Processing the James Bond collection at the Free Library of Philadelphia was fun—I felt like I was hobnobbing with a spy, even though the “real” James Bond was not a spy at all, but an ornithologist. I would be lying if I said that Sean Connery’s visage did not swim before my eyes a few times, but truth be told, the “real” James Bond is pretty dashing himself.
“How 007 Got His Name” is a great story and the best part about it is that it is true! Ian Fleming, the author of the popular novels that were adapted for film, was familiar with James Bond’s book “The Birds of the West Indies,” and apparently believed that the name James Bond was brief, unromantic and masculine. Once his novels acquired fame, the real James Bond and his wife Mary Wickham Bond felt the effect.
This collection is actually a lot more about Mary than it is about James Bond whose ornithological papers can be found at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. Mary, an author of quite a few novels, appears to have had quite a sense of humor and enjoyed the wacky and sometimes annoying results of her husband sharing the name of a dangerous and suave British spy. She wrote her anecdotes in the book, “How 007 Got His Name,” followed by “Far Afield in the Caribbean” and “To James Bond with Love,” so that the story of the “real” James Bond might be told. This collection really documents the publishing and promotion of her books—there are drafts and proofs of her writings; correspondence with her publishers; and clippings regarding the “real” James Bond, the fictional James Bond, and her books.
Two scrapbooks which she titled “James and Mary Bondiana” span their entire marriage and are among my favorite items in the collection. Mary collected clippings, saved invitations and memorabilia, and pasted photographs into these scrapbooks. They tell the story of Mary and James’ careers and their marriage. What is astounding is the scope of Mary’s career. She founded, wrote for, and edited the Chestnut Hill Local, authored quite a few novels, and wrote poetry. After her marriage to James Bond, she traveled with him across the world while he studied birds. She seems to have been tireless and full of enthusiasm. At the age of ninety, she wrote her autobiography, “Ninety Years at Home in Philadelphia.” She and the “real” James Bond were clearly extraordinary people.
My guess is that if Ian Fleming had not appropriated the name James Bond, we would still know about James because he was a prominent and influential ornithologist. We might not know as much about him as we do today, but his ornithological career would still be documented at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. I am not sure, however, if we would know much about Mary Wickham Bond! So thanks, Ian Fleming, for making it so we can learn about this amazing woman.
