MacDonald, George: letter (1885)

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0096 AL223
Held at	: Senate House Library, University of London   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/our-collections ›
Full title	: MacDonald, George: letter (1885)
Date(s)	: 1885
Level of description	: fonds
Extent	: 2 leaves
Name of creator(s)	: MacDonald | George | 1824-1905 | novelist and poet

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

George MacDonald was born and educated in Aberdeen, graduating MA from King's College (now part of the University of Aberdeen) in 1845. He moved to London to become a tutor and later trained as a Congregational Minister, though his only pastoral position, in Sussex, lasted less than 4 years. MacDonald had begun writing poetry during his student days. His first book was published in 1855 and he continued to write and publish both poetry and prose for more than 40 years. Between 1881 and 1901 he lived for most of the year in Bordighera, Italy, but returned to live in Britain permanently after his wife's death in 1902. Many of MacDonald's most successful works were children's fiction in the form of fairy tales and fantasy. Today, he is no longer widely read by children, but his works influenced many leading writers, including C S Lewis, J R R Tolkien, W H Auden, G K Chesterton and Mark Twain.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Letter from George MacDonald of 39 Melville Street, Edinburgh to Mr [Robert] Balgarnie, 21 Jun 1885. Thanking him for an invitation, which he hopes to accept. 'I suppose the month of August would do for Scarborough - but so far we are not even sure that we shall not be in Bordighera before the end of that month. We are getting very good gatherings here.' Autograph, with signature.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

See hard copy catalogue.

Conditions governing access:

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Please contact the University Archivist for details. 24 hours notice is required for research visits.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

Finding aids:

Typescript catalogue available in the Library's Palaeography Room.

Archival Information

Archival history:

See archivist

Immediate source of acquisition:

Gift from Miss Harriet Cohen CBE.

Allied Materials

Related material:

George MacDonald papers are held by King's College London Archives.

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Compiled by Anya Turner.

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
July 2008