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Collection

Don Stewart IWW Collection, 1890-2000

3 Linear Feet (The collection is comprised of six manuscript boxes. )

This collection documenting the history of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and of labor organizing in North America was assembled by Don Stewart, owner of the Vancouver bookstore MacLeod's Books since 1973. The collection is arranged into five series. Organizational Records comprise records of the central IWW administration, such as general convention minutes (1913-1969 with gaps), general executive boards letters and minutes (1959-1964), financial statements (1918-1944 with gaps), membership cards, and documents from the general defense committee relating to IWW prisoners during World War I. Reflecting the IWW's internal structure, Constituent Unions Records are organized by industrial trade numbers and include administrative documents and organizing literature. Constituent Unions Records also include a few folders relating to the Western Federation of Miners, which pre-dates IWW's founding in 1905 The Colorado Coal Strike Archive is a set of letters, telegrams between labor organizers, bulletins to workers, and other documents relating to the Columbine Mine Massacre of 1927. Topical Literature contains general ephemera by the IWW and literature related to the IWW and labor unions, including a transcript of the play "The Wobblies" by Ronald Weihs and a memorial booklet for Carlo Tresca. Finally, International Material contains foreign print materials about IWW or labor more generally. It also contains records and letters from the Canadian division of IWW in the Vancouver area, including letters from Fred Thompson and Pete Seeger.
Collection

Don Werkheiser Papers, 1885-1998 (majority within 1950-1994)

8 linear feet

Don Werkheiser was a teacher, writer, and philosopher-reformer active in the last half of the 20th century. He is best described as an individualist anarchist and libertarian. Most of his writings center on the philosophy of Mutual Option Relationship, which he developed and promoted throughout his life. It is multidisciplinary in its nature but based mainly on principles of equal rights and freedom of the individual. The eight linear feet of papers consist primarily of Werkheiser's writings (in the form of notes, drafts, and finished typescripts), correspondence with friends and colleagues, and related ephemera. A small number of photographs, materials documenting Werkheiser's interests and activities, and works by associates of Werkheiser are also present.

Don Werkheiser, like many of his peers, received little recognition for his ideas and efforts during his lifetime, even among the relatively small circle of individualist anarchists within which he interacted. The papers consist mainly of various iterations of his Mutual Option Relationship philosophy and methodologies for realizing it, as well as his thoughts on the numerous social, economic, and political problems that he saw in contemporary American society. There is also correspondence with friends and associates in his intellectual and ideological sphere. The ephemera in the collection--consisting of newspaper clippings; pamphlets; and extracts from periodicals, books, and monographs, are significant because of their subject area (mainly freedom of speech), their relative obscurity, and also Werkheiser's extensive annotations. These materials are supplemented by a very small number of photographs.

The Don Werkheiser Papers (8 linear feet) have been divided into six series: Writings, Correspondence, Other Activities, Works by Others, Photographs, and Ephemera. Originally included with the Don Werkheiser Papers was a large collection of books and pamphlets by Theodore Schroeder, an important influence on Werkheiser, as well as published works by other authors. These have been removed and cataloged separately.

There is a significant amount of material in the Don Werkheiser Papers having to do with Theodore Schroeder. In addition to championing free speech causes, Schroeder developed a system of psychological thought which he named "evolutionary psychology." He was also interested in erotogenic interpretations of religious practices, and his writings on this topic generated much controversy in his day. Werkheiser was profoundly influenced by evolutionary psychology and other areas of Schroeder's thought, especially his advocacy of free speech. This is indicated not only in Werkheiser's own writings, but also in his substantial files of material by and about Schroeder and in a small amount of correspondence between the two, and between Schroeder and others. (As a point of clarification, Schroeder's evolutionary psychology appears to be entirely unrelated to the discipline of the same name established by Leda Cosmides and John Tooby in the 1990s.)

There is also a substantial amount of material related to the School of Living (mainly the one in Brookville, Ohio) and the ideas associated with it: decentralism, cooperative living, monetary and tax reform, alternative education, permaculture, wilderness and farmland preservation, and the environment. Its founders, Ralph Borsodi and Mildred Loomis, are also well-represented in the collection--particularly Loomis, who was a close friend of Werkheiser's. (As another point of clarification, the School of Living's journal-newsletter, Green Revolution, is unaffiliated with--and even in direct ideological opposition to--the Green Revolution in agriculture begun in the mid-1940s that encouraged large-scale chemical applications as a means to boost agricultural productivity.)

