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The Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods Library

The Thoreau Society Archives

A Guide to the Collection

Collection Summary

Creator: The Thoreau Society (1941 -      )

The Thoreau Society is the oldest and largest organization devoted to an American author and is dedicated to promoting Thoreau's life and works through education, outreach, and advocacy. Established in 1941, the Thoreau Society has long contributed to the dissemination of knowledge about Thoreau by collecting books, manuscripts, and artifacts relating to Thoreau and his contemporaries, by encouraging the use of its collections, and by publishing articles in two Society periodicals. The mission of the Society is to stimulate interest in and foster education about Thoreau's life, works, and philosophy and his place in his world and ours; to encourage research on Thoreau’s life and writings; to act as a repository for Thoreauviana and material relevant to Thoreau; and to advocate for the preservation of Thoreau Country.

Title: The Thoreau Society Archives

Abstract: This collection consists of the research collection of the Thoreau Society and materials relating to the corporate history of the Society.

Related Collections: The Walter Harding Collection; The Raymond Adams Collection

Preferred Citation: The Thoreau Society Archives (The Thoreau Society Collections at The Thoreau Institute at Walden Woods)

Organization of the Collection

The Collection is organized into the following series:

Series I. Records of the Society

Series II. Publications of the Society

Series III. Reference Collections

Series IV. Manuscript Collections

Series V. Scrapbook

Series VI: Clippings Collections

Series VII: Books: Search the Henley Library Catalog

Series VIII: Photographic and Pictorial Material

Series IX: Non-Print Material

Series X:

Memorabilia/Artifacts/Realia

Series I. Records of the Society

I/A

Incorporation

I/B

By-laws/By-law Revision Committee

I/C

Annual Meetings

I/D

Executive Committee

I/E

Board of Directors

I/F

Membership

I/G

Financial Records/Treasurer

I/H

Archives/Archive Committee

IH.1

Records of the Archives Committee and Archivist

IH.2

Deposit, Donative transfer, and Gift agreements

IH.3

Correspondence concerning gifts & acquisitions

IH.4

Information concerning holdings (index card file)

IH.5

Policies and procedures for use

IH.6 Completed use and loan forms

IH.7

Collection inventories

I/I

Development Committee

I/J

Save Walden Committee

IJ1

Records of the Committee

IJ.2

Correspondence

IJ.3

Media coverage

IJ.4

Legal correspondence

IJ.5

Legal documents
IJ.6 Stenographic records of case

I/K

Hall of Fame Committee

I/L

Commemorative Stamp and Ceremony

I/M

Thoreau-Alcott House Fund

I/N

Lyceum

I/O Lyceum-Society Merger/Merger Committee
I/P Centennial
I/Q Jubilee
I/R Surveys/Questionnaires
I/S Publication Offers to Members
I/T Miscellaneous Correspondence

I/U

Speeches/Addresses at Annual Meetings

  1. Bode, Carl "The Sound of American Literature a Century Ago" [1961]
  2. Cahoon, Herbert "Some Manuscripts of Concord Authors" [1965]
  3. Cook, Reginald "West of Walden: On the Wild Side" [1968]
  4. Eaton, Walter Prichard "Address" [1946]
  5. Greeley, Dana McLean "Thoreau in These Times" [1973]
  6. Hosmer, Gladys "The Resident Amateur" [1966]
  7. Hough,  Henry Beetle "Thoreau in Today's Sun" [1969]
  8. Kleinfeld, Leonard "In the Image of Thoreau" [1972]
  9. Leary, Lewis "Presidential Address" [1962]
  10. McGill, Frederick, Jr. "Thoreau and Channing" [1958]
  11. Mehta, G.L. "Thoreau and Gandhi" [1957]
  12. Nelson, Truman "A Please for Henry Thoreau" [1959]
  13. Oehser, Paul H."Thoreau: Exponent of Silence" [1960]
  14. Ready, G. Russell "Time to Go A-Fishing In –" [1967]
  15. Robbins, Roland W. "House Hunting for Henry D. Thoreau" [1965]

