HARRIS, JOEL CHANDLER, 1848-1908.
Joel Chandler Harris papers
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Correspondencebulk 1880-1908 >
Family correspondence
Joel Chandler Harris papers > Correspondencebulk 1880-1908 > Family correspondence
Subseries 1.1
Family correspondence, 1872-1907
OP1-4; MF 1-2
Scope and Content Note
The family correspondence subseries consists entirely of letters that Joel Chandler Harris wrote to his wife, sons, daughters and daughter-in-law. Most of Harris's letters to Esther LaRose were written in the early 1870s before they were married, when she returned to Canada after an extended stay in Savannah. These letters reveal an emotional and lonely Harris who feared that she would refuse his marriage proposal. Later letters were sent to Esther and family on the rare ocassions Harris traveled outside of Atlanta.
Harris wrote to his children from 1890 to 1908 when his daughters were attending boarding school in Washington, Georgia, and when his sons were vacationing or traveling. Letters to the daughters are more voluminous than those to his sons. Harris's letters to Mildred and Lillian tended to be lively reports of life at home, gossip of the community, and fictional accounts and short poems about the animals of Snap Bean Farm. He frequently commented on their progress in school and always appeared to be the proud and encouraging father. He generally wrote to his sons in a more serious tone, commenting on their careers, travels, and the way they conducted their lives. He occasionally analyzed Julian's and Evelyn's journalistic writings. A few letters to Julian in 1907-1908 discuss affairs of the Uncle Remus Magazine. Several letters to Julia Collier concerning her upcoming marriage to Julian and, years later, general family life are also included. Throughout these family letters, Harris rarely mentions his own writing or personal activities.
Arrangement Note
Arranged in chronological order by recipient.
Restrictions on Access
Special restrictions apply: Due to the fragile nature of the originals, researchers are required to use the microfilm copy.
Microfilm copy [see content details below] | ||
Box | Folder | Content |
---|---|---|
MF1 | Family correspondence, OP1-2 | |
MF2 | Family correspondence, OP19-30 | |
Letters to Wife, Sons, and Daughter-in-law | ||
OP1 | 1 | Letters to Esther LaRose Harris and Harris family, 1872-1906 and undated |
OP1 | 2 | Letters to Julian, 1890 July-August |
OP1 | 3 | Letters to Julian, 1890 September-December |
OP1 | 4 | Letters to Julian, 1891-1899 |
OP1 | 5 | Letters to Julian, 1906-1908, undated |
OP1 | 6 | Letters to Julia Collier Harris, ca. 1897, 1905-1907 |
OP1 | 7 | Letters to Evelyn, 1890-1899 |
OP1 | 8 | Letters to Evelyn, 1900-1904 and undated |
OP1 | 9 | Letters to Lucien, 1892 |
OP1 | 10 | Letters to Joel Chandler, Jr., 1901-1906 |
Letters to Daughters | ||
OP2 | 1 | Letters to Lillian, 1896-1897 |
OP2 | 2 | Letters to Lillian, 1898 |
OP2 | 3 | Letters to Lillian, 1899 February-April |
OP2 | 4 | Letters to Lillian, 1899 May-July |
OP2 | 5 | Letters to Lillian, 1900-1908 |
OP2 | 6 | Letters to Lillian, [dates supplied] [1896-1897 April] |
OP2 | 7 | Letters to Lillian, [dates supplied] [1897 May-1908] |
OP2 | 8 | Letters to Lillian, [dates supplied] [1896-1897] |
OP3 | 1 | Letters to Mildred, 1897-1898 |
OP3 | 2 | Letters to Mildred, 1899 |
OP3 | 3 | Letters to Mildred, 1900 |
OP3 | 4 | Letters to Mildred, 1901 January-May |
OP3 | 5 | Letters to Mildred, 1901 June-December |
OP3 | 6 | Letters to Mildred, 1902-1906 and undated |
OP3 | 7 | Letters to Mildred, undated (two letters) |
OP3 | 8 | Letters to Mildred, envelopes |
OP4 | 1 | Letters to Mildred and Lillian, 1897-1898 October |
OP4 | 2 | Letters to Mildred and Lillian, 1898 November -1905 July |
OP4 | 3 | Letters to Mildred and Lillian, undated |
OP4 | 5 | Letters to Mildred and Lillian, fragments and envelopes, undated |