Scope and contents Covers 1963 to 1969 Il Porto Italy. Includes references to life at Il Porto, Rudi Rappold (Baffi, p. 18), animals at Il Porto including Fanny the donkey, Fabre Vince the Goat, photograph of 'Little grey chicken looking at Baffi and me' p. 69, Fifi 'my black cat', gold teeth 'now I'm going to have 2 gold teeth' p. 78. References also to the Sicilian bandit Salvatore Giuliano (1922-1950), born in Montelepre and Gaspare Pisciotta 1924-1954, featuring in her drawing 'Montelepre' H2019.292/1 p....

Scope and contents Covers 1967 to 1972 New York. Includes a death notice for her father, William Lewis Ingham Myers (1 June 1959), literary references including Algernon Charles Swinburne p.39, 'Gianni and me during the making of Ed van der Elsken's film 'Death in the Port Jackson Hotel' p.106. Also reference to living on the streets in Paris 'From 1949-till 1952 I lived without bread in the streets and cafes of the Left Bank and was arrested by the Police on numerous occasions' p. 112. On the back page p....

Scope and contents Covers 1971 to 1972, Il Porto, Africa and New York. Includes photograph of Vali and Rudi Rappold running in the streets of Vienna in September 1971 p.3, Ching and me (the artist Ching Ho Cheng) p. 25 and 27, photographs of 'Ching tattooing a black pick on my white thigh' p. 24, portrait of Ching p. 27, visit to Africa March 1972 and photographs of Vali and Djibo p. 41, drawing of Foxy p. 85, 'Gianni and me here at Ed van der Elsken's place to see the movie he made on the drawings and us' p....

Scope and contents Covers 15th December 1972 to December 1973 from Il Porto to New York and ends 'Il Porto Monti Lattari, Salerno, Italy'. Includes description of 'working in the big fox cage with my Madonna' p.4, an important early photograph of 'Little Foxy and me July 1965 showing a baby foxy and Vali, 'My Foxy's blood' p. 13, 'Foxy came orphaned to me' showing a photograph of baby Foxy p. 28, tattoos on Vali's feet p.56, 'New York in 1970 in Matis Chapel of Love' and photo of the artist Mati Klarwein...

Scope and contents

This is a small notebook, incomplete, p. 1-16 with photocopies in colour from another visual diary titled 'Year of the Tiger 1974-1976' H2018.434, a favourite diary of Vali's (p. 1, p. 3, 12, p. 28, p. 112, p. 129 are photocopies from H2018.432). Blank pages after p. 16. Includes 1 loose magazine clipping.

Scope and contents Covers 1974 to 1977 Il Porto Italy, Amsterdam and ends in New York. Inscribed: 'This notebook is dedicated to Golda Meir' November 1974. Date inscribed at top of diary: Monday, 15th April 1974 dell 'Angelo (in Albis). Includes large portrait of 'my darling little Mummy, in her cap and gown and medals for violin...' p. 26, exhibition in Amsterdam August 1977 p. 104-105, reference to Vali's drawing titled 'Montelepre' depicting the Sicilian bandits, Rosalia Lombardo embalmed in Palermo...

Scope and contents

The drawing 'Wu Man' shows a portrait of Rudi Rappold, Vali's husband. The drawing has been described by Vali in 'Vali Myers: Drawings 1949-79', p. 44-45: 'A portrait of Rudi, in blue, with red hair. On his gloved and bejewelled hand is his white owl that he healed of a broken leg and let free. A evening these beautiful bird with their haunting cry come down from the Mountains of Milk to hunt in our valley, that opens to the sea.'

Scope and contents

Described by Vali Myers in 'Vali Myers: Drawings 1949-79', London, Open House, 1980, p. 74-75:

'My Dido was inspired by Virgil's Aeneid. Dido was the Phoenician Queen who build her kingdom, Carthage, on the coast of Tunisia and lived her life of purple and gold before fate decreed that she die on a sword in a sea of flames. In the valley nearby my house is a beautiful waterfall that I have called after Dido and her passionate tears.

Scope and contents Shows a central female figure with red hair weeping, surrounded by animals with leaves, thorns and mice in her hair and a raven perched above her head. The drawing shows the view from Il Porto looking out between the high cliffs towards Galli Island, Positano. Includes sunflower motif in highly detailed bodice of figure.Described by Vali Myers in 'Vali Myers: Drawings 1949-79, London, Open House, 1980' p. 80-81: 'This drawing was begun at the time of the Yom Kippur War '73 and...

Scope and contents

'Wild Goose' is described by Vali in 'Vali Myers Drawings: 1949-79', London, Open House, 1980, p. 118-119:

'Portrait of my Mother, and my Father, on their Wedding Day, and a self portrait. My Mother called me her Wild Goose, for that restless spirit is in my blood like the tides of the sea. For the storm driven, harbours are only ports of call'.