David Lowenthal Papers

Overview: This collection contains the personal papers of David Lowenthal, a scholar in the fields of history, heritage, environmental perception, and Caribbean studies, and a biographer of the nineteenth-century polymath and diplomat George Perkins Marsh. The collection’s contents date from Lowenthal’s early childhood to shortly after his death; around a dozen pieces in the collection date from the 1840s. The materials in this collection are written almost exclusively in English, with a small number of pieces written in French, German, and other European languages. Such instances are noted in the file title. Lowenthal’s papers are comprised of personal and professional correspondence, published and unpublished works, published works by other scholars, materials from conferences and other academic events, newspaper and magazine clippings, reading and research notes, teaching materials, reports and meeting minutes from various academic organizations, souvenirs and mementos from Lowenthal’s travels in Europe and the Caribbean, photographs of Europe and the United States dating from the mid-twentieth century, coursework and other mementos from schools that Lowenthal attended, awards and other recognitions, legal and financial documents, and records related to Lowenthal’s family, education, and military service. Material formats in this collection include postcards, telegrams, airmail, Christmas cards, index cards (for his research and reading notes), pamphlets and brochures, photographs, posters, personal calendars, address books, invitations, book order forms, dust jackets and book cover mock-ups, maps, two original pieces of artwork (watercolors of scenes from the Caribbean), and a VHS tape.

Organization: The collection is organized into eight series in this collection. Most are arranged alphabetically while the the Correspondence series is arranged chronologically. Where possible, original arrangements and folder titles have been preserved. In many cases, Lowenthal’s original titles can be found on the reverse of the folder tabs.

Series: Correspondence (Containers 1-13, 38): This series contains Lowenthal’s professional and personal correspondence, which is organized by year. In his personal correspondence, Lowenthal communicated frequently with members of his immediate family (Max Lowenthal, Eleanor Lowenthal, John Lowenthal, and Elizabeth “Betty” Levin) and his spouses (Irene Nagurski, Jane Varian, and Mary Alice Lamberty). He also maintained steady correspondence with close friends and relatives, like the Mack family, the Gutmann family, especially James Gutmann; the Wolf family, especially Andrea “Andy” Wolf (later Rabinowitz); the Popkin family, especially Richard “Dick” Popkin; Donald Patton, and Pippa Waters (née Pigors). Other names that appear frequently in his personal correspondence include Dorothy Davis, Anita Kezer, Rosemary Webber, and Sally Lou Zeck (née Falk).

In his professional correspondence, Lowenthal communicated frequently with his academic contemporaries, including Wilbur Zelinsky, John K. “Jack” Wright, Yi-Fu Tuan, Jean Gottmann, Merle Curti, Hugh C. Prince, Colin Clarke, and Philip M. Sherlock. He also corresponded regularly with his colleagues at the American Geographical Society, especially with Charles Hitchcock, Wilma Fairchild, Clarence Glacken, and Marquita Riel (née Fredette); with members of the Association of American Geographers, such as Norton Ginsberg, Marvin Mikesell, and John Fraser Hart, and with colleagues at other academic organizations, including Vera Rubin (Research Institute for the Study of Man) and Philip Mason (Institute of Race Relations). While researching George Perkins Marsh, Lowenthal corresponded frequently with members of academic organizations and institutions in Vermont, like Thomas “Tom” Bassett (University of Vermont) and Curtis P. Fields (Woodstock Historical Society). Other noteworthy correspondents include Carl O. Sauer, Jules Archer, Laurance Rockefeller, and Anna Freud.

Scholarship (Containers 14-21, 38-39): This series contains materials related to Lowenthal’s scholarly works, activities, and achievements. Materials in the "Writings" section include published works, especially articles, reviews, and letters to the editor; drafts and manuscripts of books and articles; notes, especially reading notes, and materials related to the production and publication of his works, such as book jackets, invitations to book signings, and most of his correspondence with publishers, editors, and reviewers. (The rest of this correspondence can be found in the “Correspondence” series.) Most of his written works are filed under their publication date; the remaining materials, especially those connected to his larger published works, are arranged alphabetically by title. Materials related to Lowenthal’s editorial and editorial advising work are collected under "Editorial." Materials under "Conferences and Lectures" are arranged by the name of the conference, lecture or organizing body, or—where none of these are known—by the name of the place where the event was held. Materials from Lowenthal’s classes at Vassar College, University College London, and other academic institutions are collected under "Teaching." Correspondence and other documents related to organizations and projects that Lowenthal took part in are spread throughout this series and filed alphabetically by name. (More correspondence pertaining to these organizations and projects can be found in the “Correspondence” series.) Several biographical pieces on Lowenthal can be found in this series, as can several drafts of Lowenthal’s bibliography and curriculum vitae. A limited amount of material related to the Caribbean and George Perkins Marsh can be found in this series (primarily, under "Writings"). Most of Lowenthal’s scholarship on these two subjects lies in the “Caribbean” and “George Perkins Marsh” series respectively, see below.

Caribbean (Containers 22-24, 41): This series contains materials related to Lowenthal’s travels and research in the Caribbean, including materials connected to books, articles, and other works he wrote on “West Indian” subjects. Most of the materials in this series relate to a particular Caribbean island, of which Barbuda, Dominica, and Montserrat are best represented. Other topics in this series include slavery, race relations, politics (especially contemporary independence movements), agriculture, deforestation, tourism, British influence on island life, and the Codrington family.

Islands (Containers 24-25, 38): This series is conceptually distinct from the “Caribbean” series, in that it contains writings, notes, and conference materials related to Lowenthal’s study of “the island” in a general sense. There are, however, a few pieces in this series that refer to the Caribbean islands, albeit within broader discussions of what makes an island an island. Other island nations represented in this series include Australia, Tasmania, and Sark.

George Perkins Marsh (Containers 26-31, 40-41): This series contains notes, writings, photographs, and other materials related to George Perkins Marsh, his wife, Caroline Crane Marsh, and Lowenthal’s studies of their lives and legacies. Materials related to Lowenthal’s two biographies on Marsh, "George Perkins Marsh: Versatile Vermonter" and "George Perkins Marsh: Prophet of Conservation," as well as several articles on the Marshes and related topics, can be found in this series. Topics in this series include "Man and Nature" (both the original publication and the 1965 and 2003 editions of the book edited by Lowenthal); Caroline Crane Marsh’s diaries, politics and culture in nineteenth-century Italy, especially the Risorgimento and Catholicism; Marsh’s death and legacy; the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park; and Lowenthal’s archival research in Italy. This series originally contained a number of letters, writings, photographs, and other materials produced by the Marshes and their contemporaries. Most of these materials have since been moved into the George Perkins Marsh Papers. (For a full inventory of these materials, see the Separated Materials Note.)

Photographs (Containers 32-33): This series contains a small collection of photographs of urban and rural landscapes in the United States and Europe, especially the United Kingdom. The photographs have been arranged by location, where known.

Subject Files (Containers 34 and 39): This series contains clippings, writings, and other materials concerning topics that were of interest to Lowenthal. This series also contains a small collection of biographical material, especially obituaries, for Lowenthal’s friends and acquaintances, as well as a small collection of scholarly works written by some of his colleagues and contemporaries.

Personal (Containers 35-38, 40-41): This series contains records related to Lowenthal's education and military service, genealogical information, souvenirs (especially from wartime Europe), and Lowenthal's calendars and address books. Topics include the Mack Family, John Lowenthal, World War Two, and the Lincoln School of Teachers College, Columbia University.