Alfred Terhune Collection relating to Edward FitzGerald, 1841-1978

Summary

Creator:
Terhune, Alfred McKinley, 1899-1975
Abstract:
Papers of the American professor, biographer. Correspondence, writings, notes, and FitzGerald memorabilia brought together by Terhune to support his ongoing research which culminated in the publication of the four-volume The Letters of Edward FitzGerald (1830-1883), an effort begun by Terhune and completed after his death by his wife Annabelle Burdick Terhune. In addition to FitzGerald, the collection is representative of the interests of a number of individuals (Henry B. Lister, Waldo Maas, Terhune) and organizations (most notably the Omar Khayyam Club), and spans nearly a century of collecting tastes and history. It is therefore also a resource for other notable 19th century British writers and scholars including Bernard Barton, Francis Capper Brooke, E.B. Cowell, George Crabbe, Joseph Fletcher, A.P. Moor, Bernard Quaritch, Alfred Tennyson, and William Makepeace Thackeray. It also provides much information about Suffolk, England and its environs as well as insights into the character of the Victorian period.
Extent:
14 linear ft., 76 reels of microfilm.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Alfred Terhune Collection relating to Edward FitzGerald,

Background

Scope and content:

The Alfred M. Terhune Collection Relating to Edward FitzGerald consists of a variety of materials -- correspondence, memorabilia, notes, printed material, writings, and miscellaneous items -- both by and about Edward FitzGerald. The collection was assembled by Syracuse University English Professor Alfred Terhune in support of his research on FitzGerald, which eventually resulted in the publication of The Letters of Edward FitzGerald (1830-1883) (4 volumes). Although the collection is focused on FitzGerald and appears highly integrated, it should nevertheless be viewed as a combination of disparate items, representative of the interests of a number of individuals (Henry Bertram Lister, Waldo Maas, Terhune) and organizations (most notably the Omar Khayyam Club), and spanning nearly a century of collecting tastes and history. As such, the collection consists of a wide variety of materials concerning Edward FitzGerald and his associates, running the gamut from the funereal (FitzGerald obituaries and will) to the lighthearted (Omar Khayyam Club menus and seating charts); the scholarly (original FitzGerald correspondence, a Thackeray bookplate) to the mythic (a rose from the tomb of Omar Khayyam).

Despite his quiet lifestyle, FitzGerald was as personable in his private life as he was multi-faceted in his literary career. It is indicative of the complexity of his character that he inspired so diverse a range of admirers (E.B. Cowell, George Crabbe, Joseph Fletcher, Fanny Kemble, A.P. Moor, Alfred Tennyson, William Makepeace Thackeray, W. Aldis Wright). The Terhune collection illuminates the many sides of FitzGerald's personality and provides insight into those individuals (Maas, Terhune, Lister) who studied, recorded, and, above all, shared a fascination with his life. The collection has been organized to reflect the range of both primary and secondary FitzGerald material, and includes original FitzGerald letters; incoming and outgoing correspondence of his associates, many containing references to FitzGerald; a section of FitzGerald miscellany, consisting primarily of memorabilia and printed material; the Waldo Maas files; and Terhune's correspondence and research notes, including 76 reels of microfilm containing FitzGerald letters.

The first section of the collection, Edward FitzGerald Letters, consists of 45 outgoing items of FitzGerald correspondence written between 1844 and 1883, a small fragment of his voluminous output of letters, yet illuminating the man and his interests. Evidence of FitzGerald's playful Spirit is a letter to Anna Biddle, thanking her for her gift of apples (4 Nov. 1873):

What you sent me were really beautiful little Fellows; cherubic looking Apple-lets; it seemed a pity to eat them; and I don't think they were Quite so good as handsome.

Characteristic of the many FitzGerald letters which discuss literature is this observation to Anna Biddle (29 Dec. 1876):

I will only say of "Harold" that I think AT [Alfred Tennyson] had better been of my mind in not writing, or publishing, more. These latter Inferiorities will temporarily, though not justly, cloud his present Reputation and be a Drag upon those works of his which are to live. So I think.

The next section of the Terhune collection is the Edward FitzGerald Associates' Letters which are chronologically arranged and span 1846 through 1943, many of which contain references to the translator and his work. A letter from a Quaker poet Bernard Barton to George Crabbe, son of the poet, recounts an anecdote FitzGerald enjoyed telling (6 Aug. 1846): "I longed to follow the example of Edward Fgd's friend Squire Jenney who heroically doffs the trowsers, & sits with only calico drawers an--so I am told." However, not all the letters in the Associates' section are light in tone. Following FitzGerald's death in 1883, many of the correspondents discuss the funeral arrangements and the practical aspects of the author's work, such as the copyright of his translation of the Rubaiyat.

