GEORGE BERNARD SHAW - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 01/30/1921 - HFSID 41251

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
The playwright asks Czech actor and director Karel Musek for assistance in a financial matter.
Autograph Letter Signed: "G. Bernard Shaw", 3½x5½ postcard. Ayot St Lawrence, Welwyn, Herts, 1921 January 30. To Karel Musek, Prague II, Czechoslovakia (Bohemia). In full: "It is necessary for me to know how much of that 25,896.00 crowns was interest (%) and how much principal. The reason for this is that I have to declare the interest to the British Government as income and pay a tax on it. It would probably save you trouble if the Bank had my London address, as it would then send me a statement every half year. The Anglo-Austrian Bank of Budapest, where I have a similar arrangement, always does so. Kindest regards." Addressed by Shaw on verso. The plays of Irish dramatist George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) were characteristically instructional, often including a teacher role model, such as Henry Higgins in the popular Pygmalion (1913), which was later adapted as the musical, My Fair Lady (1956; film 1964). Shaw began writing plays in 1892. His first, Widowers' Houses, voiced his opinions on society and world reform. Throughout his 58 years as a playwright, Shaw, who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925, covered many topics, letting his humor speak for itself. His other major works include You Never Can Tell (1895), Man and Superman (1902), Major Barbara (1905), The Doctor's Dilemma (1906) and Saint Joan (1923). Lightly soiled. Karel Musek was a Czech actor and director at the Prague National Theater. He was also the theater columnist and historian. He was married to Alice Hillstead of London. Alice taught English in Prague. He obtained exclusive authorization to translate Shaw's works into Czech and established Shaw in the Czech theater. He also worked with many others including John Millington Synge, W. Somerset Maugham, and James Barrie. 2 file holes at left margin, tack holes at corners. Overall, fine condition.