Theodore Holmes Papers, 1949-1976 (mostly 1951-1971)

Contents and Arrangement

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Collection Overview

Creator:

Holmes, Theodore (1928-1971)

Title:

Theodore Holmes Papers

Repository:

Manuscripts Division

Permanent URL:

http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/nz805z71d

Dates:

1949-1976 (mostly 1951-1971)

Size:

24 boxes

Storage Note:

Firestone Library (scamss): Box 1-24

Language:

English

Abstract: Consists primarily of published and unpublished poetry manuscripts, as well as correspondence with various publishers, of American poet Theodore Holmes (Princeton Class of 1951).

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of the papers of Holmes. Included are autograph and typed manuscripts of poems published in Holmes' books of poetry, The Harvest and the Scythe (1957), Ship on the Beach (1964), An Upland Pasture (1966), and Poems from Donegal (published posthumously, 1973). Also present are manuscripts for three unpublished novels, The Prostitute, The Other World, and The Lost Treasure; a volume of poetry, Once Over Lightly; and many manuscripts for published and unpublished poetry, short stories, critical essays, reviews, and translations of the works of Rilke, Homer, Montale, and Ungaretti. There is a selected group of correspondence of Holmes with various publishers, letters to the Irish Times, Carlos Baker, John Addison (also of the Class of 1951), Vanderbilt University, and Holmes' wife and family. There is also family correspondence after Holmes' death concerning the publication of his works.

Collection Creator Biography:

Holmes

Poet Theodore Holmes (Princeton Class of 1951) was an undergraduate biology major who later switched to literature and poetry as his avocation and occupation. He published his first book of poetry, The Harvest and the Scythe, in 1957, subsequently becoming the Kenyon Review fellow in poetry for 1958. He spent several summers at Yaddo, an artists' colony in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., during the early 1960s. Holmes lectured at Harvard, 1960-1963, received a Fulbright Fellowship to Oxford, 1963-1964, where he met and married Barbara Whitehead, then returned to the States in 1964, teaching in Maine and New York before finally settling in Falcarragh, County Donegal, Ireland, where he died in 1971.

Collection History

Acquisition:

The papers were the gift of Barbara Whitehead Holmes in March 1996 .

Letters to Mr. and Mrs. Taub, with related correspondence and some typescript poems of Holmes, were the gift of Sonia Taub in November 2008 .

Appraisal

No appraisal information is available.

Processing Information

This collection was processed in 2002. Finding aid written in 2002.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

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