Gordon Norton Ray letters collection, 1661-1976

Summary Information

At a Glance

Arrangement

Arrangement

Selected materials cataloged remainder arranged.

• Series I: Cataloged Correspondence
• Series II: Manuscripts, Documents, Miscellaneous
• Series III: French Historical Letters and Documents, 1793-1832
• Series IV: 19th and 20th Century British Artists

Description

Summary

Letters written to Frank Topham, ca. 1879; letters from various 19th century artists including Wyke Bayliss, G. Bowers Edwards, and Carl Haag; letters to Jerome Milkman, 1925-1958; letters to Howes Norris, 1908-1930; letters from various 20th century artists including Sir D.Y. Cameron, Sir John Collier, and Sir Gerald Kelley; and letters and a few manuscripts and documents of various American and British authors. Also, a group of French documents and letters from immediately following the French Revolution, 1793-1812, mostly dealing with military and governmental matters. Correspondents and signers include Lazare Nicolas Marguerite Carnot, Jean Jacques Regis Cambacérès, Jean Etienne Championnet, and Jean Baptiste Michel Saladin. Letters, 1814-1832, written to United States ministers to France including William Harris Crawford, Albert Gallatin, William Cabell River, and Nathaniel Niles. The correspondents include Elie Decazes, Antoine René Charles Mathurin, comte de La Forest, and Armand Emmanuel du Plesis, duc de Richelieu. The letters deal with a variety of diplomatic matters such as the exchange of war prisoners and refuge for the ship DECATUR.

Also, letters and other autographed items of English artists including Sir William Boxall, Thomas Sidney Cooper, George Cruikshank, Richard Doyle, Copley Fielding, Sir John Gilbert, B.R. Haydon, H. Stacy Marks, Val Prinsep, David Roberts, Thomas Uwins, George Frederic Watts, Thomas Webster, and Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey. Letters and documents of English writers including Edwin Arnold, Alfred Austin, Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, Rider Haggard, W.J. Locke, Captain Marryat, Myles Birket-Foster, Frank Swinnerton, Israel Zangwill, and John Gibson. Letters and documents of English historical figures including A.J. Balfour, Lord Castlereagh, Joseph Chamberlain, Marquis of Queensberry, Philip Snowden, and Friedrich Max Muller. American letters and documents of Julian Green, Alice Longfellow, Christopher Morley, and Dewitt Clinton. French letters and documents of Georges Boulanger, Jean Casimir-Périer, Georges Clemenceau, Paul Doumer, Jean Jusserand, Jacques Lauriston, Raymond Poincaré, and Talleyrand. Letters and documents of 19th and 20th century English literary and historical figures, and letters and manuscripts of various American and British literary figures including a 17th century letter from Archbishop Jeremy Taylor, concerning church business.

• Series I: Cataloged Correspondence

  This series includes several separate gifts (1973-1986). Correspondence from these gifts has been arranged alphabetically and cataloged in one series. Manuscripts and documents may be filed in Series II: Manuscripts, Documents, Miscellaneous (Box 6).

  1973 Gift - 157 letters and a few manuscripts and documents of various American and British authors. Manuscripts and documents may be filed in Series II: Manuscripts, Documents, Miscellaneous (Box 6).

  1977 Gift - 1) Letters and other autographed items of English artists including Sir William Boxall, Thomas Sidney Cooper, George Cruikshank, Richard Doyle, Copley Fielding, Sir John Gilbert, B.R. Haydon, H. Stacy Marks, Val Prinsep, David Roberts, Thomas Uwins, George Frederic Watts, Thomas Webster, and Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey. 72 items. 2) Letters and documents of English writers including Edwin Arnold, Alfred Austin, Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, Rider Haggard, W.J. Locke, Captain Marryat, Myles Birket-Foster, Frank Swinnerton, Israel Zangwill, and John Gibson. 32 items. 3) Letters and documents of English historical figures including A.J. Balfour, Lord Castlereagh, Joseph Chamberlain, Marquis of Queensberry, Philip Snowden, and Friedrich Max Muller. 29 items. 4) American letters and documents of Julian Green, Alice Longfellow, Christopher Morley, and Dewitt Clinton. 5 items. 5) French letters and documents of Georges Boulanger, Jean Casimir-Périer, Georges Clemenceau, Paul Doumer, Jean Jusserand, Jacques Lauriston, Raymond Poincaré, and Talleyrand. 8 items.

  1980 Gift - Letters and documents of 19th and 20th century English literary and historical figures. 262 items.

  1986 Gift - In addition to 105 letters and 6 manuscripts of various American and British literary figures, there is one 17th century letter, from Archbishop Jeremy Taylor, concerning church business. Manuscripts and documents may be filed in Series II: Manuscripts, Documents, Miscellaneous (Box 6).

• Series II: Manuscripts, Documents, Miscellaneous

  This series includes manuscripts, documents, and other items from several separate gifts (1973-1986) that are not filed with Series I: Cataloged Correspondence.

• Series III: French Historical Letters and Documents, 1793-1832

  Includes French documents and letters from immediately following the French Revolution, 1793-1812, mostly dealing with military and governmental matter, and letters, 1814-1832, written to United States ministers to France. The letters deal with a variety of diplomatic matters.

• Series IV: 19th and 20th Century British Artists

  Includes 36 letters written to Frank Topham, circa 1879; 84 letters from various 19th century artists including Wyke Bayliss, G. Bowers Edwards, and Carl Haag; 35 letters to Jerome Milkman, 1925-1958; 115 letters to Howes Norris, 1908-1930; 123 letters from various 20th century artists including Martin Alexander, Sir D.Y. Cameron, Sir John Collier, and Sir Gerald Kelley.

Using the Collection

Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Restrictions on Access

You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

This collection is located on-site.

This collection has no restrictions.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Gordon Norton Ray letters collection; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Accruals

Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Source of acquisition--Ray, Gordon N. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--1969. Accession number--M-69.

Source of acquisition--Ray, Gordon N. Method of acquisition--Gift; Dates of acquisition--1973, 1977, 1980, 1986.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Cataloged Christina Hilton Fenn 08/--/89.

Revision Description

2021-03-02 EAD document created by CCR.

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

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Subject

History / Biographical Note

Biographical / Historical

Gordon Norton Ray was an American author, Professor of English, and collector of English and French illustrated books, as well as autographed letters from the Victorian era.