An archive of affectionate, funny and deeply personal hand-written postcards and letters spanning the years 1972 - 1984, sent from American singer, dancer and actress Eartha Kitt to close friends Stewart and Peter Harries. The Harries brothers were part of Kitt's inner circle who often hosted her and collaborated professionally on various projects.
This affectionate and lively correspondence contains updates on family and professional life evoking Eartha Kitt’s legendarily sassy and outspoken nature alongside a more intimate, unseen side. In a 1972 typed letter Eartha refers to her recent outburst at the White House against President Johnson’s policy in Vietnam and other aspects of American life which resulted in her being blacklisted and investigated by the CIA, ‘I tried to tell the American public about 7 years now how the wool has been consistently pulled over their eyes and instead of getting a reward for it, I got my face slapped by the Johnson’s which made me loose a lot of work’. A December 1974 letter from the Acapulco Princess Hotel discusses the ongoing court case with her daughter Kitt’s father over child support. She writes how he ’borrowed part of her trust to live it up with a yacht and fancy cars’.... ‘I was so ashamed of him in court’. She describes the hotel, ‘its about the most beautiful [...] I have ever seen for a hotel.... it’s so [...] it makes me sick not to have a mate’. Eartha ironically often compared her ‘sex kitten’ status with a frequently unhappy personal life.
A 1983 postcard from the Bostwick Farm, New Milford discusses work for the BBC and her plans to buy some land in Connecticut to build a house. Friends Peter, John, Reene, Zaza and Chris are remembered and mentioned fondly throughout many times. Eartha was deeply involved in youth advocacy throughout her life and a Xmas card to Stewart, Peter and Family asks for a donation to the Kittsville Youth Foundation. May 1977 correspondence describes trips to Bangkok and Manilla and news of her daughter, ‘ Kitt is at a ballet school, loves it but also wants to study law’.
In 1983 Eartha writes on paper headed ‘Hyatt Sarasota, Florida’, ‘so much is going on I guess my star is shining again’ and a year later a postcard mentions the promotion for her new track ‘Where is my Man’, a significant comeback hit for her, particularly in the club and disco scenes.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: 7 hand written letters, 5 hand written postcards, 1 Christmas card and 1 typed letter penned and signed by Eartha Kitt. The correspondence is addressed to Peter and Stewart Harries, 1 Alyth Rd, Bournemouth, England. Also included is a newspaper obituary and cutting from The Daily Telegraph, Saturday December 27th 2008. In very good condition throughout.
