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This one hundredth page is titled "Abandon Hope" and it is printed up side down as is the entire page. At the bottom left Phillips writes "Abandon hope. The original inscription for a TV Dante...drawing a line under dante" It is signed Tom Phillips XXII.VIII.XCIII." On the bottom left corner a collaged comic strip block with a picture of a physician in a white lab coat reads "Thank you, Doctor." This refers to Dr. Marvin Sackner's support for the Dante project. On the upper right hand corner is collaged the saying "Guaranteed for Life." The text on the page reads as follows: Through me you reach the city of despair- Through me you reach eternity of grief - Through me you reach the region of the lost - Justice it was moved my high architect - Divine omnipotence created me - Transcendent wisdom and primordial love - Before me only endless things were made - And I too shall endure without an end - You that enter here - Abandon hope -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents This first page from Dante Diary, which is dated from February 28, 1979 to March 19, 1979, includes several indirect references to Ruth and Marvin Sackner. First, there is a sketch of a large drawing which was subsequently acquired by the Sackner Archive, "Letters from a Crane Skin Bag." Then Phillips mentions that Grove Press is working on a portfolio of Dante heads for "Martin Ackerman's [financial] scheme. Phillips introduced Ackerman to the Sackners who became became a close personal friends as well as continuing supporters of Phillips' work. Tom Phillips writes that a portrait of Hilary Hugh-Jones is in progress in the studio. Hugh-Jones was a friend of the Sackners. "Pella meets me from Edinburg" refers to Pella Erskine-Tulloch, Tom's bookbinder and friend whose work is well represented in the Archive. Finally, Phillips composed a poem about Mallarme whose most important work, "Un Coup de Des," became the initial starting point for the Sackner Archive collection. [There was...

Scope and Contents

This second page from Dante Diary, which is dated from March 27, 1979 to April 19, 1979, includes a direct reference to Marvin Sackner. Philllips mentions discussing with him regarding self publishing Dante's 'inferno.' There are several, diverse sketches depicted on this page including a portrait of Hilary Hugh-Jones near the center at the the lower border. Her husband Philip Hugh-Jones, a British pulmonary physician was a friend of Marvin Sackner. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This third page from Dante Diary, which is dated from May 10, 1979 to July 10, 1979, mentions Phillips' visit with the Sackners and receiving "good Miami postcards from Sara Sackner." The sketches on its right side depict installation plans for the British Council Show and a standing man wearing shorts viewed from the rear who appears to be in position for urinating against a wall. In addition, Phillips has sketched small drawings of Inferno pages (Una Selva) and a partially completed devil-like figure at the lower right corner. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This fourth page from the Dante Diary, which is dated from July 10, 1979 to September 15, 1979, depicts a central image of an unfinished sketch of an androgynous seated figure (Beatrice?). Its right half contains sketches for illustrative pages of the Inferno including drawings of a leopard, lion and wolf, a drawing with yellow flowers on its lower border, a drawing designed with 10 openings or fragments from the book of dreams, drawings of Virgil and Dante flanking a still to be determined image, and a sketch of calligraphic forms labeled, "a big drawing with secondary letters in white." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

Scope and Contents This fifty-ninth page of the Dante Diary, dated December 10, 1982, is stamped in capital letters on the lower right corner "Working out the final page." On the left hand portion of the page is a collaged, hand-drawn diagram of the quilt-like design of the central image of the fourth illustration of Canto 34 . There are, in fact, 34 separate images starting with Dark Wood in the upper left hand corner, and including excerpts from Virgil in his study, Heads, No entry, Papal skull and crossbones, Concrete poem etc. Small print fragments making up seven of the squares are collaged to the top half of the page. Phillips' handwritten text indicates that talks about publishing Dante as a trade book continue. He notes that the first bound copy of Vol II is almost on schedule. He is finishing up bits of work on the last pages and is starting on the acknowledgements and the justification of the tirage. Phillips writes a particularly poignant account of the creation of the final page in the...

