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A Guide to the James Whitcomb Riley Collection Riley, James Whitcomb. 7133-q

A Guide to the James Whitcomb Riley Collection

A Collection in the
Clifton Waller Barrett Library of American Literature
Accession number 7133-q


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University of Virginia Library

Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
USA
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Fax: (434) 924-4968
Reference Request Form: https://small.lib.virginia.edu/reference-request/
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© 1997 By the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. All rights reserved.

Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Processed by: Special Collections Department Staff

Repository
University of Virginia. Library. Special Collections Dept. Alderman Library University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia 22903 USA
Collection Number
7133-q
Title
James Whitcomb Riley Collection 1867-1940
Extent
ca. 700 items
Creator
Location
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

James Whitcomb Riley Collection, Accession 7133-q, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library

Acquisition Information

Deposit 1972 September 8

Funding Note

Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

Significant Persons Associated With the Collection

  • Elizabeth
  • A. J. Walker
  • Albert Beveridge
  • Albert Macy
  • Arthur Downing
  • Arthur Swann
  • Carl Fisher
  • Charles Miller
  • Clara Laughlin
  • Clara Wambach
  • Clara [Bottsford]
  • David Francis
  • Ed[mund Eitel]
  • Edmund Eitel
  • Ella [Wheeler Wilcox]
  • Ernest Bradford
  • F[rank] Payne
  • Frances Hodgson Burnett
  • Frank Moore
  • Frederic Burlingame
  • Gene Stratton Porter
  • George Hitt
  • George Payne
  • George Ray
  • Guido Della Bona
  • H. K. Landis
  • Hall Caine
  • Harry Miesse
  • Henry Eitel
  • J. H. Armington
  • J. M. Judah
  • James Noel
  • James Whitcomb Riley
  • James Whitcomb Riley
  • James Whitcomb Riley
  • Jessie [Barroquillo]
  • John Philip Sousa
  • John Townsend Trowbridge
  • Julia Riley
  • Julian Riley Dillaby
  • K. O. Hert
  • Lesley Payne
  • Libbie Fisher
  • Marcus Dickey
  • Margaret Deland
  • Mary Dodds
  • Mary Judah
  • Mary Riley Payne
  • Mary Roberts Rinehart
  • Mary Stubbs
  • Mira Southworth
  • Molly Elliott Seawell
  • O[liver] W[endell] Holmes
  • R. L. Dawson
  • Richard Riley
  • Viola Allen
  • W[illiam] D[ean] Howells
  • William Hough
  • William Osborne
  • William Winter
  • [Edmund] Eitel
  • [Silas] Weir Mitchell
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Significant Places Associated With the Collection

  • Greenfield, Indiana
  • Indianapolis
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Item Listing