Series II. Publications of the Society

–For holdings, search the Henley Library Catalog–

  1. Adams, Raymond, et al. The Thoreau Society of America. Chapel Hill, NC: Orange Print Shop, 1942. 19 pp. Papers read at First Annual Meeting.
  2. (Adams, Raymond). The Thoreau Society. Chapel Hill, NC: Orange Print Shop, 1943. 4pp. Portrait of John Thoreau, Jr.
  3. Curtis, George William. Reminiscences of Thoreau. Northfield, MA: Walter Harding, 1945. 2pp.
  4. Jones, Samuel, Arthur. Thoreau’s Incarceration. Bridgewater, MA: Thoreau Society, 1946. 8pp.
  5. (Harding, Walter). Thoreau’s Diploma. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Thoreau Society, 1948. 2 pp.
  6. Alcott, May. Concord Senses. New Brunswick, NJ: The Thoreau Society, 1949. 8pp.
  7. Allen, Francis H. Thoreau’s Editors History and Reminiscence. Monroe, NC: Nocalore Press, 1950. 28pp.
  8. Houston, Walter Scott. An Index to the first 10 Years of Thoreau Society Publications. Charlottesville, VA: Thoreau Society, 1953. 2pp.
  9. West, Herbert Faulkner. Mr. Emerson Writes a Letter About Walden. Lunenburg, VT: Stinehour Press, 1954. 18pp.
  10. Hosmer, Joeseph, et al. The Concord Freeman: Thoreau Annex. Charlottesville, VA: The Thoreau Society, 1955. 4pp.
  11. Harding, Walter. Thoreau’s Library. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virgina Press, 1957. 102pp.
  12. Robinson, Kenneth Allen. Thoreau and the Wild Appetite. Geneseo, NY: The Thoreau Society, 1957. 29pp.
  13. Todd, Mabel Loomis. The Thoreau Family Two Generations Ago. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Oriole Press, 1958. 23pp.
  14. Harding, Walter. Two Forgotten Bits of Thoreaviana. Geneseo, NY: Thoreau Society, 1959. 4pp.
  15. Shanley, J. Lyndon. Pleasures of Walden. Geneseo, NY: Thoreau Society, 1959. 4pp.
  16. Harding, Walter. Thoreau’s Minnesota Journey: Two Documents. Geneseo, NY: Thoreau Society, 1962. 60pp.
  17. (Hicks, John). A Centenary Gathering for Henry David Thoreau. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts, 1962. 228pp. Reprinted as Thoreau in Our Seasons. 
  18. Stoller, Leo. Henry David Thoreau: 1817-1862: Books, Manuscripts, and Association Items in Detroit and Ann Arbor. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Library, 1963. 13pp.
  19. Taylor, J. Golden. The Western Thoreau Centenary. Logan, UT: Utah State University, 1963. 63pp.
  20. Harding, Walter. Sophia Thoreau’s Scrapbook. Geneseo, NY: Thoreau Society, 1964. 66pp.
  21. Harding, Walter. The Thoreau Centennial. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1964. 119pp.
  22. Harding, Walter. An Index to the First 100 Thoreau Society Bulletins. Geneseo, NY: Thoreau Society, 1968. 4pp.
  23. Harding, Walter. Theo Brown and Henry Thoreau. Rochester: Gaudeamus Press, 1968. 7 pp.
  24. Garate, Justo. Thoreau and the Spanish Language: A Bibliography. Geneseo, NY: Thoreau Society, 1970. 12pp.
  25. Fenn, Mary Gail. Thoreau’s Easterbrook Country. Geneseo, NY: Thoreau Society, 1970. 1p.
  26. Harding, Walter. The Thoreau Collectors’ Guide to Book Prices. Geneseo, NY: Thoreau Society, 1971. 12pp.
  27. Fenn, Mary Gail. Thoreau’s Rivers. Geneseo, NY: Thoreau Society, 1973. 1pp.
  28. Moss, Marcia. Henry D. Thoreau, Surveyor. Geneseo, NY: Thoreau Society, 1976
  29. Harding, Walter. A Catalog of the Thoreau Society Archives in the Concord Free Public Library. Geneseo, NY: The Thoreau Society, 1978. 18pp.
  30. Blanding, Thomas, and Walter Harding. A Thoreau Iconography. Geneseo, NY: The Thoreau Society, 1980. 35pp. Originally printed from Studies in the American Renaissance (G. K. Hall and Co., 1980).
  31. Hendrick, George. The Fred Hosmer Copy of a Dunshee Ambrotype of Thoreau. Geneseo, NY: The Thoreau Society, 1981. 11pp.

