Special Collections
Milton S. Eisenhower Library
The Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland 21218
410-516-8348

Turnbull (Eleanor) 1875-1964
Papers (1874-1960)

Ms. 55

Size:          4 document boxes and 1 album         
               (2 linear ft.)

Processed:     November 1989
By:            Margaret L. Lambooy
              

Provenance:    Gift of Miss Eleanor Turnbull, ca. 1960.

Access:        Access to this collection is unrestricted.

Permission:    Permission to publish material from this
               collection must be requested in writing
               from the Manuscripts Librarian at the
               address above.

Citation:      Turnbull (Eleanor) Papers Ms. 55
               Special Collections
               Milton S. Eisenhower Library
               The Johns Hopkins University

                  Turnbull (Eleanor) 1875-1964)
                       Papers (1874-1960)
                             Ms. 55

Provenance:

The collection was a gift of Miss Eleanor Turnbull, ca. 1960.

                               
Biographical Note:

Eleanor L. Turnbull was born in 1875 into a wealthy and prominent
Baltimore family.  Her father, Lawrence Turnbull, was a
prosperous merchant and lawyer, and a man of literary and
cultural interests.  Her mother, Francese Litchfield Turnbull
(1844-1927), wrote novels and poetry and was active in the
Baltimore Woman's Literary Club, serving as president for
seven years.  Together, the Turnbulls established a poetry
lectureship at The Johns Hopkins University and befriended and
promoted the poet, Sidney Lanier (1842-1881).

Eleanor Turnbull grew up with her brothers and sister (Edwin,
Percy, Bayard, and Grace) in the La Paix neighborhood of Towson,
Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore, as well as at the Turnbull
home on Park Avenue.  The Turnbull children were encouraged     
to express themselves, and they responded by such activities
as building a miniature stone church at La Paix and publishing
a juvenile magazine, The Acorn (1886-87). Along with them,
Eleanor was educated by private tutors.  She studied piano and
French, among other subjects, and translated some French poetry
into English.

In 1922, Eleanor Turnbull took a short course in Spanish in
preparation for a trip to Spain.  Fifteen years later, in 1937,
Miss Turnbull again brought out her Spanish dictionary to
translate some poems of the eminent Spanish poet, Pedro
Salinas, in anticipation of his poetry lectures at Johns
Hopkins that year.  Salinas was impressed with her efforts.
She then enrolled in the Summer Language School at Middlebury
College, Vermont, and began translating more Spanish poetry.
She returned each summer to the college to sharpen her language
skills.

In all, Eleanor Turnbull published nine books of Spanish poetry.
Her work has been praised by scholars and critics for its clarity
and elegance.  In addition to her translation work, Eleanor
Turnbull gave readings of and lectures on Spanish poetry at the
Pratt library.  She also continued the family tradition of
boosting the reputation of Sidney Lanier.  Eleanor Turnbull died
in 1964, survived by her sister, Grace.

Related Collections

Information on other members of the Turnbull family can be found
in Special Collections in the following collections: Turnbull
(Edwin L.) Collection Ms. 103; Turnbull (Francese) Papers Ms.
229; Turnbull (Grace) Papers Ms. 51.  The Turnbull family
interest in Sidney Lanier is documented in the Lanier (Sidney)
Papers Ms. 7.

Scope and Content Note:

The Eleanor Turnbull Papers (1874-1960) consist of four document
boxes and one album, a collection of approximately two linear
feet.  The bulk of the material is dated from the 1930s, 1940s,
and 1950s. The collection contains Turnbull's correspondence,
some of her translations of Spanish poetry, her notes, and a
number of personal items.  It falls into three series:
correspondence, translations, and personal.  The papers present a
good picture of the work of a translator from the late 1930s to
the mid-1950s. They include many of Turnbull's notes and
typescripts of translations, as well as correspondence with
poets, critics, and scholars.  Approximately one third of the
collection deals with her final work, Ten Centuries of Spanish
Poetry (1955).  There are notes, reviews, and a complete
typescript of the work, as well as letters relating to the book
from people such as John Ciardi, poet and critic, and Leo Spitzer
of Johns Hopkins.  The collection contains typescripts of two
other works by Turnbull, The Christ of Velazquez, by Miguel de
Unamuno (1951) and Poems by Miguel de Unamuno (1950).  There are
a number of reviews of The Christ of Velazquez, due to its
controversial handling of the subject.  There is a printed copy
and a few typescripts of the poem, To the Bay Bridge, by Jose
Carrera Andrade (1941).
 
Turnbull's earliest works, Lost Angel and Other Poems (1938) and
Truth of Two and Other Poems (1940), were translations of the
poetry of Pedro Salinas.  These books received the notice of many
well-known literary figures.  Turnbull received letters relating
to these works from Walter de la Mare, Robert P. Tristram Coffin,
Lascelles Abercrombie, and Archibald MacLeish.  The collection
also contains a small amount of material relating to each of

Turnbull's other published works:  Zero, by Pedro Salinas (1947);
Contemporary Spanish Poetry (1947); and Sea of San Juan, by Pedro
Salinas (1950).  This material consists mainly of promotional
literature and reviews.

