Scope and Contents
The collection consists of correspondence, writings, printed material and other papers that document the life and work of the poet Leonard Bacon. Correspondence is both professional and personal, and documents Bacon's writing and publishing activities as well as his personal and family relationships. Writings include drafts and proofs for many of his published works including Ulug Beg (1923), Lost Buffalo, and Other Poems (1930), The Furioso (1932), Dream and Action (1934), and Semi-Centennial (1939), as well as works translated by Bacon, such as Luis de Camões's The Lusiads (1950). Printed material includes several boxes of printed versions of Bacon's poetry and other writings, as well as pamphlets, reprints, newspaper clippings, and ephemera collected by Bacon. Other papers include three scrapbooks documenting Bacon's career from 1923 to 1946, as well as a small quantity of personal documents and photographs.
Dates
- 1834 - 1962
- Majority of material found within 1897 - 1962
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Leonard Bacon 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 Leonard and Martha Bacon, 1955-1968. Gift of Helen H. Bacon, 1996. Other material acquired from various sources, 1967-1979. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Arrangement
Organized into four series: I. Correspondence, 1834-1962. II. Writings, 1906-1954. III. Printed Material, undated. IV. Other Papers, 1917-1951.
Extent
37 Linear Feet ((92 boxes) + 1 framed art object)
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 of correspondence, writings, printed material and other papers that document the life and work of the poet Leonard Bacon. Correspondence is both professional and personal, and documents Bacon's writing and publishing activities as well as his personal and family relationships. Writings include drafts and proofs for many of his published works including Ulug Beg (1923), Lost Buffalo, and Other Poems (1930), The Furioso (1932), Dream and Action (1934), and Semi-Centennial (1939), as well as works translated by Bacon, such as Luis de Camões's The Lusiads (1950). Printed material includes several boxes of printed versions of Bacon's poetry and other writings, as well as pamphlets, reprints, newspaper clippings, and ephemera collected by Bacon. Other papers include three scrapbooks documenting Bacon's career from 1923 to 1946, as well as a small quantity of personal documents and photographs.
Leonard Bacon (1887-1954)
Leonard Bacon, American poet, literary critic, and teacher, was born in Solvay, New York on May 26, 1887. He was the son of Nathaniel Terry Bacon and Helen Hazard Bacon. He graduated in 1909 from Yale, where he studied with Chauncey Brewster Tinker and co-edited the literary magazine. Bacon taught English at the University of California, Berkeley between 1910 and 1923. Shortly after the successful publication of his first book Ulug Beg (1923), he retired from education to pursue his literary career. Bacon published several volumes of poetry, including Sunderland Capture, and Other Poems (1940) which won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry, as well as translations and an autobiography. In addition to his books, Bacon's poems were published in magazines such as The Saturday Review of Literature, The Atlantic, and The New Yorker.
Bacon married Martha Sherman Stringham on May 16, 1912, and they had three daughters. Bacon died in 1954.
Bacon married Martha Sherman Stringham on May 16, 1912, and they had three daughters. Bacon died in 1954.
Processing Information
The collection received preliminary processing at or near the time of acquisition. Further organization, rehousing, and description were carried out in 2011.
The collection includes material formerly classed as: Za Bacon, Uncat ZA MS Bacon, Uncat ZA File Bacon, and Uncat ZA MS 493.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
The collection includes material formerly classed as: Za Bacon, Uncat ZA MS Bacon, Uncat ZA File Bacon, and Uncat ZA MS 493.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
- Title
- Guide to the Leonard Bacon Papers
- Author
- by Beinecke staff
- Date
- 2011
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- 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.