Ellsworth Mason collection of Robert Graves, 1917-1975

Series 1: Correspondence: Robert Graves: arranged alphabetically by surname, consists of 491 autograph, typescript, and carbon copy typescript letters and cards from Graves to friends and colleagues, including Dereck Boothby (retired British major and, at the time of the correspondence, the head of an organization of covens in the British Witch Cult); Aemelia Laracuen (long time friend and intimate of Graves and illustrator of Love Respelt); Larry Wallrich (friend and bookseller who handled the sale of a number of Graves's manuscripts and letters); and Isla Cameron (Scottish folk singer); many of these letters are accompanied by Mason's transcriptions and biographical notes. Included in this sequence are letters from Mason to many of these correspondents.

Series 2: Correspondence: Ellsworth Mason: arranged alphabetically by surname, consists of 379 autograph, typescript, and carbon copy typescript letters and cards to/from friends and colleagues, and various individuals in some way connected to Graves including Len Lye (New Zealand expatriate and artist, and frequent illustrator of book jackets for the Seizin Press); Ruthven Todd (Spanish-American poet and friend of Graves); and Kenneth Gay (secretary to Graves and Laura (Riding) Jackson and close friend of Graves); many of these letters are accompanied by Mason's transcriptions and biographical notes. Also included are various typescript drafts of essays and papers by Mason.

Series 3: Writings: arranged alphabetically by title and consist of Graves's autograph, typescript, and photocopy typescript drafts of poems, collected poems, and articles; poems and book reviews excised from various sources; and sound recordings (BBC Television program I Claudius in 1960, Robert Graves at Johns Hopkins reading The Epic That Never Was in 1970, and Robert Graves participating in a BBC Radio broadcast on WWI in 1971). The writings date from approximately 1920-1975.

Series 4: Miscellaneous: consists of Mason's description and analysis of various collections of Graviania; bibliographical notes for books and periodicals written by or relating to Graves; and an inventory of Mason's Robert Graves and Laura (Riding) Jackson collections. Also included here are photographs of Graves and Graves family members, friends, and colleagues; press cuttings about Graves and general subjects; unused postcards; publisher's announcements; book dealer catalogues; a lithographic portrait of Graves by John Ulbricht; and two commemorative posters for "An 80th Birthday Exhibition of Manuscripts and First Editions from the Poetry Collection of the Lockwood Memorial Library." Mason's collection included a comprehensive collection of the printed editions of Graves' work and an extensive collection of the work of Laura (Riding) Jackson. Although these materials are not described in this inventory, their bibliographic records can be accessed from the library’s on-line catalogue.