Call Number:

M7

Repository:

Bryn Mawr College

Extent:

1 boxes

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Joseph Conrad collection, Special Collections Department, Bryn Mawr College Library.

Date:

1898-1943 (inclusive)

Creator:

Conrad, Joseph

Form:

Correspondence and manuscripts (documents)

Abstract:

Joseph Conrad (1857-1924), a novelist and short story writer, was born Jozef Konrad Teodor Korzeniowski in Berdichev, Ukraine, and became a British citizen in 1886. Best known for his short story "Heart of Darkness" (1902), Conrad also wrote a number of novels on his travels. The collection includes letters from Conrad and third party letters, as well as three corrected typescript drafts.

Joseph Conrad (1857-1924), a novelist and short story writer, was born Jozef Konrad Teodor Korzeniowski in Berdichev, Ukraine, and became a British citizen in 1886. Conrad joined the British merchant navy, and traveled worldwide until he married in 1895. He settled in England, where he began writing, drawing upon on his sailing experiences. Among Conrad's novels are The N*gger of the Narcissus (1897), Lord Jim (1900), Nostromo (1904), The Secret Agent (1907), Under Western Eyes (1911), and Chance (1914). He also wrote many short stories, including "Heart of Darkness," for which he is most well-known (1902).

The Joseph Conrad collection contains the papers and other materials of Joseph Conrad, novelist and short story writer. The collection, which ranges from 1898-1942, consists of correspondence, Conrad's writings, and other materials.

The collection is divided into five series: "Outgoing Letters," "Incoming Letters," "Third Party Letters," "Writings of Joseph Conrad," and "Other Materials"

"Outgoing Letters" contains twelve ALSs (most with envelopes) from Conrad to various correspondents regarding his work and life. Notable to the college are three letters written to Samuel Claggett Chew, professor of English Literature at Bryn Mawr College and book reviewer. "Incoming Letters" contains one letter from the American critic James Huneker in which he tells Conrad that he is the "English (and the Polish) Flaubert." "Third Party Letters" consist of two letters to Ethelinda Schaefer Castle from Edgar H. Wells (one regarding Conrad's death), and one letter to Castle from Herbert Faulkner West in 1942 about her collection of Conrad materials. "Writings of Joseph Conrad" contains a 1921 corrected typescript of Conrad's foreword to Landscapes of Corsica and Ireland by A. S. Kinkead. It also holds a corrected typescript of Conrad's note to Mirror of the Sea (Conrad has marked on this work that it is the first draft, which he began in October 1919). Additionally, it houses a corrected typescript of "Poland Revisited, Part Two," which is a portion of Conrad's Notes on Life & Letters. This latter typescript is bound into a 1921 printed edition of the work, along with a 1923 letter from Christopher Willard to Thomas J. Wise regarding the manuscript. "Other Materials" consists of one printed plate from Conrad's The Point of Honor: A Military Tale.

Through correspondence and writings, this collection contributes knowledge of Conrad's personal relationships and his writing processes.