William Horace Littlefield papers related to "Portrait Drawings of Poets, and Their Manuscripts" exhibition
Scope and Contents
The collections consists of artwork, manuscripts, correspondence, and other material relating to William Horace Littlefield's exhibition "Portrait Drawings of Poets, and Their Manuscripts" (1942). The bulk of the collection is comprised of the original portrait drawings and mounted autograph and typescript manuscripts of American and British poets displayed in the exhibit. According to an artist note found in the collection, "the drawings are portrait heads in pencil on grey-green paper, modelled in white and grey, the medium being water in oil tempera. Each is signed and dated by poet and artist." Correspondence includes letters from poets responding to Littlefield's request to sit for a portrait, as well as more general correspondence. Other material includes writings by Littlefield and printed material related to the exhibit.
Dates
- 1932 - 1977
- Majority of material found within 1941 - 1947
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The William Horace Littlefield Papers Related to "Portrait Drawings of Poets, and Their Manuscripts" Exhibition 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 Mr. and Mrs. Richard Stiner, 1985.
Arrangement
Organized into two series: I. Artwork and Manuscripts, 1940-1954. II. Correspondence and Other Papers, 1932-1977.
Extent
0.54 Linear Feet (3 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Abstract
The collections consists of artwork, manuscripts, correspondence, and other material relating to William Horace Littlefield's exhibition "Portrait Drawings of Poets, and Their Manuscripts" (1942). The bulk of the collection is comprised of the original portrait drawings and mounted autograph and typescript manuscripts of American and British poets displayed in the exhibit. According to an artist note found in the collection, "the drawings are portrait heads in pencil on grey-green paper, modelled in white and grey, the medium being water in oil tempera. Each is signed and dated by poet and artist." Correspondence includes letters from poets responding to Littlefield's request to sit for a portrait, as well as more general correspondence. Other material includes writings by Littlefield and printed material related to the exhibit.
William Horace Littlefield (1902-1969)
William Horace Littlefield, American painter, writer, and art collector. Littlefield was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1902, and was educated at Harvard University (A.B., 1924). His exhibition, "Portrait Drawings of Poets, and Their Manuscript" (1942), featured fourteen portraits of contemporary American and British poets displayed in conjunction with autograph and typescript manuscripts of each poet. Featured poets included: William Abrahams, John Peale Bishop, John Malcolm Brinnin, John Ciardi, Richard Eberhart, Dudley Fitts, Robert Hillyers, John Holmes, Samuel French Morse, Howard Moss, Winfield Townley Scott, Theodore Spencer, Dunston Thompson, Robert Penn Warren, and Edward Weismiller.
Processing Information
The collection received initial processing at or around the time of acquisition. Further description was carried out in 2012.
Formerly classed as: Uncat ZA MS 322.
- Abrahams, William Miller, 1919-1998
- Bishop, John Peale, 1892-1944
- Brinnin, John Malcolm, 1916-1998
- Ciardi, John, 1916-1986
- Drawings (visual works)
- Eberhart, Richard, 1904-2005
- Fitts, Dudley, 1903-1968
- Hillyer, Robert, 1895-1961
- Littlefield, William Horace, 1902-1969
- Morse, Samuel French, 1916-1985
- Moss, Howard, 1922-1987
- Painters -- United States
- Painters -- United States -- 20th century
- Poets, American -- 20th Century -- Portraits
- Poets, English -- 20th Century -- Portraits
- Scott, Winfield Townley, 1910-1968
- Spencer, Theodore, 1902-1949
- Warren, Robert Penn, 1905-1989
- Weismiller, Edward, 1915-2010
- Title
- Guide to the William Horace Littlefield Papers Related to "Portrait Drawings of Poets, and Their Manuscripts" Exhibition
- Author
- by Danijela True and Jennifer Meehan
- Date
- 2012
- 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.