Lawrence, T. E., autographed letter signed ‘TE Shaw’, to John Steinman, a Press Officer at the Air Ministry, dated at 14 Barton Street, S.W. 1, 19 September 1929, in which he thanks him for photographs taken at the Schneider Trophy contest at Calshot - ‘The C.O. in that Ramsay-Mac effort is superb. I wouldn’t have missed it for - pence, I suppose I’d better say, in view of my leave-expenses so near!’; and rejoicing in the fact that his leave is over - ‘I write from Plymouth, but in the happy anticipation of being in London tomorrow: for my leave is through, and I am very happy. Mr. Robertson is probably happy too. You are doing double work: and somebody here will be doing, job tomorrow, I hope. Alleluia’, minor time-staining owing to have been framed; together with a letter to Steinman from A. W. Lawrence, thanking him for sight of the previous letter, which he had photographed and catalogued £600-800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Ron Penhall Collection: Important Awards and Memorabilia of Lawrence of Arabia Interest.

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As personal assistant to Wing Commander Sydney Smith, Lawrence was closely involved in the Schneider Trophy contest at Calshot in 1929. At the pre-contest trials, Steinman took photographs of Lawrence and Wing Commander Smith talking to the Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald, and in one of which it appeared as if Smith was sticking his tongue out at MacDonald. Two years later the Government pulled its funding, but the project was saved by the generosity of Lady Houston, as a result of which Mitchell’s Supermarine S. 6B triumphed.