Andrew Field papers
Collection
0059-LIT
Andrew Field (1938- ) is a scholar, translator, and author, who has published translations of Russian literature, critical studies, biographies, fiction, essays, and travel articles. He holds degrees from Columbia University as well as a Ph.D. from the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. From 1977 to 1979, he was a professor at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. Dr. Field's papers consist of materials relating to the writing of his 1983 study of the life and work of Djuna Barnes, Djuna: the Formidable Miss Barnes (alternately entitled Djuna: The Life and Times of Djuna Barnes). Included in the collection are correspondence, manuscripts, research notes, clippings related to the book's publication and reception, and photographs. Also included is a handwritten manuscript of a poem by Barnes.
This collection is open for research.
7.75 Linear Feet
The Papers of Andrew Field include materials gathered and produced during the research, writing, and publication of Field's biography ofDjuna Barnes, Djuna: The Formidable Miss Barnes. The collection includes items dated from 1916 to 1989, with the bulk of materials dating, from 1978 to 1982, when Field was researching and writing the biography. There are manuscripts of the biography in various states as well as correspondence with individuals who were witnesses of Djuna Barnes's life, with other biographers of early twentieth century New York and Paris cultural figures, and with institutions and repositories that hold archival records. There are also research notes, notes from primary interviews, clippings, photocopies of articles, genealogical documents, book reviews, photographs, and publications of other writers gathered during research. Of particular value are individual copies from the chapbook series Bruno's Weekly and Bruno's in which three examples of Barnes's writing and illustration appeared. Copies of these rare publications are not among the materials in the Papers of Djuna Barnes held by the University of Maryland Libraries. The collection also contains correspondence from Djuna Barnes to several of the individuals Field contacted while working on the biography.
This collection has been divided into seven series.
The University of Maryland, College Park, Libraries acquired the collection from Andrew Field in May 2003.
Andrew Field shipped the collection to the University of Maryland libraries in May 2003, having previously sent an inventory of the collection to the Curator of Literary Manuscripts. Shortly after its arrival, the collection was re-housed in archival storage boxes until processing began in October 2003. A preliminary inventory was created by checking the contents of the boxes against the Field inventory. Paper clips, staples, and rubber bands were removed from the collection. When necessary, letters were removed from envelopes and flattened, and folded paper was also flattened. Fragile documents were placed in polyester sleeves to prevent damage from handling. Water damage was discovered in some of the papers, and there was evidence of mold on approximately ten items. Notes and facsimile reproductions of documents with mold were photocopied and the originals discarded. Original records with mold were surface-cleaned and encapsulated to prevent the spread of mold to other papers. One letter with mold was deemed to have significant intrinsic value and was treated by a conservator for mold remediation, and the original was retained. During the period when mold-affected documents were separated from the collection, photocopies were made to hold the document's place in the collection. Photographs were sorted; duplicate copy prints discarded; and all photographs were placed in polyester sleeves to prevent damage from handling. The final arrangement of the collection, partly suggested by the Field inventory and the original order of the collection, was created by staff during processing.
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives