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John Galsworthy Letters

An inventory of at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: KM
Date: Nov 1994

Biographical History

John Galsworthy was an English dramatist and novelist. Educated as a barrister at Harrow and New College, Oxford, he instead decided to travel, attending to his family's shipping business abroad, and then began writing. His first book, From the Four Winds, was a collection of short stories published under the name John Sinjohn, a name he continued to write under until 1904. Particularly notable works include The Forsyte Saga (1906-1921) and its numerous sequels, A Modern Comedy and End of the Chapter. Galsworthy won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1932.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

Spanning 1910 to 1931, the John Galsworthy Letters comprises eight items of correspondence of the English dramatist and novelist (1867-1933).

The collection includes a single bound volume containing seven letters written between 1909 and 1910 to Henry Stephens Salt of the Humanitarian League. The letters concern a pamphlet, The Spirit of Punishment (1910), which Galsworthy wrote on the treatment of prisoners. (Gift of Sol Feinstone)

The collection also contains a single letter (1931 Apr. 25) written to Eugene Gantner in which Galsworthy declares:

To take me for a propagandist is a shallow point of view. My themes raise debate no doubt, but when I've turned the ground over, the only conclusion that emerges is that it would be well if human beings had more tolerance and power of understanding. If that, indeed, can justly be called propaganda, I plead guilty, not otherwise.

Also included is a copy of the letter by Gantner to which Galsworthy was responding. (Gift of Eugene Gantner)

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.

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

Galsworthy, John, 1867-1933 Correspondence.
Galsworthy, John, 1867-1933. Spirit of punishment.
Gantner, Eugene.
Salt, Henry Stephens, 1851-1939.

Corporate Bodies

Humanitarian League (London)

Subjects

Authors, English.
Novelists, English.
Prison reform, Great Britain.
Punishment, Great Britain.

Genres and Forms

Letters (correspondence)

Occupations

Authors.
Novelists.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

John Galsworthy Letters,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Sol Feinstone. Gift of Eugene Gantner.

Table of Contents

Correspondence

Inventory