Frances Sargent Osgood.
Frances Sargent Osgood Archives
Frances Sargent Osgood’s papers are stored in three main locations: the Houghton Library at Harvard University, the Boston Public Library, and the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester, MA.
Below are links to each of the archives with short annotations describing the relevant materials housed in each.
Frances Sargent Osgood Papers, 1838-1850 || Houghton Library, Harvard.
The Frances Sargent Osgood Papers, 1838-1850 at the Houghton Library, Harvard contains over 100 items related to Frances Sargent Osgood. These primarily consist of letters written to or by FSO between the years 1842-1850. Perhaps most noteworthy in the collection are the following pieces:
1 letter from Evert Augustus Duyckinck, then editor of The United States Magazine and Democratic Review and foremost literary tastemaker of NYC
3 letters from Samuel Stillman Osgood, FSO’s husband and a successful painter
4 letters from George Rex Graham, editor of Graham’s Gentleman’s Magazine, for which FSO served as a primary contributor in the mid-1840s
Also of interest are several pieces related to Griswold:
Osgood’s deeding of power of attorney to Griswold in 1849
Correspondence between Griswold and publisher George Palmer Putnam, who published “The Memorial” a work dedicated to FSO by her friends after her death.
1 letter from Samuel Stillman Osgood to Rufus Griswold after FSO’s death
Items in this collection are organized alphabetically; the items are contained in one box, half a foot in length. The items in this collection have not yet been digitally photocopied, but a detailed collection guide is available online and materials may be requested for viewing.
Archival Anecdote: This collection was gifted to Houghton Library by its compiler, Mrs. Arthur W. Fletcher; who donated the collection in 1955.
Rufus W. Griswold Papers, 1785-1897 (Bulk: 1834 – 1857) || Boston Public Library
The Rufus W. Griswold Papers, 1785-1897 at the Boston Public Library contains 1285 items related to journal editor and anthologizer Rufus W. Griswold. These materials primarily consist of Griswold’s professional correspondence with other writers in his capacity as editor but also encompasses personal correspondence. The collection further features many items related to Edgar A. Poe, for whom Griswold served as literary executor and who therefore acquired many of Poe’s papers upon the poet’s death in 1849.
Buried amidst these competing factions are approximately 20 pieces related to Osgood
Correspondence:
2 letters to FSO from Hiram Fuller, publisher of ALB’s The Rhode Island Book (1841) and defendant in Poe’s late libel case (Letter 1; Letter 2)
1 letter to FSO from George Rex Graham, editor of Graham’s Gentleman’s Magazine, for which FSO served as a primary contributor in the mid-1840s
2 letters to FSO from John Neal, a highly respected “early” American author (Letter 1; Letter 2)
1 letter to FSO from Mary Neal, John Neal’s daughter
3 letters to FSO from Samuel Stillman Osgood, FSO’s husband, to Griswold (Letter 1; Letter 2; Letter 3)
1 letter to FSO from Epes Sargent, editor of Sargent’s New Monthly Magazine
Manuscript Poems by FSO:
“For one, whose being is to mine a star”
“Among green, Pleasant Meadows”
“The Bouquet” and “Songs for Children”
“The Fairy’s Lullaby” and “The Secret” and “Dirge for a Canary-Bird”
“The Holiday” and “The Child & Bird” and “The orphan’s Song” and The May-Day Song”
“The Sunset Burned Above the Tropic Isle”
Items in this collection are organized alphabetically; the items are contained in 20 boxes. Portions of this collection has been digitized and may be viewed through Digital Commonwealth; undigitized materials may be requested for viewings.
Archival Anecdote: This collection was donated to the Boston Public Library by Mrs. Rufus Griswold in 1900.
Frances Sargent Locke Osgood Papers, 1836-1850; 1916-1942 || American Antiquarian Society
The Frances Sargent Locke Osgood Papers, 1836-1850; 1916-1942 are housed by the American Antiquarian Society at their headquarters in Worcester, Massachusetts (approximately 1 hour west of Boston). This collection fills 2 folders and contains an early short story by FSO, the slate on which FSO wrote the word “Angel” before dying, and other miscellaneous memorabilia.
This collection has not yet been digitized but is accessible upon request to the society.
