Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Vander Poel (Halsted) Campanian collection
2002.M.16
View entire collection guide
Search this collection
Table of contents
| 1 of 4 pages |
Container List
Series I. Matteo Della Corte papers, 1890-1997, undated, bulk 1902-1961 bulk
Physical Description: 101.7 linear feet, 22 flat file
folders
Scope and Content Note
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.
Series I.A. Correspondence, 1901-1997, undated, bulk 1920-1962
Physical Description:
10.6 Linear
Feet
Scope and Content Note
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
Scope and Content Note
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
Scope and Content Note
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
box 18, folder 14
box 18, folder 19
box 18, folder 23
box 18, folder 26
box 18, folder 30
Ruxer, Mieczyslawa, undated