Daud and Farraj in real life, if they ever existed.)

The way TE actually depicted Dahoum would be a whole seperate chapter, he really liked to stylize him as the ideal, pure Arab. I believe Dahoum was a kind and loyal companion and probably Woolley was right in saying that TE was smitten by him not so much because of his intellect. But he was true friend to TE, he appealed to his boyish nature (well, by being a boy in fact), and probably also shared his rather juvenile sense of humour. The years in Carchemish were definitely the happiest in TE's life and Dahoum played a great part in it.

#selim ahmed #dahoum #tel #t.e. lawrence #t e lawrence #a lot of more competent people have written about this!#tom beaumont you really annoy the hell out of me

I don't know if this question has been asked before, but how did you get interested in T. E. Lawrence? Most people I know watched Loa, I was just told about him by my dad and started reading everything I could find, then watched the film.

I got interested at the age of 13. For some reason I was on my own at home and watching TV late at night, ending up glued to the screen to LoA (dubbed into German) and when it finished in the early morning hours, I sensed that I had witnessed something truly special. So I set off to the university library of my hometown and borrowed all the books I could find on the life of TE Lawrence (it was rather well stocked) and started hastily to improve my English to actually understand all this stuff.

Why? Very hard to describe. I think the story just struck a chord in my pubescent heart. I was fascinated by archeology, history, warfare and adventure before, but reading up on TEL, I was thrilled that this was no hero in the classical sense. A controversial figure with flaws and massive self doubts, a human with eccentric quirks, struggling with his desires, endearing at times, but sometimes also awkward and sometimes even callous. I think in a way he never really grew up, that‘s why he‘s so relatable to young people. He‘s the patron saint to all of us searching for ourselves but never finding a definite answer.

As to the film: I very quickly understood that the film and history were two completely different things. But the film is a masterpiece on its own, so I do cherish it and even got to write a Masters‘ thesis in film studies about it. I think David Lean‘s cinematic take on TE is brilliant and rather bold, and it does have thriving life of its own.

#oh my god i really did not expect to write this #so what got you people interested in te?#still struggling to find a way to write his name #tel tes just te?#t.e. lawrence #lawrence of arabia #tel #t.e. shaw #t e lawrence #te shaw

Hello, do you know where I could access the full letter of this?

As far as I know it's a letter to Charlotte dated 6 Nov 1928 but oftentimes it's behind a paywall

I have to confess that I don‘t know! I only know this letter from it being quoted , but I don‘t possess a full transcript. Maybe @eli-artsblog or @inesk-art know? Or @broughinferior ? Or anybody else from the our esteemed community?

#t.e. lawrence #lawrence of arabia #tel #t.e. shaw #t e lawrence #te shaw #I wish I could get my hands on the collected letters to c and gb shaw #alas only the first volume is on archive.org

How long you have been in the LoA fandom that you know so much?! I'm always amazed with people who have a lot of knowledge

I have been doing my reading on the subject from a very early age (13) and I am probably older than a lot of people here, so time is my friend in that respect. And I work in journalism, so research is my passion. The tumblr community is small but great, people here have knowledge, passion, talent and a sense of humour.

#celebrating every single member of the LoA/TEL/TES tumblrverse

Is it true that Thomas Edward Lawrence never loved women? If so, why ?

This question is rather tricky. As T.E. Lawrence/Shaw is dead, we will never know. He did not leave conclusive evidence about his romantic feelings towards anybody. There has been lots of debate between Lawrencians about his supposed sexuality. Was he homoromantic? Asexual? Homosexual? Straight?

