[Sent from Armant excavation, Egypt]. Thanking Dickie for letters; telling her about his and Hilda’s plans to go to Amarna via Kosseir and to walk most of the way; saying he hoped that [Herbert Pendlebury] would be able to come to Greece, and that he and Hilda should be back there by the middle of April [1929]; mentioning that he had heard from Dyson Perrins who he wanted to visit the excavation to try to get funding from him; telling her about work on the excavation, that the camera that Uncle Stanley gave him had been very useful, that the weather was cold and that the post was erratic. Also asking Dickie to pass on a message about [the publication of ‘Aegyptiaca’] and saying he had got letters from Pip [Powell] and Tom [Livingston-] Learmonth].

[Sent from Armant excavation, Egypt]. Mainly giving detailed descriptions other people at the excavation: [Hans and Jettie] Frankfort, [Brian and Molly] Emery, [Alan] Shorter, and [Stephen] Glanville. Also telling Herbert that they had nearly finished work on the excavation and were clearing up; that the dig had been “sensational” and he hoped news about it had been in the Telegraph newspaper; that he had heard from Pip [Powell] who “seems to have enjoyed himself – though to have behaved badly”, and that he hoped a law case went well for Herbert.

Sent from Windsor Hotel, Cairo. Telling Herbert that he and Hilda had arrived in Cairo; [Stephen] Glanville and [Alan] Shorter had taken them to see the Pyramids by moonlight; they had seen artefacts from the Tutankhamen tomb in the Cairo museum which were “too wonderful for description” and that the rest of the museum was badly organised; [Stephen] Glanville had gone to Armaneh [Amarna] to do some “private scratching under the stelae”; and both Shorter and Hilda were ill, Shorter with Dengue fever and Hilda with malaria. Also mentioning that he had met [Hans and Jettie] Frankfort the previous day, and that they hadn’t had a chance yet to see Kathleen [Hargreaves, John’s cousin].

[Sent from Armant excavation, Egypt]. Thanking Herbert for [a book by James Henry] Breasted; discussing a job prospect with the British Museum which [Hans] Frankfort thought John should accept it as he could walk away at any time, but that John had doubts about as he would have to work so hard at the language [Arabic or Ancient Egyptian?] that he wouldn’t be able to work in Greece, so was planning to use the offer [from Stephen Glanville] as a lever to secure a job in Greece with Arthur Evans; mentioning that he hoped Herbert had seen a report in the Telegraph [about the excavation at Armant] on 3 Jan which he had taken the photographs for using Uncle Stanley’s camera; telling Herbert about plans for the Perrins [Mr Dyson and family] to visit [Armant] that day and for he and Hilda to have dinner with them, his and Hilda’s plans to go to Kosseir and on to Amarna (where work would start on the 1st of Feb), and their plans for travelling back to Athens in Apr to meet Herbert and Dickie and then for them all to go to Crete, some islands and the mainland. Also mentioning that hockey sticks had been sent to the camp, that he wanted to know if Herbert had a list of illustrations that John wanted from [Arthur] Evans [for use in ‘Aegyptiaca’], and he wanted his typescript [of ‘Aegyptiaca’ back from S. C. [Roberts] in order to make corrections. Annotated in a later hand: “Jan. before knee trouble which prevented the Kosseir trip and kept John in bed at Savoy Hotel for a week or more”.

[Sent from Savoy Hotel, Luxor]. Telling Herbert about his damaged knee, that they hoped to get back to Greece by the middle of April and were looking forward to seeing Herbert and Dickie [in Greece], and saying he had heard from Charles Seltman who was trying to discourage John from working with the [British Museum]. John writes that he was using [the job offer from Stephen Glanville to work for the British Museum] as a lever [to get other job offers], which he thought would work. Annotated in a later hand as “Luxor, Savoy Hotel, January”.