The collection contains a substantial amount of Turnbull's
translations that were not published.  Over half of this
unpublished material are notes and typescripts of the poetry of
Gabriela Mistral.  Other unpublished translations include works
by Jorge Guillen, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, and Pedro Salinas.

The Turnbull family's interest in Sidney Lanier is documented in
this collection.   The items relating to Lanier are largely
material relating to events honoring him.  There is a program of
the 1888 memorial to Sidney Lanier inscribed by Mary Day Lanier,
typewritten notes for a presentation by Elizabeth Lanier on
Sidney given at Miss Turnbull's home in 1931, and programs to the
1940 and 1942 commemorations held at The Johns Hopkins
University.  Included with Mrs. Lanier's 1931 notes are the
answers Sidney Lanier gave in 1874 to certain questions that were
to reveal "The Mental Photograph of Sidney Lanier."  In
preparation for the 1931 Lanier program Miss Turnbull consulted
the Library of Congress Music Division for a list of Lanier poems
which had been set to music.  A copy of W.R. Whittlesey's reply
is in the correspondence.

The personal series includes examples of Eleanor Turnbull's early
writings in the form of notes from a parlor game.  The series
contains the June, 1887 issue of The Acorn, the magazine
published by her brother, Edwin.  There is biographical
information  on Miss Turnbull, including the text of a lecture,
by Damaso Alonso, entitled, "Eleanor Turnbull and Spanish
Poetry."  Also included in this series are a photograph of
Miss Turnbull (1940), a bibliography of her work, and an album of
picture postcards from Spain.

Series Notes:

Series 1   Correspondence, 1930-1960
           27 folders
           Arranged alphabetically by correspondent

Eleanor Turnbull's correspondence is comprised mainly of letters
from poets, literary figures, and academicians relating to her
translations of Spanish poetry.  There are also letters from
members of the Lanier family, and the Salinas family.

Series 2   Translations, 1936-1957
           33 folders
           Published translations arranged chronologically       
            by  date of publication (18 folders)
           Unpublished translations arranged alphabetically by   
            poet (15 folders)
            

Each of the published works of Eleanor Turnbull is represented by
some material, from reviews to full manuscripts.  The bulk of
this material relates to her final work, Ten Centuries of Spanish
Poetry.  Material that does not belong to a publication includes
translations of twelve Spanish poets (see scope note and
container list for names).  This material is arranged
alphabetically by the name of the poet translated.    Also in
this series is material written by Eleanor Turnbull for readings
given at the Pratt Library in Baltimore on the poets, Federico
Garcia Lorca and Miguel de Unamuno.
 
Series 3   Personal, 1874-1955
           8 folders
           Arranged chronologically

Approximately half of the material in this series relates to
Sidney Lanier.  The series contains notes from a parlor game
(undated), an issue of The Acorn, and a bibliography of Eleanor
Turnbull's publications.  A studio portrait of Miss Turnbull
(1940), an album of picture postcards of Spanish art, and three
short biographical sketches complete the series.

                         Container List
 

Box 1

Series 1   Correspondence

Folder 1   Abercrombie, Lascelles
           Alberti, Rafael
           Alonso, Damaso
      
Folder 2   Altolaguirre, Manuel
           Andrade, Jorge Carrera

Folder 3   Bartra, Agusti
           Benet, William R.
           Blanco, M. Garcia
           Bowman, Isaiah
           Bradley, Sculley

Folder 4   Casalduero, Joaquin
           Castro, Americo
           Centeno, Juan A.
           Cernuda, Luis
           Ciardi, John
           Cleugh, James
           Coffin, Robert P. Tristram
           Coleman, Elliott

Folder 5   Davidson, Donald
           De la Mare, Walter
           Del Rio, Angel
           Diego, Gerardo
           Diez-Canedo, Enrique
           Florit, Eugenio

Folder 6   Garcia-Prada, Carlos
           Gomez, Ermilo Abreu

Folder 7   Guillen, Jorge

Folder 8   Hart, Richard
           Hispanic Society of America
           Hispanic Foundation, Reference Dept., Library of      
            Congress      

Box 1 (con't)

Folder 9   Jimenez, Juan Ramon
           Junyer, Joan

Folder 10  Kravetz, Sam

Folder 11  Lamar, E. Dorothy Blount
           Lancaster, H. Carrington

Folder 12  Lanier, Charles D.
           Lanier, Mrs. Sidney Jr.

Folder 13  Lorca, Francisco G.
           Lorenz, Lincoln

Folder 14  MacKay, John A.

Folder 15  MacLeish, Archibald

Folder 16  Malakis, Emile
           Marichal, Solita
           McDonald, Gerald D.

