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Betjeman (John, Sir) Papers
mssHM 60017-60134
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Sir John Betjeman papers
Creator:
Betjeman, John, 1906-1984
Identifier/Call Number: mssHM 60017-60134
Physical Description:
2.4 Linear Feet
(2 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1933-1959
Abstract: A collection of material related to Sir
John Betjeman, British author and Poet Laureate.
Language of Material: Materials are in
English.
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
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.
[Identification of item]. Sir John Betjeman papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino,
California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Michael Silverman, May 1991.
Sir John Betjeman (1906-1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster; he was Poet
Laureate from 1972 to 1984. Betjeman also campaigned extensively to preserve Victorian
architecture and was a founding member of The Victorian Society.
The papers consist of correspondence, poems, and drawings. The largest group of letters
were written between John Betjeman and Jack Beddington and concern Betjeman's search for
work during the Second World War as well as Betjeman's post-war writing projects. There are
also letters between Beddington and Penelope Chetwode, Lady Penelope Betjeman, who married
John Betjeman in 1933. The collection also contains one letter each from Talbot Hainault, T.
Lillie-Costello, John William Pearce, and John Piper (with Betjeman). There are also three
poems in the collection by Betjeman, written approximately 1939: "Ebenezer Jones," "The
Godly Usher...," and "Upper Lambourne," and two original drawings.
Processed by Gayle M. Richardson, December 1999; in December 2023, a finding aid was
created.
Arranged alphabetically.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Authors, English
World War, 1939-1945
Drawings (visual works)
Letters (correspondence)
Poems
Beddington, Jack,
1893-1959
Chetwode,
Penelope
Hainault, Talbot
Pearce, John William
Piper, John,
1903-1992