The next division of the Terhune collection is designated FitzGerald Miscellany. The items in this section are related to FitzGerald both in terms of subject and time period, and comprise engravings, Omar Khayyam Club menus and seating charts, manuscripts by Henry B. Lister, photographs, postcards, printed material, and other items of memorabilia. This section includes a rare manuscript poem by FitzGerald, "A Country Carol."

The Waldo Maas files follow the FitzGerald Miscellany and consist primarily of Maas' correspondence and notebooks. An early FitzGerald collector, Maas accumulated a large assortment of material in anticipation of publishing FitzGerald's letters. Although the exact sequence and timing are unclear, it appears that the Maas collection was acquired for Terhune's work, and that some Maas items became integrated with his own research material. In the arrangement of the Terhune collection, the original Maas folders and item numbers, when available, have been retained. (A number of items of memorabilia which Maas collected may be found in the FitzGerald Miscellany.) Assembled primarily during the first half of the 20th century, the Maas files are reflective of early research work an FitzGerald. The Maas correspondence is particularly significant for its exchange of information with people who had known FitzGerald as well as a number of FitzGerald scholars. Maas' three-year correspondence with Amy I. Biddell is noteworthy for its extent as well as its illuminating discussions of FitzGerald and the Biddell family. The humor and sympathy of these letters demonstrates FitzGerald's capacity to touch many lives nearly a century after his death. Also included in this section is a series of notebooks containing the typed transcripts of FitzGerald letters which Maas was able to obtain from a variety of sources.

The fifth division of the collection are the Terhune Correspondence-Subject Files which consists primarily of incoming letters about FitzGerald. In addition to the correspondence related to bibliographical questions and the ordering of books, there are also a number of letters which include discussions of various aspects of FitzGerald's life and work. The most voluminous and perhaps most interesting of Terhune's exchanges is with author Frank Hussey who wrote a monograph on FitzGerald and sailing. While the letters focus on FitzGerald's love of the sport, they also provide source material on Suffolk and its environs during the Victorian era.

The Terhune Writings follow the Correspondence-Subject File and consist of the typescript manuscript of Terhune's dissertation, "Edward FitzGerald: a Biography," and the typescript of The Letters of Edward FitzGerald. This four- volume set was edited by Terhune and his wife, Annabelle, who completed the project following her husband's death.

The last section of the collection is the Terhune Research Notes, an assemblage of biographical material and background information which Terhune accumulated during his years of research on FitzGerald. Material relates to FitzGerald's associates as well as the various periods of the author's life. Extensive documentation for many of the FitzGerald letters describes how undated letters were chronologically ordered and elucidates for the modern reader some of the more obscure passages contained in the letters. This section has many useful bibliographical references and provides insight into not only the various aspects of FitzGerald's life but also Terhune's research methodology.

The Terhune collection is thus an excellent resource for information, both primary and secondary, on Edward FitzGerald.

Biographical / historical:

Edward FitzGerald (1809-1883), born Edward Marlborough Purcell, was a British poet, best known as the author of the first and most famous English translation of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.

Alfred Terhune (1899-1975) was a professor of English at Syracuse University; his life-long interest in FitzGerald resulted in a comprehensive four-volume edition of The Letters of Edward FitzGerald (1830-1883).

Acquisition information:
Gift of Alfred M. Terhune .
Arrangement:

Arrangement varies; see Scope and Contents above.

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Biography
Literature -- British
Authors, English -- 19th century.
Biographers -- United States.
Biographers.
Articles.
Bookplates.
Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence.
Maps (documents)
Memorabilia.
Notebooks.
Notes (documents)
Obituaries.
Photographs.
Wills.
Names:
Omar Khayyam Club (London, England)
Omar Khayyam Club of America.
Barton, Bernard, 1784-1849.
Brooke, Francis Capper.
Cowell, Edward B. (Edward Byles), 1826-1903.
Crabbe, George.
FitzGerald, Edward, 1809-1883.
Fletcher, Joseph.
Hussey, Frank, 1906-
Kerrich, Mary Eleanor FitzGerald.
Lister, Henry Bertram, 1869-
Maas, Waldo.
Moor, A. P.
Omar Khayyam.
Quaritch, Bernard, 1819-1899.
Tennyson, Alfred Tennyson, Baron, 1809-1892.
Thackeray, William Makepeace, 1811-1863.
Terhune, Alfred McKinley, 1899-1975.
Terhune, Annabelle Burdick.
Places:
Great Britain -- Social life and customs.
Suffolk (England) -- Social life and customs.
Indexes:

