Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs
Lee Miller Archives
Ami Bouhassane, grand-daughter of photographer Lee Miller and Surrealist artist Roland Penrose presents, reads and shares their love letters, with guest speakers that contextualise the letters' content.
In the pre-digital age, before email and cell/mobiile phones, letters carried an importance that few who were not part of those times will understand.
The words on the pages of a love letter carry the nuances and emotions of love and desire, passion and anger in a deeply confidential way.
The urgency and the intimacy of the writers can be clearly felt in this collection of letters between Lee Miller, Photographer, and Roland Penrose, Surrealist Artist as they conduct their long-distance romance.
It begins with their meeting in Paris in 1937 and runs to 1939 when Lee Miller left her Egyptian husband Aziz Eloui Bey in Cairo and joined Roland Penrose in London at the start of World War 2. In this real-life romantic drama, the period and their connections give us a supporting cast that includes Dora Maar and Picasso, Nusch and Paul Eluard, Leonora Carrington and Max Ernst, Ady Fidelin and Man Ray.
These nearly three hundred pages of love letters show that as the relationship grew it produced and supported some of the world’s best loved art and photography. These have only been read by a handful of people since they were first written.
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 Bourdouil
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
Released to accompany the book of the letters of the same title that also contains many photographs by Lee Miller and Roland Penrose, in both colour and Black & White, that have not previously been published from the same period as the letters. We hope you enjoy this unique view into the lives of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose.
This series is the first podcast originally produced for the LoveLee supporters of the Lee Miller Archives on Patreon. Without whose support we would not be able to share this with you.
All content © Lee Miller Archives, England 2023. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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And they all lived happily ever after?
Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs
05/09/24 • 26 min
'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.
You Ask About Spain
Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs
09/08/23 • 29 min
'When you look at your parents or grandparents it's hard to imagine them as young lovers full of adventure' Ami Bouhassane shares the love letters from her grandmother, held in the Lee Miller's Archives, conjuring up an extraordinary tale and extra depths to the famous photographer, Lee Miller.
In this episode Roland tells Lee about what he hears is happening in Spain and Lee asks Roland to make a Surrealist Object for her to exhibit in the Surrealist Objects exhibition in London.
‘You ask about Spain – the agony of those wretched people increases daily. It is not only your military and diplomatic friends that are so blind and cowardly, the government does nothing effective either to stop the Italian intervention or rescue of the refugees from northern Spain where they are being massacred according to the most authentic accounts – men, women, children, priests and anyone who disagrees with Franco.’ Wrote Roland 1st November 1937
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.
All my love to you
Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs
04/25/24 • 26 min
'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.
He doesn't want to divorce me
Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs
01/23/24 • 25 min
'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.
It seems Mad that we should not be together
Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs
03/14/24 • 30 min
'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.
Marco Polo
Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs
04/11/24 • 33 min
'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.
The Road is Wider than Long
Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs
12/26/23 • 46 min
'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.
Suez Canal
Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs
10/31/23 • 30 min
'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 8. Suez Canal:
In this episode Lee Miller in Egypt and Roland Penrose in England celebrate Christmas and the new year in very different ways...
'I’m happy again beyond words at finding two letters from you on my table this afternoon when I got back from Cornwall, one which you wrote on Xmas night has come with such speed that it almost made up for the endless weeks that I have waited and again what marvellous letters! I have read them through twice already chuckling over your adventures and greatly moved by your descriptions particularly of the Sinai fishing trip.' Roland Penrose, 29th December 1937
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.
3 Months since our first parting
Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs
07/31/23 • 33 min
'Darling my love,
It’s three weeks today since that worst of all partings – three weeks less until I shall see you again. Your letter arrived this morning making me very happy and very miserable – miserable, because it is so little a letter when one wants you and because you don’t seem to be happy either – all that makes it more and more intolerable and absurd.' writes Roland on the 25th October 1937
In this episode Roland speaks of the artists and work he is doing in London and they both discuss some of the political situation at the time.
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
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.
Siwa the Oasis in the Desert
Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs
07/24/23 • 34 min
In this episode of Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs Lee Miller takes a trip to the desert Oasis of Siwa, a journey that inspired some of her most famous Surrealist images.
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.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs have?
Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs currently has 20 episodes available.
What topics does Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs cover?
The podcast is about World War Two, Visual Arts, Podcasts, Books and Arts.
What is the most popular episode on Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs?
The episode title 'And they all lived happily ever after?' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs?
The average episode length on Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs is 28 minutes.
How often are episodes of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs released?
Episodes of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs are typically released every 14 days.
When was the first episode of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs?
The first episode of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs was released on Jun 6, 2023.
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