Written from the Savoy Hotel, Luxor [where John was recuperating from a knee injury after the end of the Armant excavation]. Telling Herbert that he and Hilda [Pendlebury] planned to travel to Amarna in a week; about [Stephen Glanville’s encouragement for John to work for the British Museum] being useful leverage for securing archaeological jobs [in Greece]; that he had written to [Arthur] Cook about the Walston studentship [from Cambridge University]; and about [Arthur] Woodward leaving Athens [and his Directorship of the BSA] so there could be more opportunities (“there may possibly be a stop to the discouragement of the young”). Also mentions that he and Hilda were planning on travelling to Rhodes on the 9th of Apr [1929] and then to Athens; they had written to Jim [?] and got no reply; that Seth Smith [John’s doctor] wished to be remembered to Herbert; and that he was glad about Robin’s [John’s step-brother] certificate and asks Herbert to congratulate him and “hit him over the head for me! also Derek”. Undated, annotated in a later hand as “Jan 1929”.

Written from Aswan, where Hilda and John were staying before travelling to Amarna. About staying at the Hotel Cataract, having visited Elephantine island [Jazїrat] and been sailing, and plans to visit Philae, the [Aswan Low] Dam and quarries [of Aswan]. Also telling Herbert: that his knee was nearly better; that [Stephen] Glanville had written to [Hans] Frankfort about hieroglyphics [found at Armant] which named the Roman Emperor Diocletian, and asking if Diocletian had another name like Nero; that he thought his “bluff” of pretending he may accept a job at the [British Museum] would have worked in soliciting job offers from [Stephen] Glanville and [Arthur] Evans to continue working in Egypt and Crete; that learning Egyptian was going well; about the weather having been cold all winter; and that he was pleased that Robin [his step brother] had been made a prefect [at school]. Undated, annotated in a later hand as “Feb? 1929”.

[Sent from Amarna, Egypt.] Discussing his job prospects: that he had letters from [Stephen] Glanville urging him to apply for [a job and the British Museum] but that he had declined the offer; that he’d had a letter from [Arthur] Evans advising John to take the job at the British Museum as there were not many opportunities in Aegean archaeology; and that [Hans] Frankfort had sent a telegram to [Humfry] Payne as soon as they had heard he’d been elected [to the Directorship of the British School at Athens] recommending John for the Assistant Director. Also thanking Herbert for letters with enclosures and a typescript [of ‘Aegyptiaca’]; saying he was sorry that Herbert [and Dickie] would no longer be coming to Greece [in Apr 1929], and that they were sorry about a shawl that was meant for Dickie; saying that they had an adventurous and expensive time in Assuan [Aswan], had arrived safely back to Luxor, then go on to [Amarna] where the excavation was already well underway and interesting. Annotated in a later hand as “Feb 17th or 18th”.

Sent from Amarna, Egypt. Telling Herbert about work on the excavation and discussing career prospects: he had written to Le Fanu [Secretary at the British School at Athens] about applying for the Macmillan studentship; [Stephen] Glanville had written to John and was very sorry that he had declined the job offer at the British Museum; [Hans] Frankfort was encouraging and thought John who have a good chance of getting the Macmillan studentship. Also thanking Herbert for letters and saying Hilda would write when she heard from him; telling Herbert he hoped Hall would write the forward to [‘Aegyptiaca’], that Bob Dixon was applying for the Diplomatic [Service] and John had a received a letter from “the old man” [Henry Comber] despairing about it, and that he hoped Dickie’s troubles were over. Additionally asking if Dickie could a tell Will [?] that Nowell Chiltern (a friend of John’s and Stephen Glanville’s who worked at Addenbrokes) was going to be “out there” soon, to join the Medical Service.

Sent from Tell el Amarna [Amarna], Egypt. Telling Herbert about an encouraging letter he had from [Alan] Wace advising him on career prospects including: suggesting he explore Andros [Ándros], Chios and Icaria [Ikaría]; suggesting he enter [‘Aegyptiaca’] into the Hare Prize; suggesting John contact [Carl] Blegen in Greece (though Frankfort advised against excavating with Blegen as he was too selfish); and saying he had been making enquiries in Cambridge on John’s behalf. Also telling Herbert about work at Amarna including photographs of a “little statuette” and John wearing a necklace [on the cover of ‘The Rash Adventurer’]; saying he and Hilda had accepted the Seltman’s offer [to go on a cruise around some of the Greek islands, Apr 1929]; thanking Herbert for letters and enclosures; sending his love to Robin [Dickinson] and a “kick on the largest measle”; telling Herbert that Hilda was unwell, that her mother had also been ill but was better now, and that [Hans] Frankfort had been very pleased to receive a letter from Herbert.