Manuscripts
  • Poem, "At Laker-Bee"
    n.d.
    AMsS, 2 p.
  • Poem, "The Curse of the Wandering Foot"
    n.d.
    AMsS, 2 p.
  • Poem, "An Empty Glove"
    n.d.
    AMsS, 1 p.
  • Poem, "John Brown"
    n.d.
    AMsS, 1 p.
  • Poem, "An Order for a Song"
    n.d.
    AMsS, 2 p.
  • Poem, "Song"
    n.d.
    AMss, 1 p.
  • List of poems on back of envelope
    [ca. 1891 Feb]
    AMs
  • Poems and drawings written and drawn by James Whitcomb Riley as a child
    n.d.
    Photostats, 17 items
  • Poem, "The Bear Story"
    n.d.
    2 photostats of AMs (incom.), 2 p. each
  • Poem, "The Raggedy Man Observing"
    n.d.
    Typed trans., 1 p.
  • Poem, "Bud Writes Some Rhymes"
    n.d.
    Typed trans., 1 p.
  • Poem, "A Letter To a Child's Mother"
    n.d.
    Typed trans., 1 p.
  • Poem, "A Sonnet"
    n.d.
    Typed trans., 1 p.
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Letters
  • Viola Allen to James Whitcomb Riley
    1916 Jan 31
    ALS, 4 p. w/env
  • Frances Hodgson Burnett to James Whitcomb Riley
    1915 Nov 26
    ALS, 4 p.
  • R. L. Dawson to James Whitcomb Riley
    1890 Nov 11
    ALS, 1 p.
  • Margaret Deland to James Whitcomb Riley
    1916 Mar 27
    TLS, 1 p.
  • Julian Riley Dillaby to James Whitcomb Riley
    1897 Apr 30
    ALS, 3 p. w/env
  • Mary Dodds to James Whitcomb Riley
    1896 Nov 9
    ALS, 6 p. w/env
  • Ed[mund Eitel] to James Whitcomb Riley
    1915 Mar 1
    TLS, 2 p. w/env
  • Carl Fisher to Guards of Indianapolis Speedway , re: James Whitcomb Riley
    1916 May 24
    TLS, 1 p.
  • Libbie Fisher to James Whitcomb Riley
    1892 Jun 2
    ALS, 2 p. w/env
  • Hotel Halcyon to James Whitcomb Riley
    1915
    4 bills
  • K. O. Hert to A. J. Walker re: James Whitcomb Riley 's talk
    1888 Jul 4
    ALS, 2 p. w/env
  • O[liver] W[endell] Holmes to [ James Whitcomb Riley ?]
    1867 Dec 28
    ALS, 4 p.
  • W[illiam] D[ean] Howells to James Whitcomb Riley
    1916 Feb 22
    ALS, 2 p.
  • [Silas] Weir Mitchell to James Whitcomb Riley
    1903 May 15
    LS, 2 p. w/env
  • [Silas] Weir Mitchell to James Whitcomb Riley , encl. 2 1. AMs poem by Mitchell
    [1903 Aug 18]
    ALS, 2 p. w/env
  • [Silas] Weir Mitchell to James Whitcomb Riley
    1904 Dec 12
    TLS, 3 p. w/env
  • [Silas] Weir Mitchell to James Whitcomb Riley
    [1906 Jan 10]
    ALS, 2 p. w/env
  • Letters, [Silas] Weir Mitchell to James Whitcomb Riley
    1903-1913
    TMs (trans.), 3 p.
