[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”off|desktop” admin_label=”Page Header” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ background_enable_color=”off” use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_start=”rgba(255,244,201,0.95)” background_color_gradient_end=”#fff4c9″ background_color_gradient_start_position=”94%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”on” background_image=”https:\/\/edmundblunden.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Study-scaled.jpg” custom_padding=”30px||27px|||” custom_padding_tablet=”0vw||” custom_padding_phone=”0vw||” locked=”off”][et_pb_row custom_padding_last_edited=”off|desktop” _builder_version=”3.25″ max_width=”80%” custom_margin=”||” custom_padding=”27px|0px|0|0px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”||40px|0%” use_custom_width=”on” width_unit=”off”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.3″ text_font=”||||||||” header_font=”||||||||” header_font_size=”4vw” header_line_height=”1.2em” header_2_font=”||||||||” header_3_font=”|||on|||||” header_3_font_size=”12px” header_3_letter_spacing=”10px” header_3_line_height=”2.4em” header_4_font=”|||on|||||” header_4_text_color=”rgba(34,34,34,0.4)” header_4_font_size=”23px” header_4_letter_spacing=”8px” header_4_line_height=”1.6em” max_width=”80%” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”right” animation_duration=”2000ms” animation_intensity_slide=”2%” header_font_size_tablet=”45px” header_font_size_phone=”21px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” header_3_font_size_tablet=”10px” header_3_font_size_phone=”10px” header_3_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” header_3_letter_spacing_tablet=”” header_3_letter_spacing_phone=”3px” header_3_letter_spacing_last_edited=”on|desktop” header_4_font_size_tablet=”” header_4_font_size_phone=”14px” header_4_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” header_4_letter_spacing_tablet=”” header_4_letter_spacing_phone=”3px” header_4_letter_spacing_last_edited=”on|phone”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”About” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ background_color=”RGBA(0,0,0,0)” width=”95%” custom_margin=”4vw||||false|false” custom_padding=”35px|||||” locked=”off”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ _builder_version=”4.9.3″ custom_padding=”||14px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.9.3″ custom_padding=”|||” hover_enabled=”0″ custom_padding__hover=”|||” sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/edmundblunden.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Archives.jpeg” alt=”His life in Hong Kong was typically no less busy, despite the distance from home. The family had now increased to a total of four daughters: Margaret in 1946, Lucy (1948), Frances (1950) Catherine (1956). From Hong Kong he visited China twice, both times meeting the prime minister, Chou En Lai. He was constantly surrounded by people and memories of the past. The Hong Kong house was always full of students, friends and literary personalities passing through. He made several return visits to England from where he would tour the battlefields of Flanders, visit his old friend Siegfried Sassoon, Christ’s Hospital, and his ever widening range of contacts, including lecturing and taking part in literary occasions. In 1956 he was awarded the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry, and in 1957 his ‘Poems of Many Years’ was published, selected and arranged by his long term publisher, Rupert Hart Davis. In 1958 he was created ‘Companion of Literature’ and wrote ‘War Poets 1914-18’. In 1962 he published ‘A Hong Kong House’, his last major volume of poetry. In 1964 at the age of 67 he retired and returned to England. The family settled in Long Melford, Suffolk, and initially a busy life took shape in the form of talks and lectures, articles and the publication of what would be his final poems. New friendships were also made, one such was with the poet Vernon Scannell. He was elected Professor of Poetry at Oxford in 1966. His final poem ‘Ancre Sunshine’ was written in 1966 on the fiftieth anniversary of the attack on Beaumont Hamel, and illustrates how the Great War haunted him to the end of his life. The year 1967 brought the death of Siegfried Sassoon, and with that the rapid demise of his own health. He resigned his professorship, and put down his pen. Edmund Blunden died on January 20 1974. Private Beeney, his runner at Ypres and Paschendaele attended his funeral, placing a wreath of Flanders poppies in his grave.” title_text=”Archives” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ max_width_tablet=”400px” max_width_phone=”” max_width_last_edited=”on|tablet” module_alignment=”left” custom_margin_tablet=”0px|||” custom_margin_last_edited=”off|phone” hover_enabled=”0″ locked=”off” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
This page details the archive collections and the resources they contain for those interested in researching Blunden further. The main collections of Blunden\u2019s manuscripts, books, correspondence and papers are listed, but there is some correspondence with other literary papers, for example, with Eddie Marsh in the New York Public Library.