Scope and Contents
Series I, Correspondence , contains mainly letters by West herself, in some cases donated by their recipients at West's request. Correspondents include Romney Brent, Henry James Forman, A. S. Frere, Lady Elizabeth Iddesleigh, Norman Mackenzie, C. K. Ogden, and Reginald Turner. West's letters to Sara Tugander Melville describe her daily life during the period following the birth of Anthony West and her travels to Italy and America during the 1920s. West's correspondence with Gregg T. Sinclair, begun when Sinclair sent her a fan letter about The Judge, documents her interest in visiting the Sinclairs in Japan and later in America.
The two extensive correspondences in the collection are those of Emanie Sachs Arling and Doris Stevens, both of whom West met during her first American lecture tour in 1923-24. West's letters to both women contain much information about her personal life, such as her health, her travels, life at Ibstone House with Henry Andrews, and her relations with family members. West's view of the troubled relationship between her and her son Anthony is particularly well documented, including her reaction to the publication of Heritage and to Anthony's divorce from his first wife and relocation to America. In addition, the correspondence with Stevens reflects West's involvement in the controversies surrounding Joseph McCarthy and the American anti-Communist movement.
Series II, Writings , is divided into three subseries: Books, Articles, and Writings of Others. Books includes corrected galleys for The Birds Fall Down and The Thinking Reed, while Articles contains documentation of West's famous series "Behind the Witch-Hunts," including typescripts, clippings, and letters to the editor of the London Times concerning the series. Folder 172 contains clippings of articles by and about West's American lecture tour that appeared in the Japan Advertiser.
Series III, Rebecca West Papers of Gordon Haight , contains correspondence from West and Henry Andrews to Haight, who was a member of the Department of English at Yale during West's visits to the university. There are also a typescript photocopy of Haight's response to Anthony West's portrait of West in Aspects of a Life, newspaper clippings, photographs, and other memorabilia.
Series IV, Additions Since September 1996 , contains recent acquisitions arranged in accession order.
Oversize contains two items from Series II. Box 11, Restricted Fragile Papers , contains fragile originals from Series I-III.
Dates
- 1913-[ongoing]
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
Restricted Fragile Papers in Box 11 may only be consulted with permission of the appropriate curator. Preservation photocopies for reference use have been substituted in the main files.
Conditions Governing Use
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Extent
4.75 Linear Feet ((9 boxes) + 2 cases)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
REBECCA WEST 1892-1983
West's decade-long relationship with H. G. Wells produced one son, Anthony Panther West, born in 1914. In 1930 West married the banker Henry Andrews, who died in 1968.
For further information consult the Dictionary of National Biography.
Processing Information
- Title
- Guide to the Rebecca West Collection
- Status
- Under Revision
- Author
- by Diane J. Ducharme
- Date
- October 1996
- 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.