Overview
Correspondence, manuscripts, and journals of Herman Melville as well as correspondence between various members of his family.
Dates
- 1761-1964
Language of Materials
Collection materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on physical access to most of this material.
Most of subseries IB (MS Am 188) Literary and other manuscripts by Herman Melville [items (360-392A)] is restricted: fragile; use digital surrogate if available; if none is available, consult curatorial staff.
Items (546a) Boxes 1-3 Clippings: Restricted: fragile; consult curatorial staff.
Most of subseries IB (MS Am 188) Literary and other manuscripts by Herman Melville [items (360-392A)] is restricted: fragile; use digital surrogate if available; if none is available, consult curatorial staff.
Items (546a) Boxes 1-3 Clippings: Restricted: fragile; consult curatorial staff.
Conditions Governing Use
Images linked to this finding aid are intended for public access and educational use. This material is owned and/or held by the Houghton Library, and is provided solely for the purpose of teaching or individual research. Any other use, including commercial reuse, mounting on other systems, or other forms of redistribution requires the permission of the curator.
Extent
7.1 linear feet (17 boxes, 2 pf boxes and 21 volumes)
Contains correspondence, manuscripts, and journals of Herman Melville and correspondence between various members of his family. Includes the manuscripts of Billy Budd,John Marr and other sailors,Timoleon, and unpublished poems and prose pieces; some correspondence, mostly with relatives and other writers; his journals of various sea voyages; and a notebook of lecture engagements. Also contains publishers' agreements, accounts, records of copyright, and correspondence with Melville and with his wife Elizabeth Shaw Melville after his death; reviews of his books and lectures, including three boxes of clippings; a catalogue of his library; family portraits; a diary of his father Allan Melvill and two sermons by a great-great grandfather Thomas Melvill (d. 1767). A 1985 addendum contains correspondence, legal and financial papers, commonplace books, copybooks, essays, and genealogies of the family of Thomas Melvill (1776-1845).
Biographical / Historical
Melville was an American author.
Arrangement
Organized into the following series:
- I. Compositions and family papers
- A. Correspondence and miscellaneous manuscripts
- B. Literary and other manuscripts by Herman Melville
- C. Publishers' correspondence
- D. Publishers' agreements and accounts
- E. Records of copyright deposit
- F. Family portraits
- G. News clippings
- II. Sermons of Thomas Melvill
- III. Reviews of Herman Melville's lectures
- IV. Transcript of marginal comments in volumes
- V. Catalogue of library
- VI. Additional reviews of Herman Melville's lectures
- VII. Additional Melville family papers
- Name index of recipients of letters
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Items without an accession number, MS Am 188, gift of Eleanor Metcalf Melville; received: 1937-1941.
44M-290. Gift of Mrs. Henry K. Metcalf, 27 Gray Gardens East, Cambridge Mass.; received: 1945 February 23.
57M-149. Deposited by Merton M. Sealts Jr., Lawrence College, Appleton, Wisconsin; received: 1957 December.
63-1549. Gift of Mr. Henry K. Metcalf, Hotel Continental, Cambridge, Mass.; received: 1964 June.
63M-204. Gift of Mr. Henry K. Metcalf, Hotel Continental, Cambridge, Mass.; received: 1964 June 3.
75M-33. Gift of Mr. Merton M. Sealts, Jr., 4006 Mandan Crescent, Madison, Wisconsin 53711; received: 1975.
85M-7. Gift of the descendants of Thomas Melvill, Jr. through Miss Jean F. Melvill, 690 S. Cairns Avenue Richland, Wisconsin 5358; received: 1985 July.
1993M-70. Transfer from Harvard University Archives, 1993 August.
44M-290. Gift of Mrs. Henry K. Metcalf, 27 Gray Gardens East, Cambridge Mass.; received: 1945 February 23.
57M-149. Deposited by Merton M. Sealts Jr., Lawrence College, Appleton, Wisconsin; received: 1957 December.
63-1549. Gift of Mr. Henry K. Metcalf, Hotel Continental, Cambridge, Mass.; received: 1964 June.
