Sir Don Bradman’s letters controversy remains unsolved

While some letters are business related discussing royalties and autographing commitments to Thompson, Sir Donald also writes about his wife Jessie’s illness, his anguish at the diagnosis of the incurable nature of her cancer and the grief at her loss.

Thompson’s wife, Elizabeth, was quoted as saying in a local paper that “Tom owns the archive.” Thompson sold the collection to a local bookseller, Paul Feain, who in turn was planning to sell them for $ 20,000 at the Australian Antiquarian Book Fair in Melbourne later this week.

Following the uproar, Feain has withdrawn the letters from sale. Thompson, however, says he never sold them. He was quoted in the local papers as saying, “Paul is a friend and associate of some 20 years standing and I regard him as the country’s most knowledgeable bookseller and book historian. “During this time, he has acted, on occasions, as an agent to arrange the movement of my extensive personal archival material to institutions.”

Thomson said, “Paul Feain has been in possession of the archive of letters for some months now. Any appearance of an apparent standoff may come from the journalists in question. I hope this puts an end to a matter so distressing to the Bradman family and my own.”

Sir Donald has been furious that a collection of his private letters had been put up for sale.

Sir Donald, who lives a quiet life away from public glare, has been quoted as saying, “The family had no knowledge of this. Such letters were never intended to be sold or published. We regard this as intrusive.”

A spokesperson for the Bradman Foundation said, “No consent was ever given for entry into the public domain and it does show a complete disregard for Sir Donald Bradman and his family.”

Earlier, Sir Donald had been upset over attempts to name a thoroughfare in Adelaide, an Internet cafe and a sex shop after him.