Thomas Bailey Aldrich Collection, 1856-1898

Contents and Arrangement

Expanded View

Only show materials containing online content

Collection Overview

Creator:

Aldrich, Thomas Bailey (1836-1907)

Collector:

Princeton University. Library. Special Collections

Title:

Thomas Bailey Aldrich Collection

Repository:

Manuscripts Division

Permanent URL:

http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/w08929978

Dates:

1856-1898

Size:

1 box and 0.2 linear feet

Storage Note:

ReCAP (scarcpxm): Box 1

Language:

English

Abstract: Consists of selected correspondence and manuscripts of Thomas Bailey Aldrich, an influential nineteenth-century American poet, short story writer, and editor.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of selected correspondence and manuscripts of Thomas Bailey Aldrich. Correspondents include Henry T. Coates, R. D. Dripper, James Ripley Osgood, Clinton Scollard, Edmund C. Stedman, and George Ticknor. Included are four letters to Francis H. Underwood, mainly discussing her books, such as The Poet and the Man. In his correspondence Aldrich talks about his works and publications, thanks authors for sending their works for him to review, or comments on works of others. Several letters are written on The Atlantic Monthly letterhead. Manuscripts in the collection include an autograph poem, "Little Charley - A Lament," which is accompanied by an envelope addressed to E. S. Carr, dated April 7, 1856, and another manuscript poem, "To L. S. in Florence." Also included is portrait engraving of Aldrich by J. A. J. Wilcox, Boston.

Arrangement

Arranged by accession number.

Collection Creator Biography:

Aldrich

Born on November 11, 1836, in Portsmouth, New Hampsire, Thomas Bailey Aldrich was a poet, novelist, traveler, and editor. His father's death in 1849 compelled Aldrich to abandon the idea of college, and at age 16 he entered his uncle's business office in New York, where he soon became a constant contributor to the newspapers and magazines. His use of the surprise ending influenced the development of the short story, and his popular classic The Story of a Bad Boy (1870), which is based on his childhood, was one of the first American novels to present a realistic portrayal of a young boy rather than a romanticized ideal. The book had a strong impact on other writers of the day, especially Mark Twain, who six years later wrote a similar story, Tom Sawyer. Aldrich's poems were published in such volumes as Cloth of Gold (1874) and Mercedes and Later Lyrics(1884). His best-known prose is Marjorie Daw and Other People (1873). Aldrich died at Boston on March 19, 1907.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Letters to James Ripley Osgood were a gift of C. W. McAlpin on January 30, 1911 .

Letters to Francis Underwood were a gift of Chas. A. D. Burk, Princeton Class of 1909 in April 1937 .

"Little Charley" was a gift of Prof. and Mrs. Thorpe in December 1943 .

Letter to Henry Coates was a gift of Alexander D. Wainwright in March 1946 .

Letter to Clinton Scollard was purchased in July 1948 .

Steel engraving and letter to Miss Gilder were a gift of A. C. Goodyear on May 1, 1958 .

Note to Edmund C. Stedman was tipped in Aldrich's A Book of Songs and Sonnets. Various AM.

Custodial History

The collection was formed as a result of a Departmental practice of combining into one collection material of various accessions relating to a particular person, family, or subject.

Appraisal

No appraisal information is available.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Dina Britain in August 29, 2007. Finding aid written by Lauren Kustner in November 16, 2007. Folder Inventory added by Hilde Creager (2015) in 2012.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

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.

Credit this material: