Table of Contents
Scope and Contents of the Collection
| Ask a question |
| Request a visit |
| Potentially harmful content statement |
Overview of the Collection |
|
| Creator: | Lewis, D. B. Wyndham (Dominic Bevan Wyndham), 1891-1969. |
| Title: | D. B. Wyndham Lewis Correspondence |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1927-1936 |
| Quantity: | 4 letters (SC) |
| Abstract: | Papers of the British journalist, author, biographer. Incoming correspondence from Oliver St. John Gogarty in which he writes about James Joyce, and from Hilaire Belloc in connection with G.K.'s Weekly. |
| 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
D. B. Wyndham Lewis (1891-1969) was a British journalist, author, and biographer known for his humorous newspaper articles and biographies.
Lewis was born on March 9, 1891 in Southport, Lancashire, England to David John Lewis and Cecelia (Mayer) Agnes. His birth name was Llewelyn Bevan Wyndham Lewis, but he changed Llewelyn to Dominic upon joining the Roman Catholic Church in 1921. After earning four distinctions of honor from Cardiff intermediate school, Lewis enlisted as a private in the Welsh regiment (September 1, 1914). While serving with the 11th battalion in France, Lewis suffered from shell-shock twice; during his assignment in Macedonia, he contracted malaria. On October 29, 1918, Lewis married Winifred Mary (Jane) Holland with whom he had one daughter, actress Angela Wyndham Lewis. The couple divorced in 1926 and in July 1933 Lewis married Dorothy Anne Robertson with whom he had two sons.
Lewis began his writing career as an editor at the Daily Express. He started a column called "By the Way" that employed the humorous wit that characterizes Lewis's writing. Lewis went on to have a successful literary career, writing columns, novels, biographies, and skits. He died on November 21, 1969 in Altea Spain.
Selected Works |
||
| 1921 | A London Farrago | |
| 1928 | François Villon; a Documented Survey | |
| 1930 | King Spider; Some Aspects of Louis XI of France and His Companions | |
| The Stuffed Owl: an Anthology of Bad Verse | ||
| 1932 | Emperor of the West, a Study of the Emperor Charles the Fifth | |
| 1946 | The Hooded Hawk; or, The Case of Mr. Boswell | |
| 1956 | The Man Who Knew Too Much (co-wrote screenplay for the Alfred Hitchcock film) | |
| 1959 | Molière: the Comic Mask | |
| 1962 | The Shadow of Cervantes | |
| 1968 | The World of Goya | |
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The D. B. Wyndham Lewis Correspondence is a collection of four incoming letters written between 1927 and 1936 to the British journalist and biographer of James Boswell and Moliere. Included in the collection are three letters from Hilaire Belloc, two of which are in connection with G.K.'s Weekly, the editorship of which he assumed following the death of G. K. Chesterton. Also among the letters is a single item from Oliver St. John Gogarty which was sent in answer to Lewis's praise for "Hyperthuliana" (05 Oct 1927):
...you have so exalted me in my own opinion by yours. I have now two readers, and when I am tired or surfeited by myself, I will remember that you too have read me.
Gogarty goes on to write of one of his contemporaries:
Yes, Joyce is a dreary Dante, an undivine Comedian, a melancholy humbug.
Arrangement of the Collection
The collection contains one series, Correspondence, which is arranged alphabetically by sender.
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.
Subject Headings
Persons
Associated Titles
Subjects
Genres and Forms
Occupations
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
D. B. Wyndham Lewis Correspondence
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
Finding Aid Information
Created by: KM
Date: Apr 1989
Revision history:
25 Nov 2008 - converted to EAD (LDC)
Inventory
| Correspondence | |||||||||||
| SC 88 | Belloc, Hilaire 1931-1936 (3 letters) | ||||||||||
| SC 88 | Gogarty, Oliver St. John 1927 (1 letter) | ||||||||||