General correspondence, 1914-84

Component identifier:

Subseries 1_2

Content Summary:

Correspondence received by Pearce throughout his life, together with some copies, returned originals, and drafts of letters sent.

The New Zealand correspondence (1924-38) contains letters sent by Pearce to the editors of various New Zealand newspapers, some under the pen-name 'Profanum Vulgus', mainly on religious topics. There is also correspondence with the Auckland Rationalist Association, the New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Rationalism, the Rationalist Association and, Sunday Freedom League, G.H. Barker, Eric W. Flint, Frank Sutherland, G.E. Collett and M. Carrington.

The later correspondence reflects Pearce's continuing interest in New Zealand rationalism and his involvement in the New Zealand Rationalist Association, the Book Collectors' Society of Australia, the Australian Poetry Lovers' Society and the Henry Lawson Memorial and Literary Society. Other correspondence relates to magazine subscriptions, donations to libraries, submissions of manuscripts, letters to newspaper editors, book acquisitions and Henry Lawson. Correspondents include S.E. Craig, H. Scott Bennett, C.H. "Bill" Winter, Guy Howarth, Ursula Clinton, Louis H. Clark, J.K. McDougall, Jean Kurban, Cyril E. Goode, Walter Stone, Michael Dugan, Kit Mouat, Colin Roderick, Margaret Roberts, David Tribe and Richard Martin.

See also Pearce correspondence in series 6, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 16. Correspondence relating to Pearce's role as office holder in organisations is in series 8.

Immediate source of acquisition:

This collection is an amalgamation of material previously held at MS 2765, MS 6248, MS 1657, MS 1737, MS 1528 and MS 2563. The earlier components of the collection were received from Harry Hastings Pearce in seven instalments between 1965 and 1983. Pearce's library, comprising over 14,000 books, serials, pamphlets and manuscripts, was transferred to the Library in two instalments in 1984 and one in 1985 and has been held together as a collection. The manuscript component was separated from the published materials and transferred to the Manuscript Collection in 1986 and 1987. Loose cuttings were discarded from the collection.

Names:

Harry Pearce

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