Walter De la Mare, 1938 - 1956
Scope and Contents
A collection of almost 100 letters written to Rebecca Locke Mixner (1885–1968), an English teacher at Kent Place School in Summit, NJ by English poet, novelist, and short story writer Walter de la Mare and other members of his family between 1938 and 1956. Approximately 75 letters, both handwritten and typed, and several telegrams, were sent by de la Mare himself, along with three poem pamphlets and a copy of his Jack and the Beanstalk inscribed to Mixner. An additional 14 letters from de la Mare’s daughter Florence Thompson and grandson Julian Thompson are also included. The letters, often humorous, trace the last decades of de la Mare’s life, and generally detail English life during and following the Second World War, as well as observations on contemporary literature and poetry. In 1954, when de la Mare was unwell, several of the letters were sent by proxy via de la Mare’s secretaries. A curatorial file containing provenance information collated by Scheetz accompanies the items.
Dates
- 1938 - 1956
Conditions Governing Access
Most manuscripts collections at the Georgetown University Booth Family Center for Special Collections are open to researchers; however, restrictions may apply to some collections. Collections stored off site require a minimum of three days for retrieval. For use of all manuscripts collections, researchers are advised to contact the Booth Family Center for Special Collections in advance of any visit.
Biographical / Historical
Walter De la Mare (25 April 1873 – 22 June 1956) was an English poet, short story writer and novelist, most famous for his poem “The Listeners.” He was born in London and attended St. Paul’s Cathedral School. He worked for 18 years as a bookkeeper in the London office of Standard Oil Company, during which time he began writing short stories. He published his first major poetry collection in 1902, Songs of Childhood. In 1908 he was granted a civil pension allowing him to write full time. He went on to write prolifically across genres, from novels and short stories to plays and poetry for both adult and young audiences, many of which reflect a dreamlike understanding of reality and childlike imaginings, sometimes labeled as escapism or supernaturalism. In 1947 de la Mare won the Carnegie Medal, recognizing the best British book for children, for his anthology Collected Stories for Children. He died in 1956.
Extent
From the Collection: 30 Cubic Feet (68 boxes)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
From the Collection: Latin
From the Collection: French
From the Collection: Italian
From the Collection: Welsh
From the Collection: Danish
From the Collection: Swedish
From the Collection: Spanish
From the Collection: German
From the Collection: Norwegian
From the Collection: Persian
From the Collection: Japanese
From the Collection: Russian
From the Collection: Greek, Ancient (to 1453)
Creator
- From the Collection: Scheetz, Nicholas B., 1952-2016 (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Georgetown University Manuscripts Repository
Lauinger Library, 5th Floor
37th and O Streets, N.W.
Washington DC 20057
speccoll@georgetown.edu