The small Print
Provenance is essential whenever individuals perceive something to be valuable, especially when they have ignored its existence for decades, or rejected offers to host artefacts. So, the following is a skeleton background history of some of the products mentioned on this website.
Emails from/ to Ziggi Alexander and Sean O’Reilly (former Brent Borough Librarian and Curator)
Subj: Re: Greetings
Date: 05/10/2004 13:23:18 GMT Standard Time
From: 9r@ioJ.ie
To:
Hi Ziggi.
Did call by during the summer...
Will? You thinking of dying? You're young yet girl.
Yes, I do remember about the 'Roots in Britain' exhibition and can confirm that the Borough authorised you- and Audrey- retaining a copy of the Roots in Britain exhibition. I remember discussing it with our Chair and him telling me just to do a letter and not to bring it to Committee. I then did the letter to you confinning that the physical copy of the exhibition you had was yours to keep in recognition of all the work you had both done. If my memory serves me you also raised the issue of copyright being vested in yourselves, but our legal people said this was the Borough's and if we vested it in you wouldn't have been able to update and then continue to use the exhibition, which I was wildly optimistic of being able to do at the time (it was just about the beginning of the time when I found I wasn't going to be allowed to do anything of any matter other than get in the way for three years)
I may even be able to come up with a copy from my archives if/when I ever feel able to look through them-I suspect any files kept in Brent have long been lost or discarded.
I hope to be over again and aim to continue to visit ... (you know we have a nun in the house now? It's nice getting some dosh back from the Pope, however indirectly).
Love, Sean.
Hi to you and J
I had hoped that I would get a surprise call/visit this summer, but it was not to be.
On a more serious note, do you remember writing a letter while you were in Brent, authorising Audrey Dewjee and I to have one of the copies of the travelling Roots in Britain exhibition?
If you do remember this, could you let me know. (There is nothing sinister going on, I am revising my will and trying to get everything in order.)
Ziggi
Email: Ziggi Alexander to London Borough of Brent 2022 (see below)
Email: Ziggi Alexander to London Borough of Brent (2022)
Extract from personal WILL Held at London Probate Office 2013- 2023
“4. GIVE AND BEQUEATH to my Friend A.... my First Edition of "WONDERFUL ADVENTURES OF MRS SEACOLE IN MANY LANDS" and my "ROOTS IN BRITAIN" Exhibition and LOOSE PHOTOGRAPHS from the Exhibition for her own use and benefit free of tax absolutely”