Series III. Reference Collections

III/A By Thoreau
III/B About Thoreau

III/C

Adams/Harding Research

III/D

Thoreau/Jones/Dunbar/Billings/Lowell Families

III/E Thoreau-related Organizations:
 
  1. Thoreau Fellowship
  2. Walden Forever Wild
  3. Thoreau Country Conservation Alliance
  4. Walden Woods Project/Henley/ Walk for Walden Woods

III/F

Thoreau-related Serials (non-Thoreau Society):

–For holdings, search the Henley Library Catalog–

  1. Amateur Naturalist
  2. Thoreau Journal Quarterly
  3. Mother Earth
  4. Fragments
  5. Twisted Dial

Series IV. Manuscript Collections

IV/A

Francis Allen Papers

01

A/Correspondence, 1896-1952

Correspondents A-D

02

A/Correspondence, 1896-1952

Correspondents E-F

03

A/Correspondence, 1896-1952

Correspondents G-H

04

A/Correspondence, 1896-1952

Correspondents J-T

05

A/Correspondence, 1896-1952

Correspondents U-Z

06

B/Manuscript/typescript/galley proof material

Concerning Thoreau’s use of “hush” and “who” in writing of driving oxen

07

B/Manuscript/typescript/galley proof material

Typed passages from Thoreau’s Journal (with editorial markings) not used in 1906 edition

08

B/Manuscript/typescript/galley proof material

Allen’s transcription from Thoreau’s notebook on birds

09

B/Manuscript/typescript/galley proof material

Typed transcript of “Hugh Quoil” passages from Thoreau's Journal, later used in Walden, with notes on changes

10

B/Manuscript/typescript/galley proof material

Thoreau’s translations from Pindar published in Thoreau Society Bulletin #26

11

B/Manuscript/typescript/galley proof material

Typescript (and partial manuscript) of 1840 list of books belonging to Thoreau

12

B/Manuscript/typescript/galley proof material

Printed pages from Journal with editorial markings by Allen, concerning:

      a)      invertebrates
b)      reptiles
c)      fishes
d)     batrachians

13

B/Manuscript/typescript/galley proof material

Allen’s edited typescript of Thoreau’s “The Moon” prepared for 1927 publication in Britain

14

B/Manuscript/typescript/galley proof material

Sermon by Rev. Edward Perry Daniels (First Parish, Concord, 18 December 1938) referring to Thoreau

15

B/Manuscript/typescript/galley proof material

Catalog of A.W. Hosmer’s Thoreau Collection (now in The Concord Free Public Library)

16

B/Manuscript/typescript/galley proof material

Typescript of John Muir’s “A Windstorm in the Forests”

17

B/Manuscript/typescript/galley proof material

Typescript comments by Emerson on Thoreau

18

C/Clippings, 1897-1952

      1)      Photocopies
2)      Originals

IV/B

Bernstein Papers 

A/Correspondence, 1942-1965 

B/Manuscript/typescript material by Daniel J. Bernstein, 1940-1942 

Subseries 1. MS: A Criticism of R.L. Stevenson's Criticism of Thoreau (1940)

B/Manuscript/typescript material by Daniel J. Bernstein, 1940-1942 

Subseries 2. Four typescript versions of piece on Thoreau's modern reputation (1942)

