'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 9. Sister of All the Serpents

In this episode Lee Miller writes to Roland about becoming the Sister of all serpents in the Egyptian desert whilst Roland Penrose attends the opening of the Surrealist Objects and Poem exhibition in Paris.

'I have a perfect passion for snakes anyway, tho I’ve also been at the same time terrified of being bitten - as you’ll remember every time I had to get out to pee in the midi, they are wonderful to touch, and clean like jewels, sparking and tender to touch. The vipers have wonderful eyes, but wiggle a lot and won’t get obedient, but the cobras are gentle and come when you call them and put their head right in your hand. Guy took a lot of pictures which I’ve ordered for you too . . . ' Lee Miller 7th January 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

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