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Vander Poel (Halsted) Campanian collection
2002.M.16
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Table of contents
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Matteo Della Corte papers, Series I. 1890-1997, undated, bulk 1902-1961 1902-1961
Physical Description: 101.7 linear feet, 22 flat file folders
Matteo Della Corte was born on 13 October 1875 in Cava de Tirreni, Italy. In 1895 he entered the Università di Napoli to pursue
a law degree, which
he completed in 1901. In the same year, Della Corte took the examination for entry into the archaeological service at Pompeii,
and began work there
in March 1902. Shortly after this appointment, Della Corte reentered the Università di Napoli to pursue a second degree more
appropriate for his
service at Pompeii, a degree in archaeology, which he completed in 1911.
Della Corte spent his entire career at Pompeii. As an administrator, he successively held the ranks of Inspector (1909-1923),
Chief Inspector
(1923-1926) and Director (1926-1942). Della Corte was an epigraphist with a special interest in graffiti. In the early part
of the 20th century,
Della Corte was virtually the only scholar studying inscriptions at Pompeii. His key contribution was an attempt to combine
epigraphy and
archaeology to create a prosopography of Pompeii. He was also the prolific author of over 220 publications, yet today his
work is heavily criticized
for methodological weaknesses.
Della Corte's career was marked by a series of conflicts with colleagues and his superiors in the Soprintendenza in Naples.
The reasons for these
conflicts range from his generally difficult and argumentative personality to his repeated disregard for the Soprintendenza's
hierarchy and
directives. As early as 1904, officials in Naples were asking for his removal. Della Corte also made enemies due to his enthusiastic
embrace of
Fascism, which led him to compile reports on colleagues who did not share his political views. In 1942, Della Corte was forced
to retire from his
administrative post, but he was quickly rehired in a token position in order to allow him to carry on his epigraphic work.
He continued to document
inscriptions at Pompeii and prepare his publications until his death on 5 February 1962.
Halsted Vander Poel met Della Corte in the late 1950s and befriended the elderly archaeologist. He acquired Della Corte's
personal library and
papers after his death. Vander Poel preserved Della Corte's original material and made additions to the papers. He commissioned
very brief summaries
of most items, as well as typescript copies, translations into English, indices and photocopies. He also added his own notes
and memorials to Della
Corte. This series holds the bulk of Della Corte's material kept together by Vander Poel, but other material is dispersed
throughout the
collection.
Much of the material presented in this series lacks a specific date and individual items are therefore marked as undated.
However, for Della
Corte's own material a date within the range from circa 1895 to 1962 can be assumed. Vander Poel's additions, when lacking
a specific date, can be
dated in the general range from circa 1962 to 1997.
The Matteo Della Corte papers present certain difficulties for the researcher. Della Corte routinely reused paper, often
making it difficult to
place items in discrete categories. The recto and verso of a sheet of paper will have been used for different purposes, often
more than once. Vander
Poel was able to identify instances where Della Corte had reused the same sheet of paper five times over a span of twenty
years. The container list
below documents the most significant, identifiable material on such reused sheets. Also, the Pompeii house numbering given
in the container lists is
that used by Della Corte. The numbering for many of these houses has subsequently changed.
The Matteo Della Corte papers are arranged in six subseries by type of material.
Correspondence, Series I.A. 1901-1997, undated, bulk 1920-1962
Physical Description: 10.6 Linear Feet
This subseries contains circa 3,000 letters and related items, including telegrams, postcards, notes, cards and visiting cards,
from circa 1,200
correspondents. Items received by Matteo Della Corte form the bulk of the material. A comparatively small number of copies
of letters sent by
Della Corte (circa 125) are included with the letters received. Most of the letters are hand-written and brief, thanking Della
Corte for an
off-print or a tour of Pompeii. Of particular interest is Della Corte's correspondence with his superiors in the Soprintendenza
in Naples,
especially Amedeo Maiuri, Guido Scifoni, Ettore Pais and Vittorio Spinazzola. These letters document the excavations at Pompeii,
as well as Della
Corte's conflicts with the Soprintendenza.
Many letters retain their envelopes, but enclosures mentioned in letters are often not preserved. Most items of correspondence
include a brief
summary of the contents, commissioned by Vander Poel. He added these summaries, as well as typescript copies, translations
and indices to Della
Corte's correspondence.
Matteo Della Corte's letters are arranged alphabetically by correspondent and then chronologically. Letters received from
and sent to
unidentified correspondents are next, followed by the indices and translations prepared by Vander Poel.