Folder 17  Mistral, Gabriela

Folder 18  Navarro, Tomas
           Ouis, Federico de
           Otrate, Maria de
           Owen, H.G.
           Pidal, M.P.
           Peraloza, P.M.
           Prados, Emilio
           Ransom, John Crowe
           Robertson, David
           Rubio, David

Folder 19  Salinas, Margarita
          
Folder 20  Salinas, Pedro

Folder 21  Salinas, Pedro - Newspaper Clippings

Folder 22  Salinas, Pedro - Photos, notices

Folder 23  Salinas, Pedro - "Error de Calculo"

Folder 24  Spitzer, Leo
           Stunis, G.R.
           Teran, Fernando
           Thompson, Keith F.
Box 1 (con't)

Folder 25  Turner, Nancy Byrd

Folder 26  Unamuno, Maria de
           Villa, Jose Moreno
           Wendell, Jessie
           Whicher, George
           Whittlesey, W.R.
           Wilford, Richard R.
           Williamson, Edward
   
Folder 27  Unidentified

      
Box 2

Series 2   Translations - Alphabetical

Folder 1   Alberti, Rafael
           Alonso, Damaso
           Altolaguirre, Manuel
           Bartra, Agusti

Folder 2   Florit, Eugenio

Folder 3   Guillen, Jorge

Folder 4   Jovellanos, Gaspar Melchior de

Folder 5   Lorca, Federico Garcia - Notes for Reading at
             Pratt Library

Folder 6   Mistral, Gabriela (translations not by E.L.T.)
             Photograph of Gabriela Mistral

Folder 7   Mistral, Gabriela

Folder 8   Mistral, Gabriela

Folder 9   Mistral, Gabriela

Folder 10  Mistral, Gabriela

Folder 11  Matos, Luis Pales

Folder 12  Salinas, Pedro

Folder 13  Silva, Jose Asuncion

Box 2 (con't)

Folder 14  Juana Ines de la Cruz, Sor

Folder 15  Unamuno, Miguel de - Notes for Reading at
             Pratt Library

Box 3

Series 2   Translations - Chronological

Folder 1   Lost Angel and Other Poems - Salinas, Pedro (1938)

Folder 2   Truth of Two and Other Poems - Salinas, Pedro (1940)

Folder 3   To the Bay Bridge - Andrade, Jorge Carrera (1941)

Folder 4   Zero - Salinas, Pedro (1947)

Folder 5   Contemporary Spanish Poetry (1947)

Folder 6   Sea of San Juan - Salinas, Pedro (1950)

Folder 7   Christ of Velazquez - Unamuno, Miguel de (1951)

Folder 8   Christ of Velazquez - Unamuno, Miguel de

Folder 9   Poems by Miguel de Unamuno  (1952)

Folder 10  Poems by Miguel de Unamuno

Folder 11  Ten Centuries of Spanish Poetry - Notes (1955)

Folder 12  Ten Centuries of Spanish Poetry - Notes

Folder 13  Ten Centuries of Spanish Poetry - Notes

Folder 14  Ten Centuries of Spanish Poetry

Box 4

Folder 15  Ten Centuries of Spanish Poetry (Manuscript) 1

Folder 16  Ten Centuries of Spanish Poetry (Manuscript) 2

Folder 17  Poems not used in Ten Centuries of Spanish Poetry

Folder 18  Ten Centuries of Spanish Poetry (Photostats of
             letters about)

Box 4 (con't)

Series 3   Personal

Folder 1   Parlor Game Notes, The Acorn, June, 1887
          
Folder 2   Lanier Events 1888, 1931

Folder 3   Lanier Events 1940, 1941

Folder 4   Lanier Centenary 1942

Folder 5   Lanier printed material  

Folder 6   Photo (Eleanor L. Turnbull), Biographical articles    
            about Eleanor Turnbull, Christmas card

Folder 7   Biographical sketch

Folder 8   Bibliography

Box 5

Album, n.d. - Contains picture postcards of Spanish cities and   
          places of interest, and of Spanish art and dress.

                              Index
             

Abercrombie, Lascelles, p. 3
Alonso, Damaso, p. 4
Andrade, Jose Carrera, p. 3
Christ of Velazquez, p. 3
Ciardi, John, p. 3
Coffin, Robert P. Tristram, p. 3
Contemporary Spanish Poetry, p. 4
De la Mare, Walter, p. 3
Guillen, Jorge, p. 4
Juana Ines de la Cruz, Sister, p. 4
Lanier, Sidney, pp. 2-4
Lorca, Federico Garcia, p. 5
Lost Angel and Other Poems, p. 3
MacLeish, Archibald, p. 3
Mistral, Gabriela, p. 4
Poems by Miguel de Unamuno, p. 3
Salinas, Pedro, pp. 2-4
Sea of San Juan, p. 4
Spanish Poetry - Translations into English, pp. 2-5
Ten Centuries of Spanish Poetry, p. 3, 5
To the Bay Bridge, p. 3
Truth of Two and Other Poems, p. 3
Turner, Nancy Byrd, p. 8
Unamuno, Miguel de, pp. 3, 5
Women and Literature, pp. 2-5
Women Poets, pp. 3-5
Zero, p. 4