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The Cure | Robert Smith Handwritten Fan Letter + 1981 Faith Tour Program, Signed Three Members
Currency:USD
Category:Memorabilia / Music Memorabilia
Start Price:100.00 USD
Estimated At:1,000.00 - 2,000.00 USD
CURRENT BID
0.00USD
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2026 Jun 06 @ 10:00 (UTC-07:00 : PDT/MST)
An original handwritten personal letter from Robert Smith of The Cure to a fan, signed by Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, and Lol Tolhurst, written mid-flight during the band's 1981 world tour and postmarked San Francisco, July 29, 1981 — accompanied by the original mailing envelope bearing the fan's own note to have it signed, the original Parcelforce shipping mailer from the letter's first owner directly to the current seller, and a rare original 1981 Faith tour program featuring stop-motion imagery from the band's legendary lost film Carnage Visors.
Video Documentation
[YouTube] The Cure — Carnage Visors (1981 Film, Partial Clip)
Historical Context
The Cure — comprising Robert Smith (vocals, guitar), Simon Gallup (bass), Lol Tolhurst (drums), and Matthieu Hartley (keyboards) during the Faith period — were in the midst of the most ambitious touring campaign of their career in mid-1981, supporting their third studio album Faith (released May 1981) across the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and Europe. The tour was unusual in one specific and now-legendary respect: rather than booking a support act, the band opened every show with a projected screening of Carnage Visors — a 28-minute experimental stop-motion animated film directed by Ric Gallup (Simon Gallup's brother), with an original instrumental soundtrack composed by The Cure. The film has effectively disappeared from public access; the only known copies are believed to be held by Robert Smith, Ric Gallup, and Lol Tolhurst. The 1981 Faith tour program included in this lot features stop-motion stills from the film — making it one of the few surviving documents of Carnage Visors in any printed form.
The Letter
Written on The Cure's official letterhead (PO Box 21, Horley, Surrey, RH6 8LL) across two pages, this letter is a vivid example of direct artist-to-fan correspondence from the early post-punk era. Smith writes to fan Ray Wingate from the air — noting "in a plane" at the top of the first page and closing with "this plane is very jumpy..." — while the band was mid-tour between North American dates. The tone is candid and personal throughout: Smith comments on recent shows (Portsmouth went well; Brighton was "terrible — Yug crowd, bouncy like suet..."), then discloses that the band has just recorded a new single called "Charlotte Sometimes" due out in September. The single was released on September 7, 1981 — approximately six weeks after this letter was written and postmarked. Smith's disclosure to a fan, fresh from the recording session and before any public announcement, is a vivid document of a pre-internet cultural moment: the unfiltered, personal communication between a band and its audience that has no equivalent in the social media era.
Smith then surveys the band's touring itinerary — America, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and England in December — closing with characteristic dark humor: "If we survive." The letter is signed at the close by all three: Simon Gallup, Robert Smith, and Lol Tolhurst. A postscript appears at the top of the first page: "P.S. Words will arrive soon..." — a reference to forthcoming lyrics or written material Smith had apparently promised.
· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
"P.S. Words will arrive soon..."
"in a plane"
"Dear Ray, Thank you for writing. Sorry about the delayed reply. Glad you liked Portsmouth. Brighton was terrible! (Yug crowd — bouncy like suet...) We've just recorded a new single called 'Charlotte Sometimes' which will come out...in September. At the moment we're playing America, NZ, Australia, Canada, France, Spain, Italy and Switzerland! England in December! Hurray! If we survive. This plane is very jumpy... See you again — Robert"
Signed: Simon Gallup / Robert Smith / Lol Tolhurst
· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
The Envelope
The original airmail envelope is handwritten and addressed to Ray Wingate, 86 Chestnut Grove, Bognor Regis, Sussex, PO22 9JE, England. The San Francisco postmark is dated PM, July 29, 1981, and the 40¢ Philip Mazzei "Patriot Remembered" U.S. Airmail stamp is present and intact. On the reverse of the envelope, in handwriting distinct from Smith's, appears the note: "Sign children please —" — written by the fan Ray Wingate himself, almost certainly intended as an instruction to a friend or family member in the event the letter reached its destination before he could personally secure signatures. It is a small, human artifact of the era's fan culture, and it survived intact with the envelope it was written on.
Provenance & Chain of Custody
Ray Wingate, the original recipient and correspondent, retained this letter, envelope, and tour program for approximately four decades before selling directly to the current seller. The original Parcelforce Worldwide shipping mailer (Despatch Pack CP72, tracking number EE 695 955 316 GB) sent by Wingate from Bognor Regis, England, to the seller, dated January 29, 2021, is included in this lot and constitutes a direct, unbroken chain of custody from the original fan to the present.
Included Items
Two-page handwritten letter from Robert Smith on The Cure letterhead, signed by Robert Smith, Simon Gallup, and Lol Tolhurst. Original handwritten airmail envelope addressed to Ray Wingate, 86 Chestnut Grove, Bognor Regis, Sussex, with San Francisco postmark (PM, July 29, 1981) and 40¢ Philip Mazzei U.S. Airmail stamp; reverse bears handwritten note "Sign children please —." Original 1981 Faith tour program — small saddle-stitched booklet with black cover bearing The Cure logo in white, interior featuring stop-motion stills from Carnage Visors. Original Parcelforce shipping mailer from Ray Wingate to the current seller (January 29, 2021). All items exhibit light age-consistent wear with fully legible ink and clear postmark.
Nostalgia Bandit Letter of Provenance
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Shipping & Measurements
FIRST AND THIRD PARTY SHIPPING OPTIONS AVAILABLE. Contact Nostalgia Bandit for a shipping quote: shipping@nostalgiabandit.com
» Letter: 8.25 x 6.0"
» Original airmail envelope: 8.5 x 4.3"
» Tour program: 8.0 x 6.0"
» Seller's shipping mailer: 10.0 x 13.0"
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14545 W Grand Ave STE 106 PMB 101, Surprise, Arizona, 85374, United States
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8.35% |
Arizona State Tax |
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Infinite |
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