An additional 225 letters received by the Della Corte family, mostly cards from relatives and condolences sent to Della Corte's
wife Anna at his
death, are included at the end of the subseries.
box 1, folder 2
box 1, folder 3
box 1, folder 4
box 1, folder 6
box 1, folder 10
box 1, folder 20
box 1, folder 21
box 1, folder 28
box 1, folder 31
box 1, folder 34
box 1, folder 36
box 1, folder 39
box 1, folder 43
box 1, folder 44
box 1, folder 48
box 2, folder 9
box 2, folder 15
box 2, folder 23
box 2, folder 28
box 2, folder 31
box 2, folder 37
box 2, folder 39
box 3, folder 5
box 3, folder 24
box 3, folder 27
box 3, folder 32
box 3, folder 35
box 3, folder 43
box 3, folder 44
box 3, folder 48
box 3, folder 63
box 4, folder 4
box 4, folder 31
box 4, folder 34
box 4, folder 36
box 4, folder 41
box 4, folder 42
box 4, folder 43
box 4, folder 44
box 4, folder 49
box 4, folder 52
box 5, folder 5
box 5, folder 10
box 5, folder 11
box 5, folder 21
box 5, folder 26
box 5, folder 29
box 5, folder 32
box 5, folder 33
box 5, folder 36
box 5, folder 39
box 5, folder 47
box 5, folder 48
box 5, folder 55
box 5, folder 56
box 6, folder 8
box 6, folder 11
box 6, folder 15
box 6, folder 23
box 6, folder 24
box 6, folder 28
box 6, folder 33
box 6, folder 35
box 6, folder 43
box 6, folder 58
box 7, folder 6
box 7, folder 15
box 7, folder 37
box 7, folder 41
box 7, folder 46
box 7, folder 50
box 7, folder 52
box 8, folder 16
box 8, folder 18
box 8, folder 24
box 8, folder 26
box 8, folder 46
box 8, folder 49
box 9, folder 2
box 9, folder 7
box 9, folder 29
box 9, folder 31
box 9, folder 34
box 9, folder 37
box 9, folder 40
box 9, folder 45
box 9, folder 49
box 9, folder 51
box 10, folder 1
box 10, folder 12
box 10, folder 16
box 10, folder 17
box 10, folder 22
box 10, folder 46
box 10, folder 48
box 10, folder 65
box 10, folder 68
box 10, folder 73
box 11, folder 1
box 11, folder 3
box 11, folder 4
box 11, folder 7
box 11, folder 8
box 11, folder 9
box 11, folder 11
box 11, folder 12
box 11, folder 13
box 11, folder 14
box 11, folder 15
box 11, folder 23
box 11, folder 36
box 11, folder 40
Kelsey, Francis, 1921-1926, undated
Physical Description: 19 letters, 5 visiting cards, 2 inventories
Includes copies of three letters sent by Della Corte to Kelsey; copy of letter from Rose De Criscio to Kelsey; inventory of
De Criscio
collection; drafts of letter from Della Corte to Carl Buck; letter from Jean Colin to Kelsey; copy of Kelsey's reply to Colin;
copy of letter
from Kelsey to Amedeo Maiuri; copy of letter from Giovanni Origlia to Kelsey and copy of inventory of Origlia collection with
prices.
box 12, folder 14
box 12, folder 31
box 12, folder 32
box 12, folder 34
box 12, folder 41
box 12, folder 42
box 12, folder 45
box 12, folder 47
box 12, folder 64
box 12, folder 65
box 12, folder 69
box 12, folder 70
box 12, folder 74
box 12, folder 75
box 12, folder 77
box 13, folder 3
box 13, folder 6
Magoffin, Ralph Van Deman, 1925-1935
Physical Description: 12 letters, 1 postcard, 2 pamphlets
Includes copy of letter sent by Della Corte; pamphlets on Vergil Year at the American Academy in Rome and the Vergilian pilgrimage
and Aeneid
cruise. Also includes a typescript copy of Della Corte's notes on one letter from Magoffin added by Vander Poel.
box 13, folder 7-15
Maiuri, Amedeo, 1924-1951, undated
box 13, folder 7
box 13, folder 8
box 13, folder 9
box 13, folder 10
box 13, folder 11
box 13, folder 12
box 13, folder 13
box 13, folder 14
box 13, folder 21
box 13, folder 25
box 14, folder 1
box 14, folder 2
box 14, folder 12
box 14, folder 25
box 14, folder 60
box 15, folder 2
box 15, folder 27
box 15, folder 29
box 15, folder 30
box 15, folder 31
box 15, folder 50
box 15, folder 56
Nowotny, Eduard, 1914-1935
box 15, folder 60
box 15, folder 65
box 16, folder 3
box 16, folder 10
box 16, folder 14
box 16, folder 16
box 16, folder 17
box 16, folder 22
box 16, folder 29
box 16, folder 33
box 16, folder 34
box 16, folder 43
box 16, folder 48
box 16, folder 49
box 17, folder 7
box 17, folder 15
box 17, folder 21
box 17, folder 32
box 17, folder 36
box 17, folder 38
box 17, folder 43
box 17, folder 44
box 17, folder 45
box 18, folder 2
box 18, folder 3
box 18, folder 11
Rodenwaldt, Gerhart, 1924, undated