Oxtravels : meetings with remarkable travel writers

You might also be interested in

• Image not available

  My life and times : octave six 1923-1930

  Rare Books

  In every period of his life Sir Compton Mackenzie has been remarkable for fresh enthusiasms and formidable energies and talents applied in new directions. This is strikingly true of the eight years after his fortieth birthday covered in this Octave. In 1924 he turned with zest to the potentialities of the wireless and was soon an acknowledged master of the new medium. In early studios he became the first disc-jockey, acted as compère behind a microphone 18 inches from the floor, and enraptured listeners with his descriptions of romantic islands. Still the owner of Jethou, with its miniature woods and walled garden, in 1925 he also bought the Shiant Isles in the Outer Hebrides, a 'wild corner of fairy land' and the home of barnacle geese, puffins and seals. Sir Compton now became deeply involved in Scottish nationalism, supporting Cunninghame Graham at the Glasgow rectorial election and speaking up and down the country for the new National Party. But the twenties was also a period of notable literary fertility and included in his own two Capri books, Vestal Fire and Extraordinary Women, recently described in The Times Literary Supplement as 'two of the funniest novels in the language'. It is impossible to do justice to the teeming variety of this Octave, its host of amusing episodes, and fascinating encounters with men like Chesterton, Tim Healy and Scott Fitzgerald - or with the original of Whisky Galore and other highland comedies. (Inside cover)

  626353

• Image not available

  Wolf Hall

  Rare Books

  "England in the 1520s. Henry VIII is King; Cardinal Wolsey is his chief advisor and Thomas Cromwell is Wolsey's right-hand man. But in Tudor England allegiances are tenuous and the King's favour can change in a heartbeat. So, when Wolsey fails to secure Rome's support for Henry's longed-for divorce, his assets are seized, and his reputation ruined. Cromwell is well placed to step up to the King's side, but can he exert any influence over the volatile monarch? The first in what is widely considered the greatest trilogy of the modern era, Wolf Hall is wildly ambitious, brilliantly written and utterly enthralling; cementing Hilary Mantel's reputation as one of the greatest historical fiction writers. So eminent a novel requires the finest treatment reminiscent of the pomp and riches of the era, and this startling edition will be treasured for a lifetime. Award-winning artistic duo Igor & Marina have created 11 full-page pencil drawings of exceptionally fine detail, as well as a remarkable colour frontispiece and binding design featuring Cromwell"--From The Folio Society.

