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Letter & Card to Ian Hamilton Finlay regarding the Aurora Cruiser Card / Riddell, Alan., 1975

 Item
Identifier: CC-59822-61276

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Scope and Contents

This correspondence was included in the Pedlar Finlay Archive but apparently the card was never published by Finlay nor is there any correspondence from Finlay about this project. The photograph of the Aurora was printed in Leningrad. Wikipedia: "Aurora (Russian: Авро́ра, tr. Avrora; IPA: [ɐˈvrorə]) is a 1900 Russian protected cruiser, currently preserved as a museum ship in St. Petersburg. Aurora was one of three Pallada-class cruisers, built in St. Petersburg for service in the Pacific Far East. During World War I Aurora operated in the Baltic Sea performing patrols and shore bombardment tasks. In 1915, her armament was changed to fourteen 152 mm (6 in) guns. At the end of 1916, she was moved to Petrograd (the renamed St Petersburg) for a major repair. The city was brimming with revolutionary ferment and part of her crew joined the 1917 February Revolution. A revolutionary committee was created on the ship, with Aleksandr Belyshev elected as captain. Most of the crew joined the Bolsheviks, who were preparing for a Communist revolution. At 9.45 p.m on 25 October 1917 (O.S.) a blank shot from her forecastle gun signaled the start of the assault on the Winter Palace, which was to be the beginning of the October Revolution. In summer 1918, she was relocated to Kronstadt and placed into reserve." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Dates

  • Creation: 1975

Creator

Extent

0 See container summary (1 letter (both sides, ink, handwriting) + card (recto, color photograph of the Russian cruiser "Aurora," verso, addressed to Ian Hamilton Finlay, typed label reads Evening Becomes Aurora, typed label reads Morning Becomes Aurora)) ; letter 21 x 15 cm + card 11 x 15 cm

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Physical Location

box shelf

Custodial History

The Sackner Archive of Concrete and Visual Poetry, on loan from Ruth and Marvin A. Sackner and the Sackner Family Partnership.

General

Published: London, England : [Publisher not identified]. Signed by: Alan [Riddell] (l.r.- verso letter). Nationality of creator: Australian. General: About 1 total copies. General: Added by: CONV; updated by: MARVIN.

Repository Details

Part of the The Ruth and Marvin Sackner Archive of Concrete and Visual Poetry Repository

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