Main content

Emily Hale Letters from T. S. Eliot

Notifications

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

Eliot

T.S. Eliot, the noted modern poet, dramatist, and literary critic, was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He earned a master's degree from Harvard University, which is when he met Emily Hale in 1913. The two formed a close bond, and when Eliot moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 to begin his PhD studies (eventually becoming a British subject in 1927) they remained in contact, establishing a robust correspondence that would continue intermittenly for years. In addition to his writing, Eliot worked as a schoolteacher and a bank accounts manager before joining the publishing firm of Faber and Gwyer (later Faber and Faber) in 1925, where he worked for the remainder of his career. Best known for such poems as The Waste Land, The Hollow Men, and Four Quartets, Eliot was the recipient of the 1948 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Hale

Emily Hale was born on October 27, 1891. She was an actress and stage director, and taught drama and voice instruction at Simmons College, Milwaukee-Downer College in Wisconsin, Scripps College, and Abbott Academy. She met the poet T.S. Eliot (1888-1965) while he was at pursuing a graduate degree at Harvard, and maintained a lifelong and close friendship with the poet, corresponding with him and routinely visiting him over several decades. Out of his reminiscing of their former relationship, Eliot composed "Burnt Norton" published as the last poem in his Collected Poems 1909-1935 (1936). Hale died in 1969.

The collection consists primarily of letters by poet, dramatist, and literary critic T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale (1891-1969), a teacher, actress, and lifelong friend of Eliot's. Also included are a small portion of correspondence between Hale and others, as well as some photographs, ephemera, clippings, copies of typescript material by Eliot, and a brief narrative of the relationship between the two penned by Hale.

Emily Hale and T.S. Eliot first met in Cambridge, Massachusetts, while Eliot was working towards a graduate degree in philosophy. They struck up a friendship, and Eliot expressed a romantic interest in Hale soon after. Though Hale did not initially share that interest, they remained friends and stayed in close contact after Eliot moved abroad, corresponding frequently for decades. The bulk of the letters were written during the 1930s and provide a detailed account of their intimate friendship, as well as Eliot's work and personal life.

Eliot often enclosed other materials in his letters to Hale, such as photographs and letters he had received from friends and contemporaries (including literary peers such as Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and Ezra Pound). In a letter from December 29, 1930, Eliot addressed this practice, writing "I shall from time to time slip in a note or letter to me from my acquaintances, as these do I think to help make one's life seem more real to another person." A number of the letters also include handwritten annotations and corrections.

Emily Hale's friendship with former Princeton professor and literary critic Willard Thorp and his wife Margaret is also evident from letters between the three included with the correspondence. It was partially at the urging of Professor Thorp that Hale wrote a short explaination her relationship with Eliot to be included with the collection when it came to Princeton. It was also because of Emily Hale's relationship with the Thorps and their connection to Princeton that she chose to donate the letters to the University. T.S. Eliot was not initially pleased with this decision, and his opinions regarding this are discussed in letters to Hale between 1956 and 1957.

Collection is arranged chronologically by type.

Letter, 1930 December 29. Emily Hale Letters from T. S. Eliot; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library.

Gift of Emily Hale in 1956 (AM 15768). The letters were sealed until January 2, 2020, by agreement with Hale.

A handful of additional letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale concerning the donation of the collection to Princeton were given to the library in 1957.

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.

This collection was processed by Chloe Pfendler in November 2019 with additional help from the rest of the processing team and Alia Wood '20. Finding aid written by Chloe Pfendler in November 2019.

Some arrangement imposed on the collection prior to 2019 processing by former library staff.

No materials were removed from the collection during 2019 processing beyond routine appraisal practices.

Publisher
Manuscripts Division
Finding Aid Author
Chloe Pfendler
Finding Aid Date
2019
Access Restrictions

Open for research.

Researchers may be asked to use digital surrogates of material if more than one patron requests to use a box at the same time.

Use Restrictions

All material written by T.S. Eliot remains under copyright with the T.S. Eliot Estate but will enter the public domain January 1, 2036. The library has no other information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright. 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

Scope and Contents

The bulk of the correspondence is from T.S. Eliot, and many letters are interfiled with enclosures that were sent with them. Also included is correspondence between Emily Hale and others, particularly her friends Margaret and Willard Thorp. The Thorps were also associates of Eliot, and they were aware of the close relationship between he and Hale.

