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The poem to be inscribed as "A Man of Letters R.L.S." on a formal stone with irregular edges is inscribed with a 'one-word poem' and set in the grass within a small grove of birch trees" -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents In Nov 1972, Finlay writes to Vincent Butler, who built the aircraft carrier sculpture for Stonypath, expressing his displeasure with the quality of the drawing for the Wild Stone project. Finlay indicates that unless Butler can produce a better drawing, their collaboration should cease. No reply from Butler is contained within this Archive and letters from Finlay to Peter Lyle, Michael Harvey, and George Thorpe are sent requesting their assistance with the project along with those of Butler. Finlay writes that the poems to be inscribed upon the Six Wild Stones are one word poems analogous to Japanese Haiku where art is a matter of brevity and suggestion and wild (native) stones in a formal area is equivalent to a Japanese rock Garden. Examples include the poem Curfew "Curlew." Curlew is a bird heard mostly on still, misty days or in the evening with a long, sad cry. Finlay includes a plan on graphite tracing paper, ...a large area mown grass ...stone paving slats...stone poems...

Scope and Contents From Jan 1971-Jan 1972, Basil Greenhill, Director National Maritime Museum, writes 3 letters to Finlay regarding a commission for a sundial. In April 1972, Finlay writes 2 letters to Michael Harvey dealing with aspects of this sundial. Harvey responds in May 1972 with concerns about images on the cube shape making up the sundial particularly leaving the top blank - "as if whatever should be there had been pinched" and placing the poem on the dial which might interrupt the flow of the poem. Finlay replies to Harvey about his concern about the blank top of the sundial by pointing out that this may be a matter of scale; he feels that the blank top will not compromise the work in an 8" or 10" version but agrees that the sundial will do best at the top. He also accepts Harvey's suggestions for words at the top of the panels but rejects Harvey's idea for using Arabic rather than Roman numerals. Finlay notes the pun on the image of a fleet of ships (fleet=swift, fleet=of hours). In July...

Scope and Contents In May 1973, Finlay writes to Harvey that L. MacDermid suggested to the Kelso City Council that a permanent work of Finlay's be installed at the opening of the Kelso arts festival in Sep 1973. Finlay is unsure of the scale, price and type of work desired but proposes three sundials and considers A Solemnity of Sundials (from Sailor's Calendar) most appropriate because Kelso is on the Tweed river (a salmon river) & Solemnity depicts sundials, swallows & fish. He wants Harvey to provide sketches. Within 2 weeks Harvey does the sketches, preferring A Solemnity of Sundials to the other suggestion, Dividing the Light (from Poetry Review). A sketch of Solemnity is included in this archive. In June 1973, Finlay writes to L. MacDermid with his ordered preferences for a vertical sundial, Dividing...,A Solemnity...& A Garden of Sea-Stones with rationale for each in the city of Kelso. He also praises Harvey for his quick dispatch. Finlay writes MacDermid about the final plans in...

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In Sep 1973, Finlay writes to Michael Harvey requesting that Harvey and Goodricke make a ceramic-concrete maquette, based upon a Ron Costley sketch, for the Stuttgart Max Plank project. Finlay provides detailed instructions on the lettering for the work. A month later, he comments on the Harvey efforts indicating that he wants a "Matisse'y" effect which depends upon a flat surface as opposed to a kinetic effect that looses the balance between the visual and the word part. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents In March 1973, Finlay writes to Stephen Bann to compliment him on an account of a Tarasque weekend and to discuss a poem in French by Claudel, from "100 Phrases for Fans," that had been translated and sent to him by Edward Lucie-Smith. He encloses a copy of this poem which he retyped with his own modifications as well as a letter from Smith. Finlay requests Bann's opinion as to the appropriateness for him to interpret the poem's layout as a sundial inscription and of Finlay's rendition. Still in March 1973, Finlay writes to Edward Lucie-Smith for clarification of Claudel's poem that he had sent to Finlay previously. The poem reads Fan (opposite page), Poems written upon the breath. Finlay asks Smith as to why "Fan" is on the opposite page and why the words have been split. Finlay wonders whether the disjointed words equate to a fan-picture when the fan is closed and if the phrase in the poem, "written upon a breath" signifies that the fan makes a little breathing. Bann responds to...

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In Oct 1973, Harvey writes to Finlay with descriptions of proposals for the Portsmith City Art Project, viz., Water's & Sky's Hours and Numbered Sails. He also sends Finlay drawings which are cataloged separately in the Sackner Archive. Finlay replied within a week with minor modifications prior to their submission into the competition. He adds a note of encouragement to Harvey, "So the question is, who will get the Third Prize (As we have won the First and Second)." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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The words, Beautiful Kydippe, incised into a tree-bark by Callimachus (270 B.C.) are transcribed into a stone plaque (print image) shaped to the trunk of a tree. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This work is based upon a design by the Elizabethan architect, Inago Jones. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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The ink drawings provide construction details of four ceramic varied colored sail shapes with numbers from Scottish sail boats. One drawing is vertical and one drawing is horizontal. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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The watercolor depicts four ceramic, varied colored sail shapes with numbers from Scottish sail boats. The signature is Michael Harvey's but he has also printed Susan Goodricke's name adjacent to his. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This depicts two adjacent, brown colored, ceramic or concrete, vertical slabs lettered The Water's Hours with levels drawn in blue & denoted with Roman numerals and The Sky's Hours with strokes of a sundial drawn in blue & denoted with Roman numerals, respectively. In Oct 1973, Harvey writes to Finlay with descriptions of proposals for the Portsmith City Art Project, viz., Water's & Sky's Hours and Numbered Sails. Finlay replied within a week with minor modifications prior to their submission into the competition. He adds a note of encouragement to Harvey, "So the question is, who will get the Third Prize (As we have won the First and Second)." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.