The posthumous archive

Abstract The chapter looks at alternative kinds of material collections and the archival methods that have been applied to them. These collections originate not from Vivien Leigh’s personal papers but from acts of posthumous collection by a range of other parties. As a central case study, I foreground new research into the practices of the Vivien Leigh Circle, a fan collective established in the late 1960s. I examine the private collections of its membership past and present and how their unofficial curatorial practices have developed over time. Based on original interviews with founding and current members, the chapter looks at clusters of correspondence between Leigh and her fans, exploring how such private, intimate “archives” have transitioned from the domestic spaces of individuals into official repositories like the V&A.