B/Manuscript/typescript material by Daniel J. Bernstein, 1940-1942 

Subseries 3. MS: Thoreau's Independence (suggested outline for a college thesis, 1941)

B/Manuscript/typescript material by Daniel J. Bernstein, 1940-1942 

Subseries 4. Sketch of Thoreau family plot (May 1940)

C/Manuscript/typescript material by various individuals, 1917-1962

Subseries 1.Typescript of papers and bibliographies by Walter Harding (ca. 1940, carbon copies)

C/Manuscript/typescript material by various individuals, 1917-1962

Subseries 2. Donald Szantho Harrington's sermon "Living Is So Dear" (6 May 1962, typescript photocopy)

C/Manuscript/typescript material by various individuals, 1917-1962

Subseries 3. Miscellaneous (includes a.l.s. from Henry Salt to Edwin B. Hill, 31 December 1917)

IV/C

Allen French Papers

01

A/Correspondence, major sequences, 1930-1946

Raymond Adams, 1930-1946

02

A/Correspondence, major sequences, 1930-1946

Francis Allen, 1938-1943

03

A/Correspondence, major sequences, 1930-1946

Percy W. Brown, 1936-1944

04

A/Correspondence, major sequences, 1930-1946

Henry S. Canby, 1938-1943

05

A/Correspondence, major sequences, 1930-1946

Walter Harding, 1941-1946

06

A/Correspondence, major sequences, 1930-1946

Roland Robbins, 1945-1946

07

B/Correspondence, various (A-Z), 1931-1946

Correspondents A-G

08

B/Correspondence, various (A-Z), 1931-1946

Correspondents H-S

09

B/Correspondence, various (A-Z), 1931-1946

Correspondents T-W

10

C/Research notes and other material

Notes on Thoreau, 1936-1945

11

C/Research notes and other material

Notes on Emerson, 1936-1939

12

C/Research notes and other material

Talk of Emerson’s poetry, clippings and related material, 1936-1944

13

D/Miscellaneous materials

Typescript talks by Percy Brown on Thoreau and Emerson

14

D/Miscellaneous materials

Percy Brown’s notes on Thoreau

15

D/Miscellaneous materials

Edward Waldo Emerson’s notes and recollections Thoreau, Emerson and Concord, 1915-1924

IV/D

Thoreau/Dunbar Correspondence: Sophia Thoreau Letters to Mary Anne Dunbar
 

A/Letters 1857-1867 (11 letters)

A/Letters 1870-1872  (8 letters)

A/Letters 1873-1876  (13 letters)

B/Walter Harding transcripts

IV/E

Ward Family Correspondence

IV/F

Ricketson/Guerrier Family Correspondence

01

A/Daniel Ricketson

Correspondence, 1832-1896

02

B/Louisa (Sampson) Ricketson

Correspondence, 1851

03

C/Walton Ricketson

Correspondence, 1870-1922

04

D/Anna Ricketson

Correspondence, 1879-1905
05 D/Anna Ricketson Correspondence, 1906-1927, plus undated items

06

E/Emma Ricketson Guerrier

Correspondence, 1859-1872

07

F/George P. Guerrier

Correspondence, 1865-1887

08

F /George P. Guerrier

Correspondence, 1890-1894

09

F/George P. Guerrier

Correspondence, 1899-1912

10

F/George P. Guerrier

Miscellaneous documents, 1871-1887

11

G/Edith Guerrier

Correspondence, 1885-1943

12

G/Edith Guerrier

Massachusetts Library Association bookplate display, correspondence and plates

13

H/Miscellaneous correspondence and manuscript material

 

14

I/Non-manuscript material

 

