Henry Reed papers, ca. 1822-1857.

Format:

Other

Author/Creator:

Reed, Henry, 1808-1854.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Plays--Selections.

Shakespeare, William.

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616--Histories.

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.

United States. Constitution.

United States.

English literature--History and criticism.

English literature.

English poetry--History and criticism.

English poetry.

Speeches, addresses, etc., American--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.

Speeches, addresses, etc., American.

Great Britain--History.

Great Britain.

History.

Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.

Genre:

Lectures.

Lecture notes.

Speeches.

Notebooks.

Manuscripts for publication.

Manuscripts, American.

Penn Provenance:

Gift of Anne B. Robins, 1913.

Physical Description:

10 boxes (13 items, 15 volumes)

Place of Publication:

ca. 1822-1857.

Biography/History:

Born in Philadelphia; received a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1825. After studying law under Jonathan Dickinson, practiced law in Philadelphia, 1829-1831. Assistant Professor of Moral Philosophy at Penn from 1831 to 1834. Appointed Professor of English Literature and Rhetoric in 1834, and Vice-Provost in 1845, positions he held at the time of his death. Reed married Elizabeth White Bronsen in 1834, and they had three children. In 1854 when the Professorship of Moral Philosophy became open, Reed applied for it and, upon failing to receive that appointment, took a leave of absence and sailed for Europe in May of that year. During his return voyage to the United States Reed was among the many passengers of the S.S. Arctic who lost their lives when the ship sank on 27 September 1854.

Summary:

Papers of Henry Reed, in bound volumes, comprised mostly of manuscripts of public lectures that he gave between 1841 and 1853. The majority of the lectures address topics in English literature and history, and were delivered in the context of a series or course of lectures. Two volumes contain individual lectures, some related to more general cultural topics (see Ms. Coll. 859, Boxes 8 and 9, under the titles: Lectures on Sir Walter Scott and other topics, 1838-1840; and Lectures, ca. 1841-1853). The lectures given as part of a series were generally delivered at the University of Pennsylvania, with one series on tragic poetry (Shakespeare's tragedies) delivered at the Athenian Institute, Philadelphia. Most of the material in the various lecture series was published between 1855 and 1857, after Reed's premature death, under the editorship of his brother William B. Reed, and the relevant manuscripts contain William Reed's editor's notes for the publications. Individual lectures were hosted by other institutions in Philadelphia, including the Mercantile Library of Philadelphia; the Pottsville Lyceum; and the Bache Institute, the alumni association of Central High School. Three volumes in the collection are of a different nature: one volume contains miscellaneous correspondence, including two letters from William Wordsworth to Reed (Ms. Coll. 859, Box 1); another volume, relating to lectures given by Reed on the United States Constitution, contains brief notes, rather than a fully developed text (Box 10); and another contains neatly written exercises and problems in mathematics and astronomy, with illustrative diagrams (also in Box 10). The latter manuscript, if indeed by Reed, presumably dates from his undergraduate years at the University of Pennsylvania.

Finding Aid/Index:

For a list of the 13 individual items contained in this collection, do the following title search: Henry Reed papers.

OCLC:

773379103