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_toggle title=”The First World War Poetry Digital Archive” closed_toggle_background_color=”RGBA(0,0,0,0)” icon_color=”#73975A” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all=”#FFFFFF” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#73975A” border_width_left=”1px” border_color_left=”#73975A”]<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.oucs.ox.ac.uk\/ww1lit\/collections\/blunden<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n This archive draws in items from various collections and shows manuscript versions of Blunden\u2019s poems, photographs etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”Columbia University Libraries: Rare Book and Manuscript Library” closed_toggle_background_color=”RGBA(0,0,0,0)” icon_color=”#73975A” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all=”#FFFFFF” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#73975A” border_width_left=”1px” border_color_left=”#73975A”]<\/p>\n https:\/\/library.columbia.edu\/libraries\/rbml.html<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Ms Collection\\Blunden, Edmund Blunden Papers, 1922-1986<\/span><\/p>\n Correspondence, manuscripts, documents, photographs and printed material documenting his personal and professional activity. Blunden’s letters to his second wife, Sylva Norman, and his secretary, Aki Hayashi, are particularly well represented. Also included are many letters addressed to Blunden by eminent literary figures such as John Betjeman, George Orwell, Siegfried Sassoon, Stephen Spender, and Henry Williamson. Other literary correspondents are Adrian Bell, Joyce Cary, Richard Church, C. Day Lewis, Walter de la Mare, Graham Greene, H.D., William Plomer, Kathleen Raine, and Leonard Woolf. A substantial portion of the catalogued correspondence contains drawings, verse fragments and poems by Blunden which have been analysed. Also present are eleven of Blunden’s diaries, 1936-1967, which contain drafts of a number of poems. In addition, the collection contains a small number of autograph manuscripts of Blunden’s literary works. Blunden’s copy of Undertones of War<\/i> is catalogued for the Rare Book collection.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”Imperial War Museum, London” closed_toggle_background_color=”RGBA(0,0,0,0)” icon_color=”#73975A” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all=”#FFFFFF” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#73975A” border_width_left=”1px” border_color_left=”#73975A”]<\/p>\n https:\/\/library.columbia.edu\/libraries\/rbml.html<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Ms Collection\\Blunden, Edmund Blunden Papers, 1922-1986<\/span><\/p>\n Correspondence, manuscripts, documents, photographs and printed material documenting his personal and professional activity. Blunden’s letters to his second wife, Sylva Norman, and his secretary, Aki Hayashi, are particularly well represented. Also included are many letters addressed to Blunden by eminent literary figures such as John Betjeman, George Orwell, Siegfried Sassoon, Stephen Spender, and Henry Williamson. Other literary correspondents are Adrian Bell, Joyce Cary, Richard Church, C. Day Lewis, Walter de la Mare, Graham Greene, H.D., William Plomer, Kathleen Raine, and Leonard Woolf. A substantial portion of the catalogued correspondence contains drawings, verse fragments and poems by Blunden which have been analysed. Also present are eleven of Blunden’s diaries, 1936-1967, which contain drafts of a number of poems. In addition, the collection contains a small number of autograph manuscripts of Blunden’s literary works. Blunden’s copy of Undertones of War<\/i> is catalogued for the Rare Book collection.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”New York Public Library: Berg Collection” closed_toggle_background_color=”RGBA(0,0,0,0)” icon_color=”#73975A” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all=”#FFFFFF” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#73975A” border_width_left=”1px” border_color_left=”#73975A”]<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.nypl.org\/about\/divisions\/berg-collection-english-and-american-literature<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Correspondence within collections of papers from his contemporaries and friends e.g. Robert Graves, Siegfried Sassoon. Also Blunden and Sassoon\u2019s annotated copy of Graves\u2019s Goodbye to All That<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”Ohio University: Alden Library” closed_toggle_background_color=”RGBA(0,0,0,0)” icon_color=”#73975A” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all=”#FFFFFF” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#73975A” border_width_left=”1px” border_color_left=”#73975A”]<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.ohio.edu\/library\/<\/a><\/p>\n The\u00a0Edmund Blunden Collection\u00a0is an extensive library collected by Blunden and focused on British literature and arts and letters, many of which are annotated. There is also a small collection (4 folders) of letters, poems and writings, ID no: MSS409. There is an interesting view of the collection here:<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”Pierpont Morgan Library, NY” closed_toggle_background_color=”RGBA(0,0,0,0)” icon_color=”#73975A” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all=”#FFFFFF” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#73975A” border_width_left=”1px” border_color_left=”#73975A”]<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.themorgan.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n There are letters from Blunden as well as Kenneth Lohf\u2019s donation of his printed books.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”University of Iowa Libraries: Special Collections” closed_toggle_background_color=”RGBA(0,0,0,0)” icon_color=”#73975A” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all=”#FFFFFF” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#73975A” border_width_left=”1px” border_color_left=”#73975A”]<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.lib.uiowa.edu\/sc\/<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n MsC 829, Edmund Blunden Papers, c.1918-1982.<\/span><\/p>\n This includes correspondence, essays, photographs, reviews and lectures. There is also a collection of Blunden\u2019s books and pamphlets.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_toggle][et_pb_toggle title=”University of Oxford: Bodleian Library” closed_toggle_background_color=”RGBA(0,0,0,0)” icon_color=”#73975A” _builder_version=”4.9.3″ _module_preset=”default” border_width_all=”0px” border_color_all=”#FFFFFF” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#73975A” border_width_left=”1px” border_color_left=”#73975A”]<\/p>\n