A Neilson Miscellany

Component identifier:

Item 62

Content Summary:

A full morocco folder containing several items, as follows.

(a) Receipt given by Neilson to A.G. Stephens, dated 6 July 1906. This is for 15/- received as payment for the two poems, The Pretty Gleaner and The Hour is Lost. The butt of the receipt gives Neilson's address as 'Tyrrell Downs, Sea Lake, Vic.'

(b) Autograph letter from Henry Boote, editor of The Worker, 15 December 1926, to A.G. Stephens. Boote offers to print a short sketch of Neilson and his work of "not more than 500 words". Also is prepared to print a short piece of verse about once a month.

(c) Autograph letter from Neilson, 23 December 1927, to Henry Boote, thanking the editor for kind words, says also: "...It has been a great help to me to get some verses printed in The Worker. He goes on to speak of his age and the prospects for some further rhyming, if encouraged. Signed "Shaw Neilson". Full autograph letters by Neilson are seldom at large.

(d) Letter written at Neilson's dictation by his sister, Annie, and signed "J.S. Neilson". This is not dated. To Roderic Quinn, with references to many Sydney literary people, also to Mary Gilmore, "a wonderful old lady". Also: "Very, very, often when I look at the sundown I think of your 'Camp Within the West'."

(e) Dictated letter to E.J. Brady, 22 March 1936, written by Lisette Neilson and signed "J.S. Neilson". He sends a short biographical sketch and says: "In the sketch I have left out my education. It is so very slight. I have left out the names of my first two books. They sound pompous in a slight sketch." Neilson refuses to give his opinions in a booklet Brady is preparing: "I have been able to read very little. I have but a poor knowledge of Australian literature and scarcely any knowledge of English literature or the literature of other countries."

(f) Dictated letter to J.K. Moir, signed "J.S. Neilson", n.d. Pleasant references to the poetry in the Bread and Cheese Anthology.

(g) Autograph poem by Hugh McCrae: Upon a Day. "Written to Shaw Neilson soon after his translation."

Inscribed by McCrae to H.F. Chaplin: "For Harry from Hugh, October, 1950".

(h) Dictated letter from Neilson to Editor of Australian Poetry, 1941, declining the honour of being included in the anthology.

(i) Copy of the Broadsheet, "Tales we never hear".

Names:

John Shaw Neilson

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