Christopher Isherwood papers, 1909-1954

Collection

Identifier: 1979-012

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The papers are comprised of correspondence to and from Isherwood's mother, Kathleen Bradshaw-Isherwood, and his brother, Richard, dating from 1936 through 1954. Other correspondence includes letters (most of which contain references to Isherwood) from various individuals to Kathleen or to Richard dating from 1915 through 1978. There is also miscellaneous material belonging to Kathleen which includes her handwritten notes and transcriptions of reviews and articles pertaining to Isherwood and his writings, and a personal journal for 1909. Also contained within the collection are typescripts of Isherwood's writings, diaries and notebooks kept during his school days, photographs of himself from infancy to middle age, photographs of relatives and friends, and a photograph album of his trip to the Canary Islands and Spanish Morocco. Miscellaneous material includes press cuttings of book reviews and articles, an admission ticket for an Isherwood lecture in 1937, 2 calling cards, a scrapbook of paintings and drawings of Marple Hall by Isherwood's parents, and an Ezra Pound genealogy and chronology.

Dates

Creation: 1909 - 1954

Creator

Isherwood, Christopher, 1904-1986 (Author, Person)

Language

These materials are in English.

Access

This material is open for research use by any registered reader. This material is housed off-site and will require advance notice of 1 business day for use.

Use and Copyright

This material is owned by the University of Tulsa, McFarlin Library, Department of Special Collections. Unpublished manuscripts are under copyright. Therefore, permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from both the repository and the copyright holder.

Biographical / Historical

Christopher William Bradshaw Isherwood was born in August 26, 1904 in High Lane, Manchester England. In 1925 he left Cambridge University to live in Berlin. While in Berlin he met W.H. Auden, the person for which Isherwood would mentored by. Auden and Isherwood collaberated on several plays. In 1928 the wrote his first novel "All the Conspirators." In 1933 after writing several novels, he moved around Europe. In 1939, he and Auden left for the United States. Isherwood lived in Santa Monica, California until his death on January 4, 1986. He was a well known writer who was openly gay during his life in California.