Selected index to Edward FitzGerald associates' letters

Airy, Osmund 15 May 192811 June 1928
Airy, W. 9 Feb. 1864
Barrett, E. 7 Aug. 1883
Barton, Bernard 20 May 18418 June 1846 undated
Biddell, Amy (recipient) 22 Oct. 190215 May 1928
Biddell, Anna 9 Feb. 1864 (recipient)25 June 188321 July 18835 June 1902 (recipient)4 Jan. 189722 Oct. 19028 June 190522 May 19068 Jan. 1909undated
Biddell, Arthur (recipient) undated
Biddell, Dorothea (recipient) 11 June 1928
Biddell, Herman 25 June 1883 (recipient)21 July 1883 (recipient)7 Aug. 1889 (recipient)13 Nov. 1893 (recipient)29 Jan. 1894 (recipient)4 Jan. 1897 (recipient)15 Apr. 1899 (recipient)24 Sept.1900 (recipient)16 Nov. 1900 (recipient)12 Sept.1901 (recipient)8 June 1905 (recipient)22 May 1906 (recipient)8 Jan. 1909 (recipient)13 Feb. 190919 Apr. 1909 (recipient)11 July 1910undated (2)
Biddell, Jane (recipient) 20 May 1846
Biddell, Miss (recipient) 1910 (Terhune note)
Biddell, Mrs. (recipient) 24 July 1943
Brooke, Francis Capper (recipient) 20 June 1877 (?)4 June 188312 June 188316 June 188317 June 188318 June 188320 June 188320 June 188321 June 188327 June 1883
Brooke, Francis Capper (recipient) 9 July 188313 July 18837 Aug. 18839 Aug. 188315 Sept.18833 Dec. 1883
Burrage, Charles Dana (recipient) 29 Mar. 1904
Corrance, C. T. (?) 4 June 188312 June 188320 June 1883
Cowell, Edward Byles before 8 July 19018 July 1901
Cowell, Mary 24 July 194320 Oct. 1943
Crabbe, George 8 June 184616 June 188321 June 18839 July 188313 July 188315 Sept.1883
Doughty, Ernest G. 20 June 18839 Aug. 18833 Dec. 1883?2 Dec. 1887 (recipient)
FitzGerald, Lucy Barton 8 Jan. 186424 Feb. 1865
Hall, FitzEdward 20 June 1877
Kerrich, Annie 1910 (Terhune note)undated
Kerrich, Edmund 17 June 188330 Nov. 18841 Dec. 1884 (recipient)
Kerrich, Lt. Col. (recipient) 30 Nov. 1887
Lister, Henry Bertram (recipient) 18 Apr. 1935
Loder, John 6 Sept.188011 Sept.190112 Sept.190119 Nov. 1902 (recipient)19 Apr. 190911 July 1910
Maas, Waldo (recipient) 20 Oct. 1943
Miller, Dewitt (recipient) 17 Apr. 1895
Moor, A. P. (recipient) 14 June 1889
Moor, E. Charles 15 Apr. 1899
Moor, George 18 June 188329 Nov. 1884 (recipient)30 Nov. 1884 (recipient)1 Dec. 18846 Dec. 1884 (recipient)8 Dec. 1884 (recipient)2 Nov. 1887 (recipient)11 Dec. 1887 (recipient)
Nicholson, Reynold Alleyne 25 June 192328 Aug. 1923
Pasifull, Ablett 19 Nov. 1902
Potter, Ambrose G. 18 Apr. 1935
Quaritch, Bernard 29 Nov. 18846 Dec. 18848 Dec. 18842 Nov. 1887
Rees, R. Wilkins (recipient) before July 8 19018 July 1901
Ridding, Caroline Mary (recipient) 25 June 192328 Aug. 1923
Smith, Alfred I. 13 Nov. 18935 June 1902undated
Turner, Ross Sterling 29 Mar. 1904
Wright, W. Aldis 27 June 188330 Nov. 18872 Dec. 188711 Dec. 188714 June 18897 Aug. 188929 Jan. 18947 May 189417 Apr. 189524 Sept.190016 Nov. 190011 Sept.190113 Feb. 1909 (recipient) (copy)13 (?) Feb. 1909

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Preferred citation:

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Alfred Terhune Collection relating to Edward FitzGerald,

Location of this collection:
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries
Bird Library, Room 600
Syracuse, NY 13244, United States
Link to repository site
Contact:
315.443.2697
scrc@syr.edu