Eugene Field Papers, 1885-1895

Summary

Creator:
Field, Eugene, 1850-1895.
Abstract:
Papers of the American author, journalist, and editor. Two signed holograph poems and two signed holograph essays. The poem "A Song of the Christmas Wind," some lines of which also appear in the untitled manuscript in the collection, was printed on December 26, 1885 in "Sharps and Flats" (the newspaper column Field contributed to the Chicago Morning News editorial page from 1883-1895).
Extent:
6 items (SC)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Eugene Field Papers

Background

Scope and content:

The Eugene Field Papers comprises a single letter and five manuscripts of the American author, journalist and editor (1850-1895). Remembered chiefly for his children's poems ("Little Boy Blue," "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod"), Field also wrote "Sharps and Flats," a newspaper column he contributed to the Chicago Morning News editorial page from 1883 to 1895. "A Song of the Christmas Wind," some lines of which also appear in the untitled manuscript in the collection, was printed in "Sharps and Flats" on December 26, 1885.

Biographical / historical:

Eugene Field (1850-1895) was an American author, journalist, and editor, best remembered for his children's poems such as "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod."

Eugene Field was born in September 1850 to Roswell and Frances (Reed) Field. Field's father was an attorney in St. Louis, Missouri and served as legal counsel to Dred Scott during the Dred Scott Case, 1846-1857 (Scott v. Sandford , 60 U.S. 393 (1857)). When Field was six years old, his mother died and Field and his brother, Roswell Jr. were placed in the custody of his cousin, Mary Field French in Massachusetts.

After attending several different colleges including Williams College, Knox College, and the University of Missouri, Field travelled abroad to Great Britain, France, and Italy with a friend. Upon returning from Europe, Field married Julia Sutherland Comstock on October 16, 1873, with whom he had eight children.

During this time Field began exploring editorial careers, working for several newspapers such as the St. Joseph Gazette, St. Louis' Journal, Kansas City Times, and Denver Tribune. In 1883, Field was hired at the Morning News where he would spend the rest of his career.

Field died suddenly on November 4, 1895 at his home in Buena Park, Chicago at the age of 45.

Selected Works
Date Event
1881 The Tribune Primer
1887 Culture's Garland: Being Memoranda of the Gradual Rise of Literature, Art, Music and Society in Chicago, and Other Western Ganglia
1889
A Little Book of Western Verse

    Selected Poems

  • "Little Boy Blue"
  • "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod"
A Little Book of Profitable Tales
1892
With Trumpet and Drum
Second Book of Verse
1893
Echoes from the Sabine Farm
The Holy-Cross and Other Tales
1894 Love-Songs of Childhood
Selected Poems
  • "The Dinkey Bird"
  • "The Duel"
  • "The Fly-Away Horse"
  • "Seein' Things"
1896
The Love Affairs of a Bibliomaniac
The House: An Episode in the Lives of Reuben Baker, Astronomer, and of His Wife Alice
Songs and Other Verse
Second Book of Tales
Acquisition information:

Gift of George and Lena Arents , 1973 .

Correspondence gift of Sol Feinstone .

"Little Willie" gift of John Mayfield .

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into two series: Correspondence and Writings. The latter series is arranged alphabetically by title.

Access and use

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.

Terms of access:

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:

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Eugene Field Papers

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