• Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs

  • By: Lee Miller Archives
  • Podcast

Lee Miller and Roland Penrose: Love Letters Bound in Gold Handcuffs

By: Lee Miller Archives
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  • Summary

  • Ami Bouhassane, grand-daughter of photographer Lee Miller and Surrealist artist Roland Penrose presents, reads and shares their love letters, with guest speakers that contextualise the letters' content.


    In the pre-digital age, before email and cell/mobiile phones, letters carried an importance that few who were not part of those times will understand.


    The words on the pages of a love letter carry the nuances and emotions of love and desire, passion and anger in a deeply confidential way.

    The urgency and the intimacy of the writers can be clearly felt in this collection of letters between Lee Miller, Photographer, and Roland Penrose, Surrealist Artist as they conduct their long-distance romance.


    It begins with their meeting in Paris in 1937 and runs to 1939 when Lee Miller left her Egyptian husband Aziz Eloui Bey in Cairo and joined Roland Penrose in London at the start of World War 2. In this real-life romantic drama, the period and their connections give us a supporting cast that includes Dora Maar and Picasso, Nusch and Paul Eluard, Leonora Carrington and Max Ernst, Ady Fidelin and Man Ray.


    These nearly three hundred pages of love letters show that as the relationship grew it produced and supported some of the world’s best loved art and photography. These have only been read by a handful of people since they were first written.


    Guest Speakers: Antony Penrose (son of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose and Co-Director of Lee Miller Archives), Hilary Roberts (Independent Curator, formerly senior curator of photography at Imperial War Museums, London), Hussein Omar (lecturer on Modern global history, University college Dublin) and Sam Bourdouil


    Lee Miller's letters read and Presented by Ami Bouhassane

    Roland Penrose's letters read by Adam Grayson

    Music composed by David Cullen

    Series Producer: Tolly Robinson



    Released to accompany the book of the letters of the same title that also contains many photographs by Lee Miller and Roland Penrose, in both colour and Black & White, that have not previously been published from the same period as the letters. We hope you enjoy this unique view into the lives of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose.




    This series is the first podcast originally produced for the LoveLee supporters of the Lee Miller Archives on Patreon. Without whose support we would not be able to share this with you.


    All content © Lee Miller Archives, England 2023. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    All content © Lee Miller Archives, England 2023. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk
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Episodes
  • And they all lived happily ever after?

    And they all lived happily ever after?
    May 9 2024

    'When you look at your parents or grandparents it's hard to imagine them as young lovers full of adventure'

    Conjuring up an extraordinary tale and extra depths to the famous photographer, Lee Miller, Ami Bouhassane shares her grandmothers love letters, held in the Lee Miller's Archives.


    Episode 19 – Bonus episode – And they all lived happily ever after?

    In this episode we find out what happened next to the characters in Roland and Lee's love letters as the series comes to an end.


    This series explores the 300 pages of love letters written between the iconic photographer Lee Miller and the Surrealist artist Roland Penrose during their courtship. Starting just a few days after they first met in June 1937 at a fancy dress party in Paris, the letters continue for 2 years charting their love, their friends such as Man Ray, Picasso, Leonora Carrington, Max Ernst, Nusch and Paul Eluard, their adventures, the build up of world war II, some scandals and a lot of fun.


    Subscribe to support the Lee Miller Archives and Farleys and listen to other podcast series featuring Lee Miller’s writing: www.patreon.com/leemillerarchives


    Guest Speakers: Antony Penrose (son of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose and Co-Director of Lee Miller Archives), Hilary Roberts (Independent Curator, formerly senior curator of photography at Imperial War Museums, London), Hussein Omar (lecturer on Modern global history, University college Dublin) and Sam Bardaouil (Founder & curator of ArtReorientated).

