Scope and Contents of the Collection
Selected Index to Correspondence
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Overview of the Collection |
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Creator: | Curtis, George William, 1824-1892. |
Title: | George William Curtis Letters |
Inclusive Dates: | 1851-1892 |
Quantity: | 89 items (SC) |
Abstract: | Papers of the American critic, social commentator, essayist; Chiefly outgoing correspondence. |
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 |
George William Curtis (1824-1892) was an American critic, social commentator, and essayist.
Select Works |
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1851 | Nile Notes of a Howadji | |
1852 | The Howadji in Syria | |
Lotus-Eating: A Summer Book | ||
1853 | The Potiphar Papers | |
1856 | Prue and I | |
Our Best Society | ||
1861 | Trumps. A Novel | |
1891 | Washington Irving: A Sketch | |
1891-1894 | From the Easy Chair, 3 volumes | |
1893 | Other Essays from the Easy Chair | |
1894 | Orations and Addresses of George William Curtis | |
Literary and Social Essays | ||
1896 | Emerson | |
Hawthorne | ||
Longfellow |
The George William Curtis Letters are a collection of chiefly outgoing Correspondence which illuminate the journalism career, political activities, and personal life of this 19th century American social commentator and orator. As editor of "The Easy Chair," a feature which appeared in Harper's Monthly, Curtis's widely-read opinions generated interest in him as a speaker, and a number of letters concern invitations to address various political organizations and educational institutions (Bond, Lee, Partington, Prince). Also among the letters are several responses to social invitations (Croffut, Graham, Hart, Tenney, Wharton), and a number of more personal letters (Dwight, Downing, Fields, Robbins, Taylor) which concern social engagements, typical among them is this to Eastman: "I cannot tell you how fresh and beautiful the little excursion was - nor how much I owe you - euchre included."
While the personal letters (Lossing, Putnam, Stoddard) reveal much of the wit and warmth of Curtis the journalist and literary critic, there are also a number of letters which reflect on beliefs and opinions of this political activist (Moffat, Pruyn, Ranney, Pierrepont). Responding to his nomination by acclamation for Secretary of State of New York at the Republican convention, Curtis wrote to Judge Edwards Pierrepont ( 1 Oct 1869):
Certainly one of the most agreeable events in a man's life must be his summons to an honorable public position by the spontaneous and unanimous voice of a multitude of his fellow citizens personally unknown to him; and certainly he must feel very grateful to the friend who was the immediate cause of that expression of preference. You must know, therefore, before I say it, how sincerely I thank you for naming me in the Convention and how truly sorry I am that I could not, with an honorable regard for my present duties and engagements, even permit myself to think of accepting.I hope meanwhile, to be of more actual service both to the state and to the country in an unofficial post.
Although active in Republican Party politics, Curtis rejected the choice of James G. Blaine for the American presidency and urged the election of Grover Cleveland, becoming the most influential of the Independents in national affairs. In a letter of 14 Nov 1884, Curtis explains:
If support of a candidate who is believed to be dishonest or of a measure which is thought to be injurious to the public welfare, be compatible with Republicanism, no self respecting man can be a Republican.
And in a letter addressed to Henry S. Ranney and others, Curtis outlines his personal view of the role of political parties ( 30 Oct 1829):
You hold that the first duty of an American citizen is to his country; and while we all agree that under our political system the country is to be served through party organization, you assert the great conservative truth that organization can be kept faithful to its purpose only by the individual independence of its members. Undoubtedly the party majority must rule but the only way to compel it to rule rightly is to refuse obedience to its recommendations when they cannot be obeyed without sacrifice of principle.
Offering some advice to an aspiring social activist; Curtis advises C. W. Stickney ( 15 Feb 1870):
I should beg you to think a little of the manner of your action, whether speaking or writing or advocating this or that special measure - but everything of great result, and of the carefulness, the conscience, the training, the knowledge, which are essential to success in every form. If you fit your heart upon the pen as your weapon, - it may deceive you. If upon the tongue, - it may disappoint you. But everywhere and everyhow as opportunity offers, to speak or to write or to do, for whatever is best and generous & manly, that is really to live, and not to do it is to die.
The Subject Files series contains a single photograph.
The collection is divided into two series: Subject Files and Correspondence. The correspondence is arranged chronologically; there is a Selected Index to Correspondence located at the end of the finding aid.
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.
Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
George William Curtis Letters,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
Created by: KM
Date: Feb 1989
Revision history: 1 Oct 2008 - converted to EAD (LDC)
Subject Files | |||||||||||
SC 71 | Photograph undated |
Correspondence | |||||||||||
SC 71 | Outgoing 1851-1855 (4 letters) | ||||||||||
SC 71 | Outgoing 1856-1859 (7 letters) | ||||||||||
SC 71 | Outgoing 1860-1865 (10 letters) | ||||||||||
SC 71 | Outgoing 1866-1869 (11 letters) | ||||||||||
SC 71 | Outgoing 1870-1874 - includes 1 fragment of incoming letter (10 letters; 1 fragment) | ||||||||||
SC 71 | Outgoing 1875-1879 (10 letters) | ||||||||||
SC 71 | Outgoing 1880-1884 (12 letters) | ||||||||||
SC 71 | Outgoing 1885-1889 (11 letters) | ||||||||||
SC 71 | Outgoing 1890-1892 (12 letters) |