  • [Silas] Weir Mitchell to James Whitcomb Riley
    1906 May 27
    ALS, 2 p. w/env
  • Frank Moore to James Whitcomb Riley , encl. 19 1. AMs essay, "An American Poet" by Mira Southworth
    1901 Jul 17
    ALS, 2 p. w/env
  • Munford to James Whitcomb Riley
    1899 Mar 11
    ALS, 3 p.
  • F[rank] Payne to James Whitcomb Riley
    n.d.
    ALS, 3 p.
  • George Payne to James Whitcomb Riley
    1884 Jun 21
    ALS, 2 p. w/env
  • Lesley Payne to James Whitcomb Riley , encl. clippings
    1907 Jul 17
    ALS, 10 p. w/env
  • Lesley Payne to James Whitcomb Riley
    1907 Aug 20
    ALS, 1 p. w/env
  • Lesley Payne to James Whitcomb Riley , encl. clipping
    1907 Aug 21
    ALS, 8 p. w/env
  • Lesley Payne to James Whitcomb Riley , encl. clippings and 2 photos
    1908 Feb 13
    ALS, 12 p.
  • Mary Riley Payne to James Whitcomb Riley
    1889 Aug 27
    ALS, 3 p.
  • Mary Riley Payne to James Whitcomb Riley
    [1889] Sep 7
    ALS, 4 p. w/env
  • Mary Riley Payne to James Whitcomb Riley
    n.d.
    ALS, 4 p.
  • Gene Stratton Porter to James Whitcomb Riley
    [1910 Jan 5]
    ALS, 3 p. w/env
  • Julia Riley to [ James Whitcomb Riley ]
    n.d.
    ALS (incom.), 4 p.
  • Inscribed to James Whitcomb Riley by Molly Elliott Seawell
    [1915 Dec 23]
    Inscribed calling card w/env
  • John Philip Sousa to James Whitcomb Riley
    1915 Dec 15
    ALS, 1 p. w/env
  • Ella [Wheeler Wilcox] to James Whitcomb Riley
    1876 Nov 7
    ALS, 14 p.
  • William Winter to James Whitcomb Riley
    1915 Oct 23
    ALS, 1 p.
  • Unknown to James Whitcomb Riley
    n.d.
    AN in form of poem, 1 p.
  • James Whitcomb Riley to Unknown
    1877 Jan 11
    ALS (trans.) in form of poem, 5 p.
  • Letters from James Whitcomb Riley to Henderson and others
    1877
    TMs (trans.), 3 p.
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Miscellaneous
  • Agreement between James Whitcomb Riley and Minneapolis Institute of Arts and Letters , re: James Whitcomb Riley 's speeches
    1899 Aug 31
    Legal document
  • Page proofs for several poems by James Whitcomb Riley
    n.d.
    Page proofs, w/AMs corr., 8 items
  • Re: James Whitcomb Riley 's works, Riley Hospital , Riley Memorial , etc.
    ca. 1905-ca. 1935
    Clippings, ca. 300 items
  • Poems of James Whitcomb Riley
    n.d.
    Clippings, 17 items
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Papers of Mary and Lesley Payne
  • Business Papers

