'When you look at your parents or grandparents it's hard to imagine them as young lovers full of adventure'

Conjuring up an extraordinary tale and extra depths to the famous photographer, Lee Miller, Ami Bouhassane shares her grandmothers love letters, held in the Lee Miller's Archives.

Episode 19 – Bonus episode – And they all lived happily ever after?

In this episode we find out what happened next to the characters in Roland and Lee's love letters as the series comes to an end.

This series explores the 300 pages of love letters written between the iconic photographer Lee Miller and the Surrealist artist Roland Penrose during their courtship. Starting just a few days after they first met in June 1937 at a fancy dress party in Paris, the letters continue for 2 years charting their love, their friends such as Man Ray, Picasso, Leonora Carrington, Max Ernst, Nusch and Paul Eluard, their adventures, the build up of world war II, some scandals and a lot of fun.

 Subscribe to support the Lee Miller Archives and Farleys and listen to other podcast series featuring Lee Miller’s writing: www.patreon.com/leemillerarchives

Guest Speakers: Antony Penrose (son of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose and Co-Director of Lee Miller Archives), Hilary Roberts (Independent Curator, formerly senior curator of photography at Imperial War Museums, London), Hussein Omar (lecturer on Modern global history, University college Dublin) and Sam Bardaouil (Founder & curator of ArtReorientated).

Lee Miller's letters read and presented by Ami Bouhassane

Roland Penrose's letters read by Adam Grayson

Music composed by David Cullen

Series Producer: Tolly Robinson

All content © Lee Miller Archives, England 2024. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'When you look at your parents or grandparents it's hard to imagine them as young lovers full of adventure'

Conjuring up an extraordinary tale and extra depths to the famous photographer, Lee Miller, Ami Bouhassane shares her grandmothers love letters, held in the Lee Miller's Archives.

Episode 18 – All my love to you

In this episode Roland and Lee's love letters draw to an end, and the outbreak of war nears, but what will they decide to do?

'Darling, I’m drinking quantities of gin and lime, mad with rage because you haven’t answered my wire about Man and I wanted so much to see him. I feel like getting off here and going across France but I can’t afford it.....'.' wrote Lee Miller to Roland Penrose, London 7th June 1939

This series explores the 300 pages of love letters written between the iconic photographer Lee Miller and the Surrealist artist Roland Penrose during their courtship. Starting just a few days after they first met in June 1937 at a fancy dress party in Paris, the letters continue for 2 years charting their love, their friends such as Man Ray, Picasso, Leonora Carrington, Max Ernst, Nusch and Paul Eluard, their adventures, the build up of world war II, some scandals and a lot of fun.

 Subscribe to support the Lee Miller Archives and Farleys and listen to other podcast series featuring Lee Miller’s writing: www.patreon.com/leemillerarchives

Guest Speakers: Antony Penrose (son of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose and Co-Director of Lee Miller Archives), Hilary Roberts (Independent Curator, formerly senior curator of photography at Imperial War Museums, London), Hussein Omar (lecturer on Modern global history, University college Dublin) and Sam Bardaouil (Founder & curator of ArtReorientated).

Lee Miller's letters read and presented by Ami Bouhassane

Roland Penrose's letters read by Adam Grayson

Music composed by David Cullen

Series Producer: Tolly Robinson

All content © Lee Miller Archives, England 2024. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'When you look at your parents or grandparents it's hard to imagine them as young lovers full of adventure'

Conjuring up an extraordinary tale and extra depths to the famous photographer, Lee Miller, Ami Bouhassane shares her grandmothers love letters, held in the Lee Miller's Archives.

Episode 17 – Marco Polo

In this episode Roland and Lee's adventures in Egypt together end and again they become separated by oceans... but is their future together more certain?

'I have no news only the old guess what? To which you know the answer. I miss you more that ever, the Siwa trip was the final proof to me that I love you insatiably – every moment was superb and every moment since I left you on the quay intolerable.' wrote Roland Penrose aboard the Marco Polo to Lee Miller, Cairo 19th March 1939

This series explores the 300 pages of love letters written between the iconic photographer Lee Miller and the Surrealist artist Roland Penrose during their courtship. Starting just a few days after they first met in June 1937 at a fancy dress party in Paris, the letters continue for 2 years charting their love, their friends such as Man Ray, Picasso, Leonora Carrington, Max Ernst, Nusch and Paul Eluard, their adventures, the build up of world war II, some scandals and a lot of fun.