As to women: There has been one woman who claims that he actually proposed to her. Janet Laurie, a close friend of the family since the days the Lawrences lived in the New Forest. She was a tomboyish girl and - being a few years older - had an older sister/younger brother relationship with Ned Lawrence, as he was called. When she was an old lady, Janet was interviewed by Prof. Mack, the author of "A Prince of our Disorder". She told Mack that Lawrence had proposed to her in 1910, after a dinner at the Polstead Road family home. However, he did not make any romantic statements, he asked her rather straight and she laughed it off. (She was more interested in Lawrence's brother Will, but this romance was ended by Will's death in 1916). Another friend of Lawrence from his Oxford days, Canon E.F. Hall also claimed that Ned was in love with Janet, but these statements were made a long time after TE's death. Janet is not a reliable source, she suffered an unhappy marriage and her friendship with TE provided a little bit of glamour to her drab life, so she might have just enjoyed the attention she got from Prof. Mack. After the publication of Richard Aldington's biography, which claimed Lawrence was homosexual, a lot of people tried to "redeem" him.

Another biographer, Dick Benson-Gyles, claims in his book "The Boy in the Mask" that Lawrence was in love with his Arabic teacher from pre-war days, Faridah el Akle , and that in fact she was the ominous S.A. he dedicated the "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" to. Guyles actually visited Faridah as an old woman and talked her into believing his theory. Faridah always spoke very highly of Lawrence, but again, she did not read anything but friendship into their interaction at the time before she was brainwashed by Guyles.

Lawrence was very able to maintain friendships with women, later in life with older women mostly (apart from Clare Sydney-Smith, the wife of his RAF commander at Mountbatten, who obviously had a crush on him), but as a young man he was totally able to connect with women his age like Janet, Faridah or Emily Rieder, an American also working at the American Missionary School where Faridah taught.

But there is no evidence for anything beyond friendship. Why? This leads into the murky waters of interpretation. My personal opinion: TEL was homoromantic, he was attracted to the beauty of men (he did actually write about it). He had strong feelings about Dahoum, wrote admiringly about some of his comrade in arms during the Arab Revolt, and he probably had crushes on some of his fellow airmen. However, I think he just never entered any physical relationship with anybody. He was disgusted by sex as a concept due to his upbringing and family background, and he would never allow himself any positive feelings about it. BUT: I don't believe he was asexual as such. He actually hated himself for having desires and longings and he punished himself severely for them. But this is pure interpretation and we will never know for sure.

#t.e. lawrence #lawrence of arabia #t.e. shaw #te shaw #tel #I never thought I would have to answer this question #forgive me if this hurts anybodys feelings

South Hill House & Farm, South Hill, Delvin

The Chapman family home in County Westmeath is on sale. As it was used as a nursing home before it „is surrounded by institutional buildings of outstanding architectural mediocrity“, according to the „Irish Aesthete“. This is the house Thomas Chapman grew up in and where his estranged wife and four daughters lived after Chapman left his family for Sarah Lawrence/Maden/Junner. Before, the Chapmans had rented their own accommodation, Clonhugh, as Westhill was still owned by Thomas‘ parents.

#thomas chapman #sarah lawrence #t.e. lawrence #tel #t.e. shaw #te thought about buying land nearby but did not get round to it #feeling sorry for the four sisters who stayed all unmarried #marred by the scandal of their father‘s disappearance

nerdyhistoryenjoyer

Letter from T.E. to Charlotte Shaw, 19.03.1925

I'm curious what John Barrymore picture he received.

da-pu-ri-to-jo-po-ti-ni-ja

I've ran a quick search and I've found those pics of John Barrymore playing Hamlet. We can only guess what photos picked Lawrence.

#very interesting #thanks for sharing #and thanks for the pictures also #t.e. lawrence #t.e. shaw #john barrymore #hamlet

nerdyhistoryenjoyer

T. E. Lawrence's relationship with Vyvyan Richards

Vyvyan Warren Richards (1886-1968) was T.E.'s great friend during their Jesus College years, after which they kept in contact until T.E.'s death. Upon meeting, they instantly found enjoyment in each other's company:

"... some deep and quick affection took hold upon us whose vividness stirs me still after thirty years have passed away. The test of my life at Oxford was spent in almost daily companionship with my new exciting friend."