Scope and Contents

This 60th page is titled "Dante in South London." In large letters on the center of the page Phillips has printed " The first book sold on the open market XIVth April LXXX." There are three photographs of the Dante statue at the Crystal Palace taken by Jill Phillips on the bottom of the page. On the top right of the page is a torn portion of a card printed with the only actual quotation from Dante appearing in S. London on a card from a Peckham sweet shop. It reads "Abandon hope all you who enter here." Phillips writes "Standard error in translating this line" and draws an arrow to reposition the word "all" to be placed before "hope." On this diary page Phillips reveals his financial and distribution problems in completing the Dante project. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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Page 61 contains a great deal of diary writing.Phillips writes ,"Last page delivered by Nick Hunter on the 700th anniversary of Dante's meeting with Beatrice on the bridge. 3 copies were sold by Waddington. first of the Production of Talfourd Press London. from November 1976 - April 1988. six & a half years!" There is a small profile of Dante on the upper right side of the page with a bubble saying "Whew!" An extended paragraph of Phillips' writing gives acknowledgement to all those at the press who made this production possible.He also expresses disappointment with Thames and Hudson and Abbeville Press in not supporting the book.This page also contains several small sketches and rubberstampings. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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Page 62 contains a stencilled title on the page bottom "First production of the Talfourd Press - LXXXIII." There is a photograph on the top left of Basil Bunting with Stuart and Mrs. Montgomery looking through the Inferno.The upper right corner contains a copy of a review of '''"The Daughtman's Contract by Peter Greenaway.Phiillps writes that he has started work on notes for a film version of Inferno with Peter Greenaway.The center of the page contains three lar adn several small sketches of Phillips' initials signature at the end of the Inferno. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This eighty-eighth page of the Dante Diary, dated July 10, 1979-81, is stamped in capital letters on the bottom "Thinking of a postcard hell." Thirty four small square gouache drawings each with calligraphic descriptions form a 6x6 grid. The first square contains the title "Postcard Inferno" and the final square is a swimming scene of two bathers from an old postcard fragment. The left side of the page depicts a scene of a bathing pool from Butlin's luxury holiday camp. According to the artist box that was sent to the Sackners by Phillips the last drawing in this series should have been No.62 but is labeled No.83. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This fifth page from the Dante Diary, which is dated June 24, 1979 to September 15, 1979, depicts four graphite renderings of hands and several sketches of ideas for illustrations to the Inferno. Phillips describes several ideas specifying the source of light in his drawings, e.g., from an opened shutter onto an opened book. Two sketches depict Dante at his desk writing in a book. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This sixth page from the Dante Diary, which is dated September 15, 1979, depicts several sketches for illustrations to the Inferno. He mentions dividing the work into three books and indicates that he is working on a piece entitled 'Virgil in His Study.' He includes a Jewish star, perhaps an idea for a collage later executed in [Persecution] 1993 and held by the Sackner Archive. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This fourteenth page from the Dante Diary, which is dated Jan 2,1980 finds Tom Phillips in Italy.The page is collaged with several Italian stamps illustrating scenes from The Divine Comedy and portraits of Dante, Italian newspaper fragments and Phillips' sketches. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This fifteenth page from the Dante Diary, which is dated Jan 24, 1980 to March 24, 1980, is titled Dante in London. The text details Phillips' work on illustrations and translations on Canto VIII. He discusses the hiring of new assistants. Midway through the text, he writes,"FINISHED SECOND DRAFT OF TRANSLATION and have worked on penultimate draft of Cantos VII & XIX." The right side of the page contains collaged papers, including a card from Dantes Hairdressing in London, a section from the London telephone book with Dante listings circled, and a cartoon with a cloud floating above a map of Italy imprinted with the word CONFUSION.Three small abstract expressionist gouache paintings complete the right side of the page. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This book constitutes an early working draft of Phillips' translation of Dante's Inferno. The text begins with Canto V (From that initial circle I went down), and ends with Canto XXVI (Florence, rejoice! You're so important now). The pages include drawings and handwriting in red, brown, blue, green and black ink. About seventy-five of these small drawings which accompany the text (but not necessarily illustrating it) depict images of strange gargoyle-like creatures, optical elements, animals, and an opened book. Tom Phillips' poem on page one sets the tone for the project, "impure suburban night - corrupt with orange light - be silent for my concentration's weak - your planes, though high are not the muse I seek - I want to hear this old Italian speak." The endpapers are red and white fleurs-de-lis and include a book plate depicting Dante reading in his study which is signed by Phillips.Page 2 marks the beginning of Canto V. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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The duplicate print is inscribed to Sarah (sic). -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This notebook is the design plan for Phillips Dante's Inferno on a page by page basis. It consists of images drawn in their proper sequence and detailed descriptive notes. For each canto, one page is filled with ink and ink colored sketches, instructions and diagrams that face the ink drawn structural design of the pages for the limited edition. For some cantos, an additional page of drawings and instructions is present on an adjacent page. There are hundreds of sketches in this book. On page iii, Phillips writes, "Sacrifice either Gateway image or stag & head image or bitter boating." The Sackner Archive contains a Gateway print from the Editions Alecto set with the word NO written on it; this image did not appear in the Talfourd Press Edition. These preliminary drawings and descriptions by Phillips are a rich study in the evolving imagery and background information leading to the finished prints. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

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This print is one of the proofs for the first edition of Phillips' Dante's Inferno. The completed prints were destroyed in a fire at the Editions Alecto studio and never published as an edition. Phillips subsequently redid the prints in a different manner although he borrowed some of the imagery from the first edition. The prints in a limited edition and a trade edition book were published by Phillips and Thames and Hudson, respectively. A text of this image reads, "Semiramis & Dido & Cleopatra & Helen of Troy & Achilles & Paris & Tristan Und Isole De & Romeo and Juliet & Anna Karenina & Emma." -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.