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Samuel Carter Hall Papers
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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
Samuel Carter Hall was born on May 9, 1800, at the Geneva Barracks near Waterford, Ireland. The son of Robert Hall, a military officer, he spent much of his childhood in barracks and near battlefields. From youth, however, Samuel Hall was interested in the arts, enjoying theater and literature during trips to London. As a young man, Hall worked as a journalist and editor at numerous newspapers and literary magazines. These positions included reporting on Parliamentary debates for the British Press, for which Charles Dickens worked at the same time, and serving as sub-editor for the New Monthly Magazine, a famous literary journal. Hall worked many jobs simultaneously to make ends meet and suffered a brief nervous breakdown in 1830. He continued, however, to engage in a frenzied professional life until settling into a position in 1838 at The Art-Union.
During his time at The Art-Union, Hall reached his peak of influence, creativity, and impact. His leadership there helped to define the art world in an era of massive change, as old patronage systems collapsed and new artists had enormous difficulty being recognized. Hall helped to make the careers of numerous young British artists, as well as helping to direct the development of a new art scene. While Hall had enormous impact as an editor and writer, his reputation among Bohemians was not always favorable. Many artists were skeptical of his Puritanism and prudishness, so he often traveled only at the fringes of the important Bohemian social circles. Hall died on March 16, 1889, after a few years of quiet writing.
Mrs. Samuel Carter Hall (1800-1881), born Anna Maria Fielding, was an important writer in her own right, although many of her works were published under her husband's name. During his years working for literary magazines, the couple regularly worked as a team, and distinguishing their writings can be very difficult. Her specialties, like Hall's, were poetry and sub-romantic literature.
The collection consists of letters and poetry of Samuel Carter Hall and some correspondence of his wife, Anna Maria. Included are letters from their contemporaries, mainly artists and writers, and a scrapbook, titled "Poems / S. C. Hall," containing holograph and published broadside copies of Hall's poems.
The entry on "Hall, Samuel Carter (1800-1889)" in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography was consulted during preparation of the biographical note.
No further accruals are expected.
Correspondence of Hall and wife purchased from Christopher Edwards in July 2005 (AM2006-3). Letters of Hall to others purchased from David J. Holmes in 2006 (AM2007-48). Holograph poem by Hall is a gift of Denny Hatch in 2010 (AM2010-145).
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 Anna Bialek and Danielle Ford in July 2005. Finding aid written by Anna Bialek and Danielle Ford in July 2005.
No appraisal information is available.
- Publisher
- Manuscripts Division
- Finding Aid Author
- Anna Bialek and Danielle Ford
- Finding Aid Date
- 2004
- Access Restrictions
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The collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
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Collection Inventory
Organized into the following file groups: Letters to Samuel Carter Hall, Letters to Mrs. Samuel Carter Hall, Letters by the Halls, and Letters to "Mr. Goss."
This series consists of correspondence of the Halls, organized into subseries by recipient.
Physical Description1 box
Organized alphabetically by name.
This subseries consists of letters to Samuel Carter Hall, arranged alphabetically by correspondent.
Physical Description1 box
ALS, 3 pp., by Bell, a sculptor.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 1 p., by Boner, an author.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 1 p., by Bremer, an author.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 1 p.: regarding the promotion of an object shown to the author by Hall.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 3 pp.: thanking Hall for a gift, probably a book by Hall.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 3 pp., by Chatterton, an author.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 3 pp., by Coleridge, a poet, scholar, and the grandson of Samuel T. Coleridge.
Physical Description1 folder
- ALS, 2 pp., by Durham, a sculptor
- ALS, 5 pp.
1 folder
ALS, 3 pp., by Foster, a Times correspondent.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 2 pp., by Frith, a painter.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 2 pp.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 3 pp., by Hervey, editor of The Athenaeum.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 4 pp., by Hood, an author.
Physical Description1 folder
AMsS (initialed), 3 pp., a poem.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 4 pp., by Jewsburg, an author.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 3 pp.: includes small portrait of a woman and two men, labeled "T. M. Joy".
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 3 pp.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 4 pp.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 8 pp., by Mayo, an author (pseudonym "Edward Garret," regarding the publication of books, including children's books.
Physical Description1 folder
- ALS, 3 pp.: November 4, 1885
- ALS, 2 pp.: November 26, 1885
- ALS, 1 p.: dated "Christmas 1885"
1 folder
ALS, 2 pp., by Morris, an artist.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 1 p., by Moses, a "psychic investigator."
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 1 p.: includes envelope with seal.
Physical Description1 folder
AL (third person), 1 p.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 4 pp., by Taylor, a dramatist.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 1 p., by Tupper, a poet.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 2 pp.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 4 pp., by Ward, an artist.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 2 pp., by Ward, an artist.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 2 pp., by Weir, a painter.
Physical Description1 folder
- ALS, 4 pp.: February 10, 1870, by Williamson, "sculptor to the Queen"
- ALS, 3 pp.: July 28, 1877
- ALS, 3 pp.: December 1880
- ALS, 3 pp.: February 12, 1881
1 folder
10 Ls
Physical Description1 folder
Organized alphabetically by name.
This subseries consists of letters to Mrs. Samuel Chase Hall, arranged alphabetically by correspondent.
Physical Description1 box
ALS, 4 pp.
Physical Description1 folder
- ALS, 4 pp.: 1872
- ALS, 4 pp.: n.d.
1 folder
ALS, 3 pp.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 1 p.
Physical Description1 folder
6 ALsS
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 4 pp., by Hayes, who was involved in opera.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 1 p.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 3 pp.: includes small printed card announcing the release of Pfeiffer's new volume, "The Rhyme of the Lady of the Rock, and How it Grew".
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 2 pp.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 1 p.
Physical Description1 folder
ALS, 3 pp.
Physical Description1 folder
- ALS, 2 pp.: January 5, 1880
- ALS, 2 pp.: June 5, 1880
1 folder
Arrangement has no apparent organization scheme.
This subseries consists of several miscellaneous letters by the Halls.
Physical Description1 box
3 ALsS, 1 ANS
Physical Description1 folder
2 ALsS, 2 TNsS
Physical Description1 folder
3 ANs: empty covers for letters, created by Samuel Carter Hall.
Physical Description1 folder
Organized alphabetically by name.
This subseries consists of letters to an unidentified "Mr. Goss" by M. A. Gordon.
Physical Description1 box
- ALS, 4 pp.: June 18, 1889
- ALS, 3 pp.: December 18, 1890
- ALS, 2 pp.: March 27, 1891
- ALS, 3 pp.: December 24, 1891
- ALS, 4 pp.: February 17, 1892
- ALS, 4 pp.: February 22, 1892
- ALS, 4 pp.: January 5, 1893
- ALS, 3 pp.: February 9, 1893
1 folder
Arrangement has no apparent organization scheme.
This series consists of miscellaneous materials, including a scrapbook of Hall's poems.
Physical Description1 box
AMs, 2 pp.: diary entry for November 1834 written by Moore, copied by Hall. Labeled "Inisfail" by Hall on outer cover.
Physical Description1 folder
Loose items removed from the scrapbook in folder 50.
Physical Description1 folder
Scrapbook, containing holograph and printed copies of poems by Hall.
Physical Description1 folder
autograph poem, "After Forty Years, January 6, 1868,", 1 p..
Physical Description1 folder