J. W. T. Mason Papers, 1903-1993, bulk 1903-1943
Summary Information
At a Glance
- Bib ID:
- 6601952 View CLIO record
- Creator(s):
- Repository:
- C. V. Starr East Asian Library
- Physical Description:
- 1.3 Linear Feet (1.3 linear feet (3 manuscript boxes), including correspondence, manuscripts, notes, articles, books, ephemera, postcards, black-and-white photographs)
- Language(s):
- Chiefly in English and Japanese. Also includes some letters in French.
- Access:
-
This collection is available for use by readers by appointment in the Kress Rare Book and Special Collections Reading Room, C. V. Starr East Asian Library at Columbia University. Collections maintained in off-site storage will be retrieved with advance notification only; for further details, please consult the C. V. Starr East Asian Library staff.
Description
Scope and Contents
This collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, notes, articles, books, ephemera, postcards and black-and-white photographs. Correspondence in Series 1 includes letters from Henri Bergson, Benedetto Croce, F. C. S. Schiller, Arthur Waley and Kimura Hideo, dated 1912-1938. Manuscripts in Series 2 include drafts of Mason's published and unpublished works, as well as letters, contracts, advertisements and notes related to his publications and lectures. Subject files in Series 3 include notes written by Mason and quotes and articles collected by him on various topics in Eastern religions and philosophies. This series also includes miscellaneous notes, "Obras Publicadas," a list of Mason's publications. Photographs in Series 5 and postcards in Series 6 were taken or collected during Mason's stay in Japan in the 1930s (see Related Materials).
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Correspondence unless otherwise indicated
Arrangement
The materials are arranged in six series: Correspondence; Manuscripts; Subject Files; Notebooks; Photographs; and Postcards. Within the first series, materials are arranged alphabetically by correspondent and therein chronologically. Within the next five series, materials are arranged alphabetically by subject.
- Series I: Correspondence
- Series II: Manuscripts
- Series III: Subject Files
- Series IV: Notebooks
- Series V: Photographs (Black-and-White)
- Series VI: Postcards
Using the Collection
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is available for use by readers by appointment in the Kress Rare Book and Special Collections Reading Room, C. V. Starr East Asian Library at Columbia University. Collections maintained in off-site storage will be retrieved with advance notification only; for further details, please consult the C. V. Starr East Asian Library staff.
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction
Columbia University is providing access to the materials in the Library's collections solely for noncommercial educational and research purposes. The unauthorized use, including, but not limited to, publication of the materials without the prior written permission of Columbia University is strictly prohibited. All inquiries regarding permission to publish should be submitted in writing to the Director, C. V. Starr East Asian Library, Columbia University. In addition to permission from Columbia University, permission of the copyright owner (if not Columbia University) and/or any holder of other rights (such as publicity and/or privacy rights) may also be required for reproduction, publication, distributions, and other uses. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of any item and securing any necessary permissions rests with the persons desiring to publish the item. Columbia University makes no warranties as to the accuracy of the materials or their fitness for a particular purpose..
Preferred Citation
Folder #, Box #, J. W. T. Mason Papers, C. V. Starr East Asian Library, Columbia University..
Related Materials
Postcards and photographs collected by J. W. T. Mason are included in the Japanese Photographs and Postcard Collection. , C. V. Starr East Asian Library, Columbia University.
Bibliography
Mason, J. W. T. Sōzō no Nihon: fu shoka no Mēson-kan . Tokyo: Daitō Shuppansha, Shōwa 9 [1934]. Mason, J. W. T. The Spirit of Shinto Mythology. Tokyo: Fuzambō, [c1939]. Rainichi Seiyō jinmei jiten. Tokyo: Nichigai Asoshiētsu; Hatsubaimoto Kinokuniya Shoten, 1995.
About the Finding Aid / Processing Information
Columbia University Libraries, C. V. Starr East Asian Library
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Maiko Ota Cagno, Project Archivist, and Leslie DiRusso, Archival Intern, for the C. V. Starr East Asian Library in August 2006. Finding Aid prepared by Maiko Ota Cagno for the C. V. Starr East Asian Library.
Biographical / Historical
J.W.T. (Joseph Warren Teets) Mason (1879-1941) was an American who devoted himself to the study of Eastern philosophy and religion. Born on January 3, 1879 in Newburgh, New York, Mason graduated from New York University and decided to become a journalist to follow in his father's footstep. He worked for the Scripps McRae Press Association as its London Editor, and when the company merged into the United Press Associations in 1907, he became the European Manager. A year after the appointment at the United Press, however, he resigned from the post and returned to the United States. In the following years, he worked for the Daily Express as the New York Editor (1908-1931), specifically as the war writer during the World War I. After the War, he also worked for the United Press as the foreign affairs writer (1918-30). While he was in Europe on his job, he became acquainted with famous philosophers, such as Henri Bergson, Benedetto Croce, and F. C. S. Schiller. He also met Japanese diplomats Suematsu Kenshō and Hayashi Gonsuke, who introduced him to Japanese Shinto, the native religion of Japan, and Confucianism. His interest in Eastern civilization grew, and he published two books, Creative East (1926) in New York and Creative Freedom (1928) in London.
Although he had been already acquainted with many Japanese officials, scholars, and priests both in and out of Japan, a visit to Japan was not realized until 1932. During his stay in Japan, he attended many Shinto ceremonies and lectured on Japanese religions and cultures all over in Japan. He published Kaminagara no michi (1933) (English language edition, The Meaning of Shinto , was published in New York in 1935) and The Spirit of Shinto Mythology (1939) in Tokyo. He was a member of many associations including the Meiji Japan Society, the Asiatic Society of Japan, and the Kyoto Buddhist Association. Although the year he departed Japan is unknown, he died in New York on May 13, 1941.
Subject Headings
The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.
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