Sent from Amarna, Egypt. Thanking Herbert for a telegram and saying he was looking forward to seeing a letter from Macmillan; telling Herbert about progress at the excavation, that they had found the house of a master painter and when they had finished excavating a block of houses he and Hilda might be sent to look for the tomb of Smenkara, whilst others would go to the Great Temple site to “try and rescue some architectural details from the mess which Howard Carter made”; telling Herbert about their accommodation at the excavation; and discussing that he might have a chance of [working at the British School at Athens] if [Walter] Heurtley resigned (which he thought might happen as Heurtley and Humfry Payne, who had just been appointed as Director, did not get on). Annotated in a later hand as “18th Feb”.

Sent from Amarna, Egypt. Telling Herbert about the excavation and that it seemed he and Hilda wouldn’t [be sent to look for the tomb of Smenkara, as had been mentioned before], a statuette they had found, that Hall had promised to write the preface [to ‘Aegyptiaca’], about an inscription that [Alan] Shorter had found turning out to read “you big stiff”, and asking Herbert to get Scripta Minoa and other books on sites in Crete or Greece and on Aeges Egyptian connections. Annotated in a later hand as “March”.

Written from Amarna [Egyptian Exploration Society excavation] and the end of the excavation season. About John’s application for the Macmillan studentship at the BSA and plans to apply for the Hare prize [from the University of Cambridge Faculty of Classics]; asking Herbert to get an enclosed (not present) manuscript [of John’s ‘Aegyptiaca’] typed and sent to [Henry] Hall at the British Museum, and to get books for John. Also details plans for travelling from Egypt to Greece, and tells Herbert he has written to Will [?] about Chiltern. Undated, annotated in a later hand as “March 1929”.

Sent from Hotel Windsor, Cairo. Mainly about John and Hilda [Pendlebury’s] plans in Egypt, and their activities since they arrived. They had been to dinner with Kathleen [Hargreaves, John’s cousin] and her husband (Lionel) and were planning to go to Saqqara [Ṣaqqâra] the next day by camel from the Pyramids of Giza. They were to travel to Luxor on the 14th [of Nov], then around the 21st [Nov] John would go to Armant (to the Egyptian Exploration Society excavation) and Hilda would return to Cairo. Hilda was going to live very close to Kathleen [Hargreaves]. Reporting that Hilda was better from having a fever, that Hilda was having difficulty with getting a card to access the museums as she was not a member of the archaeological excavation, that John thought the Cairo was “a dreadful place…life is one long demand for money” and that the museum was “magnificent but far too full of the wrong things”, and they were both homesick for Greece John also mentions that [Alan] Shorter [who was travelling to the Armant excavation with John] had recovered, and asks Herbert to let him know the results of Intervarsity contests [athletics]. Undated, annotated in a later hand as “1928, on arrival from Greece, November?”

Sent from Shepheard’s Hotel, Cairo. Mainly about the end of the excavation at Amarna, and a wall painting that John and Hilda had found in the Eastern Village (excavated 1922), Hilda had traced and would be probably be in an exhibition in July. Also telling Herbert they had arrived safely from Amarna and were leaving for Greece the next day; that Lionel and Kathleen [Hargreaves, John’s cousin] were going to have dinner with them that evening; that they had a nice send off from [Hans and Jettie] Frankfort; that they had been to see new finds from Tutankhamen’s tomb in the Cairo museum; and that John hoped the MSS [manuscript of ‘Aegyptiaca’] had arrived.

[Sent from Armant excavation, Egypt]. Telling Herbert he had arrived at [Armant] and about the excavation, including that they had made good discoveries (and disproved Howard Carter’s cynicism) and John had found a completely new use of a hieroglyph. Also mentioning that [Hans] Frankfort was to look at John’s [‘Aegyptiaca’] catalogue, Hilda [Pendlebury] was in Cairo and about her research, and John still missed Greece. Additionally reminding Herbert to tell him the results of Varsity and College contests [athletics]. Undated, annotated in a later hand as “1928”.

