Finding aid for the Harlan W. Hamilton collection of correspondence

Biography of Harlan W. Hamilton

Harlan W. Hamilton was born in 1902 in Rantoul, Illinois, and educated at Morgan Park Academy of the University of Chicago, he had earned his bachelor's degree from Oberlin College (1824), master's from Columbia University (1927) and Ph.D. from Cornell (1934).

In 1960, with the encouragement of his friend W. P. Jones, he spent his sabbatical in England collecting correspondence of William Combe and other historical papers. Based on this collecting, Hamilton wrote the book Doctor Syntax: A Silhouette of William Combe, Esq. (1742-1823), which won the Cleveland Arts Prize in Literature in 1970.

Scope and Content

The Harlan W. Hamilton collection of correspondence consists of collected historical correspondence from William Combe, Maria Cosway, Louis XIV, King of France, and Samuel Rogers. There is also one letter to Hamilton. Folder 1(black) - Letters of William Combe to different friends and relatives, including his letters to Maria Cosway (Combe's sister in law), to Sarah Smith (wealthy patron of arts) and R. Ackermann (publisher of Doctor Syntax). Folder 2 (black)- Letters of Maria Cosway, a famous Irish-Italian miniature painter (Comber's sister in law) to her husband Richard Cosway and to some friends, such as Prince Hoare and Cardinal Fesch. The list of letters is on the first page of the folder. It includes also letters of Duchess of Kingston, Ms. Elithabeth Chudleigh to Maria Cosway and to Evelyn Meadows (nephew of the Duke of Kingston). Folder 3 - The earliest letter (in French)is dated with 1704 and represents an order on behalf of Louis XIV, King of France to Lieutenant M. de Beaulieu to rejoin the army. The order was signed by M. Chamillard (Minister of Finance during the rein of Louis XIV). Folder 4 - There are also three letters of famous English poet Samuel Rogers who was also a well-known patron of the arts (1763-1855). One letter is addressed to Lord Denman (15th September 1847), the other latter is addressed to Dr. Charles Burney (December 1803) and the last letter of G. Birkbeck Hill (editor of Boswell) to a son of William Lloyd Garrison (August 1890). Folder 5 - One letter from Stanley Morison, English typographer, designer, and print historian, to Hamilton thanking him for his visit and returning a borrowed copy of Notes and Queries.

Statement of Arrangement

Subject Terms

The following terms have been used to describe this collection.

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Preferred Citation

Researchers are requested to cite collection name, collection number, and Ohio University, Athens, Ohio in all footnotes and bibliographical references.