 Subscribe to support the Lee Miller Archives and Farleys and listen to other podcast series featuring Lee Miller’s writing: www.patreon.com/leemillerarchives

Guest Speakers: Antony Penrose (son of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose and Co-Director of Lee Miller Archives), Hilary Roberts (Independent Curator, formerly senior curator of photography at Imperial War Museums, London), Hussein Omar (lecturer on Modern global history, University college Dublin) and Sam Bardaouil (Founder & curator of ArtReorientated).

Lee Miller's letters read and presented by Ami Bouhassane

Roland Penrose's letters read by Adam Grayson

Music composed by David Cullen

Series Producer: Tolly Robinson

All content © Lee Miller Archives, England 2024. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'When you look at your parents or grandparents it's hard to imagine them as young lovers full of adventure'

Conjuring up an extraordinary tale and extra depths to the famous photographer, Lee Miller, Ami Bouhassane shares her grandmothers love letters, held in the Lee Miller's Archives.

Episode 16 – Art and Liberty

In this episode Lee forges stronger links with an important surrealist group in Cairo and she finds out that Roland will visit her in Egypt.

' Darling, I’ve delayed writing, and now I’m afraid that it will not reach you in time - - - it goes without saying, that I’m absolutely thrilled about your arrival --- it couldn’t be better arranged that you come with folklore intentions and to join that English woman - - - - as if you want to, it will give me endless opportunities to be with you if you want me to be, of course and if she is agreeable to the idea. ' Lee Miller wrote to Roland Penrose in London, 23-27th January 1939

This series explores the 300 pages of love letters written between the iconic photographer Lee Miller and the Surrealist artist Roland Penrose during their courtship. Starting just a few days after they first met in June 1937 at a fancy dress party in Paris, the letters continue for 2 years charting their love, their friends such as Man Ray, Picasso, Leonora Carrington, Max Ernst, Nusch and Paul Eluard, their adventures, the build up of world war II, some scandals and a lot of fun.

Subscribe to support the Lee Miller Archives and Farleys and listen to other podcast series featuring Lee Miller’s writing: www.patreon.com/leemillerarchives

Guest Speakers: Antony Penrose (son of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose and Co-Director of Lee Miller Archives), Hilary Roberts (Independent Curator, formerly senior curator of photography at Imperial War Museums, London), Hussein Omar (lecturer on Modern global history, University college Dublin) and Sam Bardaouil (Founder & curator of ArtReorientated).

Lee Miller's letters read and presented by Ami Bouhassane

Roland Penrose's letters read by Adam Grayson

Music composed by David Cullen

Series Producer: Tolly Robinson

All content © Lee Miller Archives, England 2024. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'When you look at your parents or grandparents it's hard to imagine them as young lovers full of adventure'

Conjuring up an extraordinary tale and extra depths to the famous photographer, Lee Miller, Ami Bouhassane shares her grandmothers love letters, held in the Lee Miller's Archives.

Episode 15 - It seems Mad that we should not be together

In this episode Lee is still travelling whilst Roland is now back in London touring Picasso's Guernica painting around the UK.

'I took some quite startling pictures in Syria - - - -Palmyra, Balbeck - - - Djerash - - - Krack - - -Sergiopolis - - - the Euphrates and the Tigris - - - to say nothing of Homs, Hama, Alep, Damascus - - - Antioch and all the great empty spaces - - - but as usual I’m too indolent to do anything about them . . . . and they are stuck away, un-filed like my Romanian and Greek pictures. Altho I bought an enlarger, I don’t think that I’ll ever get around to using it.' Lee Miller wrote to Roland Penrose in London, 6th January 1939

This series explores the 300 pages of love letters written between the iconic photographer Lee Miller and the Surrealist artist Roland Penrose during their courtship. Starting just a few days after they first met in June 1937 at a fancy dress party in Paris, the letters continue for 2 years charting their love, their friends such as Man Ray, Picasso, Leonora Carrington, Max Ernst, Nusch and Paul Eluard, their adventures, the build up of world war II, some scandals and a lot of fun.

