Skip to main content

Yeats family correspondence

 Collection
Call Number: MS 25

Overview

The Yeats family was a prominent Irish literary family in the 19th and 20th centuries. This collection includes some of their correspondence, business and personal, along with illustrations created by Jack Butler Yeats and poems written by William Butler Yeats. Also included are materials which belonged to Joseph Maunsell Hone, who wrote a biography of W.B. Yeats.

Dates

  • Creation: 1895 - 1957

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

No access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Spencer Library staff may determine use restrictions dependent on the physical condition of manuscript materials.

History of the Yeats family

Elizabeth "Lolly" Corbet Yeats (1868-1940), founded the Dun Emer (later Cuala) Press in Dundrum, Ireland, along with her sister Susan "Lily" (1866-1949). Their brother William Butler (1865-1939) contributed his editing skills to this press; brother Jack Butler (1871-1957) contributed illustrations. William Butler and Jack Butler also collaborated at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. William Butler was well known for his contributions to poetry and prose, which earned him a Nobel prize.

Extent

1 linear foot (2 document cases)

Language of Materials

English

Scope and Contents

MS 25.E contains letters from Elizabeth Corbet "Lolly" Yeats, sister of William Butler Yeats and material from the Cuala Press. MS 25.G contains a letter from Mrs. Wb Yeats (George Hyde-Lees) to P.S. O'Hegarty. MS 25.J contains letters and printed materials created by Jack Butler Yeats, brother to Wb Yeats. MS 25.K houses letters written by John Butler Yeats, father of Wb Yeats. Material in MS 25.S includes a letter to Susan "Lily" Yeats, sister of Wb Yeats, from Elton Bottomley. MS 25.W includes letters written by Wb Yeats, as well as prose material and poetry. MS 25.X contains various letters and other material belonging to members of the Yeats social circle. MS 25.Z includes various materials placed in the collection in temporary locations from Maud Gonne, who was proposed to by Wb Yeats, to the Cuala Press and Lolly Yeats. Box one contains MS 25.Ea to MS 25.Jb and Box two contains MS 25.Ka to MS 25.Z.

Physical Location

MS 25

Physical Location

MS R7

Immediate Source of Acquisition

MS 25.Ea.1: Emily Driscoll, 1958; MS 25.Ea.2, MS 25.Ea.4, MS 25.Ja.4, MS 25.Ja.7: Bertram Rota, 1957-1960; MS 25.Ea.3, MS 25.Ea.5.1, MS 25.Ea.7.1, MS 25.Ea.8.1, MS 25.Wb.2, MS 25.Wc: Purchase, P.S. O'Hegarty, 1958; MS 25.Ea.5.2-3, MS 25.Ea.7.2, MS 25.Eb, MS 25.Ja.1, MS 25.Ja.5-6, MS 25.Ja.8, MS 25.Xa.1-2: unknown; MS 25.Ea.5.4-7, MS 25.Ga.1, MS 25.Ja.2: Found in 1959 by Hester Black in Yeats Collection books; MS 25.Ea.6, MS 25.Ea.8.4-5: gift, Mr. J. Chr. Bay, before 1961; MS 25.Ka, MS 25.Sb, MS 25.Xa.3-4: Purchase, Stanley Smith, 1957.

Related Materials

Henderson Scrapbooks - Contact staff at ksrlref@ku.edu or (785) 864-4334 for assistance to access these scrapbooks.

Title
Guide to the Yeats Family Correspondence Collection
Subtitle
Yeats family correspondence
Author
Finding aid prepared by sda, 2012; revised by eear, 2016; revised by mwh, 2018.
Date
2012
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Finding aid written in English.
Finding aid permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/10407/3139931770
Preferred citation
Yeats family correspondence, MS 25, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas

Repository Details

Part of the University of Kansas. Kenneth Spencer Research Library Repository

Contact:
1450 Poplar Lane
Lawrence KS 66045-7616 United States
785-864-4334