Other important influences on or associates of Werkheiser represented in the collection are Georgism and Henry George (on which Werkheiser wrote extensively), Laurance Labadie, Ralph Templin, and Arnold Maddaloni. There is also some material by the science fiction writer Robert Anton Wilson.

Collection

Douglas R. Pappas Archive, 1913-2004

20.0 Linear feet (34 manuscript boxes and 6 postcard boxes)

Douglas Pappas was a traveler, collector, lawyer, and a huge fan of Baseball. The Douglas Pappas Archive documents the modern Lincoln Highway Association, as well as the personal interests of Douglas Pappas with his travel albums/scrapbooks and postcard collection. The collection is arranged into four series: Lincoln Highway Association, Publications, Travel albums/Scrapbooks, and Postcards. The Lincoln Highway Association series contains business records, ephemera, and manuscripts that date from their charter conference planning in 1992 to 2004. There are newsletters relating to local chapter activities, reports, and correspondence. The Lincoln Highway Forum from 1993-2004 is included in the publications series with other printed materials relating to the Lincoln Highway and Lincoln Highway Association that cover 1913-2003. The travel albums/scrapbooks span the years 1985-1999 and contain postcards, maps, souvenirs, photographs, and typed commentary documenting travels on roads across the United States. The postcard collection focuses on buildings such as hotels and motels, as well as landmarks along the numbered highways in the United States. U.S. Highways 1 through 101 are included in the collection and date approximately from 1917-1971.

The Douglas Pappas Archive documents the modern Lincoln Highway Association, as well as the personal interests of Douglas Pappas with his travel albums/scrapbooks and postcard collection. The collection is arranged into four series: Lincoln Highway Association, Publications, Travel Albums/Scrapbooks, and Postcards.

The Lincoln Highway Association series contains business records, ephemera, and manuscripts that date from their charter conference planning in 1992 to 2004. In the business records there are newsletters relating to local chapter activities and research, reports, member lists, conference planning materials, pamphlets, and various correspondence. There is a great deal of correspondence between Douglas Pappas and Keith Hixon in the New York/New Jersey folders. A bumper sticker, charter conference flyers, and general flyers make up the ephemera in this series. There are several pages of handwritten notes from Douglas Pappas on yellow lined paper.

The Publications series includes the official quarterly journal of the Lincoln Highway Association entitled The Lincoln Highway Forum, which spans from 1993-2004. There are also other printed materials relating to the Lincoln Highway and Lincoln Highway Association that cover 1913-2003. The official membership rosters of the modern Lincoln Highway Association from 1993-2003 are within this series. There are guides and maps relating to the Lincoln Highway, as well as news clippings and articles. Most of this material is copied from the original and there are some printed from websites.

The Travel Albums/Scrapbooks series encompasses the years 1985-1999 and contains postcards, maps, souvenirs, photographs, and typed commentary documenting travels by Douglas Pappas on roads across the United States. In order to make the collection easier to use there are archivist supplied volume numbers given to each unique photo album/scrapbook. In total there are 34 travel albums/scrapbooks that make up this portion of the collection. Each travel album/scrapbook is different in that it follows a certain trip, a particular region of the United States, a single highway, or multiple numbered highways. They are in a chronological arrangement beginning with specific 1980s, general 1980s, then specific 1990s, general 1990s, and undated. The scrapbooks/photo albums provide a unique perspective and commentary. There are roadside attractions, monuments, landmarks, postcards, and buildings that are documented in this series.

The postcard collection spans from 1917-1971 and focuses on United States numbered highways 1 through 101, as well as a specific concentration on the Lincoln Highway. There are 6 postcard boxes that make up the entire collection with one devoted to the Lincoln Highway. The collection is arranged by highway number and then by state; a unique number was given next to each state in the finding aid detailing the amount of postcards within that state's section. The subjects on the postcards include buildings and landmarks along the numbered highways. Hotels, motels, motor lodges, inns, bridges, tunnels, restaurants/cafes, attractions, monuments, landscapes, and general greetings are the main topical areas.

For a related collection, the records of the original Lincoln Highway Association can be found in the Transportation History Collection at the University of Michigan Special Collections Library.