  642420 v.1

• Image not available

  Eldred J. Simkins Papers

  Manuscripts

  The majority of the collection, which is arranged chronologically, consists of the correspondence of the Eldred J. Simkins family and their close relatives. Subjects covered include the gold rush and life in Mariposa County, Calif., in the 1850's and 70's, the Civil War in Charleston, S.C., from a Confederate soldier's point of view, civilian life in South Carolina and Florida during the war, and small-town Texas life during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Edward Henry Trescot, a physician, who left his family in South Carolina in 1849 to seek gold in California, wrote a series of letters home to his wife. One of his first letters contains a full description of his voyage around Cape Horn aboard the ship, "Thomas Bennet", and of his experiences in Panama. His letters from California, written infrequently in the 1850's, reveal his poverty, hard work, loneliness, and desire to return to South Carolina. The Civil War correspondence of Eldred J. Simkins and his cousin and future wife, Eliza Josephine (Trescot) Simkins, is the highlight of the collection. These letters are remarkable for several reasons. It is unusual that the letters of both correspondents survived. Also, although Eldred and Eliza were both excellent writers, Eldred wrote particularly descriptive letters. While stationed with the 1st South Carolina Artillery Regiment in the harbor of Charleston, he wrote frequently and in detail about Confederate defenses, Federal offensives, naval engagements, the daily life of a Confederate army officer (living quarters, food, clothing, amusements), recruiting drives, prospects of a Confederate victory, etc. After the fall of Charleston in 1865, Eldred wrote of the heavy losses his regiment suffered as they marched and fought in South and North Carolina. The letters of both Eldred and Eliza are full of the unhappiness of separation and problems regarding their engagement and marriage. In their comments, and in the letters of family and friends, the hardships for civilians in wartime South Carolina are also evident. The correspondence of the late 1860s and 1870s reveal the poverty that beset the former slaveholding family in the aftermath of the war. For the Ficklings in South Carolina, the Bythewoods in Florida, and the Trescots, now reunited in Mariposa County, California, obtaining the basic necessities seems to have been a constant struggle. Employment, food, gardens, clothing, illnesses and remedies, the political climate in South Carolina, and drought and sheep herding in California are all discussed. The Texas letters, dating from the 1890s, are mainly those of the Eldred J. Simkins family. By the 1890's, the children of Eliza and Eldred J. Simkins were beginning to leave home. Eldred wrote newsy letters to his daughter, Martha, while she was studying art in Paris (1894-5) and in New York City (1890's) and to his son, Joseph Stewart, when he attended the University of Texas at Austin (1897-1901). These letters, as well as the letters Eliza wrote to Joseph, are about daily happenings at work, at home, and in Austin and Corsicana. There is also a series of letters (1896-1899) from William Stewart Simkins (1842-1929) to his brother, Eldred, regarding their law practice. After Eldred died in 1903, Eliza frequently wrote her son, Ben, about Eldred's estate, the need for money, and her property speculation schemes. The collection also contains the papers of Martha Simkins and Benjamin B. Simkins. Letters and documents to and from Martha Simkins offer some insight into the life of a single woman attempting to support herself as an artist in New York City, Woodstock, N.Y., and Texas. There are also papers throughout the collection dealing with Benjamin B. Simkins' land sales and trades in Texas in the early 1900's. Finally, a great deal of the later material in the collection (1925-1930) has to do with the Bythewood family's former plantation lands in Beaufort, S.C. Part of these lands had been confiscated by the U.S. and used by the Freedman's Bureau before being returned to the heirs. Concerning lawsuits, property management, and taxes, this material is concentrated in the correspondence of George W. Beckett, the Christensen Realty Company, Benjamin B. Simkins, and Joseph Stewart Simkins.

