Sir Edward and Lady Georgiana Burne-Jones letters, 1865-1920

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Summary

Creators:
Burne-Jones, Edward Coley, 1833-1898
Abstract:
A collection of letters related to the artist and Pre-Raphaelite, Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones and, his wife, Lady Georgiana Burne-Jones.
Extent:
2.3 Linear Feet (2 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Sir Edward and Lady Georgiana Burne-Jones letters, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

A collection of letters from Edward Burne-Jones and Georgiana Burne-Jones to their friends Henry Holiday and Catherine Holiday; the largest part of the collection are letters written by Georgiana Burne-Jones to Catherine Holiday. Henry Holiday was also an artist, and the two families discuss artistic works and accomplishments; William Morris, a friend and employer to both men, is also discussed in some items. The vast majority of the letters address issues of a more personal kind, focusing on the lives and concerns of the two families. The collection also contains a small amount of ephemera.

Biographical / historical:

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones (1833-1898) was an English Pre-Raphaelite painter, designer and illustrator; in 1860, he married the artist Georgiana MacDonald. Burne-Jones had informal art lessons with Dante Gabriel Rossetti as a youth. Burne-Jones' paintings include The Golden Stairs (1880), King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid (1884) and the Perseus series (1875 to 1885). Burne-Jones befriended William Morris while the two were at Oxford and he shared Morris's interest in medieval applied arts. He became the principal designer for Morris's firm for which he designed stained-glass windows, mosaics and tapestries. He also illustrated books for Morris's Kelmscott Press including the 1896 folio of Chaucer.

Georgiana, Lady Burne-Jones (1840-1920) was an English painter and engraver; she married Edward Burne-Jones on June 9, 1860. Through family and friends she was an important member of the Pre-Raphaelites, as well as 19th century English social and politicial circles.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Sotheby's, March 1970.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library staff in January 1971; in April 2024, Gayle M. Richardson created the finding aid.

Arrangement:

Arranged by subject and format.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Sir Edward and Lady Georgiana Burne-Jones letters, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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