The collection contains 11 letters. Moore writes two letters to My dear Clara (Madame la Marquise Clara Lanza), 4 July 1890 and 29 Apr. 1892 (with envelopes), both long and personal, advising her about a play, describing the book he is working on, telling about the way he has ended a relationship with a woman, recalling his vision of Clara, and his plans to write another play; to no addressee, Jan. 1902, a recommendation of Miss Mervyn's acting; to Miss Gough (Margaret Gough, Moore's secretary), undated (possibly 1911?), saying he has finished his play version of Esther Waters and a story; to Mr. Smith (Thomas R. Smith, editor of Century magazine), 14 July 1919, with an article he hopes to have published in Century magazine and telling of his travels plans for France; four letters to Miss Mann, one dated 5 July, others dated Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday evening (circa 1920?), trying to make arrangements for her and Mrs. Poole to see his play The coming of Gabrielle; to My dear Edith, 31 Jan. 1928, saying he is sorry he missed seeing her and that he is not well; to Miss Young, Monday, undated, about finding an Irish company to act his play. The collection also contains profusely corrected page and galley proofs (16 p.) of "An imaginary conversation" between Moore and Edmund Gosse stamped "The dial" with "Fortnightly review" penciled out. This was published under the title "Imaginary conversations: Gosse and Moore" in Fortnightly review, Oct. and Nov. 1918, and in The dial, 5 and 19 Oct., and 2 Nov. 1918. Also included are photocopies of the suppressed chapter of Moore's Memoirs of my dead life, accompanied by a letter from Donald D. Eddy, Cornell Univ. librarian, to Charles W. Mann, chief of Rare Books and Special Collections at Pennsylvania State University's Library, 3 June 1969.
In Rare Books and Manuscripts, University Libraries, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (#1972-0036R/VF Lit).
Reproduction Note:
Suppressed chapter of Moore's Memoirs of my dead life Photocopy. Ithaca, N.Y. : Dept. of Rare Books, Cornell University Library, 1969. 2 p. per leaf.
Source of Acquisition:
Purchased from various sources, 1972-1992.
Administrative History:
George Moore was born at Moore Hall, County Mayo, Ireland, educated in schools near Birmingham, and studied art in Paris before publishing two books of poems in 1878 and 1881. He settled in London in 1880 and wrote poems, plays, essays, and novels. He was involved with the Abbey Theatre, 1899-1911, then returned to London. The novel Esther Waters (1894) is usually considered to be his best work.
