The Keep - GH

     While at the keep, I was able to see the personal letters that Leonard Woolf wrote to Virginia before they were engaged or married. The item was under plastic wrapping for protection so I could not ascertain the smell, but this letter specifically was handwritten and on a blue piece of parchment. The item itself displays the early dynamic of this couple. The letters certainly reveal the dedication that Leonard had to Virginia and the apprehension she had towards him. The quote that most heavily relates to my archival document is as follows: “The archival document is a tear in the fabric of time, an unplanned glimpse offered into an unexpected event” (6). This quote allows me to see the document as a glimpse into the beginnings of this couple. I was able to get a sense of how their relationship functioned even before they had dedicated themselves to each other through marriage. But through these letters, I could also see the way Leonard supports Virginia’s writings and overall happiness through his expressions of admiration and support. Although reading her responses were rather comically sad as she had felt lackluster about him in comparison. Where she commented on their kisses and said she felt nothing more than a rock. And even though this was a little saddening to read, it made the Bloomsbury group all the more fascinating and presented an opportunity for our group to all discuss these letters. Eventually, a number of us gathered around the letters, trying to decipher the handwriting and laughing over Leonard and Woolf’s conversations. It was a unique experience in the archive and was one of my favorite archives we got the chance to sit in. Looking at this series of letters was also the most entertaining experience I have had out of all the archives as it felt the most scandalous and revealed aspects about their characters that no biography ever could.