Summary Information
Abstract
The collection consists primarily of letters and postcards from Graham Greene to
his close friend Mercia Ryhiner Schwob Tinker Harrison, widow of actor Rex Harrison.
At a Glance
Call No.: | MS#0518 |
Bib ID: | 4079892 View CLIO record |
Creator(s): | Greene, Graham, 1904-1991. |
Title: | Graham Greene letters
,
1933-1990.
|
Physical description: | .42 linear ft. (1 document box)
|
Language(s): | Material is primarily in English with some French.
|
Access: |
This collection has no restrictions.
This collection is located on-site.
More information » |
Arrangement
Arrangement
Material is arranged into one series:
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Description
Scope and Content
This collection of correspondences consists almost entirely of letters to Greene's close
friend, Mercia Ryhiner Schwob Tinker Harrison, from 1953 to 1990. The letters describe
personal matters as well as events in Greene's career as a writer, playwright, and
journalist. Most of the letters are correspondences describing Greene's whereabouts and
his plans to visit Harrison; the letters briefly address Greene's literary pursuits and
his personal relationship with Harrison. Four letters to Harrison from other people are
included in this collection as well. The collection also contains many postcards and
Christmas cards from Greene to Harrison, spanning almost twenty years from the 1950s to
1969.
Series I: Graham Greene Letters, 1933-1990,
Undated
This collection is arranged in a single series, and contains 3 folders: Graham
Greene Letters to Mercia Ryhiner Schwob Tinker Harrison, 1933-1990, undated;
Letters to Mercia Ryhiner Schwob Tinker Harrison, 193-1990; and Postcards,
1950's-1969.
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Using the Collection
RBML
Access Restrictions
This collection has no restrictions.
This collection is located on-site.
Restrictions on Use
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. The responsibility to secure
copyright permission rests with the patron.
Preferred Citation
Identification of specific item; Date (if known);Graham Greene Letters ; Box and Folder;
Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
Selected Related Material-- at Columbia
Dorothy Craigie Papers,
Columbia University Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Selected Related Material-- at Other Repositories
Graham Greene papers, 1892-1999 (bulk 1950-1990), Burns Library, Boston College
Gerald C. Walling-Graham Greene Collection, Burns Library, Boston College
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About the Finding Aid / Processing Information
Columbia University Libraries. Rare Book and
Manuscript Library; machine readable finding aid created by Columbia University
Libraries Digital Library Program Division
Processing Information
Letters of Graham Greene Cataloged 10/29/1996 HR
Papers Processed 10/--/2010 Robyn Hjermstad, MSLIS, Pratt Institute, 2011.
Finding aid Written 10/--/2010 Robyn Hjermstad, MSLIS, Pratt Institute, 2011.
Letters from Graham Greene to Mercia Harrison Cataloged 10/29/1996 HR
Machine readable finding aid generated from MARC-AMC source via XSLT conversion
December 22, 2010
Finding aid written in English.
2010-12-22
xml document instance created by Carrie Hintz
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Subject Headings
The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.
All links open new windows.
Genre/Form
Subjects
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History / Biographical Note
Biographical Note
Graham Greene was one of the most widely read authors,
playwrights and literary critics of the twentieth century. Born in Berkhamsted,
Hertfordshire, in 1904, Henry Graham Greene was the fourth of six children. Greene was
first educated at the Berkhamsted School where his father was headmaster. He left the
school at age 15, and moved on to study modern history at Balliol College in Oxford. It
was there that Greene was able to hone in his interests in politics and writing, and
worked as editor for
The Oxford Outlook.
After college,
Greene converted to Roman Catholicism in 1926, partially under the influence of his
future wife, Vivien Dayrell-Browning, whom he married in 1927. Greene's interests in
Catholicism and international politics would continue to influence his work throughout
his lifetime. Shortly after college, Greene moved to London and worked as a copy editor
for
The Times
for 4 years, and upon the success of his
first novel,
The Man Within
(1929), he quit
The Times
and traveled for three years as a freelance
journalist.
In 1941, Greene began working for the British Foreign Office,
and was stationed at Freetown, Sierra Leone, for a good portion of Word War II, which
was the setting for his well known novel,
The Heart of the
Matter
(1948; filmed 1953).
The Quiet American
(filmed 1958, 2002) also draws upon Greene's experiences as an agent in Sierra Leone and
on his experiences in Saigon. Greene wrote many short stories, novels, and
"entertainment pieces" (such as comedies and thrillers) throughout his lifetime; his
travels and experiences as both an agent and journalist greatly influenced his writing.
The Lawless Roads
(1939) and
The Power and the Glory
(1940), for example, were written after Greene
traveled to Mexico to witness religious purges.
In 1966, Greene became Companion of Honour, and in 1986 he
received an Order of Merit. Greene's success as a writer enabled him to live comfortably
in London, Antibes, and Capri, and he would continue to travel and write until old age
prevented him from doing so. Greene died at the age of 86 in Vevey, Switzerland, on
April 13th, 1991.
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