Family
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Helene Mary Fels was born in 1882 and died at the young age of 32. She was related to the Hallensteins, a family which established itself as goldfield merchants in Otago in the 1860s and who later began a nationwide chain of clothing stores. Her death ended Brasch's 'childhood proper' at the age of four. |
Helene and Charles Brasch, c. 1912. Brasch Papers, MS 996 12/59 |
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Charles, Hyam, and Lesley Brasch. Brasch Papers, MS 996-12/58. |
Hyam (later Henry) Brasch (later Brash) was a lawyer of Jewish origin. He matriculated from University of Melbourne in 1891 and then became a practicing barrister in 1897. He was a keen gardener, keen sportsman (golf and bridge figured large) and appreciated the importance of a good education. These certificates are from the Brasch Papers at the Hocken Library.
On display is a rather full and descriptive letter of Henry Brasch's travels through South America in 1954. It eventually reached Brasch, being redirected to Eric McCormick's residence at Auckland. The letter is unsigned and begins warmly: 'My very dear Charl…' This greeting is almost always found in Brasch Senior's letters to his son.
Charles Brasch (1909-1973), literary editor, poet and patron. Born in Dunedin, and educated at Waitaki Boys' High School and St John's College, Oxford. He lived abroad for many years working as a teacher in England, as an archaeologist in Egypt, and as a civil servant in wartime London. He returned to New Zealand and founded Landfall in 1947.
Brasch 'had a double significance for New Zealand writing. He was a fine and sensitive poet, and by founding and editing for twenty years the literary periodical Landfall, he unquestionably did more than any other individual to consolidate the arts in New Zealand after the Second World War.' - Charles Brasch, by James Bertram.
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Here Brasch is at the beach and in a jovial mood. |
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Charles Brasch, n.d. Brasch Papers, MS 996-12/64 |
In Willi Fels's clear hand is written 'loving thoughts and best wishes' to Brasch who, as revealed, is 'Harold-Charlie to me, son and grandson.' Harold was Fels's only son, killed in the First World War in 1917. Brasch responded warmly to his grandfather and learnt much from him. Fels was also an inveterate traveller.
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'Bankton', London Street, was the house the Brasch family moved into after Tweed Street, Charles's birthplace. The two-storey house had once belonged to the first minister of the Otago settlement, Thomas Burns, a nephew of the poet Robert Burns, and then to Sir Robert Stout. After his mother's death, the drawing room was closed and it became 'half a house' for the young Brasch. |
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'Bankton' (MS 996-12/95) |
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'Manono', now 84 London Street, was Brasch's home away from home. There he enjoyed the company of his grandparents: Willi and Sara Fels. Sara taught herself Sanskrit in order to read the Upanishads, was interested in the theosophical writings of Madame Blavatsky, the writings of Matthew Arnold, St Francis of Assisi, and Boehme. Willi surrounded himself with his collections: plants, Roman statues, Maori artifacts, Indian and Malayan armour, Tibetan silver and bronze jugs, Persian rugs, Japanese ceramics, prints, and books. This photograph depicts the original wooden 'Manono' house. |
| 'Manono' (MS 996-12/91) |
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36 Heriot Row: Brasch's residence in Dunedin. Relatively small in size, it held his books and papers and most of his artworks until his death in May 1973. To English students who attended tutorials there, it seemed a place of 'quiet culture.' This photograph was a taken by David Lloyd, 11 June 1973. |
| Heriot Row (MS 996 - E6549/15) |
Esmond de Beer, an independent scholar and collector, lived most of his life in England undertaking two scholarly projects: the definitive diary of John Evelyn, and the correspondence of John Locke. Cousin to Brasch, he (along with de Beer's sisters Mary and Dora) gave invaluable support and encouragement to all of Brasch's literary and artistic endeavours.
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