]> BRGMACNE Guide to the Louis MacNeice collection of papers, [1934]-1966. Processed by Staff; Machine-readable finding aid created by Lynn Lobash and Nina Schneider.

Machine readable finding aid created 2006. Description is in English Berg Coll MSS MacNeice Guide to the Louis MacNeice collection of papers, [1934]-1966. The Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature. The New York Public LibraryNew York, New York The Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature. New York Public Library. Room 320. Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street New York, NY 10018-2788 (212) 930-0802 brgref@nypl.org http://nypl.org/research/chss/spe/brg/berg.html Processed by: Staff Date Completed: 2006 Encoded By: Lynn Lobash and Nina Schneider Processed and encoded with the generous support of the Gladys Kreible Delmas Foundation.

Descriptive Summary Louis MacNeice collection of papers, [1934]-1966. MacNeice, Louis, 1907-1963. Berg Coll MSS MacNeice82 items. The New York Public Library. The Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature.

New York, New York

This is a synthetic collection consisting of manuscripts and typescripts, correspondence, notebooks for 1945 through 1959, and a portrait photograph. Subjects Personal Names Auden, W. H. (Wystan Hugh), 1907-1973. Barker, George, 1913- Doone, Rupert, 1903-1966. Grigson, Geoffrey, 1905- Roberts, Michael, 1902-1948. Sackville-West, Edward, Hon., 1901-1965. Seferis, George, 1900-1971. Warner, Rex, 1905- Spender, Stephen, 1909-1995, former owner. Organizations Group Theatre (U.S.), former owner. Subjects MacNeice, Louis, 1907-1963. MacNeice, Louis, 1907-1963 -- Portraits. Document Types Correspondence Notebooks Administration Information Source

This is a synthetic collection, created from materials acquired through gift and purchase from various sources.

Custodial History

Former owners include Stephen Spender and the Group Theatre Archives.

Access

Collection is restricted to qualified scholars and researchers through the Office of Special Collections, Room 316

Restrictions on Use

For permission to publish, contact the Curator, The Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of the item]. The Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature, The New York Public Library.

Biography

Louis MacNeice was a British poet, playwright, literary critic, screenwriter, and translator.

Scope and Content Note

This is a synthetic collection consisting of manuscripts and typescripts, correspondence, notebooks for 1945 through 1959, and a portrait photograph. The manuscripts and typescripts include plays, lecture notes, poems, synopses of stories for broadcast, translations, and reviews of the author's work by W. H. Auden and George Barker. The correspondence, dating from 1934 to 1937, includes letters from the author to Rupert Doone, Geoffrey Grigson, Michael Roberts, and Edward Sackville-West, as well as an undated letter from Georgios Sepheriades to Rex Warner relating to the author.

Container List Manuscripts and Typescripts Manuscripts and Typescripts written by MacNeice Manuscript box Miscellaneous manuscript material: envelope with deleted manuscript note n.d. ms. 1 item Cased Another part of the sea. Typescript of play with the author's ms. corrections n.d. typescripts (emended) 88 p.

With the author's signed ms. note: Produced for B. B. C. T. V.

Manuscript box Arnold and Pater. Holograph lecture notes with the author's signed ms. note n.d. ms. 9 p.

Signed ms. note

Oversize (+) Autumn sequel: portions of Cantos [III] XVII-XVIII, XX [XXII] Early holograph draft n.d. ms. 8 p.

Signature added later. With Autumn Sequel. Cantos II-IV, XXVI. Final holograph draft. 22 p. In same case his: Autumn sequel: a rhetorical poem in XXVI cantos; Canto in memoriam Dylan Thomas; "Data for Autumn sequel." Holograph notebook; "first drafts..."; etc.

Oversize (+) Autumn sequel: Cantos II-IV, XXVI. Final holograph draft n.d. ms. 22 p.

Signature added later. With Autumn Sequel: portions of Cantos [III] XVII-XVIII, XX [XXII] Early holograph draft. 8 p. In same case his: Autumn sequel: a rhetorical poem in XXVI cantos; Canto in memoriam D. Thomas; "Data for Autumn sequel." Notebook; "first drafts..."; etc.

Manuscript box [Autumn sequel] Canto in memoriam Dylan Thomas (Eighteenth canto from a work in progress). Typescript with the author's ms. corrections. Date "19 Nov. 1953" at end deleted n.d. typescripts (emended) 4 p.

Signature added later. Accompanied by LS from David Hughes of the London magazine to MacNeice, London, Dec. 1, 1953, 1 p.

Manuscript box Blacklegs. Holograph play. "First draft." "Unpublished." "Accepted at the Abbey Theatre but never performed." n.d. ms. 24 p.

Signed. With the author's signed ms. note dating his work 1939

Manuscript box Christopher Columbus. Typescript (carbon) of play n.d. typescripts 74 p.

Signed. With Appendix, 4 p.

