Danford Barney papers

Collection

Call Number: YCAL MSS 466

Scope and Contents

The Danford Barney papers contains correspondence, drafts of writings, photographs, and other material relating to poet and photographer Danford Barney. Correspondence in the collection contains letters from many Yale-affiliated faculty, authors, and collaborators, including Stephen Vincent Benét, William Rose Benét, Henry Seidel Canby, John Farrar, Brian Hooker, Benjamin R. C. Low, William Lyon Phelps, and Thornton Wilder, as well as authors who commented on Barney's work, such as John Hall Wheelock, and authors whose work interested him, such as A. E. Housman and E. A. Robinson. Writings contains drafts and fragments for several manuscripts, including the original autograph drafts, corrected, of the early poems published as Dust of Stars (1916), as well as fair typescript copies of later, unpublished collections of poems, "Silly Sagas of the Sea" and "Songs of Sorts." Other materials include photographic prints by Barney, identification papers, biographical and genealogical information, and clippings and printed ephemera.

Dates

1877 - 1953

Creator

Barney, Danford, 1892-1952

Language

English

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Box 9 (nitrate negatives): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.

Conditions Governing Use

The Danford Barney Papers 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 Mrs. Danford Barney, 1953, and bequest of Francis Hyde Bangs, 1964.

Arrangement

Organized into four series: I. Correspondence, 1877-1952. II. Writings, 1916-1953. III. Photographs, undated. IV. Other Material, 1896-1950.

Associated Materials

Additional photographic prints by Danford Barney can be found in the Bangs Family Papers (YCAL MSS 47).

Extent

3.13 Linear Feet (9 boxes)

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

http://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/beinecke.barney

Additional Description

Overview

The Danford Barney papers contains correspondence, drafts of writings, photographs, and other material relating to poet and photographer Danford Barney. Correspondence in the collection contains letters from many Yale-affiliated faculty, authors, and collaborators, including Stephen Vincent Benét, William Rose Benét, Henry Seidel Canby, John Farrar, Brian Hooker, Benjamin R. C. Low, William Lyon Phelps, and Thornton Wilder, as well as authors who commented on Barney's work, such as John Hall Wheelock, and authors whose work interested him, such as A. E. Housman and E. A. Robinson. Writings contains drafts and fragments for several manuscripts, including the original autograph drafts, corrected, of the early poems published as Dust of Stars (1916), as well as typescript fair copies of later, unpublished collections of poems, "Silly Sagas of the Sea" and "Songs of Sorts." Other materials include photographic prints by Barney, identification papers, biographical and genealogical information, and clippings and printed ephemera.

Danford Barney (1892-1952)

In the 1920s Danford Barney was associated with a group of young Yale poets that included Stephen Vincent Benét, Archibald MacLeish, Phelps Putnam, and John Farrar. Early in the decade, Barney published a literary magazine, Parabalou, containing original poems by members of the group. Between 1916, when he graduated from Yale, and 1945, he published six volumes of his own poetry, including Dust of Stars (1916), Chords of Albireo (1920), In the Comet's Hair (1921), Sardonyx (1926), Selected Poems Old and New (1942), and Songs Not for Brides (1945).

In the First World War, Barney served with the Yale Mobile Hospital Unit, which was attached to American armies in the battles of Saint-Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne. From 1922 until 1930 Barney maintained a photographic studio in New York, where he made a series of portraits of authors and artists. He was twice married, first to Gertrude Wells, with whom he had three daughters, and later to Dorothy Bartlett.

Biographical information on Danford Barney taken from "DANFORD BARNEY JR., I CONNECTICUT POET, 59I." New York Times (1923-Current file) 22 May 1952, ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851-2007), ProQuest. Web. (accessed 18 May 2011). Additional biographical information on Barney can be found in the essay by Francis Hyde Bang, "Danford Barney: Poet," The Yale University Library Gazette 27, 4 (April 1953): 131-148.

Custodial History

The photographs by Danford Barney housed in Oversize storage (boxes 4-8) were acquired by the library at the bequest of Francis Hyde Bangs in 1964. Following Barney's death in 1952, Dorothy Barney married long-time friend Francis Hyde Bangs. They remained married until her death in 1961. The photographs, presumably in their custody since 1952, were donated to the library along with Bangs's personal papers following his death.

Processing Information

The collection received preliminary processing at the time of acquisition in 1953 and 1964. Further organization, rehousing, and description was carried out in 2011.

Formerly classed as Za Barney.