Agnes de Lima collection of Alyse Gregory
Collection
Call Number: YCAL MSS 164
Scope and Contents
The Agnes de Lima Collection of Alyse Gregory consists of letters from Gregory to de Lima, correspondence of Gregory and de Lima with others, and writings, clippings, photographs, and other papers relating to Gregory, her friendship with de Lima, and de Lima's interest in writings of Gregory and Llewelyn Powys.
Series I, Correspondence , is organized into two subseries: Agnes de Lima Correspondence and Alyse Gregory Correspondence. Agnes de Lima Correspondence consists chiefly of letters from Gregory to de Lima. Letters concern their friendship and Gregory's writing, particularly her autobiography The Day is Gone and her biography of Randolph Bourne; de Lima's memories of Bourne; and Gregory's efforts to collect letters of Llewelyn Powys. Also discussed are the education and career of Sigrid de Lima; Gregory's interest in the New School for Social Research; Gregory's life in Dorset during and after the Second World War and her later life in Devon; and Gregory's friendships with members of the Powys family and other writers. Some letters are annotated by de Lima concerning their content. Other correspondence consists of letters to de Lima, with some outgoing carbons, concerning Powys's letters and publication of his later works, including Love and Death, A Baker's Dozen, and Swiss Essays. Some transcripts of related letters from Gregory and Powys to publishers and friends are also present. Alyse Gregory Correspondence includes letters to and from Gregory, with concentrations of letters from Gregory to Sigrid de Lima and from Elizabeth Shepley Sergeant to Gregory.
Series II, Other Papers, is organized into four subseries. Essays by Alyse Gregory consists of drafts of several essays sent by Gregory to de Lima. Writings of Others includes drafts from Llewelyn Powys's Swiss Essays, brief notes concerning his Love and Death, and a biographical essay about Powys, written by Louis Marlow. Clippings and Other Printed Material, arranged alphabetically by subject, includes materials by and about several members of the Powys family and other friends of Gregory, most sent by Gregory to de Lima. Photographs includes images of Llewelyn Powys's death mask and Gregory's home in Devon.
Series I, Correspondence , is organized into two subseries: Agnes de Lima Correspondence and Alyse Gregory Correspondence. Agnes de Lima Correspondence consists chiefly of letters from Gregory to de Lima. Letters concern their friendship and Gregory's writing, particularly her autobiography The Day is Gone and her biography of Randolph Bourne; de Lima's memories of Bourne; and Gregory's efforts to collect letters of Llewelyn Powys. Also discussed are the education and career of Sigrid de Lima; Gregory's interest in the New School for Social Research; Gregory's life in Dorset during and after the Second World War and her later life in Devon; and Gregory's friendships with members of the Powys family and other writers. Some letters are annotated by de Lima concerning their content. Other correspondence consists of letters to de Lima, with some outgoing carbons, concerning Powys's letters and publication of his later works, including Love and Death, A Baker's Dozen, and Swiss Essays. Some transcripts of related letters from Gregory and Powys to publishers and friends are also present. Alyse Gregory Correspondence includes letters to and from Gregory, with concentrations of letters from Gregory to Sigrid de Lima and from Elizabeth Shepley Sergeant to Gregory.
Series II, Other Papers, is organized into four subseries. Essays by Alyse Gregory consists of drafts of several essays sent by Gregory to de Lima. Writings of Others includes drafts from Llewelyn Powys's Swiss Essays, brief notes concerning his Love and Death, and a biographical essay about Powys, written by Louis Marlow. Clippings and Other Printed Material, arranged alphabetically by subject, includes materials by and about several members of the Powys family and other friends of Gregory, most sent by Gregory to de Lima. Photographs includes images of Llewelyn Powys's death mask and Gregory's home in Devon.
Dates
- 1924 - 1968
- Majority of material found within 1939 - 1967
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Box 7: Restricted until 2030. For further information consult the appropriate curator.
Box 6: Restricted fragile material. Reference surrogates have been substituted in the main files. For further information consult the appropriate curator.
Box 7: Restricted until 2030. For further information consult the appropriate curator.
Box 6: Restricted fragile material. Reference surrogates have been substituted in the main files. For further information consult the appropriate curator.
Conditions Governing Use
The Agnes de Lima Collection of Alyse Gregory is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Agnes de Lima, 1966 and 1968.
Extent
3.14 Linear Feet (7 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
The collection consists chiefly of letters from Gregory to de Lima, concerning their friendship; Gregory's writing and her life in Dorset and Devon; her interest in the New School for Social Research; and Randolph Silliman Bourne, Sigrid de Lima, the Powys family, and other literary friends. Other letters include correspondence between Gregory and Sigrid de Lima and Elizabeth Shepley Sergeant, and letters to Agnes de Lima from literary friends and publishers concerning Llewelyn Powys's letters and writings. Also present are essays by Gregory and Powys, and clippings, photographs, and other papers relating to Gregory and her friendship with de Lima.
AGNES DE LIMA (1887-1974) AND ALYSE GREGORY (1884-1967)
Agnes de Lima, educator and author, served as public relations director for the New School for Social Research, 1940-1960. She began a close friendship with Alyse Gregory in 1915, which continued until Gregory's death in 1967. Gregory was godmother to de Lima's daughter, author Sigrid de Lima (1921-1999). Agnes de Lima assisted in collecting letters of Gregory's husband Llewelyn Powys for publication by John Lane in 1943, and she acted as a literary agent in the United States for Powys's later works. A full biographical note for Alyse Gregory is provided in the register for the Alyse Gregory Papers (YCAL MSS 163).
- American literature -- 20th century
- Authors, American -- 20th Century -- Archives
- Bourne, Randolph Silliman, 1886-1918
- De Lima, Agnes
- De Lima, Sigrid, 1921-1999
- Devon (England) -- Social life and customs
- Dorset (England) -- Social life and customs
- English literature -- 20th Century
- Gregory, Alyse, 1884-1967
- New School for Social Research (New York, N.Y. : 1919-1997)
- Powys family
- Powys, Llewelyn, 1884-1939
- Sergeant, Elizabeth Shepley, 1881-1965
- Women authors, American -- 20th century
- Title
- Guide to the Agnes De Lima Collection of Alyse Gregory
- Status
- Under Revision
- Author
- by Karen M. Spicher
- Date
- September 2001
- Description rules
- Beinecke Manuscript Unit Archival Processing Manual
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.