Finding Aid for the R.M. Ballantyne Papers LSC.0321
Finding aid prepared by UCLA Library Special Collections staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Online finding aid last updated 2003.
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Business Number: 310-825-4988
Fax Number: 310-206-1864
spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
Contributing Institution:
UCLA Library Special Collections
Title: R.M. Ballantyne papers
Creator:
Ballantyne, R.M. (Robert Michael)
Identifier/Call Number: LSC.0321
Physical Description:
1.0 Linear Feet
(2 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1876-1893
Abstract: R.M. Ballantyne (1825-1894) was a apprentice clerk with Hudson's Bay Company in Manitoba, Canada. He requested a wilderness
post, and was sent to posts along the north shore of the St. Lawrence (1846-47). His recollections were published in 1848
and titled
Hudson's Bay; or, every-day life in the wilds of North America. He wrote more than 90 books, many of them adventure stories. He was also a draftsman and water-colorist who exhibited at
the Royal Scottish Academy, and he illustrated many of his books. The collection consists of manuscripts, correspondence,
and a scrapbook with pictures of Ballantyne, clippings about him, and an article copied by Westley about Ballantyne.
Physical Location: Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
Restrictions on Access
Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located
on this page.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright,
are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright
and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], R.M. Ballantyne Papers (Collection 321). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gift of Harriett S. Weaver, 1986.
Processing Information
Collections are processed to a variety of levels depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived user
interest and research value, availability of staff and resources, and competing priorities. Library Special Collections provides
a standard level of preservation and access for all collections and, when time and resources permit, conducts more intensive
processing. These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards and best practices.
We are committed to providing ethical, inclusive, and anti-racist description of the materials we steward, and to remediating
existing description of our materials that contains language
that may be offensive or cause harm. We invite you to submit feedback about how our collections are described, and how they
could be described more accurately, by filling out the form
located on our website:
Report Potentially Offensive Description in Library Special
Collections.
UCLA Catalog Record ID
Biography
Ballantyne was born on April 24, 1825 in Edinburgh, Scotland; became apprentice clerk with Hudson's Bay Company in Manitoba,
Canada; requested a wilderness post, and was sent to posts along the north shore of the St. Lawrence, 1846-47; following his
return to Scotland in 1847, a woman who had enjoyed Ballantyne's letters to his mother offered to finance a private printing
of his recollections; this led to the publication in 1848 of
Hudson's Bay; or, every-day life in the wilds of North America; wrote more than 90 books, many of them adventure stories; he was also a draftsman and water-colorist who exhibited at the
Royal Scottish Academy, and he illustrated many of his books; publications include
Snowflakes and sunbeams; or, the young fur traders (1856) and
Ungava: a tale of Esquimaux-land (1858) and
An author's adventures, or personal reminiscences in bookmaking (1893); he died February 8, 1894 in Rome.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of manuscripts, five letters from Ballantyne to various persons, a letter by Ballantyne to the Reverend
J.C. Westley, and a scrapbook with pictures of Ballantyne, clippings about him, and an article copied by Westley about Ballantyne.
Manuscripts include
Dusty diamonds cut and polished: a tale of city-Arab life and adventure;
The garret and the garden: or, low life high up;
Hunted and harried: a tale of the Scottish Covenanters;
Post haste: a tale of Her Majesty's mails;
Under the waves: or, diving in deep waters; and
The walrus hunters: a romance of the realms of ice.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Authors, Scottish -- 20th century -- Archives.
Manuscripts for publication
Ballantyne, R.M. (Robert Michael), 1825-1894--Archives.
box 1
Letters,
n.d.
General Physical Description note: 4 items.
box 1
Letter to Reverend J.C. Westley. Harrow,
May 5, 1883.
General Physical Description note: 6 leaves.
[Manuscripts]
v.d.
Physical Description: 2 boxes(1 linear ft.)
box 1
Hunted & Harried. Nisbet,
1892.
box 1
Dusty diamonds...,
1893.
General Physical Description note: 378 leaves. Holograph.
General note
Sadleir no.106.
box 1
The garrett and the garden: or, low life high up. n.p.,
1886.
General Physical Description note: 121 leaves. Holograph.
box 2
The walrus hunters...,
1893.
box 2
Posthaste...,
1879.
General Physical Description note: 2 p.l., 386 leaves. Holograph.
General note
Sadleir no.121.
box 2
Under the waves...,
1876.
General Physical Description note: 383 leaves. Holograph.
General note
Sadleir no.129.