A remarkable archive of 42 love letters by Bob Dylan to a high school sweetheart, Barbara Ann Hewitt, totaling over 150 pages of autograph material. Wide-ranging in scope and content, the young Dylan reveals his dreams of changing his name and selling a million records, offers bits and pieces of poetry, and professes his never-ending affection. He prepares for the Hibbing High talent show; invites Barbara to the Buddy Holly show in Duluth; speaks of singing, songwriting, and recording; comments on the cars and clothing of the late 1950s; and writes on the records he's listening to. Every letter is accompanied by its original mailing envelope addressed in Dylan's own hand, with nearly all also signed on the flap: "Bob." Also included are a signed Valentine's Day card and a brief unsigned handwritten note.
The Barbara Hewitt Estate is the rightful owner of the physical archive being auctioned. Bob Dylan’s Publishing company has retained all copyrights to Bob Dylan’s unpublished writings, poems, and song fragments contained in the letters.
Qualified bidders may personally inspect the letter archive in the days prior to the auction on November 17th. The archive will be made available for full inspection by appointment in Boston, Los Angeles, and New York City. Absolutely no photographs, note-taking, and/or audio recordings will be allowed.
