Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

This item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination has not been made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials. https://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open to research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Henry D. Thoreau Letter, Ms1955-003, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

This collection was acquired by Special Collections and University Archives as part of the Dayton M. Kohler Papers (Ms1971-002) in 1971 or 1972. It was separated from that collection between 1985 and 2001.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Henry D. Thoreau Letter commenced and completed in November 2006. Additional description was added in November 2022.

Biographical Note

Born on July 12, 1817, in Concord, Massachusetts, Henry David Thoreau became a member of the transcendentalist movement as well as an important American author with works such as Walden and "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience." An ardent critic of slavery, Thoreau died on May 6, 1862.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of a letter written in 1855 by Henry David Thoreau to Mrs. Brown, possibly the wife of Simon Brown, Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts.

Transcription of the letter:

Concord Feb. 29 th '55

Mrs. Brown,

Dear Madam,

Though I failed to recognise you last eve- ning in the dusky entry, I assure you that I have not forgotten a pleasant call which I made at your house some years ago.

Yrs truly Henry D. Thoreau [Please note: The date is wrong, as there was no February 29 in the year 1855, and it is likely supposed to be March 1st, 1855.]

Separated Material

This letter was separated from the Dayton M. Kohler Papers, Ms1971-002.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Authors
• Brown, Simon, Mrs.
• Correspondence

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Henry D. Thoreau Letter by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).