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Bridge-Maurice papers

 Collection
Identifier: M019

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Scope and Content

Consists of correspondence, notes, and photographs, all concerning Horatio Bridge and many involving his relationship with Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Hawthorne family. Correspondents include Hawthorne's wife and children, as well as George Parsons Lathrop, Bridge's editor at The Atlantic Monthly, and Franklin Pierce. Also included in the collection is Bridge's copy of Journal of an African Cruiser, with holograph notes, corrections and additions by Bridge and Joseph J. Roberts, the first president of Liberia.

Dates

  • Creation: 1837-1888, undated

Creator

Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

Biographical/Historical Note

Horatio Bridge was born in Augusta, Maine, on April 8th, 1806, to James Bridge (Bowdoin College Trustee, 1821-1834) and his wife. Entering in 1821, Bridge graduated from Bowdoin College in the class of 1825 along with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Bridge's life-long friend, Nathaniel Hawthorne. Although trained as a lawyer, Bridge joined the U.S. Navy in 1838 and served as Paymaster-General during the Civil War. He retired in 1868 with the rank of Commodore.

Bridge was the author of The Journal of an African Cruiser (1845), edited by Hawthorne, and Personal Recollections of Nathaniel Hawthorne (1893). He and his wife, Charlotte Marshall, had one child.

Both the Horatio Bridge Papers and the Nathaniel Hawthorne Collection complement the collection.

Extent

0.5 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection consists of correspondence, notes, and photographs, all concerning Horatio Bridge and many involving his relationship with Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Hawthorne family.

Provenance

The niece of Horatio Bridge, Marian Bridge Maurice, lent the collection to Norman Holmes Pearson, author of The College Years of Nathaniel Hawthorne and an editor of Hawthorne's Letters, with the intent that it would eventually be given to Bowdoin College. The College received the collection in 1976.

Related Names

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the Bridge-Maurice Papers
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine 04011 Repository

http://library.bowdoin.edu/arch/index.shtml
Contact:
3000 College Station
Brunswick Maine 04011 USA
(207) 725-3288

Acknowledgment of non-neutrality

The George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, like all archives and special collections libraries, is the creation of human beings who have collected, organized, and described things in ways that reflect personal, cultural, societal, and institutional biases. Although we strive to preserve and present collections in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections, we acknowledge that our systems are neither neutral nor perfect. We encourage you to let us know if you encounter materials, descriptive language, or practices that are offensive or harmful, particularly those for which inadequate context or warning is offered. We are committed to modifying and updating our descriptive practices to use respectful and inclusive terminology and appreciate your help in this work. We look forward to supporting you in your research and learning together.