Authors Collection
This collection consists of materials, correspondence, letters, and works of various authors from the late 18th century through the 20th century. Specifically, there are numerous amounts of information and materials related to the authors Samuel L. Clemens, F. W. Rolfe, W. B. Yeats, and Thomas Wolfe.
Biographical and Historical Note
The prominent authors included in this collection include F.W. Rolfe, W.B. Yeats, Thomas Wolfe, and Samuel L. Clemens.
Frederick William (F.W.) Rolfe, better known as Baron Corvo, was a late 19th century English writer best known for his letters, fictional works, and autobiographies. William Butler (W. B.) Yeats was a prominent Irish poet, writer, and figure in the 20th century Irish Literary Revivial. Thomas Wolfe was an American novelist of the 20th century who used his autobiographical and poetic writing to reflect American culture at the time. Samuel L. Clemens, most well-known by his pen name, Mark Twain, was an American writer and humorist of the 19th century who incorporated and popularized colloquial speech in American literature.
Charles Lee Smith (1884) and Henry T. Pulliam (1951) were both Wake Forest alumni who donated materials to this collection. Smith donated a library to the University in 1941, which he had collected around the world. Pulliam, a teacher, focused on Wolfe materials. Both collectors donated books to the University, as well as items such as appear in this collection.
Collection Overview
This collection documents the work of several popular authors from mainly the United States, England, and Ireland. This collection includes literature works and publications, letters, correspondence, and other related materials. Specifically, much of the materials present in this collection focus on four authors: F. W. Rolfe, also known as Baron Corvo, W. B. Yeats, Thomas Wolfe, and Samuel L. Clemens, known by his pseudonuym Mark Twain.
The materials from this collection originated from a number of sources which have been obscured over time. The Clemens materials were mostly part of a single purchase, documented in a news article in the collection. All or much of the Wolfe materials was donated together by Henry T. Pulliam. Some items were originally labeled with source information, such as Charles Lee Smith or E. A. Poe collections; more information is not available about those labels but the information was retained since it is likely correct.
Administrative Information
- Publication Information
- Processed by Jenna McAllister, 2023 February
- Access Restrictions
- Collection is open for researchers.
- Copyright Notice
- The nature of the WFU Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Archives and Special Collections of ZSR Library claims only physical ownership of most materials. The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to the U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
- Preferred Citation
- Authors Collection (MS705), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.