"Leonainie" Commonplace Book, Circa 1904
Scope and Contents
A notebook of the early 20th century, quarter bound in brown leather with green fabric covers and the title “Leonaine” on the spine. The book contains materials related to the scandal surrounding the poem “Leonainie” by American writer James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916), who originally published the work in the Kokomo Dispatch under a fictitious name, claiming it was a lost poem of Edgar Allan Poe. Included are 7 articles and news clippings, some complete and some partial, from a number of newspapers and literary journals including The Fortnightly Review and The Bookman. All are dated to 1904, long after the hoax was revealed, though many pertain to critic Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913), who continued to maintain the poem was a Poe original into the 20th century. The notebook’s front cover is now detached from the text block.
Dates
- Circa 1904
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.
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