New York Public Library || New York City, NY
The NYPL’s physical archives contain approximately 50 records related to FSO, including editions of several of her books as well as copies of individual poems. The complete list may be viewed here; materials may be viewed upon request.
The NYPL’s Digital Collections currently holds digitizations of 890,375 items from their physical archives. These digital records include a photocopy of 1 letter from Frances Sargent Osgood to Evert A. Duyckinck.
Edgar Allan Poe Collection || Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin
The Edgar Allan Poe Collection consists of 13 document boxes, 1 oversize box, 3 galley folders, and 9 oversize folders of materials regarding Edgar Allan Poe. Two pieces related to Osgood may be found in this collection:
a handwritten fragment of “She Loves Him Yet!” written c. 1849. (located in Container 1.7)
a handwritten letter from E. A. Poe to Osgood (October 1845). The letter details Poe’s gratitude at having received from Osgood a poem for the Broadway Journal and a personal note. (located in Container 2.2)
Portions of this collection have been digitized; the remainder are available for viewing upon request.
John Henry Ingram’s Poe Collection ca. 1829 - ca. 1915 || Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia.
The John Henry Ingram’s Poe Collection. The materials in this collection were amassed over the course of nearly forty years by John Henry Ingram, English biographer and champion of Edgar Allan Poe. Of the four Poe biographers that corresponded with SHW, Ingram was by far the most meticulous, as is demonstrated by the extensive scope of his archives.
The majority of the documents in this collection are letters by SHW to Ingram. While this collection does not contain any letters to or from FSO, it does contain approximately half a dozen letters by SHW that touch on various aspects of FSO’s character and relationship to Poe.
Sarah Helen Whitman Papers || John Hay Library, Brown University
Sarah Helen Whitman Papers. Brown University is located in Providence, Rhode Island, the city in which Sarah Helen Whitman lived the majority of her life. Many of Whitman’s acquaintances were associated with the University, including her husband, John Winslow Whitman, who took his degree there in 1818.
2 letters from Frances Sargent Osgood, poetess, member of the New York City salon, and friend of Poe.
Multiple letters to and from SHW discussing Osgood’s reputation, works, and relationship to Poe.
The materials in this collection have not yet been digitized but are available for viewing upon special request to the Center. Detailed descriptions of most of the items are available in the online Inventory list.
Abernethy Manuscript Miscellany Collection || Middlebury College Special Collections & Archives
The Abernethy Manuscript Miscellany Collection consists of 19 boxes that include original and duplicated material by American authors spanning the 19th to 21st centuries. Within this collection is one folder of works by FSO. The folder’s contents are available for viewing upon special request.
Rare Books and Manuscripts, Pennsylvania State University Libraries
The Rare Books and Manuscripts section of the Pennsylvania State University Library system includes three items related to FSO:
a letter addressed to her from her friend, Mrs. Skinner
a manuscript poem
a photoengraved portrait of FSO
These materials have not yet been digitized.
The Overbury Collection || Barnard College Archives and Special Collections
The Overbury Collection, housed at Barnard College, was compiled by Bertha Van Riper Overbury, one of the first students to complete a four year degree at the women’s institute after its founding in 1889. The collection fills 23 boxes and includes nearly 3,000 items (primarily manuscripts and letters) by a variety of American authoresses including such notables as Edith Wharton, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Emily Dickinson, Helen Keller, Louisa May Alcott, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Gertrude Stein.
Included in this collection are two letters by FSO (here and here).
The collection has not yet been digitized but its digital finding aid is highly detailed. The collection is available for inspection at the Barnard College Archives.
Digital Commonwealth || Boston Public Library
The Digital Commonwealth is an initiative of the Boston Public Library that was founded in 2006 to aid in expanding the availability of their archival material to the public. All materials linked from the Rufus Griswold Papers above are provided via Digital Commonwealth; additionally, the holdings feature 1 letter to FSO written by Barabara Hoole Hofland; this letter was written during FSO’s stay in England (November 1837) and is therefore among the earliest of our primary records relating to FSO.
ArchiveGrid
ArchiveGrid contains more than 5 million record descriptions of materials housed in over 1,000 archives. Due to this scope, ArchiveGrid generates a helpful list of materials related to FSO that are available across multiple university collections together with links to each item in the collection; however, almost none of these links lead to digitized copies of materials.