Scope and Contents
The collection contains correspondence, writings, and personal papers documenting the life and literary activities of American poet and publisher Coburn Britton. The correspondence features a nearly three-decade long exchange between Britton and Jack Sullivan, some of which was compiled and published as Letters from Jack: Sex & Hell in Backwoods Maine (1997). In addition, there are small groups of correspondence with others, including Glenway Wescott, Edward Dahlberg, and Lincoln Kirstein, dating chiefly from the 1970s, as well as approximately 150 postcards from graphic artist Willyum Rowe, with whom Britton collaborated on An ABeCedarium for Poets and Readers (1989). Many if not most of the postcards from Rowe are decorated, for example, with cutouts and stamps, providing a large group of postcard mail art from the period. Writings include printed versions of Britton's Second Seasons (1982), Lesser Goods and Other Poems (1987), and An ABeCedarium for Poets and Readers (1989), and drafts of the later Adrian Sonnets (1995) and shorter works. Others materials include photographs of family and friends, printed materials, and documents.
Dates
- 1919 - 1997
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
The Coburn Britton Papers is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Elizabeth Harries, 2002.
Arrangement
Organized into one grouping by date of acquisition: June 2002 Acqusition.
Extent
3.91 Linear Feet (6 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Abstract
The collection contains correspondence, writings, and personal papers documenting the life and literary activities of American poet and publisher Coburn Britton. The correspondence features a nearly three-decade long exchange between Britton and Jack Sullivan, some of which was compiled and published as Letters from Jack: Sex & Hell in Manhattan and Backwoods Maine (2002). In addition, there are small groups of correspondence with others, including Glenway Wescott, Edward Dahlberg, and Lincoln Kirstein, dating chiefly from the 1970s, as well as approximately 150 postcards from graphic artist Willyum Rowe, with whom Britton collaborated on An ABeCedarium for Poets and Readers (1989). Many if not most of the postcards from Rowe are decorated, for example, with cutouts and stamps, providing a large group of postcard or mail art from the period. Writings include printed versions of Britton's Second Seasons (1982), Lesser Goods and Other Poems (1987), and An ABeCedarium for Poets and Readers (1989), and drafts of the later Adrian Sonnets (1995) and shorter works. Others materials include photographs of family and friends, printed materials, and documents.
Coburn Haskell Britton (1935-1997)
Coburn Britton was born in Cleveland, Ohio to Mr. and Mrs. Brigham Britton of Bratenahl, Ohio. He attended University School, Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, Yale University, and Trinity College, Dublin, as a Fulbright scholar, before settling in New York City. Britton was an editor at Doubleday and Company and co-publisher of Horizon Press in the 1960s and then founder of the magazine Prose in 1970. After closing the magazine in 1974 he divided his time between writing poetry and tending to his farm in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Britton's works include Second Seasons (1982), Lesser Goods and Other Poems (1987), An ABeCedarium for Poets and Readers (1989), and Adrian Sonnets (1995). He died 26 November 1997 in Lebanon, New Jersey.
Biographical information taken from "Paid Notice: Deaths BRITTON, COBURN." New York Times 29 Nov. 1997. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 10 Oct. 2012.
Processing Information
This collection received a basic level of processing, including rehousing and in some instances minimal organization.
As a rule, descriptive information found in the Collection Contents section is drawn in large part from information supplied with the collection and from an initial survey of the contents. Folder titles appearing in the contents list below are often based on those provided by the creator or previous custodian. Titles have not been verified against the contents of the folders in all cases. Otherwise, folder titles are supplied by staff during initial processing.
This finding aid may be updated to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
Former call number: Uncat MSS 377.
- American literature -- 20th century
- Authors -- United States -- 20th century
- Authors and publishers -- United States
- Authors, American -- 20th Century -- Archives
- Britton, Coburn
- Dahlberg, Edward, 1900-1977
- Kirstein, Lincoln, 1907-1996
- Mail art -- United States -- 20th Century
- Photographic prints
- Poets -- United States -- 20th century
- Poets, American -- 20th Century -- Archives
- Publishers and publishing -- United States
- Rowe, William, 1946-
- Sullivan, Jack, 1936-
- Wescott, Glenway, 1901-1987
- Title
- Guide to the Coburn Britton Papers
- Author
- by Beinecke staff
- Date
- 2012-10-09
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository
Location
121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Opening Hours
Access Information
The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.