Gee Langdon

Gee Langdon (1907–1993) was a British writer, lyricist and composer.

Early life and education

Langdon was born Gladys Annie Joel in Richmond, Surrey, and was educated at the Richmond County School for Girls[1] and St. Hugh's College, Oxford,[1][2] where she captained the college netball VII[3] and graduated in English.[4] She was the Great Aunt of John Henry Dixon.

Career

Beginning in 1933, Langdon worked as the head of the Conway Library of photographic reproduction at the Courtauld Institute of Art, under Anthony Blunt, as the Archivist of the Royal Geographical Society and, during the Second World War, in a government department in London. Her research included the analysis of tithe maps, enumeration books, directories and other historical documents to develop a picture of daily life in nineteenth century England.[5]

Langdon is the author of several books, and her songs and lyrics have been recorded by several musical artists.[6]

Selected works

Books
  • Don Roberto's Daughter. Random House. 1968. ISBN 9780701113094.[7][8][9]
  • Clue From The Past. Hale Limited. 1973. ISBN 9780709133865.[10][11]
  • The Year Of The Map - Portrait of a Wiltshire Town in 1841. Compton Press. 1976. ISBN 9780859550406.[12][13][14]

Songs
  • Not the Marrying Kind (written with Elton Hayes, 1953) - recorded by Elton Hayes, Parlophone
  • Letter to a Soldier - recorded by Barbara Lyon, Columbia 1956 - UK #27,[15] Gracie Fields, Decca 1956, Terry Burton, Philips 1956, Annita Ray, Zephyr 1957 and Jane Forrest, Embassy 1957[16][17]
  • The Road to the Stars - recorded by Andy Cole, EMI 1956
  • White Wedding (with music by Cyril Watters, 1962) - recorded by Sheila Southern, HMV and Kay Wilson, Ember

References
  1. Ridler, Anne & Clapinson, Mary (2011). St. Hugh's College Register 1886-1959. Oxford: St. Hugh's College
  2. Oxford University Undergraduate Register (reference UR 2/1/163)
  3. "The Imp" (St. Hugh's College Magazine) 1930, p.13
  4. Oxford Historical Register Supplement 1901-30
  5. The Tithe Surveys of England and Wales", Cambridge University Press, Apr 20, 2006. page 293. By Roger J. P. Kain, Hugh C. Prince
  6. Gee Langdon at WorldCat
  7. "Peruvian Profits". The Listener. British Broadcasting Corporation. 80: 374. 1969. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  8. "Notes and Quotes" Archived 11 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine. The Tablet, 7 September 1968, page 892.
  9. Review in The Wiltshire Times, October 1968
  10. "Crime Fiction IV: A Comprehensive Bibliography 1749-2000". by Allen J. Hubin
  11. Reviewed in The Western Daily Press, September 1973
  12. Helen Wallis; Anita McConnell (6 April 1995). Historian's Guide to Early British Maps: A Guide to the Location of Pre-1900 Maps of the British Isles Preserved in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Cambridge University Press. pp. 342–. ISBN 978-0-521-55152-6.
  13. "Year of the map" cited in Guardian Angel, Autumn, 2013.
  14. "Shorter Notices". The Geographical Journal, Vol. 143, No. 1, Mar., 1977
  15. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 335. ISBN 1-904994-10-5
  16. "The Wonder of Embassy Records | RECORDINGS PAGE 2". Spanglefish.com. 14 May 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  17. "Housewife and composer Gee Langdon of Kew in London had her... News Photo 3427596". Getty Images. 1 December 1956. Retrieved 7 June 2014.


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