  mssSIM

• Image not available

  Correspondence

  Manuscripts

  Jack London's correspondents included tramps, thieves, housewives, would-be authors and accomplished writers, businessmen and admirers. In short, he received letters from a wide spectrum of humanity. Most of the time, he wrote back or scribbled a note to his secretary, Jack Byrne, who replied for him. There are nearly thirty thousand letters in the collection, including almost four thousand by Jack London, and a lesser number by Jack Byrne and Charmian London. During London's Snark voyage (1907-1909), the job of answering all the correspondence and conducting the business affairs was left to Ninetta Wiley Eames Payne Springer, Charmian's aunt. Her letters are also in the collection. Although the correspondence in the collection is varied and thus may be appealing to many different research foci, some of the correspondents are of especially noteworthy interest. These significant persons are listed below, along with a notation of the number of letters London wrote to them in reply. More detailed information about the number of letters, call numbers, etc. may be found in the manuscripts catalog. ABBOTT, James. Century Company editor who wrote to London about The Night Born. AETNA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY. An interesting exchange of letters regarding London's power-of-attorney. 14 letters to and 9 letters from Jack London. AIKEN, Charles Sedgwick. 24 letters from Aiken, who was editor of Sunset Magazine and 26 replies from London. The correspondence is business oriented and includes a number of discussions about transportation on the Southern Pacific Railroad. (London was paid in transportation by Sunset.) ALDEN, Henry Mills. 20 letters from Alden, who was an editor for Harper and Brothers - mostly requests for stories. Also 3 letters from London. APPLEGARTH, Edward M. 2 letters about his family (London was at one time a suitor for Mabel Applegarth. The Collection contains 9 letters from London to Mabel.) ATLANTIC MONTHLY. 10 early letters to London regarding his submissions to the magazine. Mostly rejections for his poetry. Also 1 letter from London. AUSTIN, Mary Hunter. 4 letters requesting London's assistance with The Man Jesus and inquiry regarding London's Christ novel. Also 3 replies from London. (See the Mary Austin Collection Summary Report for further information about Huntington holdings of Mary Austin.) AYRES, Daniel Sydney. 33 letters regarding the motion picture business and screen rights to London's books. Also 16 letters from London. BABCOCK, A.L. A humorous exchange of 8 letters about a man "doubling" as Jack London in Montana. BAMFORD, Frederick Irons. The Librarian at Oakland Free Library, Bamford was an early teacher of Jack London. The collection contains 7 letters from Bamford and nearly 50 letters from Charmian and Jack. The exchange of correspondence deals with new books of interest to the Londons, the Ruskin Club (a socialist club in Oakland founded by Bamford -- London was a member), and London's literature and life. The Franklin Walker Collection at the Huntington Library also contains information about the Bamfords and Jack London. BARBER, Jackson. 2 letters to Charmian about a biography of George Sterling. BARKER, Donald. 16 letters and telegrams to various persons (including London) regarding the Balboa Amusement Company suit. BARTON, Everett. 2 letters about the Stewart River and the Klondike. BENTEL, George R. Over 100 letters to Irving and Eliza Shepard regarding a suit filed in the late 1920's against Columbia Pictures Corporation. Also an equal number of replies by the Shepards. BERKMAN, Alexander. 3 letters to London requesting him to write an introduction to Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist. BERRY, Frederick Forest. 18 letters regarding socialist literary activities. 2 replies from the Londons. BISHOP, Del. 5 letters to London from Bishop, who was an old Alaskan acquaintance from the Klondike days. BLAND, Henry Meade. San Jose poet Henry Meade Bland was a sometime member of London's "crowd" and full-time faculty member at the college in San Jose. He wrote to London 13 times between 1905 and 1916 regarding bay area literary activities. BOHLIN, K.J. 24 letters from Bohlin and 20 replies from London. Bohlin was London's Swedish publisher. BOND, Louis Whitford. 