Collection

E. Cora DePuy Papers, 1882-1927 (majority within 1900-1919)

1 Linear Foot (2 manuscript boxes.)

Consists primarily of literary manuscripts collected from Michigan authors, poets, and journalists. Includes the original manuscripts of R.H. Thorpe's "Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight"; "The Suitors of Bridget" by O. Thanet; editorials by G.P. Goodale; essays by G. Ade, F. Carlisle, and R. Gibbons; and other poems, plays, and short stories by turn-of-the-century Michigan writers. Subjects include a short biography of F.C. Newcombe, University of Michigan professor of Botany, and a program from a 1902 banquet honoring Detroit newspaperman Judson Grenell. Also present are copies of the Proceedings of the first annual meeting of the Michigan Woman's Press Association (1891) and The Journalist (1904 Feb. 27); and limited correspondence. Accompanied by 19 photographs, mostly portraits, and 1 tintype.

This collection is comprised of manuscripts, editorials, meeting proceedings, correspondence, and some photographs.

Collection

Ella Reeve Bloor Papers, 1912-1922

2.0 Linear Feet

Ella Reeve "Mother" Bloor (1862–1951) was an American activist dedicated to the labor movement, the Socialist Party, and numerous radical groups.

The Ella Reeve Bloor Papers consist of two linear feet of personal and professional correspondence, notebooks and pamphlets, clippings, publications, and printed ephemera.

The collection, divided into 4 series, documents her activities as suffragist, free speech advocate, and labor organizer.

The Correspondence series consists of manuscript letters betweeen Bloor and her family, and correspondence between Bloor and her colleagues.

The majority of the family letters are to/from her children. Her letters, written during her travels, provide information about individuals and events associated with her work. Most of the family letters include the month and day written, but not the year. As a result, the letters are arranged in non-specific order.

Bloor's correspondence with colleagues and organizations are arranged chronologically. Included are letters from various Socialist societies, state and local government offices, newspapers, and labor unions, such as the New York State Committee Socialist Party, United Cloth and Cap Makers, Tailors' Union. In addition, there are handwritten letters from other activists involved in socialist and labor causes (e.g., letter from Joseph W. Sharts, counsel for Eugene V. Debs in his trial at Cleveland, Ohio; Theodore H. Lunde, officer of the Peace Council in Chicago).

The Publications series includes several small booklets, articles, a journal, and a report on the professional achievements of Harold M. Ware.

Collection

Ellen Van Volkenburg and Maurice Browne papers, 1772-1983 (majority within 1910-1960)

50 Linear Feet (39 boxes, 3 oversize boxes, 90 bound volumes, 7 drawers)

The Ellen Van Volkenburg and Maurice Browne Papers document their personal and professional lives together. The papers are also an important source for American and British theater history.

Correspondence – Extensively documents the personal and professional activities of MB and EVV – Letters to their families, to each other, correspondence to/from other people connected with the theatre – Major correspondents include: Mary Aldis, Dorothy Crawford, Cyril Edwards, Dorothy and Leonard Elmirst, Arthur Davison Ficke, Wilfrid Wilson Gibson, Alexander Greene, Harold Monro, John Cowper Powys, R.C. Stewart, Charles Erskine Scott Wood – Also correspondence about Henry Morley, related to MB's attempted revision of Morley's A First Sketch of English Literature

Writings – Typescripts, annotations, notes, galleys, etc. – MB's autobiography, Too Late to Lament; his plays, including multiple drafts of titles such as The King of the Jews, The Mother of Gregory, and Wings over Europe; prose, including Recollections of Rupert Brooke; and poetry – EVV plays, including Ameriga Vespucci, The American, The Queen's Keys; her prose – Works by others

Theatrical Work – Companies and associations such as Chicago Little Theatre, Cornish School, Maurice Browne Ltd. - contracts, correspondence, financial records, meeting minutes, programs, scripts – Playbills - productions associated with Maurice Browne and Ellen Van Volkenburg, divided into United States and Great Britain; other productions – Printing plates of images and text used for Chicago Little Theatre materials such as playbills, etc. – Promptbooks for many of their plays, including published versions of the plays marked with cuts and edited versions EVV used in readings she gave – Puppets - small amount of material related to puppet productions

Samurai Press – Maurice Browne's project with Harold Monro – Correspondence, business records, several manuscripts, scrapbook, clippings, etc.

