Konon Molody, aka "Gordon Arnold Lonsdale" (1922-1970), Soviet intelligence officer during the Cold War and mastermind of the Portland Spy Ring. Archive of handwritten correspondence addressed to 'Molly' (Mrs C M M Baker) on sheets stamped 'Wormwood Scrubs' (prisoner number 148), 'Manchester Prison' (number 2502) and 'Winson Green' (number 5399). More than 30 letters, lengthy inscriptions, dated between 23 March 1961 and 29 December 1963. Together with a letter on headed paper (War Office), dated 6 April 1961, requesting that Mrs Baker help the authorities; a Visiting Order for Mrs Baker and M R Hurd; a letter on headed paper (Wormwood Scrubs), dated 16 June 1961, informing Mrs Baker that Lonsdale has been transferred to HMP Manchester; typewritten letters to 'Molly' (Mrs Baker) from Lonsdale following his release/exchange, May & June 1964, describing life at home with family; a typed agreement from The People newspaper offering to pay Lonsdale for various documents and his 'life story'; correspondence to and from Michael Hurd (solicitor). An example of the content: 'I must finish this letter before the lights go out & therefore have no time to think everything out before I begin...I will firstly reply to the part that hurt me. You ask: "are you a human with normal feelings?" etc. Yes, Molly, I am a human with normal feelings...But I am just like everybody else - there are people I like & people I don't like; things I like & other things that I hate...Where I differ from many people is in my attitude to money. I do realise money is necessary & important in everyday life. But it isn't the end all as far as I'm concerned. I hate the idea held by many that "everyone has his price", and no matter how hard I try I can't respect people who belong to that category...There is only one thing I'm afraid of and that is to lose my self-respect. In fact I think I was very fortunate that what has happened happened here. In other places, where I have spent many a year, the penalty is death.' The CIA and MI5 began to track the Portland Spy Ring in 1959. MI5 put Lonsdale under surveillance and learned that he was regularly visiting Peter and Helen Kroger (also spies) at their home in Ruislip. The Krogers, whose real names were Morris and Lona Cohen, were Americans spying for the Soviet Union, and had been living under deep cover as antiquarian booksellers in Middlesex. Lonsdale, who purportedly dealt in jukeboxes and bubble gum machines, was arrested on 7 January 1961. It materialised that microdots containing secret information had been smuggled between Britain and the Soviet Union within antiquarian books; these would have included secrets passed on by Harry Houghton and Ethel Gee (members of the spy ring). The Kroger house was full of spying equipment, including a radio transmitter-receiver for communicating with Moscow. Lonsdale was sentenced to 25 years in prison in March 1961. On 22 April 1964, he was exchanged for a British citizen held by the Russians as a spy. Provenance: By descent. Our vendor is handling the archive on behalf of his friend, the son of Mrs C Baker (recipient of the correspondence)
Realised Price: £
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