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Sylvia Plath collections, Letters to Gerald Hughes, 1952-1991

Continuing the series of Sylvia Plath materials held at the Robert W. Woodruff Library at Emory University, I post here information about the Letters to Gerald Hughes, Ted Hughes's brother.

Letters to Gerald Hughes, 1952-1991

The collection consists of letters from Ted Hughes, in England, to his brother and sister-in-law, Gerald and Joan Hughes, in Australia, between 1952 and 1991. The letters often include photographs, drafts of published poems, or original poems written for Gerald Hughes.

The letters provide an intimate look at Ted Hughes as he discusses personal matters such as the birth of his children; his separation from Sylvia Plath; and the deaths of his partner, Assia Wevill, their daughter Shura, and his mother. Hughes also writes about his career including his teaching and writing.

The collection is held in 2 boxes.

The following is a list of photographs of Plath in this collection:

  • Box 1, Folder 66 1959, Sylvia Plath and William and Edith Hughes, leaning against stone wall, The Beacon, Heptonstall, Yorkshire
  • Box 1, Folder 67 1959, Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath, Hilda Farrar, and William and Edith Hughes, The Beacon, Yorkshire
  • Box 1, Folder 68 1959, Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath, The Beacon, Yorkshire
  • Box 1, Folder 69 1959, Ted and Edith Hughes and Sylvia Plath, The Beacon, Yorkshire
  • Box 2, Folder 4 1960, Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath, Frieda Hughes, and Edith Hughes, sitting on bench, London
  • Box 2, Folder 5 1960, Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath, Frieda Hughes, and Vickie [cousin], sitting on lawn chairs, Court Green, Devon
  • Box 2, Folder 7 1961, Sylvia Plath on blanket with baby carriage, Primrose Hill, London
  • Box 2, Folder 8 1962 April, Sylvia Plath, Frieda [holding daffodils] and Nicholas, Court Green, Devon [Siv Arb, photographer]
  • Box 2, Folder 10 1962, Sylvia Plath and Nicholas, Court Green, Devon

The full finding aid to this collection is online here.

The Robert W. Woodruff Library home page for the Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Library is online here.

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