Sent from Luxor [during the Armant excavation, Egypt]. Wishing Herbert a happy birthday; telling him about a huge sandstorm at the excavation, progress with the dig and that John was the official photographer; asking Herbert to put Greek stamps he was sending into an album, and to send a new book on Amarna paintings which the [Egyptian Exploration Society] were publishing and [‘Egyptian Decorative Art’] by [W. M. Flinders] Petrie.

[Sent from Armant excavation, Egypt]. Telling Herbert about the camp and work (which would continue until the second week in January), that Hilda [Pendlebury] was coming to the camp for Christmas, and that he had written to S. C. [Roberts] and received a letter from Alan Wace. Also asking Herbert to suggest some Roman Emperors. Undated, annotated in a later hand as “1928”.

[Sent from Armant excavation, Egypt]. Wishing Herbert a Happy Christmas and telling him about plans for Hilda visiting the camp over Christmas, and about progress on the excavation. Also mentioning that he would meet Hilda in Luxor, [Stephen] Glanville was leaving shortly after Hilda so they would use his tent, the Daily Telegraph were publishing the reports of the excavation, he had a bet on a Varsity match with Glanville, and hoping a law suit had gone well for Herbert and he wished he could be home for Christmas. Undated, annotated in a later hand as “Dec 1928 to May 1929”.

Sent from Vathy, Samos [Vathý, Sámos]. About a trip [with Charles and Isabel Seltman, and Mrs Emmett] around Greek islands and bad weather meaning the route had to be changed, visiting “Tigani” [renamed Pythagóreion] on the other side of Samos and seeing the [Tunnel of Eupalinos], and their boat having to rescue a Russian boat off the coast of Sámos. Also telling Herbert their plans to visit the Heraion on Sámos then continue their trip to Chios, Mytilene [Lesbos] and Crete. John details that the original planned route was Tenos [Tínos], Mykonos [Míkonos], Delos [Dhílos], Naxos [Náxos], Paros [Páros], Melos [Mílos], Thera [Santorini], Candia [Iráklion], Hagios Nikolaos [Áyios Nikólaos] (for Pseira [Psíra] and Gournia [Gourniá]), Samos [Sámos], Chios , Mitylene [Lésvos], Skyros [Skíros] then Athens. The route was changed after Delos [Dhílos] due to bad weather and they went straight to Samos [Sámos]. Also asking Herbert to get ‘Mallia’ volume I by Charputnier.

Sent from Chios [during a trip around Greek islands, with Charles and Isabel Seltman, and Mrs Emmett]. Telling Herbert that the weather was better, that a member of the party had mumps [Bobby Emmett, son of hostess] but it wasn’t serious, that they had arrived safely and were sailing to Mitylene [Lésvos] that day. Stamped as received in Malvern, 14 Apr 1929.

Sent from Athens, where John and Hilda were in quarantine for mumps having just returned from a cruise of Greek islands during which the hostess’ son [Bobby Emmett] had the illness. Telling Herbert about the trip and his impressions of the islands (particularly Delos, Paros, Thera, Melos and Poros [Dhílos, Páros, Santorini, Mílos and Póros]); plans to stay in Athens until the 18th [Apr] then go to Nauplia [Náfplio]; and that he had a nice letter from [George] Macmillan encouraging him to apply for the Macmillan studentship at the BSA, but that he had no hope of getting a job through [Arthur] Evans because John’s “enthusiasm for Komo [Kommos] has roused his fears”. John also says how glad he and Hilda are that Herbert was coming to visit next autumn, and asks if the Hellenic Society could get him a copy of ‘Phylakopi’ (a publication of an excavation in Melos [Mílos], 1895) and the report of an excavation that [Richard] Dawkins led in 1911. [It appears that John and Hilda’s plans changed and they did not go to Náfplio].