3 1906 letters from the owner of "Jack" the dog, who London immortalized as "Buck" in The Call of the Wild. BOON, Charles. Over 50 letters to London and 2 from him regarding his literary contacts in England. BOSWORTH, Hobart Van Zandt. Over 100 letters to Jack and Charmian London between 1913 and the 1940's. Bosworth was a filmmaker who made a number of London's motion pictures, including the first The Sea-Wolf. Also 31 letters from the Londons in reply. BRANDT, Carl E. The editor for Curtis Brown & Massie, Brandt wrote 20 letters to London regarding his books. BRETT, George Platt. As president of The MacMillan Company, Brett was directly responsible for most of London's published work. The 300 plus letters from Brett and the more than 175 letters from London form the core of London's literary business activities. BROWNE, John A. 18 letters to London (7 replies) regarding London's boat, Roamer. CARRUTH, Fred Hayden. Editor of Women's Home Companion, Carruth sent 33 letters to London between 1906 and 1913 (there are 11 replies) requesting short stories. CENTURY COMPANY. 16 letters from London's publishers in 1912 and 1913. (Also 16 replies.) CHAMPION, H.H. 28 letters regarding Australian literary matters. London also replied with 25 letters between 1909 and 1915. CHAUVET, Henry J. Chauvet was the former owner of a portion of the Jack London Ranch. His 4 letters regard Kohler ranch matters. CONNOR, J. Torrey. 23 letters from a member of the California Writer's Club, mostly requesting permission to publish London's work. Also 3 letters from Jack London. CONRAD, Joseph. Reply to London's letter of admiration after reading Victory. CORLISS, Frank. 1 letter to London about the conditions of the military prison at Alcatraz. COSGRAVE, John O'Hara. 17 letters from New York and Boston concerning literary matters. Also 6 letters from Jack London. DEBS, Eugene Victor. 2 letters regarding socialist party matters. DE CASSERES, Benjamin. 5 letters to London, and 2 from him about sexuality. DIBBLE, Oliver. 6 letters from San Francisco attorney Dibble about formation of the Jack London Grape Juice Company. Also 3 letters from London in reply. DUNN, Robert. 3 letters. Dunn was a correspondent with London in Korea. DUNN, Walter R. 51 letters regarding the Oakland Socialist Party. Also 7 letters from Jack London. DYER, F.E. 7 letters regarding stories for The Black Cat. EMERSON, Edwin. Emerson was a newspaper correspondent who also journeyed to Korea with Jack London. In 1905 he wrote London a letter regarding the case of John W. Finley, a Folsom Prison convict. FERGUSON & GOODNOW (firm). 15 letters to London regarding his suit against Slayton Lyceum Bureau. 8 letters from Jack London. FISKE, Minnie Maddern. 9 letters from the actress regarding The Scorn of Women. 1 letter from Jack London. FORD, Alexander Hume. 15 letters about Hawaii. London replied twice. FRENCH, Pauline. 6 letters from Pauline French, who was an old family friend. FROLICH, Finn Haakon. 12 letters from sculptor Frolich regarding domestic news, thank you's for hospitality, and information regarding his bust of London. FROST, Jens. 27 letters regarding translation rights in German and the Scandinavian languages. Also 21 replies by Jack London. GALVIN, George W. 13 letters from Dr. Galvin (M.D.) who was a prominent Boston socialist. London replied in 1915. GARBUTT, Frank A. 137 letters from Garbutt, mostly regarding Bosworth Inc. matters, copyrights (Garbutt was a lawyer), and the Horkheimer-Noel suit over motion picture rights to The Sea-Wolf. Also 51 letters from Jack London. GARLAND, Hamlin. Telegram supporting Roosevelt for President. GOLDMAN, Emma. 7 letters regarding anarchy and Alexander Berkman's new book. GORHAM, L.H. 6 letters asking for translation rights to London's works into Esperanto. GRAF, Peter. 2 early letters requesting information and assistance with the Intercollegiate Socialist Society. GROWALL, Willard Lawrence. Along with Eliza Shepard, Growall was co executor of the Jack London estate. The 100 plus letters (mostly to Eliza Shepard) concern settlement of the estate and other family matters. HAMILTON, Frank Strawn. Hamilton was one of London's philosophical teachers and mentors. The Collection contains only two short letters from him, however. HAMILTON, Fannie K. 13 letters regarding dramatic versions of London's works. Fannie K. Hamilton was a prominent actress in San Francisco. HARGRAVE, W.B. 4 letters recalling Dawson City days in 1897. Also 1 reply by Jack London. HARRIMAN, Karl Edwin. 24 letters regarding Red Book magazine literary business, and 11 letters to Harriman from Jack London. HARRISON, Ralph D. 11 letters about curios, literary matters, and general news. Harrison's nickname was "Indian." Also 1 letter from Jack London. HEINEMANN, William. 