- Creator
- Cox, Louise Osborne, 1885-1953
- Call number
- MssCol 23871
- Physical description
- 1.05 linear feet (3 boxes)
- Preferred Citation
Poultney Bigelow and Louise Osborne Cox correspondence, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library.
- Repository
- Manuscripts and Archives Division
- Access to materials
- Request an in-person research appointment.
Poultney Bigelow (1855-1954) was a journalist and author. This collection consists primarily of his letters to his friend Louise Osborne Cox, who lived in Watertown, New York, and had a summer home on Grindstone Island. Bigelow's letters date from 1931 to 1950 and are written from his home in Malden-on-Hudson or sometimes during his international travels. Subjects of the letters include Bigelow's social activities; countries he visited; contemporary works of history and literature; sex and censorship; the state of the popular press; and American and European politics. Some recurring topics in the correspondence are Adolf Hitler's leadership of Germany (which Bigelow admired); Lady Chatterly's Lover and Cox's apparent reluctance to read it; the Ends of the Earth club, of which Bigelow was a member; and the beers and ales that Cox supplied to Bigelow, both during and after Prohibition. The collection also contains letters from other correspondents concerning Bigelow (the latest dating to 1961); letters from Bigelow to Cox's daughter, Betty; and letters to Bigelow that came to be in Cox's possession. The latter include a letter from Prince Frederick of Prussia (using the name Count Lingen) and a photocopy of a letter from Rudyard Kipling. The collection also contains newspaper clippings and cartoons (the earliest dating to 1909), articles written by Bigelow, and a photograph of Bigelow.
Administrative information
Source of acquisition
Donated by Mary Clark and Gaillard L. Schmidt, 2016.
Processing information
Compiled by Kit Fluker, 2016.
Key terms
Names
- Bigelow, Poultney, 1855-1954 (creator)
Subjects
Places
- Germany -- Politics and government -- 1933-1945
- New York (State) -- Social life and customs -- 20th century
Occupations
Material types
Using the collection
Location
Manuscripts and Archives DivisionStephen A. Schwarzman Building
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018-2788
Brooke Russell Astor Reading Room, Third Floor, Room 328