    Lee Miller's letters read and presented by Ami Bouhassane

    Roland Penrose's letters read by Adam Grayson

    Music composed by David Cullen

    Series Producer: Tolly Robinson

    All content © Lee Miller Archives, England 2024. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
  • All my love to you

    All my love to you
    Apr 25 2024

    'When you look at your parents or grandparents it's hard to imagine them as young lovers full of adventure'

    Conjuring up an extraordinary tale and extra depths to the famous photographer, Lee Miller, Ami Bouhassane shares her grandmothers love letters, held in the Lee Miller's Archives.


    Episode 18 – All my love to you

    In this episode Roland and Lee's love letters draw to an end, and the outbreak of war nears, but what will they decide to do?

    'Darling, I’m drinking quantities of gin and lime, mad with rage because you haven’t answered my wire about Man and I wanted so much to see him. I feel like getting off here and going across France but I can’t afford it.....'.' wrote Lee Miller to Roland Penrose, London 7th June 1939

    This series explores the 300 pages of love letters written between the iconic photographer Lee Miller and the Surrealist artist Roland Penrose during their courtship. Starting just a few days after they first met in June 1937 at a fancy dress party in Paris, the letters continue for 2 years charting their love, their friends such as Man Ray, Picasso, Leonora Carrington, Max Ernst, Nusch and Paul Eluard, their adventures, the build up of world war II, some scandals and a lot of fun.


    Subscribe to support the Lee Miller Archives and Farleys and listen to other podcast series featuring Lee Miller’s writing: www.patreon.com/leemillerarchives


    Guest Speakers: Antony Penrose (son of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose and Co-Director of Lee Miller Archives), Hilary Roberts (Independent Curator, formerly senior curator of photography at Imperial War Museums, London), Hussein Omar (lecturer on Modern global history, University college Dublin) and Sam Bardaouil (Founder & curator of ArtReorientated).

    Lee Miller's letters read and presented by Ami Bouhassane

    Roland Penrose's letters read by Adam Grayson

    Music composed by David Cullen

    Series Producer: Tolly Robinson

    All content © Lee Miller Archives, England 2024. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
  • Marco Polo

    Marco Polo
    Apr 11 2024

    'When you look at your parents or grandparents it's hard to imagine them as young lovers full of adventure'

    Conjuring up an extraordinary tale and extra depths to the famous photographer, Lee Miller, Ami Bouhassane shares her grandmothers love letters, held in the Lee Miller's Archives.


    Episode 17 – Marco Polo

    In this episode Roland and Lee's adventures in Egypt together end and again they become separated by oceans... but is their future together more certain?

    'I have no news only the old guess what? To which you know the answer. I miss you more that ever, the Siwa trip was the final proof to me that I love you insatiably – every moment was superb and every moment since I left you on the quay intolerable.' wrote Roland Penrose aboard the Marco Polo to Lee Miller, Cairo 19th March 1939

    This series explores the 300 pages of love letters written between the iconic photographer Lee Miller and the Surrealist artist Roland Penrose during their courtship. Starting just a few days after they first met in June 1937 at a fancy dress party in Paris, the letters continue for 2 years charting their love, their friends such as Man Ray, Picasso, Leonora Carrington, Max Ernst, Nusch and Paul Eluard, their adventures, the build up of world war II, some scandals and a lot of fun.


    Subscribe to support the Lee Miller Archives and Farleys and listen to other podcast series featuring Lee Miller’s writing: www.patreon.com/leemillerarchives


    Guest Speakers: Antony Penrose (son of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose and Co-Director of Lee Miller Archives), Hilary Roberts (Independent Curator, formerly senior curator of photography at Imperial War Museums, London), Hussein Omar (lecturer on Modern global history, University college Dublin) and Sam Bardaouil (Founder & curator of ArtReorientated).

    Lee Miller's letters read and presented by Ami Bouhassane

    Roland Penrose's letters read by Adam Grayson

    Music composed by David Cullen

    Series Producer: Tolly Robinson

    All content © Lee Miller Archives, England 2024. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    33 mins

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