Scope and Contents
The Thomas Carlyle Collection is a mixed-provenance collection of material by and about Thomas Carlyle. Material includes writings, notes, maps, and correspondence that document Carlyle's research on German history and literature and on Oliver Cromwell, among other topics. The bulk of the papers relate to Carlyle's History of Friedrich II of Prussia, called Frederick the Great and include maps, research notes, correspondence, drafts, and corrected proofs. Notes by Carlyle's assistant Joseph Neuberg (d. 1867) reveal the extent and character of Neuberg's contributions to the work. There is also a substantial amount of material related to Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches, including an annotated three-volume set of the printed work that was used to prepare a revised edition, and several folders of contributions by various correspondents. Other papers include drafts of essays and a book-length work on the history of German literature, letters to and from Carlyle about diverse aspects of his life and work, and photographs of Carlyle and his wife Jane Welsh Carlyle. Of particular interest are holograph drafts of Past and Present and fragments of Chartism.
Dates
- circa 1750-1951
- Majority of material found within 1827 - 1882
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Existence and Location of Copies
Portions of the collection are available on microfilm.
Conditions Governing Use
The Thomas Carlyle Collection is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Acquired by gift and purchase from various sources, as noted on individual folders or on the catalog cards in Folder 1. A large portion of the papers was purchased at Sotheby's (lot 199) on the A.H. Childs Fund, 1932.
Arrangement
Arrangement of the Thomas Carlyle Collection reflects the existing organization in 2009.
Extent
7.17 Linear Feet ((24 boxes) + 1 broadside)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Abstract
The Thomas Carlyle Collection is a mixed-provenance collection of material by and about Thomas Carlyle. Material includes writings, notes, maps, and correspondence that document Carlyle's research on German history and literature and on Oliver Cromwell, among other topics.
Thomas Carlyle, 1795-1881
Thomas Carlyle, biographer, literary critic, and historian, was born December 4, 1795 in Ecclefechan, Scotland and died February 5, 1881. Among his writings are the literary biography The Life of Friedrich Schiller (1825), the novel Sartor Resartus (1833-1834), the series of lectures On Heroes, Hero-Worship & the Heroic in History (1840), and History of Friedrich II of Prussia, called Frederick the Great (1858-1865).
Processing Information
The Thomas Carlyle Collection is comprised of material formerly classed as MS Vault Shelves Carlyle, MS Vault 12:4, and Uncat MS Vault File Carlyle.
This collection received a basic level of processing, including rehousing, in 2009. Various acquisitions associated with the collection have not been merged and organized as a whole.
The finding aid for this collection is compiled from individual catalog cards for each acquisition that were created at or around the time of receipt by the library. Information from the catalog cards was repurposed in the finding aid in accordance with current archival descriptive standards. Some catalog cards, filed in folder 1, include more detailed descriptions of individual items and/or provenance notes.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
- Authors, Scottish -- 19th century -- Archives
- British literature -- 19th century
- Carlyle, Jane Welsh, 1801-1866
- Carlyle, Thomas, 1795-1881
- Cromwell, Oliver
- Frederick, King of Prussia, II, 1712-1786
- German literature
- Maps (documents)
- Neuberg, Joseph, 1806-1867
- Photographs
- Prussia (Germany) -- History -- 18th century
- Scottish literature -- 19th century
- Sculpture, British -- 19th century
- Woolner, Thomas, 1825-1892
- Title
- Guide to the Thomas Carlyle Collection GEN MSS 677
- Author
- by Lisa Conathan
- Date
- 2009
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.