Collection inventory

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George Gordon, Lord Byron Collection

An inventory of his collection at Syracuse University

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron, 1788-1824
Title: George Gordon, Lord Byron Collection
Dates: 1812-1948
Quantity: 0.25 linear ft.
Abstract: Variety of material associated with Lord Byron (letters, autograph, portraits, etc), and John S. Mayfield correspondence relating to a translation by Byron of Petrarch's "Death of Margo."
Language: English
Repository: Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
222 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010
https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

George Gordon Byron (1788-1824), 6th Baron of that name, better known simply as Lord Byron, was a noted English poet and leading figure in the Romantic movement. Among his best-known works are the poems "She walks in beauty" and "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage."

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The George Gordon, Lord Byron Collection comprises correspondence and writings of the English poet, as well as a small amount of miscellaneous material relating to him.

Correspondence / writings contains seven outgoing letters (recipients include Lorenzo Bartolini, John Hanson, Francis Hodgson, Thomas Moore, and John Murray), and two signed holograph manuscripts of the English poet (1788-1824). The manuscripts and three of the letters are bound in a full green morocco folio volume by Stikeman along with a cut autograph of Lord Byron, five engraved portraits, and an introduction to the collection by George S. Hellman.

Mayfield material contains correspondence and a clipping. The correspondence consists of incoming letters to book collector and librarian John S. Mayfield, relating to a translation by Byron of Petrarch's "Death of Margo." Correspondents include the Library of Congress, the University of Texas at Austin, Henry E. Huntington Library, Broughton High School in England, and others. Mayfield was evidently trying to trace the appearance of this 53-line piece by Byron in Ugo Foscolo's Essays on Petrarch (1823).

Miscellaneous consists of a bound volume containing a handwritten transcription of the third edition of Byron's English Bards and Scotch Reviewers. A Satire (1810). The date and author of the transcription is unknown, but it is complete from the title page to the poem at the end.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Letters are chronological.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Bartolini, Lorenzo, 1777-1850.
Byron, Catherine Gordon, 1764?-1811.
Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron, 1788-1824.
Hanson, John.
Hellman, George S. (George Sidney), 1878-1958.
Hodgson, Francis, 1781-1852.
Mayfield, John S., 1904-1983.
Moore, Thomas, 1737 or 8-1823.
Murray, John Archibald Murray, Lord, 1778-1859.

Subjects

Poets, English -- 19th century

Genres and Forms

Correspondence.
Poems.

Occupations

Poets.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

George Gordon, Lord Byron Collection,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Sol Feinstone

Finding Aid Information

Created by: SEH
Date: Dec 1993
Revision history: 31 May 2005 - EAD file created (MRR); 19 Jul 2006 - minor changes to subject headings (MRR); 13 Jun 2007 - changed inventory to SC format (MRC); 20 Sep 2011 - adds, converted to regular collection (MRC); 6 May 2019 - adds, Catherine Byron letters (KD)

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Inventory

Correspondence / writings
Box 1 Bound volume
Contains the following:
Letter, 1812 Aug. 31 : "Dear Sir" [i.e. John Hanson]. Provenance: Ord family (former owner?); George S. Hellman (former owner); Frederick S. Peck (former owner); Sol Feinstone (donor). Published in Byron's Letters and Journals 2:189-190
Letter, 1814 Jul. 8 : "My dear Hodgson" [i.e. Francis Hodgson]. Provenance: Ord family (former owner?); George S. Hellman (former owner); Frederick S. Peck (former owner); Sol Feinstone (donor). Published in Byron's Letters and Journals 4:137-138
Letter, 1814 Jul. 11 : "My dear Hn." [i.e. Francis Hodgson]. Provenance: Ord family (former owner?); George S. Hellman (former owner); Frederick S. Peck (former owner); Sol Feinstone (donor). Published in Byron's Letters and Journals 4:139
Manuscript, "An Edinburgh eclogue". Autograph manuscript signed "N.G.B. [Noel Gordon Byron]" [3] p. Attributed to Lord Byron by George S. Hellman, 1916.--cf. "Notes concerning the preceding unpublished manuscripts of Lord Byron" bound with mss. Provenance: Ord family (former owner?); George S. Hellman (former owner); Frederick S. Peck (former owner); Sol Feinstone (donor)
Manuscript, "A meeting sadder than a parting". Autograph manuscript signed "N.G.B. [Noel Gordon Byron]" [2] p. Attributed to Lord Byron by George S. Hellman, 1916.--cf. "Notes concerning the preceding unpublished manuscripts of Lord Byron" bound with mss. Provenance: Ord family (former owner?); George S. Hellman (former owner); Frederick S. Peck (former owner); Sol Feinstone (donor)
Also, five engraved portraits, typescripts of all manuscripts, and George S. Hellman's "Notes concerning the preceding unpublished manuscripts of Lord Byron". Cut autograph of Lord Byron also laid-in.
Box 1 1813 Mar. 5 "Dear Sir [i.e. _____ Corbet]"
Published in Byron's Letters and Journals 3:24
Sol Feinstone (donor)
Box 1 1817 Jun. 18 "Dear Sir [i.e. John Murray]"
Published in Byron's Letters and Journals 5:241-242
Provenance: Sol Feinstone (donor)
Box 1 1821 Nov. 10 "Signore [i.e. Lorenzo Bartolini]"
Published in Byron's Letters and Journals 9:57-58
Provenance: Sol Feinstone (donor)
Box 1 undated ["To Thomas Moore"]
fragment
Provenance: Sol Feinstone (donor)
Mayfield material
Box 1 Correspondence 1947-1948 - relating to Byron's translation of Petrarch's "Death of Margo"
Box 1 Clipping 1969 - short piece by Mayfield, "Byron's Vampyre Letter"
Miscellaneous
Box 1 Catherine Byron letters 1794, 1825 - to "My Dear Madam [Leigh]" and W. W. Horton, includes letter from Leslie Marchand to Mayfield regarding the letters from Catherine
Box 1 Manuscript transcript of Byron's English Bards and Scotch Reviewers. A Satire - bound volume containing handwritten transcription of the third edition, published in 1810

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