Claude Louis Gibson Collection of Swinnertonia

Collection

Identifier: MC 2645

Staff Only
Select files to request

Content Description

The collection contains materials collected by Claude Louis Gibson related to the writings and life of English writer and literary critic Frank Arthur Swinnerton. These materials include manuscripts, typescripts, correspondence, daily journals, clippings, promotional materials, and photographs, as well as materials related to Swinnerton’s family, particularly his wife, Mary Dorothy Swinnerton, and his daughter, Olivia Swinnerton. Also included are documents, including correspondence and writings, related to writer Arnold Bennett, a friend of Swinnerton’s and subject of a biography by Swinnerton.

In many cases, items have post-it notes or typed cover sheets created by Claude Louis Gibson that provide a brief summary of or additional context for the materials.

Dates

1881-2012
Majority of material found within 1920-1982

Creator

Gibson, Claude Louis (Collector, Person)

Language of Materials

Collection materials are primarily in English. Some materials are in French, Italian, Hungarian, and Polish.

Conditions Governing Access

Please call (479) 575-8444 or email specoll@uark.edu at least two weeks in advance of your arrival to ensure availability of the materials.

Conditions Governing Use

Use Restrictions Apply: Commercial use of the materials requires prior written permission from Special Collections.

No Interlibrary Loan.

Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).

Biographical / Historical

Claude Louis Gibson (1940-) is an American educator and scholar. He earned bachelor's (1964) and master's (1965) degrees from the University of Arkansas before earning his Ph.D. there in 1976; his thesis, "An annotated index to the Frank Arthur Swinnerton correspondence," offers an index to correspondence in the Frank Swinnerton Papers (MS Sw62). Gibson joined the faculty of Texas A&M University in 1976, and worked in a variety of positions, including as a director of Undergraduate Studies and as an English professor, before retiring in 2010.

Frank Arthur Swinnerton (1884-1982) was an English writer and literary critic. Swinnerton was born August 12, 1884, to Rose Cottam and Charles Swinnerton. In 1917, he married poet Helen Dircks, who he later divorced; in 1924, he married Mary Dorothy Bennett. His works include Nocturne (1917), The Georgian Literary Scene (1935), and Arnold Bennett: A Last Word (1978). Swinnerton died at his home of Old Tokefield in Surrey on November 6, 1982.

Extent

15 Linear Feet (13 boxes and 2 oversize folders)

Additional Description

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in nine series by format and by topic.

Within each series, the original organization of the donor, Claude Louis Gibson, and his wife, Joanna Gibson, has been largely maintained.

Series 1: Frank Swinnerton correspondence
Series 2: Frank Swinnerton notebooks and daily journals
Series 3: Frank Swinnerton writings, speeches, and broadcasts
Series 4: Frank Swinnerton biographical and financial materials
Series 5: Frank Swinnerton event materials
Series 6: Swinnerton family materials
Series 7: Photographs and drawings
Series 8: Clippings
Series 9: Arnold Bennett materials

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The Claude Louis Gibson Collection of Swinnertonia was donated to Special Collections by Claude Louis Gibson of College Station, Texas, on February 27, 2023.

Gibson collected the materials from a variety of sources, including directly from Swinnerton's daughter, Olivia Swinnerton.

Related Materials

MS Sw62 Frank Arthur Swinnerton Papers

MS G37 Claude Louis Gibson "An Annotated Index to the Frank Arthur Swinnerton Correspondence"

MS Sw62h 262 Frank Arthur Swinnerton Letters to Norah Hoult

MC 972 Frank Arthur Swinnerton Letters to Norah Hoult

MS B439 Enoch Arnold Bennett-Frank Arthur Swinnerton Correspondence

Gibson also donated a large collection of published materials by or related to Swinnerton to the University of Arkansas Libraries; these materials are part of the Rare Books Collection.