Papers of Lila Hotz Luce Tyng, 1801-2000

The Lila Tyng papers include many autograph signatures, signed hand-written letters and signed typed letters. The nearly 100 folders of correspondence include telegrams in code and rare early picture postcards. There are consistently kept manuscript journals and diaries 1916-25, and many original manuscript and typescript compositions – poems, plays, narratives, talks, and art works by Lila, Henry Robinson Luce and others. There is abundant souvenir and rare printed matter including an oversize 1887 Chinese block print on fragile brown 'tissue.'

Among the oldest and most intriguing manuscript documents are the 1843-1880 legal papers: indentures of early immigrants to landholders in Morris and Passaic counties in New Jersey. These are not from the Luce-Tyng families; they were probably found in an old building on the property where Lu Shan was built. They appear to attest to the indentured persons' eventual success and wealth as landholders in the area.

Most of the Lila Tyng papers date from 1843-1985; the full span is 1801-2000. The late-19th-century portrait photographs were from Muddie's family. The richest correspondence series is also one of the earliest: from Lila to Muddie when Lila was at the Spence school 1914-1918, writing home to her mother in Chicago several times a week. For a close-up detailed picture of the lifestyle and habits of a high-spirited, bright, wealthy American girl during the World War I era in New York (and Chicago), this group of letters should be hard to top. There are letters to Lila from a number of what were then called "admirers" over the years, the most whimsical of which is a charming 1934 autograph letter, signed from Teddy Roosevelt.

Of interest, too, are the various letters, original compositions, documents, photographs and rare printed matter from Henry Robinson Luce's early career. These include 1916-30 business and financial records, 1917Army Artillery papers and, in 1925-1926, letters to Lila when he has gone to Cleveland whence TIME magazine is being relocated. His letters are rich in details of the start-up phase of his first major magazine, with remarks like "Roy is working like a Trojan," and other characterizations not quite so hearty. In Original Compositions ca. 1921-1933 are poems he and Lila wrote one another.

Boxes 29-33 were originally separated from the collection by Alan Brinkley during his work on a biography of Henry Robinson Luce. The boxes contain chiefly Luce family correspondence,1912-1948. The bulk of material is letters between Lila Hotz Luce and Henry Robinson Luce during the periods right before their marriage and a few years after. During their courtship in 1923, 'Harry' took his responsibilities earnestly; despite his involvement in starting up TIME, he tried get daily love letters to the Century – the train New York City to Chicago – or, when Lila was abroad, to the ship sailing that day. His letters often include heartfelt references, too, to TIME's infant days. Lila was an avid supporter, gladly going to check billboard ads or to visit newsstands asking for "TIME -- the magazine, not the Times." Letters to Henry Robinson Luce from his parents, Henry Winters Luce and Elizabeth Root Luce, are numerous. In addition to family correspondence is that from young Henry R. Luce to and from friends and business colleagues and prospects. A fascinating account of the details of the TIME inc. publishing empire is in a long letter from Roy Larsen to Henry Robinson Luce, abroad in 1932. Finally there are original compositions and clippings.

Carton 34 contains additional material returned in 2006 from Alan Brinkley, and are comprised chiefly of the correspondence between Lila Ross Hotz and 'Harry' Luce during their courtship 1921-1923. The first letter from Henry Robinson Luce is an apology to Miss Hotz for 'running out without saying goodbye', from the New Year's Eve dance in Rome where they met. Soon after he has fully warmed to his task of frequent and romantic correspondent to the ebullient young Lila. She had more of his letters than of her own as is natural – but she is very well represented here as the spirited and devoted interlocutor and recipient.