Personal and Family – Personal materials related to Maurice Browne and Ellen Van Volkenburg, including correspondence about their engagement, divorce, etc. – EVV's 39 journals covering 1910-1966 – Papers of other family members - Frances Anna Browne, F.H. Browne (MB's father - his papers, dismissal as headmaster, suicide), Edward Stanley Browne, F.W. Mercer (manuscripts he hand lettered and illuminated) – Family papers - Browne family, Neligan family, indentures on vellum

Photographs – Have been organized into groupings by subject – Family and Friends (roman numerals signify subject groupings - legacy from earlier cataloging) - Many photographs of EVV and MB, their families, travel photographs (MB went to India as a young man), Molly Underwood, John Cowper Powys, Arthur Davison Ficke, Mary Aldis, Marjorie Morris, other friends – London and New York I and II - organized by title of play - production/cast photographs (see both categories - not intermingled) - many from Journey's End production – Chicago Little Theatre, Cornish School, and Carmel - organized by title of play - many from Trojan Women – Associates - actors, guest artists, others associated with them

Artwork – Costume and stage designs for various productions (organized by last name of artist when known) - separate section for Othello – Miscellaneous art works - including portraits, woodcuts, watercolors, prints, sketches (organized by last name of artist when known)

Scrapbooks – contain photographs, clippings, programs (some not represented elsewhere in the collection) – some appear to have been created by professional clipping services – document Maurice Browne's parents, their early lives, public appearances, theater reviews, etc.

Printed Material – clippings, topical files

Realia – three breastplates and leather pouch worn by Paul Robeson in Othello, 1930 – puppet made of paper and bamboo – small plaster head (appears to have broken off something)

Collection

Ellen Van Volkenburg and Maurice Browne papers, 1772-1983 (majority within 1910-1960)

50 Linear Feet — 39 boxes, 9 oversize boxes, 90 bound volumes, 1 oversize folder

The Ellen Van Volkenburg and Maurice Browne Papers document their personal and professional lives together. The papers are also an important source for American and British theater history.

Correspondence – Extensively documents the personal and professional activities of MB and EVV – Letters to their families, to each other, correspondence to/from other people connected with the theatre – Major correspondents include: Mary Aldis, Dorothy Crawford, Cyril Edwards, Dorothy and Leonard Elmirst, Arthur Davison Ficke, Wilfrid Wilson Gibson, Alexander Greene, Harold Monro, John Cowper Powys, R.C. Stewart, Charles Erskine Scott Wood – Also correspondence about Henry Morley, related to MB's attempted revision of Morley's A First Sketch of English Literature

Writings – Typescripts, annotations, notes, galleys, etc. – MB's autobiography, Too Late to Lament; his plays, including multiple drafts of titles such as The King of the Jews, The Mother of Gregory, and Wings over Europe; prose, including Recollections of Rupert Brooke; and poetry – EVV plays, including Ameriga Vespucci, The American, The Queen's Keys; her prose – Works by others

Theatrical Work – Companies and associations such as Chicago Little Theatre, Cornish School, Maurice Browne Ltd. - contracts, correspondence, financial records, meeting minutes, programs, scripts – Playbills - productions associated with Maurice Browne and Ellen Van Volkenburg, divided into United States and Great Britain; other productions – Printing plates of images and text used for Chicago Little Theatre materials such as playbills, etc. – Promptbooks for many of their plays, including published versions of the plays marked with cuts and edited versions EVV used in readings she gave – Puppets - small amount of material related to puppet productions

Samurai Press – Maurice Browne's project with Harold Monro – Correspondence, business records, several manuscripts, scrapbook, clippings, etc.

Personal and Family – Personal materials related to Maurice Browne and Ellen Van Volkenburg, including correspondence about their engagement, divorce, etc. – EVV's 39 journals covering 1910-1966 – Papers of other family members - Frances Anna Browne, F.H. Browne (MB's father - his papers, dismissal as headmaster, suicide), Edward Stanley Browne, F.W. Mercer (manuscripts he hand lettered and illuminated) – Family papers - Browne family, Neligan family, indentures on vellum

Photographs – Have been organized into groupings by subject – Family and Friends (roman numerals signify subject groupings - legacy from earlier cataloging) - Many photographs of EVV and MB, their families, travel photographs (MB went to India as a young man), Molly Underwood, John Cowper Powys, Arthur Davison Ficke, Mary Aldis, Marjorie Morris, other friends – London and New York I and II - organized by title of play - production/cast photographs (see both categories - not intermingled) - many from Journey's End production – Chicago Little Theatre, Cornish School, and Carmel - organized by title of play - many from Trojan Women – Associates - actors, guest artists, others associated with them

Artwork – Costume and stage designs for various productions (organized by last name of artist when known) - separate section for Othello – Miscellaneous art works - including portraits, woodcuts, watercolors, prints, sketches (organized by last name of artist when known)

Scrapbooks – contain photographs, clippings, programs (some not represented elsewhere in the collection) – some appear to have been created by professional clipping services – document Maurice Browne's parents, their early lives, public appearances, theater reviews, etc.

