Henry Howard Brownell Papers, 1828-1871


John Hay Library , Special Collections
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Tel: 401-863-2146
email: hay@brown.edu

Published in 2013

Collection Overview

Title: Henry Howard Brownell Papers
Date range: 1828-1871
Creator: Brownell, Henry Howard, 1820-1872
Extent: 0.25 linear feet (22 folders)
Abstract: The Henry Howard Brownell Papers, dating from 1827-1871, include short prose articles and stories in manuscript, poetry manuscripts, verse translations from Homer's Aeneid and a scrapbook of Brownell's poems. Brownell was a poet and lawyer from Connecticut.
Language of materials: English
Repository: John Hay Library , Special Collections
Collection number: Ms.78.8

Scope & content

Short prose articles and stories in manuscript, poetry manuscripts, and verse translations from Homer's Aeneid and a scrapbook of Brownell's poems

Access Points

Subject Names Subject Organizations Subject Topics Occupations Document Types Subject Topics

Arrangement

This collection is organized by genre in 5 series:

  • Series 1. Prose
  • Series 2. Poetry manuscripts
  • Series 3. Printed poetry
  • Series 4. Newspaper clippings of poetry
  • Series 5. Copyrights

Biographical note

Born in
Providence, Rhode Island, Brownell (1820-1872) moved at an early age to East Hartford, Connecticut, where he spent the major portion of his life. He attended Trinity College
(then Washington College) in Hartford, and was admitted to the bar in 1844.

He quickly turned to literature and produced, in the 1850's, several volumes of general world history. It was, however, as a poet that he gained greatest fame. Some of his verse dates to as early as 1838, and his first volume of poetry was Poems (1847). Ephemeron followed in 1855, and his greatest poems--those concerning the Civil War, in which he served in a minor capacity with the Union Navy--were included in such volumes as Lyrics of a day: or, Newspaper poetry and War-lyrics and other poems (1866). Many of these had originally appeared in various Hartford newspapers, mainly the Courant. A selection of his war verse was published posthumously as Lines of battle (1912), edited by M.A. De Wolfe Howe. His work was praised by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Thomas Bailey Aldrich, and others.

Access & Use

Access to the collection: There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Use of the materials: Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation: Henry Howard Brownell Papers, Ms. 78.8, Brown University Library.
Contact information: John Hay Library , Special Collections
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Tel: 401-863-2146
email: hay@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION  
Acquisition: The Henry Howard Brownell Papers were given to Brown University in January 1968 by Mrs. Clifford K. Rathbone of Providence, Rhode Island.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID  
Author: Finding aid prepared by S.T. Joshi
Encoding: This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2013-01-23

Additional Information

Other information:

Inventory

Series 1. Prose

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folders 1-16 Prose manuscripts
Contents Note: Ca. 90 items consisting of short fabular stories and anecdotes, arranged by Brownell into the following categories: "College", "Concerning Cats", "A Few Yarns", "Little Folks", "My Grocery", "Law", and "Some Idioms". There is other miscellaneous prose fiction.

Series 2. Poetry manuscripts

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 17 Poetry manuscripts
Contents Note: Early poems, including The Sphinx, Obed the Skipper, The book, The portrait, The passing-bell, Philip the freed-man, The nurse of Nen", Solitude, To J-----, Jack's visitor, To Eros, and Pleasant delusions. The manuscript is numbered from pages 22-111, although many inner pages are missing.
Box 1, Folder 18 Poetry manuscripts
Contents Note: Includes A lecture to the Freshmen of Wash. College, A familiar lecture to the Freshman Class of Washington College" (revised version of the preceding), and Fragments of a poem delivered at Commencement, 1841, Washington College.
Box 1, Folder 19 Poetry manuscripts
Contents Note: Includes The clerk's two songs o' Owsenford, The doting old man to the girl, An acrostic, Inoculanarum questionum", Lord William" by Monk Lewis?), fragments of translations from the Aeneid, and other fragments.

Series 3. Printed Poetry

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 20 Printed poetry
Contents Note: Includes Nile, Homer: The Pyre of Patroclus [Iliad, XXII.193-230]; The landing of Ulysses [Odyssey, V.400-493], Gulf-weed, and At rest ...

Series 4. Newspaper clippings of poetry

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 21 Newspaper clippings of poetry
Contents Note: Includes The Battle of Charlestown, Dec. 2, 1859, Annus memorabilis, Coming, To-day (retitled "Sumter"), On fire, All we ask is to be let alone, Mr. Carlyle's chimney, The march of the regiment, Old times, The fall of Al-Accoub, One word, The eagle of Corinth, The iron hand, On the killing of certain dogs, What is it?, Letter from a Puritan of the Old School, Fragments, The color-bearer, April 19, 1775-1861 (manuscript), Old papers (manuscript), Words that can be sung to the 'Hallelujah chorus' (manuscript), The return of Kane" (manuscript), Mare non clausum, Suspiria noctis, To the poet, Midnight--A lament, Gone, The Burian of the Dane, Lines composed a board of a Californy male Steamer, All together, At sea, Somnia coeli, Bury them, Suspiria Ensis, and Bay fight(excerpts).

Series 5. Copyrights

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 22 Copyrights
Contents Note: Copyrights for Brownell's volumes, Ephemeron (

1855

) and Lyrics of a Day (

1863, 1864

)