Physical Description

14 boxes

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Physical Description

13 boxes

Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1930 October-December. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 January-February. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 March. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 April. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes enclosures from Virginia Woolf, Stephen Spender, William Rothenstein, and John Middleton Murry.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 May. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes enclosure from Allen Tate and James Joyce.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 June. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes enclosure from John Middleton Murry.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 July. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 August. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 September. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 October. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes enclosures from Virginia Woolf and John Middleton Murry.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 November. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1931 December. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes enclosures from Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and Ezra Pound.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 January. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Some letters from January 1932 incorrectly dated 1931.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 February. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes enclosure from Virginia Woolf and James Joyce.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 March. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 April. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 May. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 June. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 July. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 August-September. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 October. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 November. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1932 December. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1933 January-February. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1933 March. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1933 April-May. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1933 June. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes enclosures from Ezra Pound and Allen Tate.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1933 July-August. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1933 September-October. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1933 November-December. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

There is one letter, circa 1933 with no month indicated, at the end.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1934 January-February. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1934 March-April. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1934 May-July. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1934 August-December. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

There are two letters, circa 1934 with no month indicated, at the end.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1935 January-March. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1935 April-June. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1935 July-September. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1935 October-December. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, circa 1935. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Contains letters circa 1935 with no months indicated.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1936 January-March. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1936 April-June. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1936 July-August. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1936 September-October. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1936 November-December. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1937 January-February. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1937 March-April. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1937 May-July. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1937 August-September. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1937 October. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1937 November. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1937 December. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1938 January-February. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1938 March. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1938 April-May. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1938 June-August. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1938 September-October. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1938 November-December. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1939 January-February. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1939 March. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1939 April. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes enclosure from Dorothy L. Sayers.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1939 May-July. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1939 August-September. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1939 October. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1939 November-December. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes enclosure from Virginia Woolf. There is one letter, circa 1939 with no month indicated, at the end.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1940 January-February. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1940 March-April. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1940 May- August. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1940 September-December. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1941 January-May. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1941 June-August. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1941 September-December. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1942 January-May. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1942 June-December. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1943 January-May. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1943 June-December. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1944 January-June. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1944 July-December. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1945. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Letter received April 26 and noted to be from 1945 included in folder.

Scope and Contents

A copy of Emily Hale's response to a letter dated 13 March 1945 from Eliot is included in the folder.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1946 January-September. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1946 October-December. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1947. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1948. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

There is one envelope with enclosures, circa 1948 with no month indicated, at the end.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1949-1950. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1951-1952. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1953-1955. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

There is one letter, circa 1955 with no month indicated, at the end.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from T.S. Eliot to Emily Hale, 1956-1957. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

There is one letter, circa 1956 with no month indicated, at the end.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Arrangement

Arranged by correspondent.

Physical Description

2 boxes

Scope and Contents

Contains letters between Emily Hale, Princeton professor Willard Thorp, and his wife Margaret, who were also friends of Eliot's.

Physical Description

2 boxes

Margaret Thorp Letters to Emily Hale, 1933 January-August. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Margaret Thorp Letters to Emily Hale, 1936 June-1938 June. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from Emily Hale to Willard and Margaret Thorp, 1956-1957. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Sophie Krauss Letters to Emily Hale, 1933 June-1936 August. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Ashley Dukes Letters to Emily Hale, 1937 November-1938 January. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Isabel Whiting Letters to Emily Hale, 1939 March-1943 January. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letters from Others to Emily Hale, 1895-1943 (1931-1943). 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes single letters from Janet H. Clark, Millie (Mrs. George Abbot) Morison, Edith Perkins (Hale's aunt), Ada E. Sheffield (T.S. Eliot's sister), John Carroll Perkins (Hale's uncle), William A. Neilson, Mary Lee Ware, Evelyn A. McCourtee, and others. The 1895 letter is from Edward Hale to Edith Perkins.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Letter from Emily Hale to President Hard, Scripps College, Claremont, California, 1945 September 20. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Narrative Written by Emily Hale, 1957-1965. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes several drafts of an account of the relationship between T.S. Eliot and Emily Hale, written by Emily Hale. Also included are letters from Hale to former University Librarian William S. Dix concerning corrections made to the drafts.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content

Scope and Contents

Contains two original typescripts of works by T.S. Eliot.

Physical Description

1 box

Charles Whibley: A Memoir, undated. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
The Modern Dilemma, undated. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Clippings and Photographs, 1930-1942. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Includes photographs of T.S. Eliot, as well as related clippings and ephemera.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content
Books Across the Sea, Aldwych House, London Bulletin, 1943 September. 1 folder.
Scope and Contents

Bulletin to members of the Books Across the Sea literary movement.

Physical Description

1 folder

Materials Viewable Online
  1. View digital content

Print, Suggest