63M-204. Gift of Mr. Henry K. Metcalf, Hotel Continental, Cambridge, Mass.; received: 1964 June 3.
75M-33. Gift of Mr. Merton M. Sealts, Jr., 4006 Mandan Crescent, Madison, Wisconsin 53711; received: 1975.
85M-7. Gift of the descendants of Thomas Melvill, Jr. through Miss Jean F. Melvill, 690 S. Cairns Avenue Richland, Wisconsin 5358; received: 1985 July.
1993M-70. Transfer from Harvard University Archives, 1993 August.
Name index of recipients of letters.
- Baldwin, William. 311.5.
- Bentley, Richard, firm, publishers, London. 120.
- Billson, James. 182-190.
- Bradford,. 168.2.
- Coryell, V. M. 155.
- Demarest, William H. 119.
- D'Wolf, Mary (Melvill), 1778-1859. 205.
- Gansevoort, Catherine. 74.
- Gansevoort, Peter. 70, 73, 75-77, 79-87, 89-113, 115, 193-196, 275.
- Gordon, George A. 51.5.
- Harpers, firm, publishers, New York. 121.
- Hawley, Gideon, 1727-1807. 28.
- Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804-1864. 172-174.
- Kenney, John N. 154.
- Langford,. 175.
- MacMechan, Archibald McKellar, 1862-191.
- Marett, Ellen. 281, 283.
- Melville, Allan, 1782-1832. 32-36, 257-258, 306-308.
- Melville, Allan, 1823-1872. 16.
- Melville, Elizabeth, 1853-1908. 50, 177, 293, 337.
- Melville, Elizabeth (Shaw) 1822-1906. 14, 38-40, 55b, 61, 124, 179, 296, 328, 332, 336, 338, 351.
- Melville, Herman, 1819-1891. 2-4, 11, 13, 29, 37, 41-46, 49, 53, 56-57, 163, 284-292, 315-316, 330-331, 333-335, 339-340, 353.
- Melville, Malcolm, 1849-1867. 176.
- Melvill, Priscilla (Scollay). 161, 167, 199-204, 206-214, 217-220, 222-238.
- Melville, Stanwix, 1851-1886. 302.
- Melvill, Thomas, 1751-1832. 8, 10, 15, 17, 19-27, 78, 88, 114, 116-117, 198, 215-217, 221, 249-256, 259-264, 297, 349-350, 358-359.
- Melville, Thomas, 1776-1845. 18.
- Melville, Thomas, 1830-1884. 180.
- Metcalf, Eleanor Melville (Thomas) 1882-. 6, 52, 54-55, 276, 341-348.
- Monroe, James, pres. U. S., 1758-1831. 355.
- Nourse, Lucy (Melville), 1795-1877. 192.
- Shaw, Hop (Savage) 1793-1879. 126-129, 131-139, 141, 143-148, 151, 166, 171, 239-243, 280, 294-295, 309-310, 312, 322, 324, 326-327.
- Shaw, Lemuel, 1781-1861. 7, 63-69, 122, 125, 130, 140, 142, 162, 165, 168, 170, 172.5, 197, 265-271, 277-279, 298-299, 304, 317, 319, 323, 352, 354, 357.
- Shaw, Lemuel, 1828-1884. 149-150, 245, 303, 311, 313, 325.
- Shaw, Oakes. 305.
- Shaw, Samuel Savage, 1833-1915. 178, 181, 300, 318, 320-321.
- Stedman, Edmund Clarence, 1833-1908. 60.
- Thomas, Frances (Melville) 1855-1938. 272-274.
- Wiley & Putnam, firm, publishers, New York. 169.
- Title
- Melville, Herman, 1819-1891. Herman Melville papers, 1761-1964 (MS Am 188-188.6): Guide.
- Author
- Houghton Library, Harvard College Library
- EAD ID
- hou00338
Repository Details
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Harvard University
Cambridge MA 02138 USA
(617) 495-2440
Houghton_Library@harvard.edu