IV/G

Parmenter Ricketson Papers

01

Th. Ricketson to Daniel Ricketson, 26 February 1809
02
  • Elisha Thornton to Anna Thornton [n.d.]
  • William Rotch Jr. to Anna Thornton, 11 March 1793
03
  • Sampson to Hon. Aaron Hobart, 17 January 1821
  • Sampson to Hon. Aaron Hobart, 10 February 1821
  • [fragment]
04 To Daniel and Joseph Ricketson from their father, 3 August 1827
05-45 Daniel Ricketson to Henry David Thoreau [46 items]
46 Daniel Ricketson to Sophia Thoreau [9 items]
47 W.E. Channing to Daniel Ricketson, 2 December 1855
48 Daniel Ricketson to R.W. Emerson, 23 June 1856
49 Daniel Ricketson to William Howitt [2 items]
50
  • G.W. Curtis to Daniel Ricketson, 27 June 1868
  • Daniel Ricketson to G.W. Curtis, 5 February 1880
  • G.W. Curtis to Daniel Ricketson, 14 August 1886 [typescript]
51 Daniel Ricketson to Bronson Alcott, 4 April 1870
52 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to Daniel Ricketson, 18 June 1870

IV/H

Sewall FamilyPapers

IV/I

Liakos Ricketson/Guerrier Papers

IV/J

Ellen Sewall Papers (photocopies only)

IV/K-
IV/Y

reserved for future collections

IV/Z

Individual MS. items and small artifacts
 

IV.Z.1

Thoreau survey: Charles Gordon Farm, 1858

IV.Z.2

Thoreau survey: Eagleswood (facsimile)

IV.Z.3

Thoreau survey: Edmund Hosmer Farm, 1851 (fascimile)

IV.Z.4

"Protest of 400 inhabitants of Concord against the execution of Washington Goode . . . "
IV.Z.5 ALS: Abby Tolman to Eliza Woodward. Re: death of John Thoreau, 26 August 1842
IV.Z.6 ALS: B. Marston Watson arranging for Thoreau survey and talk, 1854 
IV.Z.7 ALS: Thoreau (19 February 1855) to Elizabeth Oakes Smith
IV.Z.8 Albert Heald, A New England Pilgrimage (ms. score, 1950)
Framed ALS: Thoreau (31 July 1849) to Ellen Emerson
IV.Z.10 Daniel Ricketson herbarium
IV.Z.11 Norman Foerster diary from Harvard, 1909
IV.Z.12 ALS: Re: Concord Academic Debating Society

IV.Z.13

Typed extracts from the introductory material to the "Manuscript Edition"

Series V. Scrapbook

Anderson, Esther Howe: 3 notebooks of articles and clippings:

  1. 1941-1957

  2. 1958-1962

  3. 1963-1969

Partially indexed in the Thoreau Society Booklet #29 "A Catalog of the Thoreau Society Archives in the Concord Free Public Library" edited by Walter Harding.

 Bernstein, Daniel J.:17 notebooks of articles and clippings 

Partially indexed in the Thoreau Society Booklet #29 "A Catalog of the Thoreau Society Archives in the Concord Free Public Library" edited by Walter Harding.

Kleinfeld, Leonard: 27 notebooks of articles and clippings:

  1. George M. Adams clippings 

  2. Hall of Fame: before & after

  3. Poetic tributes to Thoreau

  4. Clippings from: The New York Sun; The New York Herald Tribune

  5. Clippings from: The New York Times

  6. Clippings from: The New York Times Book Review

  7. Clippings from: The New York Times Magazine

  8. Clippings from The Saturday Review of Literature; This Week; The Nation; Saturday Evening Post

  9. Concord news and views

  10. Concord news and views 2

  11. Photographs

  12. Clippings

  13. Clippings: Boston newspapers

  14. Clippings

  15. Clippings

  16. Clippings

  17. Clippings

  18. Clippings

  19. More of Thoreau: here, there and everywhere

  20. Commemorative stamp

  21. Letters to Leonard Kleinfeld, regarding Thoreau

  22. Letters to Leonard Kleinfeld, regarding Thoreau 2

  23. Thoreau genealogy

  24. The Thoreau Lyceum

  25. Facsimiles

  26. Facsimiles

  27. Facsimiles

  28. The Thoreau Fellowship

  29. Clippings

  30. The Henry D. Thoreau Liberty Ship
Notebooks: 18 notebooks of articles and clippings, includes first periodical printings of many Thoreau essays:

