The Scrapbook

This is one of two enormous scrapbooks in the Daiken papers held at the National Library of Ireland in Dublin. The voluminous collection of Daiken’s papers was deposited by Daiken’s brother Aubrey Yodaiken, with additional material and assistance coming from Melanie Cuming, Daiken’s eldest daughter. Inside the cover on the  left there is the legend: A Hely Book Product of Hely's Limited 26-28 Dame Street and EAST WALL Dublin Phone 22277-71177. Then in italic font: When re ordering quote: Ref:3413.  The numerals are written in saxe blue ink, date: 8/5/47.

This may be the date Daiken started it but its contents go backwards in time, through to the Thirties and earlier.

The content of the scrapbook enabled me to map and trace the international connections between various writers and artists who were friends and colleagues of Daiken’s in the Thirties. As well as housing a trove of forgotten poems, reviews and articles, the content of the scrapbook is testimony to Daiken’s broad range of preoccupations and those of other politically committed writers in the Thirties and Forties, and their role in a broader cultural movement supporting anti fascist ideals.

This bulky scrapbook, bound in a leather of deep bluey-bottlegreen, is battered through time and contact, there's still a residue of dust on the cover. Even though I've looked at the scrapbook many many times, it always offers up something new, unexpected, another gnomic message from beyond the grave.