Ruthven Todd collection
Scope and Contents
The Ruthven Todd collection contains manuscripts, correspondence, and artwork produced between 1938 and 1986. Manuscripts include early handwritten poetry and typed and handwritten poetry and prose from later in Todd’s life. Correspondence between Ruthven Todd and Charles Abbott, “Bob,” Karl Gay, Melissa Banta, and Robert Latona are present in the collection. Correspondence discussing Todd between Julian Symons, Kathleen Raine, Nicolette Bernard, and Robert Latona regarding Todd are also present. The artwork present is an original and 3 prints of an illustrated poem titled Fungi.
Dates
- 1938-1986
Creator
- Banta, Melissa (Person)
- Connolly, Thomas Edmund (Person)
- Gay, Karl (Person)
- Latona, Robert (Person)
- Raine, Kathleen (Person)
- Reid, Alastair (Person)
- Rolph, John Alexander (Person)
- Smart, Elizabeth (Person)
- Symons, Julian (Person)
- Todd, Ruthven (Person)
Language of Materials
Collection material in English.
Terms of Access
The Ruthven Todd collection, 1938-1986 is open to researchers.
Copyright
Copyright of papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and the Poetry Collection before requesting photocopies and/or publishing quotations from materials in the collection.
Biographical
The poet, novelist, and artist Ruthven Todd was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1914. He began his career as a journalist and copy-editor while living in Edinburgh, London, and later Essex. He is best known for his work as an editor of the works of William Blake and his children’s books. Under the pseudonym R. T. Campbell, he wrote detective fiction. During the 1930s he was involved with the surrealists movement and had friendships with a number of prominent writers, including Dylan Thomas, Wyndham Lewis, Ezra Pound, and Julian Symons. He moved to America in 1947, where he took a position teaching at the University of Iowa and ran The Weekend Press. In 1960 he moved to El Terreno, Palma de Majora, where he lived until 1965 when he resettled for the final time to the village of Galilea, where he lived until his death in 1978.
Extent
.63 Linear Feet (2 manuscript boxes)
Abstract
The Ruthven Todd collection consists of papers produced between 1938 and 1986. The collection contains handwritten and typed manuscripts, correspondence, and artwork.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in three series.
I. Manuscript
II. Correspondence
III. Art
Accruals and Additions
No further accruals are expected for this collection.
Processing Information
Processed by Sarah Akers, April 2015.
- Abbott, Charles D. (Charles David), 1900-1961
- American poetry -- 20th century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Source
- The Poetry Collection (Repository, Organization)
- Title
- Finding aid for the Ruthven Todd collection, 1938-1986
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Sarah Akers.
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the The Poetry Collection Repository
420 Capen Hall
Buffalo New York 14260-1674 US
716-645-2917
716-645-3714 (Fax)
lpo-poetry@buffalo.edu