Robert Payne Papers, 1946-1964

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Summary

Creators:
Payne, Robert, 1911-
Abstract:
Pierre Stephen Robert Payne (1911-1983) was a professor of English poetry and lecturer in naval architecture (1943-46), head of the English deptartment at Alabama College, Montevallo (1949-54), war correspondent in Spain (1938), correspondent for the Times of London in Changsha, China (1942), the founding director of Columbia University Translation Center, and the author of books in a variety of subjects. The collection consists of literary manuscripts by Payne, letters from Payne to Lawrence Clark Powell and Louis Zukofsky, miscellaneous letters to Payne from various persons, ephemera, and pictures.
Extent:
12 boxes (6 linear ft.)
Language:
English.

Background

Scope and content:

Collection consists of literary manuscripts by Payne, letters from Payne to Lawrence Clark Powell and Louis Zukofsky, miscellaneous letters to Payne from various persons, ephemera, and pictures. Includes manuscripts of his Alexander the god, The canal builders, The fathers of the western church, A house in Peking, The roaring boys, The splendor of Greece, and others.

Biographical / historical:

Pierre Stephen Robert Payne was born on December 4, 1911 in Saltash, Cornwall, England; came to the U.S. in 1946; attended Diocesan College, Rondebosch, South Africa (1929-30), University of Capetown (1931-32), University of Liverpool (1933-36), University of Munich (1937), and Sorbonne, University of Paris (1938); was shipwright's apprentice, Liverpool (1932-33), shipwright (1939-41) and armament officer (1941), Singapore Naval Base; translator, British Ministry of Information in Chungking, China (1941-42); professor of English poetry and lecturer in naval architecture (1943-46); head of English deptartment, Alabama College, Montevallo (1949-54); war correspondent in Spain (1938), and correspondent for the Times of London in Changsha, China (1942); was founding director of Columbia University Translation Center; wrote more than 100 books in a variety of subjects; publications include Love and peace (1945), Forever China (1945), China awake (1947), The rose tree (1947), A house in Peking: a novel of 18th-century China (1956), and Lawrence of Arabia: a triumph (1962); he died on February 18, 1983.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Robert Payne, 1950-68.
Arrangement:

Arranged in the following series:

  1. Manuscripts of Robert Payne (Boxes 1-10).
  2. Photographs, correspondence and ephemera (Box 11).
  3. The white rajas of Sarawak, Ancient Greece, The barbarian (Boxes 11-12).

Physical location:
Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.

Access and use

Location of this collection:
A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
Contact:
(310) 825-4988
AskLSC@library.ucla.edu
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