Friday, February 5, 2016

UPDATED: Leary Estate Sells Letter from Manson and Squeaky to Timothy Leary


The Leary Estate has notified us that eBay has taken down this listing, citing their policy of not allowing postings of "items that are closely associated with individuals convicted of violent felonies or individuals notorious for committing murderous acts." Persons interested in purchasing it can contact Patty (Patty at Mansonblog dot com) and she will put them in touch with the seller's representative. Please note the description below is an updated version.

The Timothy Leary Estate is selling a pair of interesting letters from Charles Manson and from Lynette (Squeaky) Fromme to Tim Leary, who had several weeks earlier escaped from prison and was currently living as a fugitive in Switzerland.

Manson's 1400 word, 3-page letter is addressed to "General Tim Leary (Sunstone)" with a typed signature "Manson."   The letter can be dated from it's appearance on the front page of the LA Free Press, Oct. 9, 1970, under the title "An Open Letter to Tim Leary."  It was subsequently reprinted throughout the underground press. It comes together with a handwritten letter from Fromme to Leary in Switzerland one year after his prison escape.

This letter displays Manson’s philosophy and hypnotic style of writing and caused paranoia in the counterculture by linking him and Leary. At the time Manson's guilt was not yet confirmed, and some wondered if he and his followers were being set up to disparage the hippies.

Leary recounts in his autobiography "Flashbacks" (1983) how he and Manson conversed from adjoining cells in prison after he was captured and incarcerated at Folsom State Prison in 1973. A play about this meeting was staged in Los Angeles in the early ‘90s. Manson’s “open letter” served as a media platform for his philosophy and his apocalyptic vision of the future, and to get Leary's attention. Leary referred to Manson as "the first psychedelic criminal,” which is how he himself was viewed by his many detractors for promoting LSD.

Manson family member Squeaky Fromme, one of his earliest followers and “ex-officio leader of the Family after Manson’s arrest,” was one of the most articulate and outspoken members of the Manson family. In this letter she writes Leary in Switzerland, enclosing ”an old letter to you once printed in the [LA] Free Press. Did you see it?” Fromme's letter (a little over 100 words) is written in ink on both sides of a xeroxed photo of one of the Manson girls who shaved their heads during the trial.



She refers to John Lennon lyrics which she interprets, and adds: “The close of Charlie’s second trial is near as J.C. still hangs on public opinion.” On another page there are 15 lines of typed text probably written by Fromme referring to the vigil: “You ask why do we sit on this corner day after day, and why we’ve sat here for over a year . . . We have many times wanted to get up and trip off. Yet we are bound here in one love.”

The letter comes with the original mailing envelope bearing the return address c/o a friend of hers in Hollywood addressed to “Gen. Tim Leary” in Villars, Switzerland, postmarked Oct. 14, 1971 (one year after the Manson letter was published). Knowing that Leary was a fugitive on the run, Fromme assumed he had never seen it, so she mailed him this corrected carbon typescript which she herself may have typed, the top copy (without corrections) having been the one used by the LA Free Press typesetter. Leary passed it on to his archivists when they visited in early 1972.


These letters are iconic artifacts, linking two of the most famous/ infamous figures from that era, not to mention the best known of the Manson girls.Original autograph material from the period of Manson's arrest and trial rarely if ever appear on the market. Provenance:  Timothy Leary Estate (Futique).





50 comments:

Patty is Dead said...

Look you guys an address for Country Sue to check out!

Robert Hendrickson said...

I just saw the TV drama on Bernie Madoff and realized AGAIN that the "government" ALWAYS positions a "scapegoat" in the media / public's eye - whenever IT fucks-up BADLY. AND for those born to late to have witnessed the exploitation of Mr. Leary - HE was the "government's" excuse for LSD becoming so popular.

AND even I, to a certain extent, had forgotten that "Charles Manson was very BAD" because Timothy Leary helped make him BAD."

Like - LSD would NOT have become so popular without LEARY? OR maybe the "government" realized that IF Leary ever hooked up with Manson - well, oh my golly Ms. Molly, the Communists will THINK it's the beginning of the END of America and THUS they should pack THEIR bags and get ready for the "Final Invasion."

Remember what JFK once said: "This weed is great, but don't WE have any Leary Style Drugs?

Chris B said...

Wildlife conservation postage stamp. Go team ATWA!

Farflung said...

You've got to love that address on the envelope. Switzerland was further refined (?) with the inclusion of its tectonic plate; Europe.

I would have gone on to add Earth, just to be thorough. Cuz that's how I roll.

Fiddy 8 said...

