Ann Fonsweer

 Some young UK readers and non UK readers have been puzzled by these symbols on the first page: They are pronounced LSD but stand for Pounds Shillings and Pence. Like English spelling the language was corrupted by Latin scholars, and £sd actually stands for Librae, Solidi, and Denarii.  When Ann was around this monetary system was used with 20 shillings in the pound, 12 pence in a shilling. When she mentions the money owing to her from her brother she uses the £sd symbols. And here is what she would have handled:            LSD the hallucinogenic drug was discovered in 1938 by Hofman, 3 years after the events in the diary, so though the drawings of Fonsweer seem to suggest hallucination, artificial stimulants were not used it seems...         A reprint of The Summer Diary of a Lady Artist is available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com , ISBN 978-1-4466-7410-9. Contact: ckfonsweer@gmail.com

Another way of looking at The Summer Diary of a Lady Artist ... ...is an illustrated account of revenge, violent protection of the innocent and cougar love. Available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com .

 Ann Fonsweer, the artist who became posthumously famous after the publication of her illustrated diary, had a strange signature. Most of the examples we have come from the diary itself, the images which follow are scanned from the reprinted edition of that diary. She seems to have adopted the "name" or "identity" of Alpha Eff. (The Greek letter "α" and an English language letter "f". Clearly referring to Ann Fonsweer.    These examples of her signature show that they are easily copy-able, so if someone offers you a "genuine Fonsweer" ask for provenance and don't rely on the signature!  A reprint of The Summer Diary of a Lady Artist is available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com , ISBN 978-1-4466-7410-9. Contact: ckfonsweer@gmail.com      

 A friend recently said that she'd seen a condescending reference to Ann Fonsweer in the book Marshal Edwards Patron of the Arts by H Christopher. I asked for more detail, and she had meant to take some notes and then had forgot, she was in a rush to catch a train! They were both living in Cambridge in 1935, but he was at the University, Trinity College, and she was living in Apple Limeway. A reprint of The Summer Diary of a Lady Artist is available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com , ISBN 978-1-4466-7410-9. Contact: ckfonsweer@gmail.com