Autograph letters and manuscripts of Oscar Wilde, including the manuscript of his play The Duchess of Padua, with some related material.

Archive Collection
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  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 206 Elliott Collection MS Wilde
  • Dates of Creation
      1878-1895
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
      English
  • Physical Description
      8 items, held in 6 vols; manuscript.  Item (1) is held inside a transparent plastic envelope within a blue portfolio case; (2)-(4) are all held in the same portfolio case within a dark blue solander, which bears the gilt lettering 'Envoi. The original manuscript. Oscar Wilde. 1882'; (5) is bound in fine black tooled leather bearing a gilt coat of arms on the front cover and held within a black custom-made box bearing the gilt lettering 'Oscar Wilde/ The Duchess of Padua'; (6) is held in a large yellow portfolio; (7) is held in a small red portfolio; and (8) is held inside a copy of Wilde's De profundis, within a dark green tooled solander bearing the gilt title 'De profundis/ Wilde'.

Scope and Content

Comprises the following items: (1) Autograph letter to Marian Willets [1878]; (2) Manuscript draft and notes for the original contract made by J.M. Stoddart, and Co. with Wilde for publishing Rennell Rodd's Rose leaf and apple leaf and for his introduction to the work [1882]; (3) Autograph manuscript of 'L'envoi', Wilde's introductory essay to Rodd's Rose leaf and apple leaf (1882); (4) Manuscript draft receipt from J.M. Stoddart, and Co. sent to Wilde for the publishing rights to his two poems 'Le jardin' and 'La mer' (n.d.); (5) Autograph manuscript of Wilde's play The Duchess of Padua (1883); (6) Original manuscript contract drawn up by Markby, Wilde, and Johnson for the publication of Wilde's The sphinx (1892), held with a copy of the published work (1894); (7) Autograph letter to Robert Ross [ca. 25 January 1895]; and (8) Autograph letter to Arthur Stannard [ca. 1888], held with the printed book De profundis, by Wilde (1905).

Administrative / Biographical History

Oscar O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (1854-1900), the wit and dramatist. For fuller details of his life and achievements see the Dictionary of National Biography.

Access Information

Access is unrestricted.

Acquisition Information

The gift of Fay and Geoffrey Elliott, 2002.

Note

In English.

Other Finding Aids

The Wilde items, both manuscript and printed, are described in greater detail in the Library's handlist of the Fay and Geoffrey Elliott Collection (handlist 148) http://www.leeds.ac.uk/library/spcoll/handlists/148Elliott.pdf

Additional Information

The Wilde section of the Elliott Collection also contains printed items, which are catalogued separately.