Lot 117: THOMAS EDWARD LAWRENCE (1888-1935) -- HERBERT WILSON BAILEY (fl. 1914-1952)

A collection of memorabilia relating to Herbert Wilson Bailey's service with Lawrence in the Hejaz Armoured Car Company during the Arab Revolt in 1917-1918, including:

the Arab headcovering (comprising a keffiyeh and agal) worn by Bailey during the campaign -- a piece of light brown cotton material, approximately 102cm. square and fringed, folded and roughly stitched into a triangle; and a double circlet of rope in blue and brown cotton, part covered with metallic thread; a photograph of Bailey in uniform and wearing the headdress, and 3 other photographs; an army dental mirror engraved with his initials; five letters by Montagu Robert Lawrence (1885-1971, T.E. Lawrence's elder brother) to Lawrence F.W. Bailey (the son of Herbert Wilson Bailey, in Canada), 2 February 1965-25 June 1971, in one recalling that he and his mother were on a riverboat in China when they received the news of Lawrence's death; a small autograph album; a watercolour sketch based upon Eric Kennington's portrait of Auda Abu Tayi (the Sheikh of the Howeitat) in the 1926 edition of Seven Pillars; and seven other items.

BAILEY'S KEFFIYEH WORN DURING THE ARAB REVOLT, together with letters from Lawrence's elder brother and other items. The keffiyeh, a form of light shawl worn by the Arabs as a headdress covering a round soft cap, is held in place by the decorative circlet of rope, the agal. In the 'Twenty-Seven Articles' to Lawrence's compendium for British officers working with Arabs (August 1917) he advised them to 'Wear an Arab headcloth when with a tribe. Bedu have a malignant prejudice against the hat... if you wear a hat your best Arab friends will be ashamed of you in public'. (J. Wilson, Lawrence of Arabia, 1989, Appendix IV, p.963).

Montagu Robert Lawrence, always known to his family as 'Bob', studied medicine and became a medical missionary in China, where he was accompanied by his mother, from 1923-27 and 1932-35. It is not clear when they first met but he was in touch with H.W. Bailey and his son before World War II (the autograph album includes the signatures of Sarah and Montagu Lawrence dated October 1939). (21)