    Note: As much as possible, the list follows Lesley Payne's filing order and folder headings.

    • From Library of Congress Copyright Office for James Whitcomb Riley works, w/envelope
      1901-1931
      17 cards and letters, w/env
    • Duplicates of papers submitted to James Noel re: motion picture rights, Bobbs-Merrill subscription edition
      1912-1922
      Correspondence and memoranda
    • Between Lesley Payne and book companies, re: proposal to publish James Whitcomb Riley letters
      1912-1923
      Correspondence and agreements
    • Corr. between Riley heirs; history of James Whitcomb Riley estate; list of James Whitcomb Riley property in hands of Edmund Eitel
      1913-1919
      Correspondence and memoranda
    • Re: James Whitcomb Riley estate; copyrights, etc.
      1914-1923
      Correspondence, agreements, memoranda
    • Re: Scribner's Homestead Edition and relinquishment to Bobbs-Merrill Co.
      1915-1917
      Correspondence and agreements
    • Bobbs-Merrill Co. to Marcus Dickey , re: proposed book on James Whitcomb Riley
      1915 Mar 16
      Trans. of TLS
    • Will for Mary Riley Payne
      1917 Oct 11
      Will
    • Includes statements of George Ray and Mary Judah
      1917
      Notes and statements
    • Re: James Whitcomb Riley Memorial ; distribution of shares in estate
      1917-1919
      Agreements
    • Re: Bottsford letters, Riley baby pictures
      1917-1919
      Correspondence
    • Frederic Burlingame to Lesley Payne , re: literary and movie rights
      1917-1921
      3 TLS
    • Re: James Whitcomb Riley estate and movie rights
      1917-1923
      Correspondence, affidavits, memoranda
    • Re: subscription edition, serial articles, royalties
      1917-1923
      Correspondence and contracts
    • Between James Whitcomb Riley heirs and Bobbs-Merrill Co.
      1918-1919
      Drafts of contracts
    • Re: settlement of James Whitcomb Riley estate
      1918-1927
      Correspondence and agreements
    • Agreement between Mary Riley Payne and J. M. Judah
      1919 Nov 3
      Deposit agreement
    • Charles Miller to Lesley Payne , re: taxes, James Whitcomb Riley memorial
      1920
      19 TLS
    • Charles Miller to Lesley Payne , re: royalties, taxes
      1921
      20 TLS
    • Chiefly from Ernest Bradford and William Osborne , re: James Whitcomb Riley copyrights
      1922-1927
      Copies of correspondence and memoranda
    • Re: settlement of James Whitcomb Riley estate
      1922-1928
      Correspondence, memoranda, contracts
    • Re: James Whitcomb Riley copyrights
      1925-1927
      Correspondence
    • Re: rights of "Little Orphant Annie"
      1926
      Correspondence
    • Representative of Mary Riley Payne to Albert Beveridge , re: edition of James Whitcomb Riley letters
      1926
      2 TL
    • Correspondence between James Whitcomb Riley heirs; contracts with Bobbs-Merrill Co. , re: rights to Ripley material
      1926-1929
      Correspondence and contracts
    • Mary Stubbs to Lesley Payne , re: income
      1927 Dec 19
      TLS
    • Re: permissions to use James Whitcomb Riley poems
      1928
      Correspondence
    • Re: James Whitcomb Riley copyrights
      1928-1929
      Correspondence
    • From Victor Talking Machine Co.
      1928-1930
      Correspondence and royalty statements
    • Browne and Phelps to Bobbs-Merrill Co. , re: copyrights for James Whitcomb Riley heirs
      1934-1936
      2 TL
    • Re: Mary Riley Payne 's estate
      1938 Jan 25
      Correspondence and inventory
    • To Riley heirs for The Bachelor Bard
      1938 Sep 23
      Assignment of copyright
    • Elizabeth and Harry Miesse to Lesley Payne , re: finances
      1939-1943
      10 ALS/TLS
    • Between James Whitcomb Riley and Bobbs-Merrill
      n.d.
      Memorandum of contract
    • Re: rights to James Whitcomb Riley letters
      n.d.
      Memorandum
    • Inventories of James Whitcomb Riley letters, manuscripts, and records
      n.d.
      Typed inventories
  • Personal Papers
    • Diary of Lesley Payne
      1906
      AMsS, ca. 40 p.
    • Lesley Payne 's list of James Whitcomb Riley letters, in notebook
      n.d.
      AMs, ca. 75 p.
    • "James Whitcomb Riley" by Lesley Payne
      n.d.
      TMs (carbon, incom.), 60 p.
    • Lesley Payne 's notes for biography of James Whitcomb Riley
      n.d.
      AMs, ca. 35 p.
    • Genealogical notes re: Riley family
      n.d.
