We use cookies on this website to improve the experience we provide. By continuing to use our site you agree to this, or visit our cookie policy to manage your settings.
Saved courses
Search website

Resources

Research and Development Unit
John Lane Archive
John Lane Archive Index

Michael Rhodes’ Index to the John Lane Archive

This is an index to the portion of the John Lane Archive held by Birmingham City University. See here for more information about the archive.

Key: ALS: Autograph (i.e. hand-written) Letter, Signed TLS: Typed Letter, Signed

NameHoldings
ABERCROMBIE Lascelles 47 ALS + manuscript of Emblems of Love (own hand)
ADDLESHAW
ALASTAIR
(BARON H VON VOIGT)		 Percy 6 ALS about his Ex-Egypto.
25 ALS 1 TLS principally about his illustrations for The Sphinx (via Robert Ross) &
other Lane publications. Also a number of
telegrams. An intriguing collection .
ALLEN Edward Heron 26 ALS advising Lane on business matters
and Odd Volume Society matters.
ALLEN
(Charles Blairfindie)		 Grant 15 TLS re his books: The Lower Slopes &
The Woman Who Did.
ATHERTON Gertrude 42 ALS; 5 TLS; 4 postcards re her books: The Californians, Patience Sparhawk, Senator North and others
BARING Maurice 30 ALS; 8TLS re his plays & poems
BARMAN A.A. 6 ALS; 3 ALS from his wife re his sonnets Sonnets from a Prison Camp pub. 1920 (So far as I know these are the only First War poems written by a British soldier as a P.O.W. - Barman was a Lt. in the Highland Light Infantry)
BARNARD F.P. 22 ALS; 6 postcards , 1 Telegram. These letters are principally of interest because of their mutual friendship with Max Beerbohm and William Watson. Barnard backed Lane financially .
BARNETT H . Villiers (Editor of 'The Continental Weekly) 13 ALS; 1 postcard mainly about his Trans. of the Prince of Monaco's A Mariner's Life.
BEARDSLEY Ellen & Mabel about Aubrey and Lane's continuing support financially: 40 ALS.
BEDFORD (Elizabeth Godfrey) Jessie 32 ALS; 2 TLS about her book A Bride for a Day retitled as Stranded.
BEERBOHM Max 31 ALS mostly about his contributions to 'The Yellow Book'.
BENNETT E. Arnold 14 ALS; 8 TLS; 2 postcards about his first novel: The Man from the North.
BENSON A.C. 68 ALS; 6 TLS; 12 postcards regarding his various volumes of poetry and Collected edition.
BILSE Lieutenant 3 TLS; 2 ALS; re his 'German' Life in a Garrison Town.
BLUNDEN Edmund 4 ALS proposing poems while in the B.E.F. (1914).
BRANGWYN Frank 129 ALS; 2 postcards regarding his many book illustrations for Lane. These letters from an artist who is becoming more and more appreciated arrived in poor condition.
BRIDGES Robert 2 ALS & postcard
BROOKE Patricia 12 ALS re her son , Rupert's, poems.
BROWNING Oscar 51 ALS & TLS some are in the hand of his secretaries: H.R.Royston & Douglas Colyer.
1 TLS from Lord Curzon praising his work Mostly about his work & publications as an historian of Mediaeval Italy.
BUCHAN John 134 ALS, 12 TLS & 3 postcards (mainly in the period 1895-99) covering his publications with Lane and his work as a Reader and in which his far exceeded others such as Richard Le Galliene or J.B.Priestley
BULLEN A.H. 8 ALS (mainly about F.P.Barnardls trans.)
BURDETT Osbert 11 ALS 1 TLS 1 postcard about his work on the Beardsley period.
BURGESS Gelett 2 ALS 1 TLS
CAMERON D.Y. 25 ALS (1895-1903) regarding his illustrations for Lane -mostly for his children's books and 'The Yellow Book' .
CAMMAERTS Emile 21 ALS; 2 TLS 2 postcards with 10 TLS from his transfer to Nutt.
CHAMBERLAIN Houston 7 ALS; 1 TLS; 1 postcard about his work as a translator (1907-14) but with a collection of letters regarding the controversy of the translations.
CHAPMAN Frederic A massive collection of letters regarding his role as Lane's early Manager (prior to Herbert Jenkins) but principally on his translations of Anatole France. Chapman did as much as Lane himself to 'found' the publishing house.