 Subscribe to listen to other podcast series featuring Lee Miller’s writing: www.patreon.com/leemillerarchives

Guest Speakers: Antony Penrose (son of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose and Co-Director of Lee Miller Archives), Hilary Roberts (Independent Curator, formerly senior curator of photography at Imperial War Museums, London), Hussein Omar (lecturer on Modern global history, University college Dublin) and Sam Bardaouil (Founder & curator of ArtReorientated).

Lee Miller's letters read and presented by Ami Bouhassane

Roland Penrose's letters read by Adam Grayson

Music composed by David Cullen

Series Producer: Tolly Robinson

All content © Lee Miller Archives, England 2024. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'When you look at your parents or grandparents it's hard to imagine them as young lovers full of adventure'

Conjuring up an extraordinary tale and extra depths to the famous photographer, Lee Miller, Ami Bouhassane shares her grandmothers love letters, held in the Lee Miller's Archives.

Episode 14. He doesn't want to divorce me

In this episode Lee Miller writes from Athens telling Roland about her travels in Romania and of the conversation with her husband Aziz about parting. The tensions in the build up to the war have Roland becoming anxious for Lee safety particularly as her letters are not getting to him.

'Aziz and I had long conversations about you and my situation in general. The result is that I’m going on this trip then come back and see what everything is about . . . . He doesn’t want to divorce me unless he is sure that I’m going to be happy and taken care of elsewhere - - - - I told him that I’d had enough of marriage for the moment ....' wrote Lee Miller in Athens to Roland Penrose in England 18th October 1938

Guest Speakers: Antony Penrose (son of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose and Co-Director of Lee Miller Archives), Hilary Roberts (Independent Curator, formerly senior curator of photography at Imperial War Museums, London), Hussein Omar (lecturer on Modern global history, University college Dublin) and Sam Bardaouil (Founder & curator of ArtReorientated).

Lee Miller's letters read and presented by Ami Bouhassane

Roland Penrose's letters read by Adam Grayson

Music composed by David Cullen

Series Producer: Tolly Robinson

All content © Lee Miller Archives, England 2023. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'When you look at your parents or grandparents it's hard to imagine them as young lovers full of adventure'

Conjuring up an extraordinary tale and extra depths to the famous photographer, Lee Miller, Ami Bouhassane shares her grandmothers love letters, held in the Lee Miller's Archives.

Episode 13. Wish you weren't so far off

In this episode Roland Penrose has had to leave Lee Miller early from their adventures in the Balkans to return to Paris and meet with Picasso. Lee Miller contiues her travels in Romania with Hari Brauner and Lena Constante. In the meantime world events move closer to the outbreak of war.

'Things in Europe seem to be going from bad to worse and I think a certain country is bent of making trouble and that nothing will stop them until there is a general bust up. I think you ought to leave Romania at once, it is certain to be one of the first countries to be drawn into the soup, and I wouldn’t advise coming out by the Orient Express which crosses too much dangerous country – better by Italy, Yugoslavia and Switzerland unless of course you take a plane or come round by sea.' letter extract, Roland Penrose 9th September 1938

Guest Speakers: Antony Penrose (son of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose and Co-Director of Lee Miller Archives), Hilary Roberts (Independent Curator, formerly senior curator of photography at Imperial War Museums, London), Hussein Omar (lecturer on Modern global history, University college Dublin) and Sam Bardaouil (Founder & curator of ArtReorientated).

Lee Miller's letters read and presented by Ami Bouhassane

Roland Penrose's letters read by Adam Grayson

Music composed by David Cullen

Series Producer: Tolly Robinson

All content © Lee Miller Archives, England 2023. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'When you look at your parents or grandparents it's hard to imagine them as young lovers full of adventure'

Conjuring up an extraordinary tale and extra depths to the famous photographer, Lee Miller, Ami Bouhassane shares her grandmothers love letters, held in the Lee Miller's Archives.

Episode 12. The Road is Wider than Long

This episode features the journey that Lee Miller and Roland Penrose took through the Balkans in the summer of 1938. Inspired by their time together, Roland on his return to England wrote a poem called The Road is Wider Than Long. He then illustrated it with his photographs from the trip and formed what is today recognised as the first British Surrealist photo book. The poem is featured here in its entirety, however, as a Surrealist work it can be a little tricky to unpack what is going on so we have included the thoughts of Antony Penrose and more information on their travels.