MFB PSA:

Just so you know, *Manson's Lost Girls* premiers tomorrow, Saturday at 8pm on Lifetime cable channel.

Patty is Dead said...

On a scale of one to ten, just how horrible do you think that will be fiddy?

Chris B said...

Trailer is up on youtube if you need to whet your appetite.

Unknown said...

Great post Patty! $1500 starting bid....

I am interested to see what this ends up being worth to someone. I like to collect memorabilia from that period.

The oldest is an original poster advertisement for a Frank Zappa show at the Vets Memorial Auditorium. The reserved seats cost $6.50 and tickets were available at Sears, state savings, Cochran Pharmacy, Lee Ross cleaners, and Pearl Alley Discs... Lol

The good old days

Fiddy 8 said...

I dunno patty, it looks kinda fun. I never really get angry at biopics making stuff up, they all do. (e.g. no way do I believe Kardashian thouht OJ was innocent in immediate aftermath, but still I'm hooked on the series with one episode) I bet St C's movie would be a lot more fun too.

Unknown said...

Yeah!! Lol. Let Saint make a movie.

I'm watching the first episode of OJ again as I type this lol my Ex who cruelly dumped me is here and hadn't seen it yet.

Unknown said...

She is a follower of the other notorious "Family" ...

The Kardasholes. So that's one thing we can still do together lol

Fiddy 8 said...

How did Timoty Leary get rich? Not by being a Harvard doctor, or even by writing his books, but instead by going on a debate tour with G Gordon Liddy.

Alison said...

Hmmm....who handles the Leary estate? He is my second cousin.... I'm going to go ask grandma.

Fiddy 8 said...

Governer Brown let Leary out of his decades long prison term in 1976. Jerry is fine with that, but I guess no way is he going down in history as paroling Davis.

Fiddy 8 said...

Nixon called Leary "The Most Dangerous Man in America" - all Dick said about Charlie was that he was guilty - before the verdict.

Fiddy 8 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Lol

Fiddy 8 said...

St C, they make it look like the Kardashian kids were running around their mother's best friend's funeral playing tag in the church...Kim was 14 at the time - I don't think so. That was kind of mean, I'm sure we'll hear more about that scene from Kanye soon.

orwhut said...

Farf,
We used to have a member in at least one Manson related group who added his biome region to his signature. I think he's in this group also, maybe with a different name.

Farflung said...

Very observant orwhut.

Shouldn't we all disclose our biomes?

Mine is chaparral, as in "High Chaparral" the TV show from the 60's. Not what you're thinking, unless you're thinking about a bunch of cowboys getting high smoking chaparrel, and having buttseks; then it's exactly what you're thinking. So there.

orwhut said...

Farf,
I well remember "High Chaparral". I think Mrs. Whut had a crush on Blue Boy. That's OK with me, I thought his mother was hot!

Mark A. O'Blazney said...

There was sooooo much shit in Tim's garage on Sunnybrook. Mountains of big brown boxes. Sigh. I miss Tim.

SusanB said...

What's a " biome " ? I need to know if I have one ☺

orwhut said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
orwhut said...

Susan,
Copy and paste the following link your address bar or type "biome" into a search engine. I'm pretty sure you have one.
http://www.google.com/search?sclient=tablet-gws&site=&source=hp&q=biome&oq=biome&gs_l=tablet-gws.12..0i131l2j0.2940.4304.0.5600.5.5.0.0.0.0.282.895.0j4j1.5.0..2..0...1.1.64.tablet-gws..0.5.892.Xy1l4sn3G3Y

Janellski said...

Timothy Leary was WINONA RYDER's Godfather....NO JOKE...
Her parents were hugh profile hippies. ��✌ PEACE!!!

Robert Hendrickson said...

YES, Leary was "the most dangerous man in America" and I didn't realize that until HE gave one of HIS last lectures.

HE explained that biologically (as a whole people) over time our bodies would evolve to accept and use ANY drug and it's benefits and negatives would become a part our lives. The perfect example is Mexico. IF you visit and drink the water, you will get sick, BUT if you stay there awhile and continue to drink it, eventually your body will accept it - without you getting sick.

BUT, if you drink from the jug of "ignorance" you may be screwed FOREVER.

Because young people were taking a drug (LSD) that caused you SEE things like WAR and human destruction in a more truthful light, the whole premise of our civilization was at stake.

For those who take this MANSON stuff more seriously, there is a 1995 movie about the story of the Black Panthers. Remember, without THEM, you got NO HS (Black & White race WAR). IF for nothing else, you will hear that the panthers used the word "PIG" to refer to the POLICE specifically.

