Lewis M. Isaacs collection of E.A. Robinson papers

1896-1967

The collection is divided into five categories; Robinson's correspondence Robinson's writings, unsorted papers, and the Isaacs' correspondence Robinson's correspondence, 1899-1935, includes letters, 1920-1935, between Robinson and Laura Richards (1850-1943), and from William Vaughn Moody (1869-1910), during the years 1899-1908; both writers were close friends of the poet. In addition there are about twenty letters, 1905-1909, to the writer Richard Watson Gilder, (1844-1909), and one to Witter Bynner, (1881-1968); notes from William James and Thornton Wilder; and letters from Theodore Roosevelt, Walter de la Mare, Mark van Doren, Robert Frost, and Robinson Jeffers, among others. Robinson's extensive correspondence with the Isaacs began in 1911 and continued until his death. In addition to many originals, there are transcripts for most letters. Robinson writes in his role as a poet; various matters of his personal and professional life are mixed with an epistolary style; frequent examples of his humor occur throughout. The writings include manuscripts, galleys, and published works. The collection incorporates over 600 pages of originals and drafts in Robinson's miniscule script, along with several typescripts and a few galleys. Many of the manuscripts ate edited with author's corrections and revisions. Among the published volumes are first editions of everything which Robinson wrote, books about the poet, some editions containing samples of the Work, and other's simply inscribed to Robinson. Robinson's contracts with his publishers and his will number among the unsorted papers; also of interest are two printed copies of two songs, one composed by Robinson With words by Louis Ledoux, the other a rendition by Isaacs of a Robinson poem; Edith Isaacs' notes to Robinson's letters, and an essay by Lewis isaacs discussing Robinson's knowledge of music; various articles, clippings of Robinsonania. Finally, there are notes and other documents from the New York Public Libraries 1948 exhibition of this collection. The Isaacs correspondence, 1921-1967, is between the Isaacs family and various friends and acquaintances of Robinson, including some of the individuals mentioned above; the correspondence begins with a 1921 letter to Edith Isaacs and ends with a 1967 letter to Lewis Isaacs, Jr both from Thornton Wilder. Other letters are between the Isaacs and Robinson's sister-in-law, Emma Robinson and Ruth Nivison his niece. Many of these documents, circa 1935-1940, are concerned with prospective biographers and researchers; the remaining correspondence is also of Robinson interest. Photographs of Robinson include photographs of the poet as a young man, including a photo-gravure print, and later photographs and photographic portraits including a 1923 photograph of a PEN club dinner in London. There is also a drawing of Robinson which appears again on a poster announcing an exhibition of his work. Other photographs include several of various places and buildings associated with Robinson.