James Russell Lowell collection, 1863-1892

Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Creators:
Lowell, James Russell, 1819-1891
Abstract:
A collection of correspondence and manuscripts related to James Russell Lowell, American poet, critic, and diplomat.
Extent:
1.2 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. James Russell Lowell collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

A collection of correspondence and manuscripts written by James Russell Lowell including essays, poems, and short stories; included is an essay on Herbert Spencer, the poems "In Far Japan," and "At the Exhibition," and a short story "Uncle Cobus's Story." The collection also includes two forgeries, the poems "And again to the child..." and "Zekle crep' up quite unknown." The correspondence includes letters to and from Thomas Green Fessenden, James T. Fields, John Fiske, William Leonard Gage, Arthur Gilman, George W. Smalley, George Ticknor, and John Greenleaf Whittier. A number of the manuscripts and letters are window mounted on pages removed from albums, some letters with envelopes.

Biographical / historical:

James Russell Lowell (1819-1891) was an American poet, critic, editor, and diplomat. Lowell was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, attended Harvard College and Law School; he married first Maria White in 1844 and together they had several children; after Maria's death in 1853, he married Frances Dunlap in 1857. He became involved in the abolitionist movement through his writings as a poet and editor and also published several collections of poetry and essays throughout his career. He served as ambassador to Spain from 1877 to 1880 and ambassador to the Court of St. James, London, England, from 1880 to 1885. He died in Elmwood, his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on August 12, 1891.

Acquisition information:
mssHM 10744, purchased in Adrian Joline sale, 1914; mssHM 7115-7117, mssHM 7756-7785, mssHM 10745 purchased in Anderson Galleries sale, 1918; mssHM 1563, mssHM 5382, purchased from Goodspeed's book shop, 1923-1924; mssHM 7755, gift of B. W. Lull, June 1926; mssHM 10739-10740, mssHM 11588, mssHM 25255, mssHM 10746, provenance unknown, in library, 1932; mssHM 16636, mssHM 16638, removed from rare book 7071, August 1950; mssHM 16637, removed from rare book 6638, August 1950; mssHM 16639, removed from rare book 108164, August 1950; mssHM 46125-46126, no provenance, in library, 1977.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library staff from 1915 to 1977; in June 2025, Gayle M. Richardson created the finding aid. This collection includes multiple acquisitions acquired and assembled by Huntington Library staff over many years.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

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]. James Russell Lowell collection, 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
Website