Patty is Dead said...

Patty was lucky enough to hear Leary speak in 1988. By then he was really into technology and the rise of the internet. It was a special night.

Patty is Dead said...

Lifetime just used the photoshopped image if Dennis Wilson with Charlie opg! Ole JC made it!

Ajerseydevil said...

Anyone else watch the movie last night

Unknown said...

I thought it was another joke. If Bobby was that much a part of things we all had it wrong lol.

Very hard to sit through this "true story" of Linda and the other girls for me

CarolMR said...

I loved "High Chaparral," especially Manolito (Henry Darrow).

Unknown said...

I thought the Tex character looked familiar. It is Michael Maddens son.

Unknown said...

Michael Madsen sorry

Matt said...

Didn't watch. The consensus seems to be that it was inaccurate and poorly acted.

SSDD.


Unknown said...

The true story of the Manson Says that Squeaky and Lulu brought in Linda. And Sandy wasn't even mentioned

Bruce didn't exsist. Tex was with Charlie when they shot Crowe. Hinman was robbed for inheritance money.

They did mention Gary and Crowe at least.

The lady who made it was interviewed briefly at a commercial break. She seems pleased with herself as to the authenticity of the times.

I wasn't there during the times but it didn't really grab me in that way either.

Maybe others thought it was cool. Half way through I started taping and switched to the republican debate. I got a huge buzz this morning and finished the movie..

It didn't help lol

Robert Hendrickson said...

PATTY, maybe you could comment some about who and what Leary was about. Cause He was a VERY significant NATIONAL figure of the 1960's. YOUR impression, etc.


orwhut said...

CarolMR said... I loved "High Chaparral," especially Manolito (Henry Darrow).

You didn't mess with Manolito----unless, you wanted to die with your boots on.

Patty is Dead said...

Robert, Tim is the guy who taught us that the emperor wears no clothes. He taught us to think for ourselves by experimenting with what thought and perception really is. Patty has not done any psychedelics since her college years but she never would have had what she considers a life changing experience without the influence he had on pop culture.

Farflung said...

Manolito would get full on, Jackie Chan with any bad guys.

Victoria (the mom) was surface of the sun, scorching hot. I had trouble reconciling her inexplicable marriage to a man a quarter century older, and how Blue was her son, in spite of being 5 years younger than her.

orwhut said...

Farf,
I think it was the magic of television.

Robert Hendrickson said...

Thanks Patty, sound like YOU got an entire POST there.

BTW: Anyone hear about the FBI and the Mafia making a "deal" for the mob to flood the Black getto in L.A. with heroin to quell the Black Panthers ?


grimtraveller said...

Robert Hendrickson said...

Anyone hear about the FBI and the Mafia making a "deal" for the mob to flood the Black getto in L.A. with heroin to quell the Black Panthers ?

I didn't know that it was a deal with the mob but it was certainly common underground knowledge after a while that the FBI or the CIA {to many Black people at the time on both sides of the Atlantic, they were opposite sides of the same coin ~ a coin that bought you nothing} allowed hardcore drugs to flood into the various Black neighbourhoods where the Panthers had a change making presence.

Fiddy 8 said...

OK Patty, it sucked pretty bad. I bet Clem loved it - he wasn't even shown in the car!

Patty is Dead said...

Invisible Clem! Lol.

Hey you guys, I got word from the seller of this letter that eBay made him remove it because it violates their terms of service. Books on Manson are apparently ok but not letters. He must have gotten reported by someone.

Robert Hendrickson said...

PATTY: There is a whole THING going on with certain folks having STUFF removed from eBay and AMAZON. They even got my Manson Gang movie pulled from eBay for over a year. Long time ago they hacked my Youtube account and shut me down there.

I also think the US "government" NOW realizes it may have given TOO much power "to the people" with the internet.
Of course, "IT" loves the idea it NOW has more info on EVERY person in America than the Nazi's ever dreamed of acquiring on it's citizens.

Remember what CM said: The police used to watch OVER the people and now they're just "watch'n em !

A 40 year old letter between two very significant figures in 1960's American history and it gets pulled from eBay.

What did they teach you about things like that in collage ? Have another Milkyway candy bar?

Patty is Dead said...

It's a shame ain't it?

Robert Hendrickson said...

YES Patty, but what exactly is the REAL shame? A "government" that hides the TRUTH or
a blind man that does NOT want to SEE ?

SusanB said...

Thank you Whut. Im back online and will investigate. ☺

Fiddy 8 said...

You can love a mouse, but you can't Ballarat.