Guglielmo Marconi Correspondence
Finding aid prepared by Rebecca A. Hirsch/Brooke M. Black
Manuscripts Department
The Huntington Library
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2191
Fax: (626) 449-3477
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
© 2015
The Huntington Library. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Guglielmo Marconi
Correspondence
Dates: 1899-1902
Collection Number: mssMarconi
correspondence
Creator:
Marconi, Guglielmo,
1874-1937
Extent:
125 pieces + newspaper clippings in 2 boxes
Repository:
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
Manuscripts Department
The Huntington Library
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2191
Fax: (626) 449-3477
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
Abstract: The collection chiefly contains the
correspondence of Italian physicist Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937), primarily to his American fiancée, Josephine
Bowen Holman. There are two manuscripts: Morse Code Legend written by Marconi and Holman's diary for January to April
1902.
Language of Material: The records are in English.
Access
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader
Services.
Administrative Information
Publication Rights
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]. Guglielmo Marconi Correspondence, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Provenance
Gift of Hon. Peter Smith, August 5, 2005.
Biographical Note
Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937) was an Italian physicist who spent much of his professional life in
Great Britain. In the late 1890s he began experimenting with wireless telegraphy,
which culminated on December 14, 1901, with the first trans-Atlantic transmission of
a wireless telegraph. Marconi would later go on to experiment with short-wave radio
and microwaves. For a brief period that overlaps with his experiments with wireless
telegraphy, he was engaged to an American he met on the steamer St. Paul from New
York to England, Josephine Bowen Holman. The engagement was broken off by Marconi in
early 1902, and both later married other people.
Scope and Content
This collection consists of letters and telegrams from Guglielmo Marconi to his
fiancée, Josephine Bowen Holman.
There are also letters to Holman from Marconi’s mother, Annie Jameson Marconi, one of
his engineers, R. Norman Vyvyan, and various other correspondents (mainly family
members). Portions of some of the letters to Holman from Marconi are written in
Morse code, and there are pictures of his telegraph towers in Cornwall and two of
his family home in Bologna.
There are two manuscripts: Morse Code Legend written by Marconi and Holman’s diary
for January to April 1902. There are six pieces of ephemera, including two published
copies of a paper by Marconi on the wireless telegraphy that he gave March 2, 1899
to the Institution of Electrical Engineers, and 141 newspaper clippings.
Subjects include: Marconi and Holman’s relationship, Nikola Tesla, Alexander Graham
Bell, Morse Code, and Marconi’s invention: the wireless telegraph.
Arrangement
The collection, which is housed in two boxes, is arranged in the following
manner: the first three authors are arranged by number of letters in the
collection (Guglielmo Marconi, R. Norman Vyvyan and Annie Jameson Marconi, in
that order), and the rest are arranged alphabetically by other authors. The
manuscripts, ephemera and clippings are placed after the correspondence.
Indexing Terms
Personal Names
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937 -
Archives
Bell, Alexander Graham,
1847-1922
Tesla, Nikola, 1856-1943
Subjects
Courtship - Europe - History - 19th
century - Sources
Inventors - Great Britain -
Archives
Inventors - Italy - Archives
Morse code
Telegraph, Wireless - Marconi system -
History - Sources
Women - United States - History - 20th
century - Diaries
Genre
Diaries - United States - 20th
century
Letters (correspondence) - Great
Britain - 19th century
Personal papers - Great Britain - 19th
century
Alternate Author
Holman, Beatrice
Bowen
Marconi, Annie
Jameson
Vyvyan, R.
Norman
Box 1
Correspondence: Marconi, Guglielmo. Letters to Josephine Bowen Holman
Folder 1
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1899, November 25)
Notes
Marconi is doing experiments in Dorsetshire, and he mentions the
government wanting to send him to South Africa.
Folder 2
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1899, December 12)
Notes
Marconi mentions traveling to Holland for work and that he will work
hard to try to speed their nuptials.
Folder 3
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1899, December 19)
Notes
Marconi mentions he will speak before the Royal Institution in London in
Feb.; program enclosed.
Folder 4
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1899, December)
Notes
Printed Christmas card from Marconi.
Folder 5
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1899)
Notes
Marconi to Holman, saying he will pick her up for the theater at 7:30.
Folder 6
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, January 15)
Notes
Marconi tells Holman his experiments have been successful, but secret
from the press, and mentions his meeting with Rudyard Kipling,
1865-1936, and how he is going to write a poem about wireless
telegraphy.
Folder 7
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, February 9)
Notes
Marconi tells Holman about the lunch he had with the Belgian royal
family in Brussels.
Folder 8
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, February 14)
Notes
Marconi talks of his lecture before the Royal Institution and delays in
his work.
Folder 9
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, May 22)
Notes
About their respective healths and Marconi’s plan to come to New York.
Folder 10
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, June 3)
Notes
Marconi’s work plans while in New York.
