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Horatio Colony Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: --
Date: Apr 1967

Biographical History

Horatio Colony (1900-1977) was an American poet and novelist.

Colony was born in Keene, New Hampshire. His family were mill-owners, and his grandfather was the first mayor of Keene. Colony attended Philips Exeter Academy and Harvard College. He wrote his first play, William Penn's Peace Treaty with the Indians, in seventh grade. Primarily a poet, he wrote and published his first and only novel, Free Forester, in 1935. His first published poetry volumes, A Brook of Leaves and Birth and Burial, were collections of lyrics, whereas his next three are in the style which might best be described as lyrical narrative. Over his career he published eleven volumes of verse as well as a two-volume set of collected writings. He also kept a diary for most of his life, beginning about 1913.

His house in the town of Keene is today a historical site, the Horatio Colony Museum, and the nearby Horatio Colony Nature Preserve is a direct result of Colony's desire to preserve family land as a wildlife sanctuary.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Horatio Colony Papers consists of correspondenc, memorabilia, and writings.

Correspondence is primarily with artists, authors, publishers, and poets. There is significant correspondence with poets Witter Bynner, Gene Griener, Edmund Pennant, Jean Starr Untermeyer, and James E. Warren Jr. There is also correspondence with author Rebecca West, literary critic G. Wilson Knight, and author Norman Holmes Pearson.

Memorabilia includes inscribed books gifted to Colony, exhibition material, mailing lists, postcards, and a recording of Colony reading his poetry.

Colony's Writings form the bulk of the collection, consisting of diaries, essays, novels, plays, poetry, and unidentified pages of manuscript. Diaries are both handwritten and typed and document his life from 1917 through 1973. His diaries provide insight into his daily life and routines. There are drafts for one essay, titled "Sojourn in Yugoslavia." There are drafts for several unpublished novels, as well as his only published novel Free Forester. Drafts of his plays are also included in the series, including The Amazon's Hero and The Emperor and the Bee Boy. There are also drafts for several collections of Colony's poetry. Finally, a sizable amount of unidentified handwritten material conclude the series.

Drafts were originally in envelopes with titles written on the front. These titles have been retained in the inventory below, although the contents did not always match the title on the envelope. Notes in the inventory below indicate items where folder titles and contents do not match. Letters assigned to drafts (e.g "[Draft A]") were randomly assigned during processing to distinguish between different drafts, and do not imply any particular order of creation.

The collection as received also contained a large quantity of handwritten material, not identified and without any page numbers. Some was tied into bundles but much was simply loose. This material has been foldered in its original order, with no sorting attempted.

Note: Please note that this collection contains material that some researchers may find objectionable due to racist and anti-Semitic language. This material is preserved and retained with the collection for its historic and research value.

Arrangement of the Collection

Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by last name of correspondent. Memorabilia is arranged alphabetically by title or type. Writings are subdivided by format (diaries, essays, plays, etc.); diaries are arranged in two chronological sequences (Original and Typed), while other formats are arranged alphabetically by title. Letters assigned to drafts (e.g "[Draft A]") were randomly assigned during processing to distinguish between different drafts, and do not imply any particular order of creation.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Access to recordings requires advance notice to produce a use copy.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Subject Headings

Persons

Aiken, Conrad, 1889-1973.
Benet, Rosemary, 1900-1962.
Brewer, Wilmon, 1895-1998.
Brown, Alice, 1857-1948.
Brown, Truesdell S. (Truesdell Sparhawk), 1906-1992.
Burden, W. Douglas (William Douglas), 1898-1978.
Bynner, Witter, 1881-1968.
Church, Richard, 1893-1986.
Coatsworth, Elizabeth, 1893-1986.
Colony, Horatio, 1900-1977.
Dillon, George, 1906-1968.
Flagg, Mildred Buchanan, 1886-1980.
Griener, Gene.
Kent, Rockwell, 1882-1971.
Knight, G. Wilson (George Wilson), 1897-1985.
Pearson, Norman Holmes, 1909-1975.
Pennant, Edmund, 1917-
Untermeyer, Jean Starr, 1886-1970.
Warren, James Edward, Jr., 1908-1997.
West, Rebecca, 1892-1983.

Subjects

American literature -- 20th century.
American poetry -- 20th century.
Novelists, American.
Poets, American.

Genres and Forms

Correspondence.
Diaries.
Drafts (documents)
Galley proofs.
Manuscripts for publication.
Phonograph records.
Poems.
Postcards.

Occupations

Novelists.
Poets.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Horatio Colony Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Table of Contents

Correspondence

Memorabilia

Writings

Inventory