Fonds F2111 - Archibald Lampman collection

Identity area

Reference code

CA OTTCA F2111

Title

Archibald Lampman collection

Date(s)

  • 1880-1945 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

4 cm of textual records

Context area

Name of creator

(1861-11-17/1899-02-10)

Biographical history

Archibald Lampman, poet and civil servant, was born on 17 November 1861 in Morpeth, County Kent, Ontario, the son of the Reverend Archibald Lampman and Susannah Charlotte Gesner. He attended a school at Gore's Landing, Ontario (run by Frederick William Barron), Cobourg Collegiate Institute, and Trinity College School, Port Hope, before entering the University of Trinity College, Toronto. He was Wellington Scholar, wrote for the College journal Rouge et Noir (predecessor of Trinity University Review) and was editor in his final year, 1881-82. Lampman was a member of the Trinity College Literary Institute and was Scribe of the two books of Episkopon (the reading of the Episkopon volumes was an annual ritual of the college) in 1881 and 1882. He also contributed to "The Week." He graduated with a BA in 1882. Lampman tried teaching but soon left that profession and entered the Canadian civil service in January of 1883 as a clerk in the Post Office Department.

In 1887 Lampman’s verse began to appear in magazines such as Scribner's, Harper's, Arcadia, Canadian Illustrated News, Atlantic Monthly, and Century. In 1888 he published his first volume, Among the Millet and Other Poems. From February 1892 to July 1893, Lampman, William Wilfred Campbell, and Duncan Campbell Scott wrote a Saturday column for the Toronto Globe titled "At the Mermaid Inn." He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1895, was a member of the Social Science Club in Ottawa and a member of the Fabian Society. He published a second volume, Lyrics of Earth (printed in 1895 and released in 1896) and a third, Alcyone, and other Poems, was in the press at the time of his death. It was held back by Duncan Campbell Scott in favour of a comprehensive memorial volume (1900).

Lampman married Maud Emma Playter on 3 September 1887, in Ottawa, and they had three children: Natalie Charlotte, Arnold Gesner, and Archibald Otto. He died on 10 February 1899 in Ottawa.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

The material in the bound volume was given to the College in 1945 by Duncan Campbell Scott. There is no firm evidence of when or how the other material came into the archives.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

The collection consists of manuscript poems by Lampman, a bound volume with two Lampman poems presented to the College by Duncan Campbell Scott, and various autographed poems by Lampman and Scott printed on cards or in booklets and sent as Christmas cards along with Christmas greetings to "Shortt” [the Reverend Charles Harper Shortt who was a fellow student of Lampman’s at Trinity].

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

No further accruals expected.

System of arrangement

The material in file 1-2 has been arranged by the archivist. The material is fragile and photocopies of this material as well as of Lampman's writings in Rouge et Noir and the Trinity University Review are available for use by researchers: see the files in Box 1.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

None

Conditions governing reproduction

Public domain

Language of material

    Script of material

      Language and script notes

      Physical characteristics and technical requirements

      Finding aids

      Finding aid and file list available. Finding aid attached.

      Uploaded finding aid

      Allied materials area

      Existence and location of originals

      Existence and location of copies

      Related units of description

      Related descriptions

      Notes area

      Alternative identifier(s)

      Access points

      Subject access points

      Place access points

      Name access points

      Genre access points

      Description control area

      Description identifier

      OTTCA-F2111

      Institution identifier

      Trinity College Archives

      Rules and/or conventions used

      Dates of creation revision deletion

      2014-03-19; revised 2021-06-30

      Language(s)

      • English

      Script(s)

      • Latin

      Sources

      Accession area