  1. 1843-1889

  2. 1864-1917, miscellaneous & undated

  3. 1890-1904

  4. 1905-1919  

  5. 1920-1929

  6. 1922-1934

  7. 1930-1934

  8. 1935-1939

  9. 1935-1940 (September)

  10. 1940 (October)-1942

  11. 1941-1942 (June)

  12. 1943-1950

  13. 1951-1961

  14. 1962-1965

  15. 1966-1968

  16. 1969-1972

  17. 1973-1975

Wade, Joseph S.: 21 notebooks of articles and clippings: "Note book on biographies"

Wheeler, Ruth R.: 1 notebook of articles and clippings

"The first part of this scrapbook is made from clippings saved by Allen French, a founder of the Thoreau Society. It extends to include the pieces written for the Christian Science Monitor by his friend Morris Longstreth who was living in Concord at that time."

Series VI: Clippings Collections

VI/A

Relating to Thoreau Society

VI/B

Relating to Thoreau Society Members

VI/C

Relating to Thoreau Lyceum

VI/D

By or relating to Thoreau scholars/scholarship

VI/E Relating to efforts to place Thoreau in Hall of Fame, 1935-1961

VI/F

Relating to Thoreau

VI/G

Relating to Thoreau's travels

VI/H

Relating to Thoreau’s influence, reputation and relevance

VI/I

Relating to Thoreau anniversary celebrations (birth, death, etc.)

VI/J

Poetry inspired by Thoreau

VI/K

Relating to Thoreau MSS. and MS. Collections
VI/L Relating to printed editions of Thoreau’s writings, 1906-1993
VI/M Relating to secondary sources about Thoreau Institute
VI/N Reviews and pieces about adaptations of Thoreau
VI/O Relating to Thoreau and Thoreau-related images, 1933-1983
VI/P Relating to the Thoreau Fellowship, Walden Forever Wild, and Mary Sherwood, 1970-1993
VI/Q Relating to Walden Pond, 1896-1991
VI/R

Relating to the Save Walden Committee

VI/S

Relating to:

  1. The Thoreau Fellowship
  2. Walden Forever Wild
  3. The Thoreau Country Conservation Alliance
  4. The Walden Woods Project/The Walk for Walden Woods

Series VII: Books: Search the Henley Library Catalog

Series VIII: Photographic and Pictorial Material

VIII/A Daguerreotypes
 

Henry D. Thoreau

Photographer: Benjamin D. Maxham

Date: 18 June 1856

Collection: The Thoreau Society Archives

 

John Thoreau

Photographer: Unknown

Date: 1849

Collection: The Thoreau Society Archives

Sophia Thoreau

Photographer: Unknown

Date: 1849

Collection: The Thoreau Society Archives

 

 

 
VIII/B

Thoreau-related Calendars

  • 1908: Middlesex Mutual Fire Insurance Co.
  • 1935: The School Calendar (American Book Co.)
  • 1955: F.A. Bassette Co., Printers
  • 1969: Thoreau Calendar
  • 1975: Sierra Club Trail Calendar
  • 1979: A Literary Calendar (Susan and Thomas Cahill)
  • 1987: The Nutshell News Calendar (Boynton & Assoc.)
  • 1991: Thoughts from Walden Pond (Pomegranate Calendars)
  • Perennial: Concord Book of Days (David Rubel, 1993)
  • Perennial: Circle of the Seasons (Martha Claire Rowse)
  • Perennial: Days of Civil Disobedience
VIII/C Herbert Gleason Photographs
VIII/D Alfred W. Hosmer Photographs
  • Bartlett, George, at the Hemlock, N. Branch on Assabet River
  • Channing, Dr. Walter L., Father of Ellery Channing: bust (2 views)
  • Egg Rock
  • Gibraltar, Concord River
  • Great Elm
  • Hemlocks, N. Branch, Assabet River
  • Maple Spring
  • Orchard House

 

Series IX: Non-Print Material

IX/A