39 letters regarding translation rights and English distribution. The collection also contains 20 letters from Jack London to Heinemann. HOFFMAN, Elwyn Irving. 7 letters to Jack London regarding literary friends and acquaintances and literary activities in the San Francisco area. The Huntington's Elwyn Hoffman Collection contains a number of Jack London's replies. HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY. Almost 60 letters, mostly regarding the Son of the Wolf account (London's first book). Also 3 letters from Jack London. HUGHES MASSIE & COMPANY. Almost 400 letters (and 14 replies) to the Londons regarding English rights to Jack London's works. IRVINE, Alexander. 7 letters from Irvine (a minister, author, and Secretary of the Socialist Party of Connecticut), most regarding arrangements for London's "Revolution" speech at Yale University. JAMES, George Wharton. 7 letters regarding literary matters from Southern California writer George Wharton James. Also one letter from London in reply. JOHNS, Cloudesley Tremenhere. 33 letters from writer Johns who was one of the first writers to admire Jack London's work. The 130 letters London wrote to Johns are rich in details of London's early literary development. The Huntington also has John's autobiography, "Who the Hell is Cloudesley Johns." It contains several chapters about Jack London. JOHNSON, Martin Elmer. Approximately 76 letters from the "Cook of the Snark" who later achieved fame as an explorer. The letters in the Collection concern the voyage of the Snark. There are also 7 letters from London to Johnson. KASPER, Ralph H. 43 letters about socialism, cigarettes, tramps, and writing projects. 5 letters in reply from Jack London. KIRSCHNER, Richard H. 46 letters from the Cosmopolitan, mostly on literary or business matters. Also 31 letters from London to Kirschner. KNOWLES, Ed. 15 letters from Stockton-based Knowles about Delta fishing, the Roamer, and Charmian's dog "Possum." LATHAM, Harold Strong. 100 letters to and 10 from the Londons. Latham was a vice-president of the Macmillan Company. LEWIS, Sinclair. 14 letters to Jack London, mostly regarding the business arrangements they made. Lewis supplied London with a number of story plots and summaries. One of the plots was developed by London into The Abysmal Brute. Also 9 letters to Lewis from London. LIVINGSTON, Leon Ray. Also known as "A No. 1" Livingston was a tramp friend of Jack London's and a writer. Livingston wrote 12 letters to the Londons about tramping, general hobo news, his new books, and a report of a Jack London "double." Also 1 letter from Jack London. LOCKLY, Frederick E. 19 letters, mostly literary in nature. Lockly was one-time editor of Sunset and later joined The Pacific Monthly. The collection also contains 4 letters from London to Lockly. LONDON, Elizabeth May Maddern. 15 letters. Bess was London's first wife. With two exceptions, the letters were written after their 1905 divorce and are concerned with the couple's two children, Becky and Joan. LONDON, Flora Wellman. 1 letter to Mr. Colpus (Harry Holden) making arrangements to meet with Jack London. Flora London was Jack London's mother. LYDSTON, G. Frank. 22 letters, mostly sociological subjects such as crime, People of the Abyss, crime and heredity, and implantation of sex organs. 6 letters from London. MADDERN, Merle. Interesting letter about Cornelia Otis Skinner and the death of Minnie Maddern Fiske. MARBURY, Elizabeth. 28 letters to London regarding dramatic rights to his books. 9 letters from Jack London. MARTINEZ, Xavier. 2 letters to London inviting him to join his friends for social occasions. Martinez was an artist and good friend. MASSIE, Hughes. More than 200 letters from the president of Hughes Massie and Company, London's English agents. All the letters are business-oriented. MATTHEWS, Ernest C. Matthews was one of London's close neighbors and friends. The 40-odd letters from Matthews and the 7 from London deal with horses, ranch details, general news, Oakland real estate, and London's children. An intimate, warm correspondence. METSON, DREW & MACKENZIE (firm). Approximately 20 letters regarding the legal matters and claims against the Jack London estate. MILLARD, Bailey. Editor of Cosmopolitan, Millard wrote to London on 15 different occasions regarding stories for the magazine. MILLER, Joan London. Jack London's daughter Joan wrote to him (or Charmian or Eliza) on several occasions. The collection contains 49 letters from her to her father, stepmother, or