Autograph letter to Nellie [Helen] Syrett, 17 February [1895]

Mabel Beardsley

Autograph letter to Nellie [Helen] Syrett, 17 February [1895]

17 February [1895].

Although Beardsley enjoyed spectacular success early, his sister’s quest for theatrical stardom moved slowly. Here, she expresses frustration at being merely an understudy in Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband, venting her feelings to Helen, a.k.a. “Nellie,” Syrett (1872–1970). She also mentions her brother’s plans to write a stage work with the playwright Brandon Thomas. (Nothing came of this). Nellie’s sister, Netta Syrett (1865­–1943), and Mabel became friends when both taught at the London Polytechnic School. Netta went on to be a “Keynotes Series” novelist and Yellow Book literary contributor, while Nellie was, like Beardsley, a precociously gifted visual artist. He encouraged Nellie, yet never recruited her for The Yellow Book. Following Beardsley’s dismissal as art editor, however, numerous images by women filled the magazine between 1895 and 1897, when it ceased publication, suggesting his role in excluding them. Indeed, Nellie supplied the cover for the October 1896 issue.

From the Mark Samuels Lasner Collection, University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press