Both of them had a great passion for book binding; before and after the great war they planned to make their own printing press, even going as far as buying land where they'd plan to build it (Pole Hill, which was bequeathed to Vyvyan in T.E.'s will) but ultimately their plan never came into fruition. Vyvyan started his own printing press in 1927, which displeased T.E. in a fashion akin to a jealous ex lover*:

"Your mention of Vyvyan Richards rushing [about 23 years passed since their initial idea] into print amuses me. I hadn't heard of it."

In Vyvyan's old age he was interviewed by various biographers asking for information on Lawrence of Arabia, to which Vyvyan revealed that he was in love with him:

"Quite frankly for me it was love at first sight. He had neither flesh nor carnality of any kind; he just did not understand. He received my affection, my sacrifice, in fact, eventually my total subservience, as though it was his due. He never gave the slightest sign that he understood my motives or fathomed my desires."

And during an interview with Helen Cash he said he:

"... 'Fell in love' with T.E. at first meeting"

-> Vyvyan is in the middle

With the added context, his entry in "T.E. Lawrence by his friends" shines light on a different perspective. Although Vyvyan claims he hadn't reciprocated any of his affections, this might be untrue due to the statements Vyvyan made in that entry. In the entry he states that T.E.: was comfortable enough being around him at all times, comfortable knowing his opinions and comfortable seeing his naked body, as well as making their dream come true (albeit in a different manner) of having shut-beds labelled "Meum" [what is mine] and "Tuum" [what is thine] years later in the Clouds Hill cottage by having sleeping bags with the same labels. We can't say anything for certain however.

I recommend reading the T. E. Lawrence by his friends entry and Helen's interview for further information regarding their relationship. There isn't a lot about their relationship, especially not after the Peace Conference, but I hope to post certain bits and pieces soon.

* this sort of attitude is unfamiliar in his letters, so I'm taking the liberty and describing the distinction in the best way possible

#t.e. lawrence #te lawrence #vyvyan warren richards #he did only get a third in his degree at oxford #obviously was distracted

inesk-art

Hello everyone! Opening commissions again for a short while. If you're not sure about a price just ask. I'm not getting angry at anyone who decides that they can't afford it. But you can always talk to me and ask :).

inesk-art

Pool babes I Just something silly because there's enough doom and gloom. Based on this post from @blitzschnitz https://www.tumblr.com/blitzschnitz/806037627400814592/from-theatre-world-september-1960?source=share I'm still not 100% sure of my shorthand for his head but I had so much fun with the 30s babes. I have an idea for Pool babes II featuring the Sidney Smiths and Horance, the rubber sea horse.... Pray that I find the time to draw that, I have book work to do.

#wonderful!#thanks so much for sharing this with us #te shaw #aircraftman shaw #pool babes #illustration #tel #t.e. lawrence #brightening up my day

nerdyhistoryenjoyer

Friendly reminder that every artwork commissioned by TE for Seven Pillars of Wisdom is available to view on this website including every chapter to which it's related to. There are a lot of gorgeous pieces of art by different artists of the time— all pieces uniquely beautiful and jaw dropping or caricatures— and it goes to show just how much he loved art, supported artists and how much he wanted to make this book perfect.

I highly recommend reading Malcoms Brown's compilation of TE's letters as well as David Garrett's to see how much he discussed, thought about and did for the subscribers edition of the book.

#there‘s a lot of information also in the national gallery catalogue for the centennial exhibition #amongst lots of pictures of personal objects and photographs #my favourite artwork are the pastels by kennington as he actually went to arabia and #personally I think te went totally over the top #but he did also in writing the book so he kept his own standards #lawrence of arabia #t.e. lawrence #tel #t.e. shaw #art

"Auda is a first-class shot"

An excerpt from W.F. Stirling's memoir "Safety Last".

#auda abu tayi #prince faisal #w.f. stirling #t.e. lawrence #lawrence of arabia #tel #i would also not have been amused #auda did know how to spice up things a little

le-diulet-de-la-foret

Look, two besties that are a bit too tired of all this nonsense

#t e lawrence #t.e. lawrence #t.e. shaw #t e shaw #love this

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