      TMs, 2 p.
    • Speech, "Memories of Riley" by William Hough
      n.d.
      TMs, 11 p.
    • Poem beginning, "Down the lane he comes..." by unknown
      n.d.
      AMs, 2 p.
    • Metaphysical notes by [ Mary Riley Payne ]
      n.d.
      AMs and TMs, ca. 50 p.
  • Letters
    • J. H. Armington to Lesley Payne
      1939 Mar 31
      TLS, 1 p.
    • Jessie [Barroquillo] to Lesley Payne
      1940 Mar 28
      ALS, 2 p.
    • Clara [Bottsford] to Mary Riley Payne
      1887 Sep 7
      ALS, 3 p. w/env
    • Guido Della Bona to Lesley Payne
      1911 Oct 9
      ALS, 3 p.
    • Guido Della Bona to Lesley Payne
      [1912] Feb 26
      ALS, 8 p. w/env
    • Guido Della Bona to Lesley Payne
      1912 Mar 26
      ALS, 8 p. w/env
    • Guido Della Bona to Lesley Payne
      [1912] May 6
      ALS, 4 p. w/env
    • Guido Della Bona to Lesley Payne
      1912 Sep 5
      ALS, 4 p.
    • Guido Della Bona to [ Lesley Payne ]
      1912 Sep 21
      ALS, 4 p. w/env
    • Guido Della Bona to Lesley Payne
      1912 Nov 2
      ALS, 4 p.
    • Guido Della Bona to Lesley Payne
      1913 [Aug 22]
      ALS, 2 p.
    • Guido Della Bona to Lesley Payne , encl. photo
      1914 May 21
      ALS, 4 p.
    • Guido Della Bona to Lesley Payne
      1914 Jan 8
      ALS, 4 p. w/env
    • Guido Della Bona to Lesley Payne
      Sep 4
      ALS, 4 p.
    • Marcus Dickey to Lesley Payne
      1935 May 1
      TLS, 1 p. w/env
    • Arthur Downing to Lesley Payne
      1939 Apr 25
      TLS, 3 p.
    • David Francis to Henry Eitel
      1916 Aug 31
      TLS, 1 p. w/env
    • Citizens of Greenfield to Mary Riley Payne , bound
      [1916]
      TLS, 8 p.
    • George Hitt to Arthur Swann
      1935 Mar 16
      TLS (carbon), 2 p. w/env
    • George Hitt to Lesley Payne
      1936 Aug 3
      ALS, 2 p. w/env
    • H. K. Landis to Lesley Payne
      1939 Mar 22
      ALS, 1 p.
    • M. McKenzie to Mary Riley Payne
      1892 Jul 26
      ALS, 2 p.
    • Albert Macy to Lesley Payne , encl. photo of Macy
      1938 Jan 17
      TLS, 2 p. w/env
    • [Silas] Weir Mitchell to Edmund Eitel
      1913 Feb 3
      TLS, 1 p.
    • Lesley Payne to unknown
      n.d.
      AL (draft), 1 p.
    • Mary Riley Payne to Dr. Murphy
      n.d.
      ALS, 4 p.
    • Julia Riley to Mary Riley Payne
      1927 Oct 24
      ALS, 2 p. w/env
    • Richard Riley to Mary Riley Payne
      1929 Mar 8
      TLS, 1 p.
    • Mary Roberts Rinehart to [Edmund] Eitel
      1917 Feb 22
      TLS, 1 p.
    • John Townsend Trowbridge to [Edmund] Eitel
      1915 Jun 29
      ALS, 4 p.
    • Clara Wambach to Mary Riley Payne
      1903 Sep 23
      ALS, 11 p. w/env
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Photographs
  • James Whitcomb Riley , head and shoulders
    1892 Oct
    6 copies of photo
  • James Whitcomb Riley , standing
    n.d.
    Photo
  • James Whitcomb Riley , seated, w/unidentified man standing beside him
    n.d.
    2 copies of photo
  • James Whitcomb Riley , seated
    n.d.
    Photo
  • James Whitcomb Riley , profile
    n.d.
    Photo
  • James Whitcomb Riley , head and shoulders
    n.d.
    Photo
  • James Whitcomb Riley , standing
    n.d.
    2 copies of photo
  • James Whitcomb Riley , head and shoulders
    n.d.
    Photo from book
  • James Whitcomb Riley , half-seated on chair
    n.d.
    3 photos on posters
  • James Whitcomb Riley , w/members of the Payne family
    n.d.
    Photo
  • Riley monument in Indianapolis
    n.d.
    Photo on card
  • Riley hospital in Indianapolis
    n.d.
    Photo on card
  • "The Old Swimming Hole" in Greenfield, Indiana
    n.d.
    Photo on card
  • Old Seminary Homestead in Greenfield, Indiana
    n.d.
    Photo on card
  • Lesley Payne as a child
    n.d.
    3 photos
  • Lesley Payne , older, standing
    n.d.
    Photo
  • Lesley Payne , profile
    n.d.
    Photo
  • Lesley Payne , seated
    n.d.
    Photo
  • Four unidentified men
    n.d.
    2 tintypes
  • Unidentified man, head and shoulders
    n.d.
    Photo
  • Unidentified man with beard, seated
    n.d.
    Photo
  • [For photos of Mary Riley Payne and Lesley Payne ]
    n.d.
    4 negatives
  • Hall Caine , seated
    n.d.
    Photo
  • Clara Laughlin , profile
    n.d.
    Photo, signed
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Miscellaneous
  • Notes, envelopes, cards, etc.
    1886-1930, n.d.
    Miscellaneous items
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