Joseph Conrad collection

The Joseph Conrad collection contains the papers and other materials of Joseph Conrad, novelist and short story writer. The collection, which ranges from 1898-1942, consists of correspondence, Conrad’s writings, and other materials.

The collection is divided into five series: “Outgoing Letters,” “Incoming Letters,” “Third Party Letters,” “Writings of Joseph Conrad,” and “Other Materials”

“Outgoing Letters” contains twelve ALSs (most with envelopes) from Conrad to various correspondents regarding his work and life. Notable to the college are three letters written to Samuel Claggett Chew, professor of English Literature at Bryn Mawr College and book reviewer. “Incoming Letters” contains one letter from the American critic James Huneker in which he tells Conrad that he is the "English (and the Polish) Flaubert." “Third Party Letters” consist of two letters to Ethelinda Schaefer Castle from Edgar H. Wells (one regarding Conrad's death), and one letter to Castle from Herbert Faulkner West in 1942 about her collection of Conrad materials. “Writings of Joseph Conrad” contains a 1921 corrected typescript of Conrad's foreword to Landscapes of Corsica and Ireland by A. S. Kinkead. It also holds a corrected typescript of Conrad's note to Mirror of the Sea (Conrad has marked on this work that it is the first draft, which he began in October 1919). Additionally, it houses a corrected typescript of "Poland Revisited, Part Two," which is a portion of Conrad's Notes on Life & Letters. This latter typescript is bound into a 1921 printed edition of the work, along with a 1923 letter from Christopher Willard to Thomas J. Wise regarding the manuscript. “Other Materials” consists of one printed plate from Conrad's The Point of Honor: A Military Tale.

Through correspondence and writings, this collection contributes knowledge of Conrad’s personal relationships and his writing processes.