Francis James Child collection of letters and papers relating to the Harris ballad manuscript
Overview
Papers, collected by American scholar Francis James Child, concerning the manuscript of Scottish ballads, assembled by Amelia and Jane Harris.
Dates
- Creation: 1859-1913
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on physical access to this material.
Extent
.1 linear feet (1 volume)The title, introduction, and notes are by Professor George Lyman Kittredge.
This material is sometimes called the "Harris letters."
Biographical / Historical
The materials in this bound volume were generated due to a manuscript called the "Harris manuscript." The Harris manuscript was written down by the sisters Amelia Harris (1815-1891) and Jane Harris (1823-1897). They compiled a family repertoire of Scottish ballads, mainly passed on orally to the sisters by their mother, Grace Dow Harris (Mrs. David Harris) (b.1782). This manuscript and some correspondence was purchased in 1873 by Professor Francis James Child of Harvard University who was a scholar of ballads, in order to help make these songs known. Other correspondents involved with the Harris manuscript include: William Edmondstoune Aytoune, Norval Clyne, and others.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Bequest of Professor Francis James Child; received: 1913 Dec. 26. Recataloged from 25241.41*
These items were found with the papers of Francis James Child and were assembled, bound, and annotated by Harvard Professor George Lyman Kittredge at a later date.
Processing Information
Processed by: Bonnie B. Salt
- Title
- Child, Francis James, 1825-1896, collector. Francis James Child collection of letters and papers relating to the Harris ballad manuscript: Guide.
- Author
- Houghton Library, Harvard College Library
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- hou00178
Repository Details
Part of the Houghton Library Repository
Houghton Library is Harvard College's principal repository for rare books and manuscripts, archives, and more. Houghton Library's collections represent the scope of human experience from ancient Egypt to twenty-first century Cambridge. With strengths primarily in North American and European history, literature, and culture, collections range in media from printed books and handwritten manuscripts to maps, drawings and paintings, prints, posters, photographs, film and audio recordings, and digital media, as well as costumes, theater props, and a wide range of other objects. Houghton Library has historically focused on collecting the written record of European and Eurocentric North American culture, yet it holds a large and diverse number of primary sources valuable for research on the languages, culture and history of indigenous peoples of the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
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