Sent from Palace Hotel, Athens. Telling Herbert about their plans to travel to Crete with [Humfry] Payne on Friday [26 Apr]; that Payne wanted John and Hilda to work on an excavation at Eleutherna, and was sure John would get the Macmillan studentship at the BSA; and that following Charles [Seltman’s] advice he was not putting his name on appointments board lists. Also telling Herbert about taking photographs in a museum [in Athens]; that he had a good collection of photographs (not all his own) from the cruise around Greek islands; that he did not have mumps [he was expecting them as during the cruise of the Greek islands the hostess’ son had them]; that he had been playing tennis with [Walter] Heurtley and would play hockey; that John and Hilda and [Walter and Eileen] Heurtley would go to Brauron [Vraona] for the day Written on “Sunday” but otherwise undated by John. Annotated in a later hands as “Apr 22nd 1929” and “no, Sunday was the 21st”.

Sent from the Villa Ariadne, Knossos, where John and Hilda had a room, enclosing photographs (not present) of John and Hilda’s cruise around Greek islands. Telling Herbert of his plans to take photographs in the museum [at Knossos] to finish the illustrations for [‘Aegyptiaca’] and that he and Hilda would go to Eleutherna with [Humfry] Payne for a preliminary look at the excavation site. Annotated on reverse, in a later hand, as “1928-1929”.

[Sent from Athens]. Mainly discussing the reasons that he did not want to take up a [Cambridge] University lectureship, details of illustrations and work to be done on [‘Aegyptiaca’] before publication, and a recent trip in Crete (including an itinerary of their travels). John tells Herbert that he was going to apply for a permit to excavate a site on the south coast of Crete (30 miles west of Phaestos [Faistós]) [at Keremés] the following year. John thought the site seemed to be a Mycenaean pirate base and states that [Humfry] Payne was keen that John should apply for the permit. The recent trip in Crete that is described was to go to Eleutherna with [Humfry] Payne, who John states was very nice and they got on well together. The trip [with Hilda and Payne] also included camping outside Margaritaes [Margarítai], Rhetliymo [Réthymnon], Arkadi monastery [Moní Arkadhíou], “Sybrita”, “Asomatos monastery”, Speli [Spili], Preveli monastery, Dibaki [?], Keramai [Keramés] and Knossos. Also telling Herbert: that they would travel to Rhodes on Friday, stay there around a week, and then should be back in the United Kingdom in the first week of June; that he did not want an academic life; that [Arthur] Evans had been worried about them visiting [Kommos] during their trip around Crete but they had been too tired to go anyway; that he was sorry about Peter’s 3rd [third class degree?]; and that he had written to Jock [Lawson?] explaining that he didn’t want to take up the University lectureship.

Sent from the British School at Athens. Telling Herbert that he had been offered the Curatorship of Knossos via a confidential unsigned telegram, and that he had heard from [Humfry] Payne that [Arthur] Evans was happy with him excavating at Keramai [Keramés]. Also about plans to travel back to the United Kingdom via Naples to give information to [Amedeo] Mauiri and hopefully get his agreement for referring to items [in ‘Aegyptiaca’], and then to London, Malvern, Caldy and Cambridge. Additionally telling Herbert: that a manuscript [that he had asked Herbert to send of ‘Aegyptiaca’] had arrived; that he had written to Jock [Lawson?] and said he was “only too willing to pull my weight but except for the long I couldn’t be of any use at all”; and that Rhodes was “delightful”.

Sent from the Berners Hotel. London. Telling Herbert that he had been given the [Curatorship] job at Knossos, he had not heard officially but both [Alan] Wace and Forsdyke had told him, the terms of employment and that these would be settled when he goes to Oxford to stay with [Arthur] Evans on 9 Aug.

Sent from Cambridge, giving news that he had been offered the [Directorship of the Egyptian Exploration Society excavation] at Amarna in 1930-31 and he had accepted and was extremely pleased. John states that he would need to resign the Macmillan studentship at the BSA, that he might apply for Assistant Director [of the BSA] in 1932-33, and that he was waiting until he had seen [Stephen] Glanville before announcing the news of his job at Amarna to the “Aegean World”. Also discussing a visit to [Arthur Evans’ house in] Youlbury where he found out about his duties [at Knossos] and saw [George] Macmillan, [John] Forsdyke and [David Theodore Fyfe] there; and mentioning that Bob Dixon (whose guest John was for the Grouse Feast the previous evening) sent his love to Herbert.

Sent from Hotel Majestic, Athens.

Sent from [Athens].

Sent “c/o/ Egypt Exploration Fund, Hagg Kandil near Der Mowes, Upper Egypt” [Amarna].