aunt, most involving a request for clothing or money. There are also 14 letters from Miller to Alfred Shivers, a professor of English, in which Joan talks about her father and mother. MORRELL, Edward H. An interesting series of 10 letters discussing prison life, money matters, mining property, and The Star-Rover. Also 3 letters from London. NETHERSOLE, Olga. 7 letters suggesting a dramatic partnership with Jack London, theme for a play, and The Scorn of Women. Also 9 letters from Jack London. NICHOLS, Walter H. 40 letters to London (18 replies) all regarding a dramatic version of "South of the Slot." NOEL, Joseph J. Over 100 letters on a variety of subjects. Noel (who was author of Footloose in Arcadia, a reminiscence, in part, of Jack London) involved London in a number of schemes including the Millergraph Corporation. He and London quarreled over the motion picture rights to The Sea-Wolf. The important exchange includes 59 letters from London to Noel. O'HARA, John Myers. Poet O'Hara wrote a poem entitled "Atavism." London borrowed it for The Call of the Wild. The 8 letters (1 from London) discuss this and other literary matters. ORFANS, Spiro. 33 letters from Orfans, 7 from London on ethnological and racial heritage. An interesting if controversial exchange. PEASE, Lute. 20 letters from Pacific Monthly editor Lute Pease. The subject is generally Martin Eden. Also 8 letters from Jack London. PHILLIPS, John Sanburn. An early exchange (36 from Phillips) of letters regarding London's first work. Phillips was editor for McClure's. PHILLIPS, Roland. 65 letters. Also 56 letters from Jack London. The correspondence is literary in the beginning, more friendly toward the end. Phillips was an editor for the Cosmopolitan. PINKER, James Brand. 116 letters, mostly dry, business letters from London's first English agent. London's replies are part of Stanford University's Jack London Collection. REYNOLDS, Paul Revere. Over 100 letters. Reynolds was a literary agent. RICHTER, Conrad Michael. 2 letters from Richter before he became famous as a writer. The first asks for a job, the second proposes that he become London's secretary. SCHARFF, Justus. 3 letters concerning the yacht Snark. SHIPMAN, Ernest. 16 letters about "A Piece of Steak," Bosworth Inc., and the motion picture industry. Also 5 letters from London to Shipman. SHURTLEFF, Clarence E. 19 letters regarding the Hollywood scene, motion picture contracts, and the suit with Columbia Pictures. SINCLAIR, Upton Beall. 44 letters to London requesting literary advice, an introduction to The Jungle, contributions for The Cry for Justice, general socialist information, and literary matters. London's replies are at the Lilly Library in Indiana. SLAYTON LYCEUM BUREAU. 35 letters to London regarding bookings for his speaking tour. Also 5 letters from London. Jack London later sued Slayton Lyceum Bureau. STERLING, George. The 32 letters from London's friend "Greek" and 33 letters from "Wolf" (Jack London) form one of the most important, intimate exchanges of correspondence in the collection. The letters are filled with literary advice, gossip, news, and information. The Huntington Library's George Sterling Collection also contains material of interest to Jack London scholars. TRAIN, Arthur Cheney. An important series of more than 100 letters dealing with London's copyright fights, the Authors' League, the motion picture industry, and the suit against Columbia Pictures. TUCK, H.C. An Oakland socialist, Tuck's 15 letters to London are filled with information regarding the Bay Area labor movement and the socialist party. UMBSTAETTER, Herman Daniel. 5 letters to Jack London requesting stories for The Black Cat. Also 2 letters from London to Umbstaetter. UNTERMANN, Ernest. 44 letters, some regarding German translation rights, others filled with family news or literary gossip. London wrote 16 letters to Untermann. WALLING, Anna Strunsky. 6 letters to Jack and Charmian. Anna Walling was one of London's closest friends in 1903. The Huntington Library's Walling Collection contains more than 100 letters from Jack London, most of them written very early in his career. WELCH, Galbraith. Nearly 150 letters from Galbraith Welch, who was American Manager of Curtis, Brown and Massie. All the letters are of business matters. Also 27 letters from London. WHARTON, Joe. 3 amusing letters trying to sell Jack London deer heads. WILSHIRE, Gaylord. 21 letters. Subjects include socialism, literature, Anna Strunsky Walling, the Haywood affair, the Snark, and Upton Sinclair.

  mssJL