Printed Material – clippings, topical files

Realia – three breastplates and leather pouch worn by Paul Robeson in Othello, 1930 – puppet made of paper and bamboo – small plaster head (appears to have broken off something)

Collection

Erving Winslow Papers, 1898-1922

2.25 Linear Feet (2 manuscript boxes and 5 phase (foldout) boxes. )

These are the papers of Erving Winslow (1839-1922), Secretary of the Anti-Imperialist League (Boston, MA). The collection is largely correspondence related to the activities of the Anti-Imperialist League, especially those regarding Philippine independence. Many of these letters are from members of the U.S. Congress, U.S. and Philippine officials, representatives of public interest groups, and the press. There are also five volumes of record books of Anti-Imperialist League executive committee meetings as well as annual meetings (spanning 1898-1920).

Correspondence concerns the activities of the Anti-Imperialist League, especially as to Philippine independence, and chiefly includes Erving Winslow's outgoing letters as well as letters to him from members of the League's executive committee, along with letters from members of the U.S. Congress; U.S. and Philippine officials; representatives of public interest groups and the press; and other papers. It includes the record book of executive committee meetings, including the printed reports of the annual meeting, 1899–1920.

597 items and 5 v.

Collection

Esther Newton Papers, 1866-2018 (majority within 1963-2014)

20 Linear Feet — 35 manuscript boxes and 2 oversized boxes.

This collection documents the activities of Esther Newton (1940-), a professor, cultural anthropologist, and author who is a founder and prominent scholar of LGBTQ studies. The collection contains correspondence; research files; drafts and manuscripts of Newton's published and unpublished writings; coursework, notes, course syllabi, exams, and bibliographies from Newton's time as both a student and professor; presentations, speeches, lecture notes, and programs from conferences and public appearances; newsletters and meeting minutes from professional organizations; genealogical research and photographs of Newton's relatives; and photographs documenting Newton's life and research.

This collection documents the activities of Esther Newton, a professor, cultural anthropologist, and author who is a founder and prominent scholar of LGBTQ studies. The collection contains both personal and professional correspondence; research notes and files; drafts and manuscripts of Newton's published and unpublished writings including essays, books, articles, and journal entries; contracts, reprint permissions, reader's reports, reviews, and correspondence with literary agents and editors; coursework and notes from Newton's undergraduate and graduate student career; course syllabi, quizzes and exams, and bibliographies from Newton's career as a professor; lectures and speeches, paper presentations and proposals, and event programs from academic and professional organization conferences and other public appearances; newsletters and meeting minutes from professional organizations, recommendation letters, proposal reviews, and exhibition planning materials; and personal materials such as summer camp publications, academic transcripts, real estate records, publicity, and interviews.

The collection also contains genealogical materials including family trees and charts; photographs of Newton's family members dating back to the late-1800s; correspondence belonging to Newton's mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother; scrapbooks and photograph albums depicting the Bash family, Newton's mother and maternal grandparents; newspaper articles written in the late-1800s by Newton's maternal great-grandmother Lucia Gilbert Runkle; and research and correspondence relating to Newton's father, Saul Newton.

The collection contains photographs depicting the life of Esther Newton, including photographs of Newton's childhood, friends, romantic partners, and events such as birthdays and vacations. Other photographs depict places, events, and people related to Newton's research, particularly Cherry Grove, New York and drag queen performers in the 1960s. Titles denoted in quotes in the finding aid are transcribed from Newton's original titles of folders and envelopes.

Series 2, Research, contains files of Newton's research relating to her studies, career, and writing. The folders contain scholarly articles, journals, newspaper and magazine articles, book chapters, and written and typescript notes. The files are arranged alphabetically by the author's last name, and by topic if publications are mixed.

Series 3, Writings, contains drafts, manuscripts, and research material relating to the books and articles Cherry Grove, Fire Island; The Future of Gender; A Hard Left Fist; Margaret Mead Made Me Gay; Mother Camp; My Butch Career; The Mythic Mannish Lesbian; Sex and Sensibility; Too Queer for College; Womenfriends; and the unpublished Alice-Hunting; as well as various other essays and articles.