Folder 11
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, June 8)
Notes
About Marconi’s lunch plans and his plans to visit Holman’s family in
Cragsmoor.
Folder 12
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, June 18)
Notes
Recaps the time Marconi spent with the Holmans at Cragsmoor.
Folder 13
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, June 20)
Notes
Conveys Marconi’s sadness at leaving America, partly in Morse Code.
Folder 14
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, June 21-July 4)
Notes
Discusses Marconi’s passage from New York to England on the HMS
Teutonic.
Folder 15
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, July 1)
Notes
Discusses Marconi’s experiments with wireless telegraphy and various
current events; partly in Morse Code. With short note by Marconi.
Folder 16
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, July 6)
Notes
Marconi writes briefly in response to Holman’s welcome home letter;
partly in Morse Code. With short note by Marconi.
Folder 17
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, July 13)
Notes
The effect the assassination of the King of Italy, Umberto I, 1844-1900,
is having on Marconi and the role the king played in his life and
career; partly in Morse Code.
Folder 18
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, July 31)
Notes
Apologizes for not having written sooner; partly in Morse Code. With
short note by Marconi.
Folder 19
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, August 20)
Notes
Apologizes for not having written sooner; partly in Morse Code. With
short note by Marconi.
Folder 20
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, September 7)
Notes
Marconi is sailing around on British naval ships and how the “great
experiment” (trans-Atlantic transmission) is going. With short note by
Marconi.
Folder 21
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, October 8)
Notes
Apologizes for not writing sooner and talks of his plans for the winter.
With short note by Marconi.
Folder 22
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, November 8)
Notes
Discusses their previously secret engagement, Marconi’s doubts about it
and agrees Holman can tell her mother.
Folder 23
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, December 8)
Notes
Marconi’s health problems and his mother’s feelings that he should not
be getting married until he is better.
Folder 24
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, December 20)
Notes
How hard Marconi is working and he misses Holman.
Folder 25
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, December)
Notes
A printed Christmas card from Marconi.
Folder 26
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, January 6)
Notes
How Marconi spent his Christmas and his plans to come to New York.
Folder 27
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, January 14)
Notes
About their respective healths and delays in Marconi’s plans to come to
New York.
Folder 28
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, January 21)
Notes
About Marconi’s now-definite plans to come to New York and how progress
on his trans-Atlantic project is going.
Folder 29
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, January)
Notes
A printed New Year’s card signed “Guglielmo to Jo.”
Folder 30
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, March 1)
Notes
Marconi’s delay in coming to New York and his new travel plans.
Folder 31
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, March 14)
Notes
Marconi’s cold and his inability to come to dinner because of it.
Folder 32
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. 2 letters to Josephine Bowen
Holman
(1901, March 18)
Notes
Two letters—one about a change in Marconi’s plans; the other a love
letter.
Folder 33
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, April 9)
Notes
About Marconi’s trip to the Patent Office in Washington, DC.
Folder 34
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, April 20-25)
Notes
About Marconi’s passage to England on the RMS Campania.
Folder 35
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
([1901], April 28)
Notes
A telegram that says Holman “may tell.”
Folder 36
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, April 30)
Notes
The reception the announcement of their engagement has received.
Folder 37
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, May 3)
Notes
Marconi’s pending travels around England and more about the
congratulations he has received about their engagement.
Folder 38
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, May 14)
Notes
About how busy Marconi’s been with work.
Folder 39
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, May 28)
Notes
How busy Marconi is with work and his father’s objection to his
engagement.
Folder 40
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, May 31)
Notes
More about Marconi’s father’s objections to the engagement and gives
Holman a sample schedule of his work day.
Folder 41
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, June 11)
Notes
Marconi’s work and how he misses Holman.
Folder 42
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, June 25)
Notes
Marconi’s work and a response to Holman’s last letter about her trip to
Bryn Mawr.
Folder 43
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, July 9)
Notes
He talks about his work and letters from her mother to him and his
mother.
Folder 44
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, July 24)
Notes
Discusses Marconi travel plans and the progress being made on
trans-Atlantic transmission.
Folder 45
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, August 15)
Notes
About delaying the wedding until October and progress on his
trans-Atlantic project.
Folder 46
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, September 10)
Notes
About how the building Marconi built to house the machinery needed for
the “great experiment” is too small.
Folder 47
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, September 17)
Notes
About the adoption of Marconi’s “system” by a number of steamship
companies and of further delay in coming to America.
Folder 48
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. 2 letters to Josephine Bowen
Holman
(1901, October 15)
Notes
2 letters—one of the storm that ruined some of Marconi’s telegraph poles
in Cornwall, the other contains the photographs of the damage he forgot
to enclose in the first. Includes three photographs.
Folder 49
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, November 18)
Notes
About how Marconi is “terribly unhappy” and asks for her complete
address.
Folder 50
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. 2 letters to Josephine Bowen
Holman
(1901, December 8)
Notes
2 letters—Marconi briefly mentions a “very serious matter” that he
cannot write about until he has Holman’s full address.