Manuscript box Faerie queene, The. Provisional scheme for twelve [B.B.C.] broadcasts. Holograph synopsis. Author's marginal ms. note: "Notes for series of broadcasts of Faerie Queene, produced by Louis MacNeice." n.d. ms. 3 p.

With typescript with author's ms. corrections. 5 p.

Manuscript box Faerie queene, The. Provisional scheme for twelve [B.B.C.] broadcasts. Another, shorter, draft n.d. ms. 2 p. Manuscript box [Group theatre, The] Typescript n.d. typescripts 1 leaf

With Robert Medley's signed ms. note: "Possibly by Louis MacNeice?"; Came with the Group theatre archive

Manuscript box Herbert and Herrick. Holograph notes for a radio programme. Folder identified and signed by the author n.d. ms. 13 p.

Accompanied by his: Return to school. Holograph draft of radio play, undated. 19 p.

(MacNeice) [Introductory talk (?) on the Agamemnon of Aeschylus] Holograph n.d. ms. 4 p.

With: Aeschylus. The Agamemnon of Aeschylus; translated by Louis MacNeice. Typescript. Came with the Group theatre archive

Manuscript box "Lecture notes for Cambridge--re drama." Incomplete holograph. Pages numbered 7-25. Discusses Yeats, Synge, T. S. Eliot and others and contains an analysis of Samuel Beckett's work n.d. ms. 19 p.

Signature added later

Manuscript box Memoranda to Horace. Goodbye to London. Star gazer. Holograph drafts of three poems with the author's signed and dated (1936) ms. note [1936] ms. 16 p.

Blue notebook from which poems were clipped laid in

Manuscript box On the four masters. Holograph poem n.d. ms. 1 p. Oversize (+) One for the dead; a modern morality play. Holograph n.d. ms. 79 p.

With the author's signed ms. note: "At the moment (1961) unpublished and unproduced" and "(a complete first draft of a stage play--probably many alterations to come. 1961)"

Manuscript box Prologue to "Dido and Aeneas" [by Henry Purcell] Holograph draft. In verse. Written for the Group theatre production at the Arts theatre, London, March 14, 1942. 1942 ms. 3 p.

Came with the Group theatre archive

Manuscript box [Prose poem] Holograph n.d. ms. 10 p.

On verso of p. [1] author's signed ms. note: "Kind of prose poem c. 1925"

Manuscript box Ravenna. Typescript (carbon) of poem with the author's ms. corrections n.d. typescripts (emended) 1 p.

Signature added later. With later typescript (carbon), signed (later) undated. 1 p.

Manuscript box Return to school. Holograph draft of a radio play n.d. ms. 19 p.

With his: Herbert and Herrick. Holograph notes for a radio programme

Manuscript box Round the corner. Typescript (carbon) of poem with the author's ms. corrections n.d. typescripts (emended) 1 p.

Signature added later

Manuscript box [Solstices] Holograph poem n.d. ms. 5 p.

Signed

Manuscript box Spring cleaning. Typescript of poem with the author's ms. corrections n.d. typescripts (emended) 1 p.

Signature added later

Manuscript box [station bell, The] Holograph fragment of play. Unpublished. Produced in 1936 by the Birmingham university dramatic society n.d. ms. 14 p. Manuscript box streets of Laredo, The. Typescript (carbon) of poem n.d. typescripts 1 p.

Signed

Manuscript box synopses for 12 radio programs, Holograph. n.d. ms. 12 p. Manuscript box [Trimalchio's feast] Music clues (probable). Holograph outline for B.B.C. broadcast n.d. ms. 5 p. Notebooks Oversize (+) In case his: Autumn sequel: portions of Cantos [III] XVII-XVIII, XX [XXII] Early holograph draft [Autumn sequel] "Data for Autumn Sequel. Cantos XXII, XXIII, XXIV, XXV." Holograph notebook n.d. notebooks 1 v.

Signature added later

Oversize (+) In case his: Autumn sequel: portions of Cantos [III] XVII-XVIII, XX [XXII] Early holograph draft Autumn sequel: first drafts of Cantos III-VIII. Holograph notebook. Also includes some miscellaneous notes and addresses n.d. notebooks 1 v.

Signature added later

Oversize (+) In case his: Autumn sequel: portions of Cantos [III] XVII-XVIII, XX [XXII] Early holograph draft [Autumn sequel] "first drafts of parts of Autumn Sequel." Holograph notebook. Also includes "Notes for films, The conquest of Everest," some miscellaneous notes and addresses n.d. notebooks 1 v.

Signature added later

Oversize (+) In case his: Autumn sequel: portions of Cantos [III] XVII-XVIII, XX [XXII] Early holograph draft [Autumn sequel] "Poss inserts for Autumn sequel." Holograph notebook. Also includes "Notes for Autumn Sequel & rough or partial drafts of Cantos XVIII, XIX, XXI. Also scheme for projected anthology of modern verse." n.d. notebooks 1 v.