'The road is wider than long, trees thicker than tall, wells reach to the clouds, their blood is more solid than their bones.' Roland Penrose 1938

Guest Speakers: Antony Penrose (son of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose and Co-Director of Lee Miller Archives), Hilary Roberts (Independent Curator, formerly senior curator of photography at Imperial War Museums, London), Hussein Omar (lecturer on Modern global history, University college Dublin) and Sam Bardaouil (Founder & curator of ArtReorientated).

Lee Miller's letters read and presented by Ami Bouhassane

Roland Penrose's letters read by Adam Grayson

Music composed by David Cullen

Series Producer: Tolly Robinson

All content © Lee Miller Archives, England 2023. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'When you look at your parents or grandparents it's hard to imagine them as young lovers full of adventure'

Conjuring up an extraordinary tale and extra depths to the famous photographer, Lee Miller, Ami Bouhassane shares her grandmothers love letters, held in the Lee Miller's Archives.

Episode 11. Everybody is Getting Jittery

In this episode Lee is on her travelling adventures again with visits to Transjordania, Palestine, Mount Sinai in Egypt and Petra, Jordan. Roland passionate about what was happening in the Spanish Civil war marches in the May Day protest against Chamberlain's lack of action against Franco's fascist regime.

'Everybody is getting jittery about politics, newspapers never appear without announcing some new horror, and no one knows where the disease will break out next. The news from Spain is worse and worse, the places I visited the autumn before last are all being smashed to bits. I remember Lerida particularly well, where we were admirably entertained by the old colonel who is now putting up such a gallant defence – I can’t believe its over yet all the same, those people can stand up to a lot.' wrote Roland Penrose 2nd April 1938

Guest Speakers: Antony Penrose (son of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose and Co-Director of Lee Miller Archives), Hilary Roberts (Independent Curator, formerly senior curator of photography at Imperial War Museums, London), Hussein Omar (lecturer on Modern global history, University college Dublin) and Sam Bardaouil (Founder & curator of ArtReorientated).

Guest Speakers: Antony Penrose (son of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose and Co-Director of Lee Miller Archives), Hilary Roberts (Independent Curator, formerly senior curator of photography at Imperial War Museums, London), Hussein Omar (lecturer on Modern global history, University college Dublin) and Sam Bardaouil (Founder & curator of ArtReorientated).

Lee Miller's letters read and presented by Ami Bouhassane

Roland Penrose's letters read by Adam Grayson

Music composed by David Cullen

Series Producer: Tolly Robinson

All content © Lee Miller Archives, England 2023. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'When you look at your parents or grandparents it's hard to imagine them as young lovers full of adventure'

Conjuring up an extraordinary tale and extra depths to the famous photographer, Lee Miller, Ami Bouhassane shares her grandmothers love letters, held in the Lee Miller's Archives.

Episode 10. The Picasso Portrait

In this episode Roland is anxious because he is not getting any letters from Lee, whereas Lee in Egypt has just recieved delivery of the portrait Picasso painted of her that Roland had bought and sent to her, so throws a party to celebrate and share it.

'My cocktail party was a tremendous success and so much conversation and criticism was started by it, that I was cursing Picasso and all the pictures ever painted. Two or three people even thought I showed it as a deliberate insult to them and everyone and were convinced that it was all tongue in the cheek. You must remember that there are really people here who have never seen or heard of modern pictures, and that they seem to be quite normal people otherwise - - - - except for occasions like this you’d never notice that they had never thought in their lives.' wrote Lee Miller 9th March 1938

Guest Speakers: Antony Penrose (son of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose and Co-Director of Lee Miller Archives), Hilary Roberts (Independent Curator, formerly senior curator of photography at Imperial War Museums, London), Hussein Omar (lecturer on Modern global history, University college Dublin) and Sam Bardaouil (Founder & curator of ArtReorientated).

Lee Miller's letters read and presented by Ami Bouhassane

Roland Penrose's letters read by Adam Grayson

Music composed by David Cullen

Series Producer: Tolly Robinson

All content © Lee Miller Archives, England 2023. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.