Henry Blake Fuller Letters to Louise Lawrence Venus Washburn mssFuller
Gina C Giang
The Huntington Library
April 2020
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Henry Blake Fuller letters to Louise Lawrence Venus Washburn
Identifier/Call Number: mssFuller
Physical Description:
1.50 Linear Feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1873-before 1929
Abstract: Henry Blake Fuller was an American poet, essayist, and novelist. The collection consists primarily of letters from Henry Blake
Fuller to Louise Lawrence Venus Washburn from 1873 to before 1929.
Language of Material: Materials are in English.
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[Identification of item]. Henry Blake Fuller letters to Louise Lawrence Venus Washburn, The Huntington Library, San Marino,
California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Mrs. Roland R. Tilestone, September 1950.
Henry Blake Fuller was an American poet, essayist, and novelist. Fuller was born in January 1857 in Chicago, Illinois. His
works include The Chevalier of Pensieri-Vani, The cliff-dwellers, and With the procession. He passed away in July 1929. In
2000, he was posthumously inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame for his important contributions to gay literature.
The Henry Blake Fuller letters consist primarily of letters from Henry Blake Fuller to Louise Lawrence Venus Washburn, a childhood
friend in Chicago, from 1873 to before 1929. There are also two notes from other friends of Fuller's Anna Morgan and Clara
Ray, to Louise Washburn. Miscellaneous items in the collection include three photographs of Fuller and one of Washburn, a
musical score to a song written by Fuller, eight fragments (one of which is a letter written in code), and printed material
(mostly reviews of Fuller's work and that of other literary authors). Fuller's letters include correspondence written from
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin; Boston, Massachusetts; and Chicago, Illinois; which describe the cities, social activities (including
the 1893 Chicago Exposition), and his life and work. There are also detailed letters from Fuller's travels, primarily from
his first two trips to Europe, in 1879 and 1883, but also from a trip to Northern Africa and later European trips. He describes
his sightseeing, European architecture and art, a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore, and the work and
stature of William Dean Howells (1837-1920) and Henry James (1843-1916).
Processed by Huntington staff, circa mid-20th century. In 2020, Gina C Giang created a finding aid derived from a legacy summary
report.
Arranged chronologically.
Individual call numbers included in the collection: mssHM 41846-41909, mssHM 6261.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Authors, American -- 19th century -- Correspondence
Gay authors -- United States -- Archives
Africa, North -- Description and travel
Boston (Mass.) -- Description and travel
Chicago (Ill.) -- Description and travel
Chicago (Ill.) -- Social life and customs
Europe -- Description and travel
Oconomowoc (Wis.) -- Social life and customs
Letters (correspondence) -- United States
Sheet music -- United States -- 20th century
Fuller, Henry Blake, 1857-1929
Gilbert, W. S. (William Schwenck), 1836-1911 -- H.M.S. Pinafore
Howells, William Dean, 1837-1920
James, Henry, 1843-1916
Morgan, Anna, 1851-1936
Ray, Clara
Sullivan, Arthur, 1842-1900 -- H.M.S. Pinafore
Washburn, Louise
World's Columbian Exposition (1893 : Chicago, Ill.)
Box 1
HM 41846-41909, HM 6261 1873-before 1929