Signature added later

Oversize (+) In case his: Autumn sequel: portions of Cantos [III] XVII-XVIII, XX [XXII] Early holograph draft [Autumn sequel] "Rough drafts of Autumn Sequel incl. XX-XXIII." Holograph notebook. Covers wanting. Also includes miscellaneous notes and addresses n.d. notebooks 1 v.

Signature added later

Manuscript box [Christopher Columbus; a radio play in verse] Holograph notes n.d. notebooks 1 v.

With the author's signed ms. note, identifying it. Includes at back of same notebook 5 p. of notes on play on Vienna

Cased "1945 notes for radio programmes etc." Holograph notebook, lettered "BBC" [1945] notebooks 116 p.

Signed

Cased "1947 notes for radio programmes about India." Two holograph notebooks, lettered "BBC" [1947] notebooks 2 v.

Signed on labels on covers

Cased "Notes for radio programmes." Holograph notebook, lettered "BBC" n.d. notebooks 112 p.

Signed

Manuscript box "Notes for university lectures in Cape Town. 1959." Holograph notebooks, numbered 1-7. Notebooks 1, 5 and 6 mutilated. Written in the University's examination books 1959 notebooks 7 v.

Signature added later on wrapper of book 1

In one case [Visitations] Four holograph notebooks, containing the first drafts of various poems 1954 - 1956 notebooks 4 v.

Signed (later) on the covers

Manuscripts and Typescripts relating to MacNeice (MacNeice) Aeschylus. The Agamemnon of Aeschylus; translated by Louis MacNeice. Typescript with the translator's ms. corrections n.d. typescripts (emended) 76 p.

With MacNeice's ms. draft of preface and notes on the chorus and scene, 2 p.; accompanied by: MacNeice, Louis. [Introductory talk (?) on the Agamemnon of Aeschylus] Holograph, undated. 4 p.; Came with the Group theatre archive

In his: Holograph notebook [1965-1968], p. 156-158, 160, 161 Auden, W. H. [Introduction to Persons from Porlock and other plays for radio by Louis MacNeice] Holograph n.d. ms. 5 p. Manuscript box (Gotham) In: Gotham book mart, New York. We moderns. Folder 4 Auden, W. H. [Louis MacNeice] Holograph contribution to We Moderns n.d. ms. 1 p.

Signed. With Gotham Book Mart's TL (carbon) to Auden, Oct. 7, 1939. 1 p.; Published in Gotham Book Mart catalog no. 42, New York, 1940

Manuscript box Auden, W. H. [Louis MacNeice: 1907-1963] Typescript of memorial address with the author's ms. corrections n.d. typescripts (emended) 4 p.

Came with his 75 ALS, etc. to Stephen Spender

Manuscript box Barker, George. [Reviews] One for the grave. By Louis MacNeice. Typescript with the author's ms. corrections n.d. typescripts (emended) 4 p. Manuscript box Barker, George. [Reviews. Persons from Porlock by Louis MacNeice] Typescript draft with the author's ms. corrections n.d. typescripts (emended) 5 p. Manuscript box (MacNeice) Homer. Iliad. The Iliad. Book I. Manuscript translation in the hand of Louis MacNeice n.d. ms. 2 p.

Signature added later. With typescript (carbon) with the author's signed marginal ms. note: "Project abandoned."

Oversize (+) Lee, Laurie. Black Saturday, red Sunday. A programme of Easter in Andalusia. Produced by Louis MacNeice. Typescript with the author's ms. corrections and the producer's (?) ms. directions n.d. typescripts (emended) 22 p.

Signed by both

Manuscript box (MacNeice) Pocock, Robert. Louis MacNeice: a radio portrait. Typescript (mimeographed) of script with Robert Pocock's ms. revisions. Contributions by W. H. Auden, Stephen Spender, John Betjeman, Cyril Connolly, and William Empson 1966 Sept. 7 typescripts (emended) 26 p.

Signed

Correspondence Outgoing Correspondence Manuscript box Doone, Rupert. 5 ALS and 2 postcards to [1936] Feb. 8 - [1937] Apr. 19 corr. out 7 letters in 2 folders

Came with the Group theatre archive

Manuscript box Grigson, Geoffrey. 8 ALS and 2 postcards to [1934] Jan. 24 - [1935] Oct. 20 corr. out 10 letters in 2 folders Manuscript box Roberts, Michael. ANS to. Relates to The Faber book of modern verse, 1936 [1935] July 14 corr. out 1 p.

With envelope

Manuscript box Sackville-West, Edward. ALS to [n.y.] June 18 corr. out 1 p. Related Correspondence Manuscript box (Warner, Rex) Sepheriades, Georgios. ALS to Rex Warner. Mentions Louis MacNeice. From benefit autction for P.E.N. International Writer's Fund [n.d.] related corr. 1 leaf Portraits Manuscript box Photograph of MacNeice. 23 x 27 cm. n.d. portraits 1 item

Signed