Vachel Lindsay Collection, 1924-1933 (bulk 1924-1925)
General International Standard for Archival Description
Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Sarang Gopalakrishnan. 2003-12-03
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Vachel Lindsay Collection
Creation of Vachel Lindsay Collection
Time of Creation of Vachel Lindsay Collection
1 half archives box, 1 flat box, 1 map drawer folder
Lindsay, Vachel, 1879-1931
Biographical History for: Vachel Lindsay Collection
Biographical Note Vachel Nicholas Lindsay was born in Springfield in 1879. In Central Illinois tradition, Lindsay was schooled in the virtues of Abraham Lincoln, and like Lincoln developed a fascination with the lives of the common people. Lindsay attended Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, for three years before studying art in Chicago and New York City. He later turned to poetry, a medium in which he found much greater success. After college, Lindsay spent much of his life walking across the country, performing and distributing copies of his poetry in exchange for bed and board. Lindsay's verse is characterized by its lyric quality and its simple, forceful rhythms; his performances were remarkable for their animation. Among his volumes of poetry are The Congo and Other Poems (1914) and Every Soul Is a Circus (1929). Excerpted from: http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/lindsay
Scope and Contents of the Collection The papers include correspondence, cards, newspaper and magazine clippings, programs, and a photograph, detailing the life of poet Vachel Lindsay, mostly sent to Eugenia Graham, who later became Mrs. R.F. Leftwich.
Poets, American--20th century--Biography--Sources.
lcsh
Lindsay, Vachel, 1879-1931.
lcnaf
Leftwich, Eugenia Graham.
series
Series 1: LETTERS, 1924-1931 (bulk 1924-1925)
Series 1, LETTERS, contains correspondence, chiefly between Vachel Lindsay and Miss Eugenia Graham from 1924 to 1931. Over the course of correspondence, Miss Eugenia Graham became Mrs. R.F. Leftwich, by marriage.
Letter from Vachel Lindsay to Eugenia Graham (Mrs. R.F. Leftwich). 4 pages, blue ink. 1924 Jul 11
Letter from Vachel Lindsay to Eugenia Graham (Mrs. R.F. Leftwich). 3 pages, black ink on Hotel St. Francis letterhead. Envelope included. 1924 Aug 5
Letter from Vachel Lindsay to Eugenia Graham (Mrs. R.F. Leftwich). 5 folded sheets written on both sides, blue ink on Southern Pacific Lines letterhead. Envelope included. 1924 Aug 5
Letter from Vachel Lindsay to Eugenia Graham (Mrs. R.F. Leftwich). 4 pages, black ink on University Club letterhead. Envelope included. 1924 Aug 17
Letter from Vachel Lindsay to Mrs. R.F. Leftwich (the former Eugenia Graham). 6 pages, black ink. Envelope included. 1924 Nov 10
Letter from Vachel Lindsay to Mrs. R.F. Leftwich (the former Eugenia Graham). 11 pages, black ink on Davenport Hotel letterhead. Envelope included. 1924 Dec 12
Letter from Vachel Lindsay to Mrs. R.F. Leftwich (the former Eugenia Graham). 18 pages, black ink on Davenport Hotel letterhead. Envelope included. 1925 Mar 8
Letter from Harriet Monroe to Mrs. R.F. Leftwich (the former Eugenia Graham). 2 pages, black ink on blue paper. Envelope included. 1925 Mar 12
Letter from Vachel Lindsay to Mr. and Mrs. R.F. Leftwich. 4 pages, black ink on Davenport Hotel paper. Envelope included. 1925 Apr 2
Letter from Elisabeth Lindsay (Mrs. Vachel Lindsay) to Mrs. R.F. Leftwich. 1 page, typed. Envelope included. 1931 Mar 14
Series 2: POEMS, 1931, n.d.
Series 2, POEMS, contains three poems; one printed on a Christmas card, one clipped from a magazine, and one handwritten, perhaps by Mrs. R.F. Leftwich.
"The Ezekiel Chant," printed Christmas card, poem by Vachel Lindsay, from the Lindsay family, inscribed on the back in Elisabeth Lindsay's hand. n.d.
"The Jazz Age," printed poem by Vachel Lindsay, published in Liberty newspaper; clipping. 1931 Feb 21
Untitled, poem [in the hand of Mrs. R.F. Leftwich?] n.d.
Series 3: PROGRAMS, 1924-1925, n.d.
Series 3, PROGRAMS, contains three programs, two listing Vachel Lindsay as reciting.
Summer Program for Pacific Palisades Summer Schools and Assembly where Vachel Lindsay recited. Includes two postcards of Pacific Palisades, California. 1924
Program for Sunday Service at the First Unitarian Society, where Vachel Lindsay recited. 1925 Mar 8
Program for the play The Thief of Baghdad. n.d.
Series 4: PHOTOGRAPHS, n.d.
Series 4, PHOTOGRAPHS, contains a single mounted and framed photograph, credited to Gullicson, depicting Vachel Lindsay autographing a poem for the H.W. Fays collection, in DeKalb, Illinois.
Gullicson, [?] , Photographer. "Nicholas Vachel Lindsay at Lincoln Monument Autographing for H.W. Fays Collection the poem - 'Abraham Walks At Midnight'". Taken in DeKalb, Illinois. n.d.
Series 5: NEWS CLIPPINGS, n.d.
Series 5, NEWS CLIPPINGS, contains a few photocopies of newspaper clippings that relate to Vachel Lindsay in various ways. Additionally, a longer article is included, written after Vachel Lindsay's death in praise of his poetry.
Spencer, Hazelton "The Life and Death of a Bard" in The American Mercury in remembrance of Vachel Lindsay n.d.
Miscellaneous newspaper clippings, some or all sent by Lindsay to Mrs. R.F. Leftwich, including: 1924-1925, n.d.
"A Challenge to Young Men" in: San Francisco Call and Post, 1924 Aug 5 (annotated by Lindsay) 1924
Hardy, Lulu Daniel. "A little house"
Hinso, Hannah. "He Does Two Things With Distinction" in: The Spokesman-Review, 1925 Mar 8 (annotated by Lindsay) 1925
King, Stoddard, "Facetious Fragments: 'Verses for the Recovering Congress' and 'Butterfly Hieroglyphics and the Voyage'" in: The Spokesman Review, 1924 Dec 1 and 3 1924
Strunsky, Simeon "About Books, More or Less: Mr.Shaw Has a Heart" in: The New York Times Book Review, 1924 Aug 10 1924
Originals of the clippings listed above 1924, 1925, n.d.