With the 40th anniversary of the Festival approaching, Nicholson began to explore with former colleagues, the Arts Council and others the possibility of producing an official history of the Festival, a project that had been turned down by the Treasury in 1952. His idea was to base the publication on an Edinburgh University PhD thesis by I. Ebong.

Includes correspondence and papers regarding early suggestions and ideas concerning the official history and the use of the thesis.

Correspondents include Sir Jocelyn Stevens, Rector of the Royal College of Art, and the author of the thesis.

Included are a number of typescript papers by Nicholson, and some manuscript notes, containing his comments on the text of the thesis and suggestions on how it might be used.