Collection

Ethel Smyth Papers, 1910-1962 (majority within 1917-1942)

1 Linear Foot — 2 manuscript boxes

The Ethel Smyth Papers contain correspondence with members of the musical community and members of the women's suffrage movement, drafts of autobiographical work, performance programs and pamphlets, and extensive diaries by Smyth commenting on personal matters, national and regional politics, composition and performance, and the lives of her friends. Also contains two sketches of Smyth by an unknown artist and two books of research notes by Christopher Marie St. John for the definitive biography of Smyth.

The Ethel Smyth Papers are comprised of five series. The series, Manuscripts, Print, Research Notes, Artwork, and Diaries, are arranged in two boxes. The bulk of the Manuscripts series consists of outgoing correspondence dated from 1910 to 1937, primarily addressed to recipients who were involved in the music community of the time. Most of the outgoing correspondence is addressed to Professor Donald Tovey, a Scottish composer and conductor and one of Smyth's mentors. This correspondence consists of 16 letters spanning more than 14 years and addresses various musical topics. Also represented in the outgoing correspondence are letters to composer and conductor Gordon Bryan; to Philip Heseltine (a.k.a. Peter Warlock) a composer and founder of the music serial The Sackbut regarding an article she wrote for the publication; and letters to Lady Constance Lytton, who was a friend of Smyth's in the Women's Suffrage Movement. Correspondence also includes a letter to Scottish conductor and student of Donald Tovey, Dr. Mary Grierson, remarking on the glorious first performance of Smyth's work, The Prison in February of 1931. Other correspondence consists of a letter from Lindsay Venn to Ethel Davidson regarding the disposition of Smyth's papers after her death. Also included in the Manuscripts series is the typescript of Lyrics to Smyth's composition, The Prison, based on the writing of Henry Brewster, who was strongly connected to Smyth. Finally, there is a fragment of several bars of music from the Concerto for Violin, Horn and Orchestra penned and autographed by Smyth. A fragment of a composition by Smyth's contemporary, Frederic H. Cowen is on the verso of this item. The Writings sub-series is made up of drafts of two typescripts. The first contains the first three chapters of A Fresh Start, Smyth's last autobiographical work, which was probably begun in 1941 but was never published. The second contains three drafts of An Eightieth Birthday, a speech given on BBC radio in 1938. These are heavily corrected in Smyth's hand. Finally, there is a single holograph sheet entitled Notes on "Mass in D" which seems to be jottings for program notes. The Print series consists of a program from the 1921 Queen's Hall Symphony performance of Smyth's "Love Duet" from her opera, The Wreckers. It also includes a pamphlet containing the lyrics of March of the Women, a piece Smyth wrote in support of the Women's Suffrage Movement. There are three newspaper clippings which discuss Smyth as a conductor, especially at the Bournemouth Music Festival, held in April of 1924. The Research Notes series contain two books of notes taken by Christopher Marie St. John for the definitive biography of Smyth. Both contain research notes and possibly notes from interviews with Smyth and members of her circle. The second of the notebooks is entitled "Wood on her Conducting / Beecham on Criticism" and contain commentary from two of Smyth's close acquaintances, Henry Wood and Thomas Beecham. The Artwork series consists of two pencil sketches of stage sets for Smyth's opera, "The Prison." The artist of these sketches is unidentified. Perhaps the most significant portion of this collection is the Diaries. These six volumes are in fragile condition and begin in 1917, continuing almost uninterrupted through 1942. The diaries are heavily annotated by Smyth herself, and she obviously used them in writing her autobiographical works. The dated entries present an excellent description of Smyth's life and include commentary on composition and performance of her music; her literary works; her health (in particular, her failing hearing) and travels; her beloved old English sheep dogs; World Wars I and II; the political climate of Ireland in the early 20th century; British royalty; and the lives of her many friends, including Empress Eugénie, Edith Somerville, Lady Ponsonby, Maurice Baring, Betty Balfour and Virgina Woolf. Throughout the diaries, Smyth has pasted in newspaper clippings, photography, pamphlets and other memorabilia. It is possible that Volume VI, which consists of family photographs, poetry by Ethel and her sister Mary, and other notes, is written in a hand which is not Smyth's.