Record

Document ReferenceLa Mc
TitleCorrespondence and memoirs of Lawrence's contemporaries, and papers relating to the publication of his works, within the D.H. Lawrence Collection
Date1910-2023
Extent4 boxes
AbstractThis group contains papers of Lawrence's contemporaries, relating to his life and to the publication of his work. It includes correspondence, biographical works and newspaper cuttings.
LevelSubFonds
Access ConditionsAccessible to all readers. Use of originals restricted for preservation reasons. Readers are, in most cases, expected to use surrogate copies.
Admin HistoryLetters between contemporaries of D.H. Lawrence and memoirs of him have been brought together to form this artificial series.

Lawrence's local Nottinghamshire links, through family, friends and education, have ensured that, from the first efforts to collect materials about the writer, the University has steadily acquired early personal accounts and research materials illustrating his life and career. The biographical accounts range from personal reminiscences to texts of published works. They are supplemented by correspondence between contemporaries, sometimes from the first decades after the death of Lawrence, when interest in him and in publication of his work was growing. The variety of material means that the papers are relevant both for biographical studies and literary criticism.

The original Lawrence Collection at Nottingham University, as defined in its first finding aids, did not include this particular sub-group, although some of the material in it had already been acquired and lay within other series. In 1993-94 a review of the entire Collection led to a restructuring of its different sub-groups, and the creation of the reference La Mc, bringing together the biographical resources and early contemporary accounts of Lawrence.

Complementary series of correspondence can be found in several other sub-groups of the Lawrence Collection, where the letters belonged to a distinct archival context; e.g. La R.
Custodial HistoryThe items in this collection do not have a single provenance but have been acquired by the Department over the years through various donations and purchases. The material continues to expand as new items are received.
DescriptionPapers in this group refer in some cases to individuals who also feature in other parts of the full D.H. Lawrence Collection. There are, for instance, letters between Jessie Chambers and Helen Corke, 1910-1915, 1930-1933, containing many references to D.H. Lawrence. The correspondence from Jessie Chambers has been published in G.J. Zytaruk (ed.) 'The Collected Letters of Jessie Chambers', in 'The D.H. Lawrence Review', vol. 12, nos.1-2 (1979). Also from the early days come some relatively unfamiliar local names, such as Heather Tanner and Gwen Rutherford, 1986, students at University College, Nottingham in the 1930s and friends of Professor Ernest Weekley. Letters between Hubert Bancroft and J.K. Funnell, 1985-1986, relate primarily to Louie Burrows.

Correspondence of the New York bookseller Laurence Gomme includes letters to Lawrence himself, Dorothy Brett and Mabel Dodge Sterne Luhan, 1927-1928, concerning the possible distribution of Lady Chatterley's Lover in the United States. A lengthy series of letters between the literary agent Laurence Pollinger and Frieda Lawrence, 1950-1955, discusses decisions about the publication of Lawrence's works after his death. Some writers, such as Witter Bynner and Edward Garnett, are represented by single letters.

The personal recollections of D.H. Lawrence in the series range from such as those of A.E. Templeman, a contemporary of D.H. Lawrence at Beauvale Board School and E.J. Woodford, a fellow pupil at Nottingham High School, to an autograph manuscript by John Middleton Murry entitled 'The Man Who (Had) Died - The Story of D.H. Lawrence' (c.1930). A revised version of this manuscript was first published as 'Son of Woman - The Story of D.H. Lawrence' by Jonathan Cape in 1931. The manuscript is accompanied by a memorandum of agreement relating to its publication and newspaper reviews.

Amongst other items in this series are papers of A.J. Statham including exhibition catalogues and newscuttings. There are also numerous newspaper reviews mainly of books written about D.H. Lawrence.
MgtGroupLiterary and cultural records
Personal papers
MgtSubGroupD H Lawrence
Private papers
ArrangementThe items are arranged in groups according to correspondent or writer and chronologically within these groups.
LanguageEnglish
TermPublishing
Autobiography
English literature - 20th century - History and criticism
Authors, English - 20th century - correspondence
FindingAidsCopyright in all Finding Aids belongs to the University of Nottingham. In the Reading Room, King's Meadow Campus: Typescript Catalogue At the National Register of Archives, The National Archives, Kew: Typescript Catalogue Online: Catalogue available through the website of Manuscripts and Special Collections, Manuscripts Online Catalogue. This electronic catalogue supersedes, and is more detailed than the typescript catalogues, and users are advised to refer to the online catalogue in preference to the printed versions.
ReprodnNoteReprographic copies can be supplied for educational use and private study purposes only, depending on access status and the condition of the documents.

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Persons
CodePersonNameDates of existence
NA42Lawrence; D.H. (1885-1930); David Herbert; writer1885-1930
NA42Lawrence; D.H. (1885-1930); David Herbert; writer1885-1930
NA367Chambers; Jessie (1887-1944); childhood friend of D.H. Lawrence; known as 'Muriel'; married John R. Wood 19151887-1944
NA257Corke; Helen (1882-1978); teacher at Croydon1882-1978
NA169Lawrence; Frieda (1879-1956); née von Richthofen; married Ernest Weekley 1899 D.H. Lawrence 1914 Antonio Ravagli 19501879-1956
NA380Luhan; Mabel Dodge Sterne (1879-1962); née Ganson; American patron of the arts1879-1962
NA171Murry; John Middleton (1889-1957); editor, author and critic1889-1957
NA366Burrows; Louisa (1888-1962); known as 'Louie'; married Frederick Heath 19411888-1962
NA3423Brett; Dorothy Eugenie (1883-1977); artist; daughter of 2nd Viscount Esher1883-1977
NA75012Gomme; Laurence James (1882-1974); bookseller of New York1882-1974
NA3396Pollinger; Laurence Edward (1898-1976); literary agent1898-1976
NA403Gardiner; Rolf (1902-1971); farmer forester pioneer of Land Service Camps for Youth1902-1971
Places
CodeSet
PL278/Eastwood/Nottinghamshire/England
PL279/Beauvale/Nottinghamshire/England
PL1/Nottingham/Nottinghamshire/England
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