CHAUCER Daniel Copies of typed letters to Mrs Hueffer (1912) re The Dark Forest + 1 ALS to a Miss Hunt (name scratched out) about a thrashing he gave to one, William Pegler.
CHURCHILL Lady Randolph One of the 'prizes' of the collection: 65 ALS; 7 TLS; 8 others and a typed summary of letters from Winston to Lane & Dickinson. This correspondence mainly concerns her editorial work for The Anglo-Saxon Review. Lane's relationship with her (as hers with him) was never an easy one. 2 of the letters are written as Mrs Cornwallis-West. (1898-1911).
CLARK (A New Zealander in W.W. I ) Alfred 4 ALS; 6 TLS 2 postcards re My Erratic Pal and the 'Margaret' book. (1919-20)
COKE Desmond 8 ALS (1916-17) about the poems of his dead friend Capt. Richard Dennys: There is no Death.
COLLINS J.Churton &
L.C.		 24 ALS; 1 postcard - Churton's offers a book but withdraws it; L.C. offers book of 'memoires' of his father.
CONDOR Charles 4 ALS (undated) about his illustrations .
COOKSON
(Sydney Tremayne)		 Sybil 20 ALS; (1914-1919) 2 ALS (1922) 1 ALS (1929) re her The Auction Mart & other matters.
CORELLI Maria 11 ALS; 1 TLS (1900-1921) about her own poems and those of a friend, Miss Cecile Sayer.
COUTTS F.B.Money 109 ALS; 6 postcards, 1 Telegram; 2 incomplete letters. (1895-1922). John Lane's main 'backer'. Published his various volumes of poetry.
CRACKANTHORPE Blanche, Leila, Hubert, Dayrell a total of 34 ALS + 1 TLS from Dayrell about his brother's death (i.e. Hubert).
CRAIG E. Gordon 4 ALS; 1 TLS (1899-1931) about Walter Crane & other artists of mutual interest.
CRAIGIE Pearl 6 ALS (1899-1900)
CRANE Walter Another interesting substantial collection from one of Lane's several illustrators.
101 ALS; 10 postcards and sundry items. On Crane's many illustrations for Lane's children's books.
CUSTANCE
(Lady Alfred Douglas)		 Olive 4 ALS; 1 postcard re her volume of poems: Rainbows.
DALMON Charles 11 ALS (1894-5) 1 x 1932 regarding regarding his volume of poetry: Song Favours.
DAVIDSON John 96 ALS; 3 postcards (1892?-1908). The poet whom T.S.Eliot regarded as the best of the '90s. Some of his many Readers' reports for Lane are here + letters of thanks from Margaret & Alexander over L's attempts to obtain a 'pension' for them after his suicide.
D'ARCY Ella 18 ALS; 3 postcards (1899-1920)
DARTON Joseph 5 ALS; 1 TLS - 3 early ones on a possible partnership.
DAVIES Oliver 12 ALS (1908-1910) re his poems: Between-time poems.
DAVIES W.H. 1 TLS re his introduction to Moll Flanders.
DAWSON Coningsby 16 ALS; 1 Telegram; 1 AL from Lane; 1 T.L. from Guy Eglington. About his 'war' books notably The Love of an Unknown Soldier. (1918-1922)
DEANE Rev.Anthony 18 ALS; 1 postcard + 3 ALS from hiu sister, Beatrice. Re his book of verses: New Lamps for old pub. as New Rhymes for Old.
DELIUS Frederick 4 ALS + agreement about his settings for the Dowson cantata, also Heseltine's biography. (2 x 1908; 1 x 1923; 1 x 1927).
DELL Robert 15 TLS; 3 ALS (1914-1920) re Burlington Arts Magazine - re Anatole France and his speech at Dell's daughter's wedding.
DENE Arundel About Dene's employment at B.H., his mental illness and work for the B.H. Copy of typed
letter to Dene from Lane plus letters from solicitors (James & James). Also copy of agreement between Reginald Dene & Lane.
DOUGLAS Lord Alfred 28 ALS; Copy of letter to P.M. Letters are about trans of Wilde's Salome; his own poems and his vendettas with Robbie Ross, Charles Milward & others
DOWSON Ernest 2 ALS (See also Yellow Book file) undated
DREISER Theodore 3 ALS; 2 TLS and other material relating to suppression of The Genius and relating to the rights of pub. of his The Titan (1923).
