Benjamin Lee Whorf papers

The Benjamin Lee Whorf Papers consist of six linear feet of correspondence, writings, research material, and biographical matter. They span the entire period of his adult linguistic activity, from about 1923 until his death in 1941, and include posthumous letters and publications as well. The papers are arranged in five series: I. Correspondence; II. Writings on Linguistics; III. Writings on Science and Religion; IV. Biographical Information; V. Lantern Slides.

Series I., CORRESPONDENCE, consists of Benjamin Whorf's correspondence between 1925 and 1941 and letters received by his widow, Celia Peckham Whorf, between 1941 and 1954. The letters written and received by Whorf offer substantive discussions of the full range of his linguistic interests. Among the leading correspondents are Franz Boas, Frans Blom, Clyde Kluckhohn, Alfred Kroeber, J. Alden Mason, Edward Sapir, Herbert Spinden, Alfred M. Tozzer, George L. Trager, and Charles F. Voegelin.

Series II., WRITINGS ON LINGUISTICS, consists of notes, drafts, and printed matter documenting Whorf's linguistic activities from his first explorations in Hebrew around 1924 to the publication of a Spanish edition of Language, Thought, and Reality in 1971. There are four sections: Published Writings, Unpublished Writings, Research Notes, and Writings by Others.

Published Writings consists of manuscript and printed versions of slightly less than half of Whorf's publications on language and a small quantity of related notes and research material. The majority of the handwritten drafts and a few of the typewritten drafts differ slightly from the printed text.

Unpublished Writings consists of lectures, research reports, and unpublished essays on particular languages (principally Hebrew, Nahuatl, Maya, and Hopi) and general linguistic questions. Most of the titles in Carroll's bibliography are represented, and there are more than a dozen items that do not appear in his selection.

Research Notes consists of material connected with Whorf's linguistic studies. The notes are related to his Mexican research trip in 1930 and to his studies in Hebrew, Maya, Hopi, and several other languages.

Writings by Others consists of other scholars' publications annotated by Whorf.

Series III., WRITINGS ON SCIENCE AND RELIGION, consists mainly of essays on the relationship between science and religion, the nature of the mind end the universe, and the achievements of "primitive" and "advanced" civilizations. There are also published and unpublished writings on fire insurance and notes and writings on botany.

Series IV., BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL, consists of obituaries and other clippings about Benjamin Whorf; photographs of him and Ernest Naquayouma, his Hopi informant; and miscellaneous printed matter related to his personal life and his attendance at scholarly meetings. The principal item of biographical interest, aside from the clippings and photographs, is a program showing that Whorf joined the Methodist Episcopal Church by profession of faith in 1923.

Series V., LANTERN SLIDES, consists of views of Central American landscapes, artifacts, hieroglyphs, and historic sites.

MICROFILM NOTE:

Series I-IV are available on microfilm, HM 98, and must be used in this format. The printed matter in Published Writings, the notecards in Research Notes, and Writings by Others in Series II were not microfilmed and may be used in the original.

The target at the beginning of Reel 5 mistakenly identifies the material following as being from Series III. Material on frames 1-866 is actually from Series II, WRITINGS ON LINGUISTICS, Research Notes. Series III, WRITINGS ON SCIENCE AND RELIGION, begins, instead, at frame 867. The target at frame 867 incorrectly identifies the material following as being from Series IV. In fact, BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL, Series IV, begins at frame 1363. The target at frame 1363 correctly identifies this material.