John Myers O'Hara papers
Collection
Identifier: Midwest-MS-O'Hara
Scope and Content of the Collection
Collection of incoming correspondence and duplicate copies of some of the works of John Myers O'Hara. There are 446 letters and related items in the collection, 263 of which are from Sara Teasdale. The other correspondents were almost all women poets, with 52 letters from Jessie B. Rittenhouse, and 73 letters from Corinne Roosevelt Robinson. The rest of the collection consists of manuscript duplicates of O'Hara's poems and translations; manuscripts of each of these items are cataloged individually and shelved separately.
Dates
- 1908-1943
Creator
- O'Hara, John Myers (Person)
Language
Materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The John Myers O'Hara papers are open for research in the Special Collections Reading Room; 1 box at a time (Priority III).
Ownership and Literary Rights
The John Myers O'Hara papers are the physical property of the Newberry Library. Copyright may belong to the authors or their legal heirs or assigns. For permission to publish or reproduce any materials from this collection, contact the Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections.
Biography of John Myers O'Hara
Lawyer and stockbroker, but notably a writer of poetry, prose and literary translations.
Born into a wealthy family of Chicago in 1870, John O'Hara was educated and then practiced law in that city until he moved permanently to New York in his early thirties. He worked on Wall Street as a broker and although he and his whole family lost their fortunes in the 1929 crash and the subsequent depression, O'Hara continued not only to work in a brokerage house but carried on his life-long activity of writing and publishing poetry. Much of O'Hara's output was entirely his own, including volumes of sonnets and rather creative translations of Greek, Roman and French authors. He also produced poetical works purported to be translations of foreign literature but which actually were completely original works like Poems of Ming Wu (1941) and Xochicuicatl (1940).
When O'Hara's interpretation of the Poems of Sappho appeared in 1907 it was a critical success and later his own poetry collections, such as Pagan Sonnets, Manhattan, Threnodies and his last book Embers in 1921, received favorable notice. He was well-known and active in the poetical circles of his day, which is evident in his lengthy correspondence with several women writers, most notably Sara Teasdale.
John Myers O'Hara died in 1944.
Born into a wealthy family of Chicago in 1870, John O'Hara was educated and then practiced law in that city until he moved permanently to New York in his early thirties. He worked on Wall Street as a broker and although he and his whole family lost their fortunes in the 1929 crash and the subsequent depression, O'Hara continued not only to work in a brokerage house but carried on his life-long activity of writing and publishing poetry. Much of O'Hara's output was entirely his own, including volumes of sonnets and rather creative translations of Greek, Roman and French authors. He also produced poetical works purported to be translations of foreign literature but which actually were completely original works like Poems of Ming Wu (1941) and Xochicuicatl (1940).
When O'Hara's interpretation of the Poems of Sappho appeared in 1907 it was a critical success and later his own poetry collections, such as Pagan Sonnets, Manhattan, Threnodies and his last book Embers in 1921, received favorable notice. He was well-known and active in the poetical circles of his day, which is evident in his lengthy correspondence with several women writers, most notably Sara Teasdale.
John Myers O'Hara died in 1944.
Extent
1.7 Linear Feet (4 boxes)
Abstract
Incoming correspondence and works of poet John Myers O'Hara. The bulk of correspondence is letters from poet Sara Teasdale, 1908-1914.
Organization
Papers are organized in the following series:
- Series 1: Incoming Correspondence, 1910-1942
- Box 1
- Series 2: Sara Teasdale Incoming Correspondence, 1908-1914
- Box 2
- Series 3: Works, 1936-1943
- Boxes 2-4
Collection Stack Location
1 27 6
Provenance
Gift of John Hervey, 1955
Processed by
Amy Nyholm, 1955; Virginia H. Smith, 2000.
Acknowledgements
This inventory was created with the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this inventory do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
- Correspondence -- 1901-1950
- Daniels, Bebe
- Dunne, Alice
- Manuscripts, American
- Markham, Catherine
- Mullins, Helene
- New York (N.Y.) -- Intellectual life -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
- Poems -- 1901-1950
- Poets, American -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
- Rittenhouse, Jessie B. (Jessie Belle)
- Robinson, Corinne Roosevelt
- Speyer, Leonora, 1872-1956
- Teasdale, Sara
- Wagstaff, Blanche Shoemaker
- Wallace, Calla
- Women poets, American -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
Creator
- O'Hara, John Myers (Person)
- Title
- Inventory of the John Myers O'Hara papers, 1908-1943
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Virginia H. Smith
- Date
- ©2000.
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2022-07-05: Finding aid updated to include a full folder inventory.
Repository Details
Part of the The Newberry Library - Modern Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
60 West Walton Street
Chicago Illinois 60610 United States
312-255-3512
reference@newberry.org
60 West Walton Street
Chicago Illinois 60610 United States
312-255-3512
reference@newberry.org