DRINKWATER John 6 ALS; 1 TLS 1 postcard mainly 1907 on a variety of matters
EGERTON George 5 ALS (1897) much of her correspondence must be missing given the number of novels she published with Lane.
EGLINGTON Guy 17 TLS; 1 ALS (1920-21) with typed copy of Beardsley drawings loaned to Anderson Galleries.
Eglington was much involved with the American side of the Bodley Head business.
EPSTEIN Jacob 8 ALS (1919-20) + one letter from Margaret, Gilmour, Dunlop Epstein re her husband's being invalided out of the army.
ESCOTT T.H.S. 3 ALS; 8 letters signed by him but written for him regarding his work on Trollope. (1905-1922).
FORD MADOX (FORD)
ALSO (HUEFFER)		 7 ALS; 7 TLS; 1 Postcard; 1 Typed letter unsigned. Re The Good Soldier & other projects (1909-23).
FREDERIC Harold 11 ALS (1895-8) re his March Hares.
GALE Norman 5 ALS (1895) about his poems (see also Yellow Book box collection) .
GARNETT Edward 46 ALS; 3 postcards (1909-27) largely on his editorial work for Lane.
GARNETT Richard 42 ALS; 1 TLS; 1 postcard (1883-1905) about his Poems and trans. of Dante, Petrarch and Camoens.
GRAHAME Kenneth 61 ALS; 25 TLS, 2 postcards (1895-1923) This is another major cache of letters. They involve his books: The Golden Age; Dream Days, Pagan Papers but also his work as one of Lane's Readers. There are also 12 TLS, 4 ALS, 1 postcard and some sundry material for the period (1925- ,934) but weighted towards the latter part . This is however in the States.
GREENWOOD Frederick 20 ALS (1893-4) about his Imagination in Dreams.
HARLAND Henry His work editing The Yellow Book is contained in the file specific to this publication q.v.
HARRISON G.B. 27 TLS; 7 ALS; 1 Telegram (1922-4) largely relating to his editorship of the Shakespeare Bodley Head Quartos. Also 11 TLS; 6 ALS and 1 postcard (1925-32).
HAWTREY Valentina 9 ALS, 1 postcard (1906) about her book: Perronelle. (She later had much success with
the trans. of a 14th cent. Italian m.s. on the life of St.Mary Magdalen)
HILL Vernon 12 ALS; 2 postcards (19OQ-1920) about his work as an illustrator plus 2 copies of a drawing of Lane,
HINE
(Mrs Sidney Coxon)		 Muriel 218 ALS; 2 TLS 35 postcards (2 ALS from her husband) The correspondence has been divided @ 1924. Some letters are addressed to a Miss House who typed up m.s.s. for Lane. About her many 'novels' for Lane.
HOLMES E.G.A. 104 ALS; 10 postcards (1897-1924) + 14 ALS 2 postcards (1925-32). About his various publications with Lane: The Silence o f Love; The Triumph of Love; Walt Whitman.
IMAGE Selwyn 5 ALS (1911,1912,1918, 1922, 1924) relating to his illustrations for Lane.
JAMES Henry 1 ALS (1895) acknowledging cheque for £35 ('better late than never') and while thanking Lane for two books declining to do another story for 'The Yellow Book' for £35 (1896).
JOHNSON Lionel 2 ALS (1896)
JONES Jefferson 5 TLS (on John Lane - NY - Company paper) (1915-22) + 2 TLS (1925). Also TL from Lane
himself. Clearly this collection represents but a fraction of the business correspondence that must have passed between them.
KERNAHAN Coulson 23 ALS; 8 TLS; 1 postcard: (1892-1922) re his In Good Company and company business.
KERR K. Watson 17 ALS (1918-20); 3 ALS (1928) about his book of poems: War Daubs.
KIPLING Rudyard 1 ALS 2 telegrams housed in the post-1924 collection but in this one a copy of Counsel's opinion on the alleged infringement of copyright by Martindell: in his book on Kipling.
KYLE Galloway 4 TLS (1916-22) relating to Lane's interest in 'The Poetry Society' & Kyle's action for libel against the Society of Authors.
LAMBE J.Lawrence 20 ALS; 2 postcards (1915-18) + 1 TLS (1924) re Watts-Dunton novel Carniola and matters relating to Thos Hake of Watts-Dunton's work. Also a series of letters (1917) concerning Wm.Watson and Watts-Dunton.
*LAWRENCE D.H.
