Collections and Critiques

A tangible Harvard memorial to Thomas Hardy has taken the form of an exhibit now on view in the Treasure Room of Widener Library. Early editions of Hardy's works, letters and photographs constitute the bulk of the collection.

Foremost in interest among the exhibits is a series of letters to Miss Amy Lowell, one of which is a letter of thanks for her gift of her two-volume biography of John Keats. "You must not take any notice," writes Hardy, "of what the funny men of the newspapers say about the size of it and so forth; that's how they are, and it never makes any difference."

In another letter the English writer expresses his gratitude to Miss Lowell for a copy of another one of her books; "I fear I am late in thanking you for your kind gift of 'Sword Blades and Poppy Seeds'." The only known manuscript copy of this volume is in the possession of Widener Library.

Among the first editions of Hardy's novels and poems is a copy of "Wessex Tales", with a letter of presentation to Robert Browning dated May, 1888. A number of rare photographs of the writer completes the collection.