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Charles Lamb Collection

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Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Lamb

Charles Lamb was an influential English essayist and poet, and a close friend of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

The collection consists of selected letters and manuscripts by and about Lamb, as well as twelve of Lamb's letters to Maria Fryer and others. The collection includes an autograph manuscript of his poem "To Louisa Martin," signed and dated 1830. Writers of letters about Lamb include Mary Lamb, Henry James (1843-1916), William Hone, and Luther Livingston. There are also photostatic copies of notes in the hands of both Lamb and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

The collection was formed as a result of a departmental practice of combining into one collection manuscript material of various accessions relating to a particular author. The Luther Livingston letter was "pulled" from "Priscilla Farmer" (presumably a book?).

Various sources, see individual folders for more information.

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Folder inventory added by Hilde Creager (2015) in 2012.

No appraisal information is available.

Publisher
Manuscripts Division
Finding Aid Date
2008
Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Collection Inventory

Lamb, Charles (1775-1834). Original Autograph Manuscript of poem "To Louisa Martin." First published as "The Change" in the Supplemental Number of Hone's The Year Book in 1831, 1830 August 9. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

First published as "The Change" in the Supplemental Number of Hone's The Year Book in 1831.

Lamb
Biographical / Historical

Charles Lamb was an influential English essayist and poet, and a close friend of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Physical Description

1 folder

Lamb, Charles (1775-1834). Charles Lamb to Matilda Betham, undated. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

1 A.L.S.

Lamb
Biographical / Historical

Charles Lamb was an influential English essayist and poet, and a close friend of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Physical Description

1 folder

Lamb, Charles (1775-1834). Charles Lamb to Maria Fryer, 1829-1834. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

9 A.Ls.S. dated May 25 and Aug. 17, 1829; March 17, 1831; Jan. 17 and March 1, 1832; July 30 and Aug. 2 and Aug. 7, 1833; Feb. 10, 1834.

Lamb
Biographical / Historical

Charles Lamb was an influential English essayist and poet, and a close friend of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Physical Description

1 folder

Lamb, Charles (1775-1834). Charles Lamb to "Dear H", circa 1814. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

A.L.S. Reference to the appearance of his "Confessions of a Drunkard" in Basil Montagu's miscellany, "Some Enquiries into the Effect of Fermented Liquors."

Lamb
Biographical / Historical

Charles Lamb was an influential English essayist and poet, and a close friend of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Physical Description

1 folder

Lamb, Charles (1775-1834). Negative photostats of Charles Lamb's copy of The History of Philip Commines, undated. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Contains 2 A.Ms. note, one by Charles Lamb on front cover and one by Samuel Coleridge on back cover.

Lamb
Biographical / Historical

Charles Lamb was an influential English essayist and poet, and a close friend of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Physical Description

1 folder

Lamb, Charles (1775-1834). Charles Lamb to Ollier, Booksellers and piece removed from 1st edition of Lamb's works, 1818 May 28. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

A.L.S. Asks them to see to setting up the title page and table of contents of volume 2 of his works published in 1818. Sketches briefly his plan. Piece removed from Lamb's works is part of the Scribner Collection of Lamb.

Lamb
Biographical / Historical

Charles Lamb was an influential English essayist and poet, and a close friend of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
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Printed Description of the Autographed Manuscript of Lamb's contribution to Hone's "Every Day Book", 1827 April 16. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
An essay on Charles Lamb, undated. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Probably a preface to an edition of the "Essays of Elia."

Physical Description

1 folder

Mary Lamb to Maria Fryer, 1829 May 14. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

A.L.S. from Enfield. Requests her to spend more time with Emma Isola, now with the Lambs.

Physical Description

1 folder

Assignment of the Copyright for "Tales from Shakespeare" and "Mrs. Leicesters' School" to Robert Baldwin and Charles Cradock, 1836 July 21. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

D.S. Signed by Mary Lamb.

Physical Description

1 folder

William Hone to Mr. Urban, of J.B. Nichols and Sons, along with leaves of printed memoir on Hone., 1832 April 3. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

"The Year Book", "The Everyday Book", "The Table Book", and "The Horn Book" and his contributions mentioned.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Henry James to Wendell P. Garrison, circa 1880. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

A.L.S. to editor of "The Nation", asking that he advertise in "The Nation" a portrait of Charles Lamb by W. Haglett, which Mrs. Moxon, who is need of meny, wishes to sell.

Physical Description

1 folder

Luthers Livingston to Mr. Safford, 1903 February 17. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

From Scarsdale, NY. Proof that Lamb's "Poems", 1796, preceded "Priscilla Farmer."

Physical Description

1 folder

A Letter by Thomas Westwood, the son of Lamb's boarding mistress, 1840 April 25. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

A.L.S. Mentions Lamb's Chin, A Lamb ms.

Physical Description

1 folder

Lamb, Charles (1775-1834). 3 A.L.S. by Charles Lamb, 1833-1834. 1 folder.
Lamb
Biographical / Historical

Charles Lamb was an influential English essayist and poet, and a close friend of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Physical Description

1 folder

Print, Suggest