LE GALLIENNE Richard Among the more important and substantial of the collections in the archive. Le Gallienne was a close friend and confidant of Lane from the very beginning. 142 ALS; 18 postcards; 4 telegrams (1888-1907) An intimate correspondence on-both personal and business matters. Le Gallienne often acted as a Reader for submissions of poetry to the B.H. There are also 10 ALS & 1 postcard to Frederic Chapman as well as letters from other members of the family: Mildred (1st wife), Julie (2nd wife) , Hesper (daughter) Margaret (sister) , Sissie (sister) and Thomas (father) . There are also 6 ALS from the solicitors: Nickinson. There is also copy of letter from Geo.Haite (1893) re confrontation at Odd Volumes.
*LAWRENCE D.H. 1 ALS(192)) about a possible book on Venice accompanied by Brangwyn drawings.
LOCKE W.J This is another major collection . Locke pub. many books with Lane and was (I think) the first novelist to have his fiction filmed & more recently his novella Ladies in Lavender appeared starring Maggie Smith & Judi Dench. Earlier the novels by him filmed are: Derelicts (silent) ; Idols; The Beloved Vagabond; Simon the Jester ; The Fortunate Youth; Jaffery: & When Love is. 292 ALS; 47 TLS; 4 Telegrams, 2 Postcards. (1896-1925) with &ALS from Mrs Locke & 31 other letters on various matters . After the enormous collection of letters from William Wats on this is the next largest . In the USA there are a further 131 ALS 6 TLS + 15 other letters (1926-1933).
LEGGE A . J . 67 ALS; 1 postcards (1896-1924) re his various volumes of verse: The Pilgrim Jester, Land & Sea Pieces; Symphony & other pieces and his later novel: The Minster.
LEHMANN R. C. 32ALS (1893-1903) 1 ALS (1910); 1 ALS (1914) largely about her poems The Vagabond and other poems (from 'Punch'). 4 ALS from his son John.
LESTOCQ William 25 TLS; 3 ALS (1887-1920) mainly to do with Lestocq's management of Charles Froham's interests. Lestocq knew Lane when they were both working in the Railway Clearing House.
LEWIS Wyndham 16 ALS, 1 postcard (1914-1916) these are interesting letters esp. those regarding 'Blast'. 1 ALS from Mary asking for work in translating from the French.
LUCCHESI Edmund 10 ALS (1919-24) about his illustrations and cover designs notably Muriel Hine's Autumn.
MacKINTOSH E .Alan 2 ALS (1916-17) re his poems: A Highland Regiment with A ALS from his mother.
MEYNELL Alice 44 ALS (1898-1912) + copy of agreement on her various volumes of poetry for the Bodley Head and her prose essays. The Colour of Life, The Spirit of Place, The Children.
MEYNELL Wilfred 26 ALS, 3 TLS (1896-1909) about his wife's work and that of Frances Thompson (q.v.) with 2 TLS from Burns Oates.
MUNRO H.H. 'SAKI' see end.
NESBITT(Mrs Hubert Bland) Edith 49 ALS; 6 postcards (1889-1895) 1 ALS for years 1899; 1901 & 3 postcards 1908-11 regarding her poems: A Pomander of Verse; In Homespun.
NIVEN Frederick 15 ALS; 14 TLS (1908-1913) re his The Lost Cabin Mine.
NOBLE James Ashcroft 29 ALS (1892-1895) re his collection of essays: The Sonnet in England & other essays.
NORMAN Henry 12 ALS; 1 TLS (1893-1900) a sympathetic reviewer of Lane's publications in 'The Daily Chronicle'.
NORTON Chas.Eliot 4 ALS; 1 TLS (1895-1902 acknowledging with pleasure the editions of poetry Lane has sent him - mostly John Davidson.
OSPOVAT Henry 22 ALS; 3 postcards (1895-1909) about his work as an illustrator .
PAGET Violet Another major collection spread over the years 1903-1930. 143 ALS; 60 postcards and 1 incomplete letter with 6 ALS & 2TLS from George MacKenzie. These letters etc cover her many publications with the B.H.
PARRISH Maxf i e l d 8 ALS (2 damaged) (1898-1904) about illustrations to The Golden Age. (Perhaps these should be kept with the Kenneth Grahame holdings).
PETERS Wm.Theodore Posies out of Rings. (Interesting principally because one of the earliest books of John Lane, The Bodley Head).