Sent from Winstanley, Great Malvern.

The beginning of the volume contains a section of “essays 1920” by John with comments and marks in a different hand [the book was previously used as a school book]. The essays are “The Themistocles, a newly discovered Dialogue of Plato written in a late and degraded style” (a handwritten dialogue between Eumenes and Critias) and “From the Annals of John Silent” (an essay about Oliver Cromwell). The main body of the volume is a travel-log entitled “John’s Trip to Greece with Mr Cullen, Easter 1923” comprising dated extracts of letters from John to Herbert Pendlebury about the trip (2 Apr – 4 May 1923) [copied out by Herbert Pendlebury], with small photographs [added later]. Extracts from a letter written from Athens (10 Apr) describe the journey through France (Paris), Switzerland (Lausanne), Italy (Dommodosola, Milan including the Cathedral, Lakes Como and Maggiore, plain of Lombardy, Venice), Yugoslavia (Serbia, Belgrade, South Serbia [region of Yugoslavia], Skopje), Guevgueli [Gevgelija] on the border with Greece, Salonika [Thessaloníki], Mount Olympos, the Vale of Tempe, Pelion, Ossa, Thessaly including Larissa [Lárisa], and Thermopylae [Thermopílai] (including seeing Mount Oeta). An extract also mentions a postcard from Zagreb [Croatia]. Further extracts from the letter (10 Apr) also describe arriving in Athens, going to the British School at Athens, meeting [Alan] Wace; visiting the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, Dipylon Gate and Cemetery and the Theseion; a day trip walking from Megara [Mégara] to Minoa and Nisaea, across Salamis [Salamís] and along the coast of Attica to Pireaus; a day trip to Prasias [modern Porto Rafti, Markopoúlou, Órmos], Laureion [Lávrion], Thorikos and walking back to Athens over Hymettos [Imittós Óros] (the trip was supposed to include Sounion but their car broke down); and climbing Lycabettos [Mount Lycabettus]. Extracts from further letters describe visiting the National Museum in Athens (including descriptions of rooms and work that Alan Wace was doing in the museum); seeing Lebadea [Levádhia], Delium, Tanagra, Thebae [Thebes], Haliartos and Goulas; travelling on to Livadhia [Levádhia], Mount Helicon, Stiris Monastery (where they ate and stayed the night), Schiste, Arracova [Arákhova], and Delphi (including descriptions of the archaeological site and museum); a boat trip to Patras [Pátrai] then travelling on to Olympia (including description of archaeological site), Anduvtiana, Greka [Graíkas], Andritsana [Andrítsiana], Bassae, Kalamata [Kalámai], Sparta, Langada Gorge, Trypi [Trípi], Mistra [Mistrás], Tripolis [Trípolis], Argos [Árgos], Tiryus, Nauplia [Náfplio], Epidauros [Epídhavros], the Heraion [of Argos], Mycenae (staying at the Belle Helene, [Alan] Wace showing them tombs, describing the archaeological sites), Corinth, Eleusis [Elefsína] and back to Athens; Marousi (climbing Pentelies); the boat journey from Pireaus, stopping in Corfu, then catching the train from Brindisi to Boulogne, and arriving back in London via Dover on the 4 May.

Scenery, with a train track in the foreground. and is labelled Photograph B is of 2 young girls standing outside a building and is labelled “Two small Grecians from Thessaly”.

2 barefoot young girls standing outside a building [taken from train].

A view from a low angle, with some marble blocks in the foreground.

A view of the Caryatids.

View of one side of the Parthenon, showing part of central structure.

Side view of monuments, including a dog/lion (?).

The acropolis is just visible in the background.

A group photograph of James Cullen with 6 local men, standing outside a building.

View of high cliffs with a crevice, from a road/path.

A view of the Treasury from the front, showing 2 doric columns.

Taken from the base of the stadium, showing one side of steps.

Showing a row of column bases.

Showing column bases, floor and loose pieces of marble. With trees in background, and hills beyond them.

Showing a tree-covered hill with column bases, low-walls and loose pieces of marble in the foreground.

Showing columns, with loose pieces of marble in the foreground.

Poor quality (out of focus), hills in background.