This collection consists of letters written by artist Edward Burne-Jones to his daughter Margaret Burne-Jones Mackail, dating from her childhood to his death (approximately 1873-1898). Letters often include sketches by Burne-Jones of birds, cats and other animals, as well as frequent caricatures of Burne-Jones himself. Many letters also include their original envelopes. The earliest letters to Margaret are written in block capitals, clearly for a child just learning to read on her own. Letters often include information about Burne-Jones' work (sometimes quite specific) as well as discussions about those his circle of friends, including William Morris, Henry James and Cormell Price, among others. Though most letters are affectionate and humorous (many include jokes clipped from newspapers), Burne-Jones also shares despondent and depressive thoughts with his daughter, especially frustrations with his work, as well as sadness when she leaves home to marry husband Jack Mackail. The collection also includes one letter from Georgiana Burne-Jones, Margaret's mother, and a letter from Edward Burne-Jones to Jack Mackail. Letters are housed in modern cloth slipcases.
volume 1, Folder 1 Letters 1876-1883 Contents 7 letters, 2 with envelopes, 2 sketches. volume 1, Folder 2 Letters 1884 Contents 14 letters, 1 envelope, 3 letters with drawings. volume 1, Folder 3 Letters 1885-1886 Contents 8 letters, 6 letters with drawings volume 1, Folder 4 Letters 1887 Contents 6 letters, 4 envelopes, all letters with drawings (one with sewn in string connecting a drawing of Margaret, on the first page, to a caricature of Burne-Jones, on the last page) volume 1, Folder 5 Letters 1889 Contents 2 letters, 1 envelope, 1 letter with drawing volume 1, Folder 6 Letters 1892 Contents 11 letters, 3 envelopes, 4 letters with drawings, many letters with pasted in newspaper clippings (mostly of jokes) as well as one letter with a pasted cheque and a manuscript note from Margaret Mackail, made at a later date. Volume 2, Folder 1 Letters 1893 Contents 2 letters, 1 with drawings. Volume 2, Folder 2 Letters 1894 Contents 5 letters, all with envelopes, 1 letter with drawings and several with clippings of jokes from the newspaper. One letter is from Georgiana Burne-Jones to Margaret Mackail. Volume 2, Folder 3 Letters 1895 Contents 6 letters, 2 envelope, many letters with newspaper clippings (mostly jokes). One letter also has a pasted inpaper silhouette of Burne-Jones. Volume 2, Folder 4 Letters 1896-1898 Contents 3 letters, 4 envelopes, 1 letter with drawings and one with newspaper clippings. Volume 2, Folder 5 Letters undated Contents 9 letters, 4 envelopes, 7 letters with drawings. Many of these letters appear to date from before 1876 and 2 are written in all block capital letters, presumably to a young Margaret just learning to read.