PHILLPOTTS Eden 70 ALS; 14 postcards; 2 TLS with 2 typed copies of letters (1896-1919). Also m.s. poem 'The Moorman' . A mixture of business and pleasure ( i.e. as another 'Devon' man).
POUND Ezra Another of the ' gems ' of the collection! 19 TLS; 5 ALS: 1 postcard (1911-19) re Pound's interest in / championship of Gaudier - Brzeska and the Fenollosa papers. 1 ALS (1921) short letter asking for his G?B book to be put on sale. 7 TLS (1925-7) on various matters inc. Dunning's The Four Winds which P. is endeavouring to promote.
QUILLER-COUCH Arthur T. 4 ALS (1898-1902) 2 about editing for the OUP and 2 about poets he considers of neglected merit: Herbert Thomas, Dr Henry.(?)
REYNOLDS Stephen 37 TLS; 18 ALS, 3 postcards (1908-1910) about his (then) highly successful novels: Poor Man's House; Holy Mountain
ROTHENSTEIN William 15 ALS; 2 postcards (1894-5) re his Oxford Characters. (Their relationship was never all that cordial as Max Beerbohm subsequently revealed - but then Beerbohm did not much like Lane either.)
RUSSELL George 18 ALS (1897-1913) re The Earth Breath.
SACKVILLE Lady Margaret 8 ALS (1900-1901) re her poems.
SACKVILLE-WEST Vita 11 ALS (1916-19); 2 ALS (1922) 1 ALS (1924)
8 ALS: 7 TLS (1927-31) re her Poems of West and East, Orchard and Vineyard. Also about sundry matters such as permissions to set to music, anthologies etc.
SHELLEY Edward 32 ALS providing financial reports of daily business but in a lowly capacity. Involved in the trial of Oscar Wilde, changed his name and joined the army where he saw service in South Africa for which he was decorated. This was subsequently withdrawn when his real identity became known.
SHIEL M.P. 8 ALS + pencilled note (1894-8) re her Prince Zaleski. Also 1 ALS (1923) & 3 ALS (1928).
SINCLAIR Upton 2 TLS (1911) re his Love's Pilgrimage.
SPENDER J . A . 17 ALS; 2 TLS, 1 postcard (1895-1917) involving his work as Editor of 'The Westminster Gazette'. Lane often asked such 'editors' to print individual poems by his 'best' poets (such as Watson).
SYMONS Arthur 11 ALS (1898-1906) about his work on Beardsley and other of his literary interests .
TABB John B. 25 ALS; 3 postcards 1 ms poem (1896-1909) re pub. of his poems: Poems, Later Lyrics.
URQUHART Helen 12 ALS (1916-1919) re drawings for Richard Dennys' There is no Death
WALPOLE Henry Spencer 35 ALS + 1 incomplete (1881-1909)+ 11 ALS from his wife, Frances (1884-1917) - largely about Lane's interest in paintings , book plates etc.
WARREN
(LORD DE TABLAY)		 J.L. 29 ALS;(1882-1892) mostly about his Poems Chiefly Lyrical ; Poems: 2nd Series. He was also one of Lane's 'backers' .
WATSON Sir William Quite simply a massive correspondence 1,310 ALS; 97 postcards; 391 telegrams (1892- 1920)
There are also letters from his brother, Robinson (31 ALS; 1 postcard) largely about his brother's mental & physical condition. There are 10 ALS (1909-1910) about his uncle's state of mind during his visit to the U.S.A. to confront Le Gallienne plus other letters from his son Wm. There are 53 ALS and 9 telegrams (1921-24) lodged with the archive in Texas.
WHARTON Edith 9 ALS (1899) mostly about her book of essays The Greater Inclination .
WILHELM Crown Prince
of Sweden		 2 TLS; 1 postcard from his castle @ Stenhammer re his Wild African Animals I have known. (1923)
YEATS W.B. 8 ALS (1 signed by another hand) mostly concerning 'The Rhymers' Club' + 2 postcards (1898-1903).
YORK-POWELL Prof .F. 21 ALS (1890-1903) mostly concerning their mutual interests in literature & the arts.
(York-Powell was also another of Lane's backers).
MUNRO H.H. 'Saki' 28 ALS (1911-1915) about his several books pub. by the B.H. e.g .The Toys of Peace; When William (Went) - (Came); The Chronicles of Clovis; Beasts & Superbeasts. Reference also to some individual short stories and a suggestion to bring out a magazine called ' Counter-Blast'.