H. D. Papers

The H.D. Papers document the life and career of the poet Hilda Doolittle (H.D.). The papers span the dates 1887-1977, but the bulk of the material covers the years 1918-1963.

The papers consist of six series: Series I. Correspondence, (Boxes 1-19); II. Writings, divided into five sections, Novels, Poetry, Short Stories, Autobiographical Writings, Miscellaneous Writings, and Writings of Others, (Boxes 20-46); III. Personal Papers, (Boxes 47-49); IV. Subject Files, (Boxes 50-51); V. Photographs, (Boxes 52-55); and VI. Additional Papers, (Boxes 56-61). Oversize and Related Papers fill Boxes 62-63.

Series I, Correspondence , (Boxes 1-19), is divided into three alphabetically arranged sections, Incoming, Outgoing, and Third PartyCorrespondence.

Incoming correspondence is primarily from family members and friends, although some business correspondence is also included. Correspondence from Richard Aldington to H.D. is extensive, covering the years 1918-61. Among the subjects discussed are Aldington's daily activities, his business dealings, and his daughter Catherine. The correspondence from Bryher to H.D. spans the years 1918-61 and details literary projects and many aspects of Bryher's daily life, as well as news about Perdita, H.D.'s daughter, and about the activities of various friends and acquaintances. Letters from Perdita Schaffner to her mother span the years 1923-61 and chronicle many aspects of the daughter's life.

Other correspondents include Helen Wolle Doolittle, H.D.'s mother; Harold Doolittle, H.D.'s brother; Norman Douglas; Havelock Ellis; Anna Freud and Sigmund Freud; Robert Herring; Hermann Hesse; Erich Heydt; Viola Jordan; Robert McAlmon; Kenneth Macpherson; Brigit Patmore; Norman Holmes Pearson, George Plank; Ezra and Dorothy Pound; and Osbert and Edith Sitwell. Business correspondents include the publishing firms Chatto and Windus, Houghton Mifflin, and Oxford University Press.

Outgoing correspondence consists of three boxes of letters written by H.D. to various friends and family members, including Richard Aldington, Gretchen Wolle Baker, Helen Wolle Doolittle, Robert McAlmon, Robert Duncan, and Perdita Schaffner. Three folders contain transcripts and photocopies of letters to John Cournos during the years 1916-28.

Third Party Correspondence, housed in Box 19, consists of the correspondence of friends and family members. Included in this section are letters by others to Richard Aldington, Bryher, Robert McAlmon, and Perdita Schaffner, as well as a letter from Ezra Pound to Margaret Snively Pratt.

Series II, Writings , (Boxes 20-46) is divided into Novels, Poetry, Short Stories, AutobiographicalWritings, Miscellaneous Writings, and Writings of Others. Within each section the materials are alphabetically arranged. Most of the manuscripts in the collection are of works which were unpublished as of 1944, or were written thereafter. Prior to 1944 H.D. destroyed the drafts of her manuscripts as they reached the publication stage. Beginning with The Flowering ofthe Rod (1946), however, H.D. turned over all her manuscripts to Norman Holmes Pearson. Manuscript drafts are arranged in probable order of creation. Attempts have been made to identify typescripts prepared for or by Norman Holmes Pearson. Reviews, when present, are found with the drafts of each published work.

The Novels subseries contains some early manuscripts, including a draft of Asphodel (1921), and two drafts each of Her (1927), Paint it Today (1921), and Pilate's Wife (ca. 1924). H.D.'s later works are represented by notebooks, drafts, and notes for The Mystery, three drafts and carbons of The Sword Went Out to Sea, four drafts of The White Rose and the Red (1948), and a draft of Bid Me to Live (1960).

The Poetry section (Boxes 30-36) includes manuscripts of full-length works as well as individual poems arranged alphabetically by title. There are two drafts, and a German translation by Johannes Urzidil, of By Avon River; first and second drafts of A Dead Priestess Speaks; two drafts and galley proofs of The Flowering of the Rod; and various drafts and notebooks of Hermetic Definition, Palimpsest, and Vale Ave. The four drafts and notebooks of Helen in Egypt (1961) are arranged by section. Selected Poems of H.D. includes a typescript, notes, galley proofs, and reviews for both Tribute to the Angels, and The Walls Do Not Fall. Individual titles include "Scribe," "I Said," and "Temple of the Sun."

