Guide to the Sir Hall Caine Papers

Biographical Note

"Caine was secretary to Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the poet, painter, and leader of the Pre-Raphaelite artists in England, from 1881 to Rossetti's death in 1882. Caine's first novel, The Shadow of a Crime, was published in 1885. It was followed by several others—including The Deemster (1887), The Manxman (1894), The Eternal City (1901), The Woman Thou Gavest Me (1913), and The Woman of Knockaloe (1923). Caine settled in the Isle of Man and sat from 1901 to 1908 in the House of Keys, the lower house of its legislature. He was knighted in 1918 for services as an Allied propagandist in the United States." Caine, Sir Hall. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved January 14, 2004, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online. <http://search.eb.com/eb/article?eu=18850>

Scope and Contents

The collection primarily consists of 189 letters addressed to Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine, a prominent British novelist and secretary to Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the poet and painter. The bulk of the correspondence is hand-written signed letters. There are many typed signed letters, along with other forms of correspondence, such as a telegram. Caine lived from May 14, 1853 until August 31, 1931. Caine greatly admired Rosetti and the Pre-Raphaelite writings and much of the correspondence centers around the movement. Literary themes, especially related to events of the day, predominate the subjects of the letters. Many prominent intellectuals wrote to Caine, including Sir James M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan; Sir Arthur Wing Pinero, a leading playwright of the late Victorian and Edwardian periods; Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery and British prime minister from 1894 to 1895; Israel Zangwill, a writer and Zionist; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a Scottish writer best known for his series of stories about Sherlock Holmes; and Sir Walter Besant, an English novelist and philantropist.

Correspondence in this collection is contained within one letter-sized document case measuring .5 cubic feet. The collection is arranged alphabetically by the writer's name and chronologically if there is more than one letter by the writer. The only exceptions to this arrangement are the personal files of Caine containing personal papers and family correspondence. The collection is in good condition.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This material is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish from the Papers of Sir Hall Caine must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Sir Hall Caine Papers, MS 10, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University

Acquisition Information

These letters were purchased from Douglas Jacobs, a bookdealer.

Processing Information

The original title of this collection was named the "Guide to MS 10 Jacobs Collection of Autograph Correspondence." The collection was named after Douglas Jacobs, the book dealer from whom the collection was acquired.

Accruals

No future additions are expected for this material.

Other Finding Aid

Detailed Description of the Collection