Folder 51
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, December 18)
Folder 52
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, December 23)
Folder 53
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, December 26)
Notes
Telegram—Christmas wishes
Folder 54
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, [December] 25)
Folder 55
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
([1901], March 14)
Box 2
Correspondence: Marconi, Guglielmo. Letters to Helen Holman - Z; Ephemera
Folder 1
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Helen Holman
(1901, December 22)
Folder 2
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to Helen Holman
([undated)]
Folder 3
Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937. Letter to "Holman"
([1901, December])
Notes
Telegram. With two newspaper clippings
Folder 4
Vyvyan, R. Norman. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, May 18)
Notes
About Vyvyan’s travel plans and progress at the Cape Cod site.
Folder 5
Vyvyan, R. Norman. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, May 21)
Folder 6
Vyvyan, R. Norman. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, June 2)
Notes
About progress at the Cape Cod site and things like the weather.
Folder 7
Vyvyan, R. Norman. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, June 28)
Notes
About progress at the Cape Cod site.
Folder 8
Vyvyan, R. Norman. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, July 13)
Notes
About progress at the Cape Cod site.
Folder 9
Vyvyan, R. Norman. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, July 25)
Notes
Details of the house being built at the Cape Cod site.
Folder 10
Vyvyan, R. Norman. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, August 8)
Notes
About progress at the Cape Cod site.
Folder 11
Vyvyan, R. Norman. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, August 14)
Notes
About progress at the Cape Cod site.
Folder 12
Vyvyan, R. Norman. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, September 15)
Notes
About delays in progress at the Cape Cod site and what Vyvyan has heard
about Marconi.
Folder 13
Vyvyan, R. Norman. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, October 9)
Notes
About progress at the Cape Cod site, delays in Cornwall and a picture of
the poles at the Cape Cod site.
Folder 14
Vyvyan, R. Norman. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, October 14)
Notes
About Holman’s wedding plans and progress on the “great experiment.”
Folder 15
Vyvyan, R. Norman. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, October 26)
Notes
About Holman’s wedding plans and progress on the “great experiment.”
Folder 16
Vyvyan, R. Norman. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, November 2)
Notes
Vyvyan complains about his salary and talks of the “great experiment.”
Folder 17
Marconi, Annie Jameson. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1899, December)
Notes
Printed Christmas card.
Folder 18
Marconi, Annie Jameson. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, March 2)
Notes
About Mrs. Marconi’s hopes she will accompany Guglielmo to New York.
Folder 19
Marconi, Annie Jameson. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1900, December)
Notes
Printed Christmas card.
Folder 20
Marconi, Annie Jameson. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, May 24)
Notes
Mrs. Marconi congratulates Holman on her engagement to Marconi.
Folder 21
Marconi, Annie Jameson. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, August 9)
Notes
About Mrs. Marconi’s travel plans, enclosed are pictures of the Marconi
residence in Italy. Includes two photographs.
Folder 22
"Aunt Mollie." Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
([1901], December 30)
Notes
“Aunt Mollie” hopes the problems in Holman’s life will be resolved soon.
Folder 23
Bowen, Mabel. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1902, January 2)
Notes
About how exactly Mabel and Holman are related and wishes for Holman’s
happiness in marriage.
Folder 24
Bowen, William. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, April 30)
Notes
About various Bowen family ancestors.
Folder 25
Carver, Camilla. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, December 27)
Notes
About Holman’s engagement. Includes newspaper clipping.
Folder 26
DeCaprio, A.E. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1902, January 4)
Notes
About a march DeCaprio wrote in honor of Marconi.
Folder 27
Layton, Harvey Porter. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, December 24)
Notes
Congratulations on Holman’s engagement to Marconi.
Folder 28
McClure, Harry. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, December 31)
Notes
Congratulations on Holman’s engagement to Marconi.
Folder 29
Michieli, J.P. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, December 29)
Notes
Michieli hopes Holman will use and praise his face powder.
Folder 30
Sewall, May Wright. Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1902, January 10)
Notes
Congratulations on Holman’s engagement and Sewall’s hope Holman will
pass on that Sewall feels Marconi should find a way to use natural gas
as a replacement for oil or coal.
Folder 31
Various Authors. Letters to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, April 27-29)
Notes
Telegrams congratulating Holman on her engagement to Marconi. 5 items.
Folder 32
Letter to Helen Holman
(1901, December 22)
Folder 33
Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, March 20)
Folder 34
Letter to Josephine Bowen Holman
(1901, [December?] 29)
Folder 35
Letter to "Holman"
(1901, August 16)
Folder 36
Typed article
([after 1902, January 16])
Notes
Typed article about the end of the engagement between Holman and
Marconi.
Folder 37
[Marconi, Guglielmo, 1874-1937]. Morse Code Legend
([undated)]
Folder 38
Josephine Bowen Holman. Diary
(1902, January-April)
Folder 40
Newspaper Clippings
1899-1902