Short Stories (Boxes 37-38), contains primarily drafts, typescripts, and proofs of collections of short stories. These collections include The Moment, seven stories written in the 1930s, arranged by title and draft; and WithinThe Walls, thirteen sketches written in the early 1940s, also arranged by title and draft. There are typescripts and a printed version of two uncollected stories: "Ear-ring" and "Pontokonsi (Mouse Island)."

The Autobiographical Writings section holds drafts and notes of five works: Compassionate Friendship; End to Torment, an account of H.D.'s friendship with Ezra Pound; The Gift, an account of her Moravian child- hood; Thorn Thicket; and Tribute to Freud, which chronicles her analysis with Sigmund Freud.

Miscellaneous Writings, (Boxes 42-44), contains various drafts of manuscript for "Greek Lyric Poets," "Notes on Recent Writing," and "Notes on Thought and Vision." Also included are typescripts and proofs of H.D.'s submissions to Close Up, a magazine dealing with film, and four folders containing the Hirslanden Journal.

The Writings of Others segment of Miscellaneous Writings contains manuscript and printed materials that were given to H.D. Included are poems by Richard Aldington and Denise Levertov, typescripts of works by Bryher, miscellaneous writings by Hermann Hesse, an essay by Norman Holmes Pearson, a pamphlet by Nancy Cunard, a review of H.D.'s poetry by William Carlos Williams, and five folders of an untitled autobiographical manuscript by Perdita Schaffner.

The third series, Personal Papers , (Boxes 47-49) is arranged alphabetically by type of material. This series contains diaries, biographical information, birth certificates, medical records, documentation relating to H.D.'s divorce from Richard Aldington, genealogical notes, postcards, and astrological papers. The FinancialPapers section includes contracts and royalty statements from Chatto and Windus, Houghton-Mifflin, and Oxford University Press.

Series IV, Subject Files (Boxes 50-51), is made up of pamphlets and clippings collected by H.D. and arranged alphabetically by individual or subject. Richard Aldington, Havelock Ellis, Hermann Hesse, Robert McAlmon, William Carlos Williams, Sulamith Wulfing, and Bryher are represented here, while other folders are devoted to the Ballet of Lithuania, Moravians, and World War II.

Photographs , Series V (Boxes 52-55), are also arranged alphabetically by individual or subject. The series contains thirty-eight folders of photographs of H.D. from her infancy to her death, with gaps for the years 1889-98, 1910-15, and 1939-48. Also included is a photograph of H.D.'s death mask, which is also within the collection (in Series VIII). The photographs of Richard Aldington are divided into two groups, reflecting two different sources. In addition there are photographs of Bryher, Robert McAlmon, Kenneth Macpherson, and Perdita Schaffner, as well as photographs of family members and friends. Of particular interest are the three folders of photographs devoted to the film Borderline, starring H.D. and Paul Robeson.

Additional Papers, (Boxes 56-59), consists of two sections. Correspondence Not Belonging to Yale is made up of photocopies of letters belonging to other institutions or individuals and collected by Norman Holmes Pearson. Included in this section are copies of letters to Amy Lowell from H.D. and Richard Aldington. The Indexes section is composed of indexes to first lines, titles, and H.D.'s library. There are also two boxes of alphabetical and cross reference indexes.

Oversize papers are housed in Box 62 and include an original portrait etching of Sigmund Freud, clippings relating to the Royal family, and a scrapbook containing photographs of Bryher, H. D., Kenneth Macpehrson and others.

Related Papers contains material added to the collection after it was processed, including proofs for Bid Me to Live and Tribute to the Angels, and printed versions of "Two Poems," "Sagesse," "Leda," and "Prose Chorus," as well as a French translation of a portion of Tribute to Freud. It also includes needlepoint work and H.D.'s death mask.