Overview
Letters to and from author and literary hostess Elizabeth Robinson Montagu, a partial draft of her An Essay on the Writings and Genius of Shakespear, and her transcripts of poems by a variety of authors paying tribute to the essay.
Dates
- Creation: 1741-1773
Language of Materials
Collection materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on physical access to this material.
Extent
.5 linear feet (1 box)Series I, Correspondence, includes fifteen autograph letters by Montagu, and ten letters received by her. Prominent correspondents include Elizabeth Carter, David Garrick, George Lyttelton, and Edward Young. Several of the letters discuss her An Essay on the Writings and Genius of Shakespear.
Series II consists of a partial draft of Montagu's An Essay on the Writings and Genius of Shakespear, and nine poems written by a variety of authors which honor the essay. Most are transcripts in Montagu's hand.
Biographical / Historical
Elizabeth Robinson Montagu, an author and literary hostess, was a central figure in London's Bluestocking circle, and a friend of Samuel Johnson. Her best-known work was the anonymously published An Essay on the Writings and Genius of Shakespear (1769).
Arrangement
Organized into the following series:
- I. Correspondence
- II. Manuscripts
The correspondence is arranged alphabetically by correspondent.
Physical Location
b (shelved with MS Hyde 6)
Custodial History
Most of the letters in Series I had previously been bound into an extra-illustrated edition of The Life of Samuel Johnson LL.D. which Donald and Mary Hyde purchased at a Sotheby's auction in 1950, and which they disbound in 1953. The contents of Series II were all sold as a group from John Fleming to Mary Hyde in 1971, along with four letters in Series I: Montagu to Carter, [1769 Sept. 29]; Gregory to Montagu, 1768 Oct. 31 and 1769 Mar. 18; and Montagu to Lyttelton, 1769 Sept. 22. Several other letters were acquired by the Hydes from miscellaneous sources.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
2003JM-58 (part). Bequest of Mary Hyde Eccles, Four Oaks Farm, Somerville, New Jersey; received: 2004.
Processing Information
Processed by: Rick Stattler
- Title
- Montagu, Elizabeth Robinson, 1720-1800. Elizabeth Robinson Montagu papers, 1741-1773: Guide.
- Author
- Houghton Library, Harvard College Library
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- hou01749
Repository Details
Part of the Houghton Library Repository
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