Gift, 1950
Open for research
Robert Kendrick, Chip Cheek, Elizabeth Murray, 1996-1997
Arthur Livingston, professor of Romance languages and literatures, publisher, and translator, was born on September 30, 1883, in Northbridge, Massachusetts. Livingston earned the A.B. degree at Amherst College in 1904, continuing his work in Romance languages at Columbia University, where he received the Ph.D. in 1911. His teaching positions included an instructorship in Italian at Smith College (1908-1909), an associate professorship in Italian at Cornell University, where Livingston also supervised the Petrarch Catalogue (1910-1911), and an associate professorship in Romance Languages at Columbia University (1911-1917). Among the various honors bestowed upon Livingston were membership in Phi Beta Kappa and the Venetian academic society, the Reale deputazione veneta di storia patria; he was also decorated as a Cavalier of the Crown of Italy.
Livingston's desire to disseminate the work of leading European writers and thinkers in the United States led him to an editorship with the Foreign Press Bureau of the Committee on Public Information during World War I. When the war ended, Livingston, in partnership with Paul Kennaday and Ernest Poole, continued his efforts on behalf of foreign literature by founding the Foreign Press Service, an agency that represented foreign authors in English-language markets. Among the many authors whose work Livingston introduced in the United States were Octave Aubry, Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, Giuseppe Antonio Borgese, Benedetto Croce, Claude Farrère, Guglielmo Ferrero, André Maurois, Alberto Moravia, Gaetano Mosca, Giovanni Papini, Vilfredo Pareto, Luigi Pirandello, Giuseppe Prezzolini, and Guido da Verona. Livingston returned to academic life at Columbia University in 1925, where he was appointed full professor in 1935. Livingston died in 1944.
Among Livingston's scholarly work, two book-length studies stand out: the critical edition
The Arthur Livingston Papers include typescript and holograph manuscripts, correspondence, postcards, printed sheets, invitations, programs, page proofs, galleys, photographs, contracts, an exhibition catalogue, and clippings. The collection is organized in four series: I. Works (2.5 boxes, 1907-1939); II. Correspondence (5.5 boxes, 1904-1944); III. Miscellaneous (10 boxes, 3 galley folders, 1 oversize folder, 1494-1986, bulk 1903-1944); IV. Personal (4 boxes, 1883-1944).
The collection offers a rich record of the process of bringing foreign-language authors to the American public. The collection is almost equally divided between English and Italian language materials, with a few additional materials in French, German, Latin, and Spanish. Livingston's own writings emphasize the strength of his commitment to promote European authors in the United States, especially his reviews of books such as Giovanni Papini's
Livingston's position with the Foreign Press Service was a boon to his efforts on behalf of European authors. Trying to satisfy the financial demands of writers while allaying the fears of American publishers concerning the untested American appetite for foreign literature, Livingston convinced a large number of American publishers that a sustained market for the work of European authors could be created in the United States. The collection contains plentiful correspondence between Livingston and American publishers, ranging from discussions of the minutiae of publishing to trends in American reading taste. More important, much of the correspondence comments on important authors, their viability in an American market, and their interactions with the world of American publishing. At the same time, much correspondence reveals the authors' frustrations with American publishing and its aversion to risk as well as the unpredictability of American readers.
As a result of Livingston's work at the Foreign Press Service, original manuscripts by writers whom he courted are present. These range from opinion pieces and journalism to novels and literary criticism. Examples include Vicente Blasco Ibáñez's
Another important aspect of the collection is its illumination of international politics in the early twentieth century, above all, of the rise of Fascism in Italy after World War I. Throughout the collection, both American and Italian writers discuss Benito Mussolini and his disavowal of early leftist sympathies in favor of the authoritarianism of the extreme right of the political spectrum. Invariably, Mussolini provokes either uncritical support or acid dissent among figures such as Lauro de Bosis, Guglielmo Ferrero, Giovanni Gentile, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Gaetano Mosca, and Giuseppe Prezzolini. Even Americans were not immune to the divisiveness of Fascism, as Livingston's own professional difficulties--the result of his unapologetic and strenuous opposition to Fascism--at Columbia University affirm. Among the more potent testaments to the effects of Fascism are Gaetano Salvemini's correspondence, documenting the trials of living in Italy as an opponent of the Fascist Party, an interview with the prominent Futurist, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, conducted by Francesco Luigi Ferreri, in which the artist extols Fascism as the natural and desirable outgrowth of Futurism, and Lauro de Bosis's
Livingston's academic responsibilities underlie the balance of the collection. A quantity of correspondence evokes the vicissitudes of academic life, the aspirations and the frustrations of both teacher and student, and the political intrigues inevitably to be found in any academic environment. Although much of the correspondence concerns similar academic matters, some notably casts light upon larger issues, such as pedagogical methods in the early twentieth century and the effects of Fascism on university life, both in the United States and in Italy.
Livingston's manuscripts include book reviews, articles written for a general audience, and works of a more scholarly tenor. Examples of Livingston's own work include book reviews of Giovanni Papini's
Two folders of outgoing correspondence touch on such topics as poetry, Italian-Greek tensions over Corfu, a plan to sell foreign books in the United States at "foreign prices," advice on a student's dissertation, Lorenzo da Ponte, and Luigi Pirandello, just to name a few. The outgoing correspondence is organized chronologically. The arrangement of the bulk of the outgoing correspondence, which appears to have been organized originally with related incoming correspondence, has been maintained. Following the original organization of the collection, additional outgoing and incoming correspondence may be found in each of the other series.
The incoming correspondence, which is organized alphabetically by writer, richly documents a variety of general subjects, including methods of American academic training in the early twentieth century; the politics of academe and the political environment in U. S. universities; international politics in the early twentieth century; a variety of international conflicts; the rise of Fascism in Italy; American attitudes to Fascism and the perception of Italian national character; the cultural and political influences of Italians in the United States; modern language study in the United States; plans for the Foreign Press Service; the American Academy at Rome; Italian publishing; foreign language publishing; communism; the idea of a national university in the United States; Denton, Texas; the Council on Foreign Relations; and the betrayal of the Italian king, Vittorio III, by the Fascists, among many other subjects. The incoming correspondence also presents a detailed picture of French, Spanish, and, above all, Italian literature and thought in the early twentieth century. There are also occasional references to American, British, and other European authors and intellectuals. The incoming correspondence also illuminates early twentieth century perceptions of earlier literary epochs.
Significant correspondents include Douglas Ainslie, Chester Holmes Aldrich, Sibilla Aleramo, Luis Araquistain, Peter Bolt, Roberto Bracco, Marie-Anne Comnène, Nicola D'Aniello, Giorgio de Santillana, Ruth Draper, Theodore Dreiser, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, Erminia Hauser-Arbib, Walter Lippmann, Vittorio Racca, Robert Sommerville, Arthur Symons, Miguel de Unamuno, Margaret Widdemer, and Frances Winwar.
Just a few of the important figures discussed include Pietro Aretino, Sem Benelli, Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, Giuseppe Antonio Borgese, Santa Borghese, Giovanni Francesco Busenello, Benedetto Croce, Gabriele d'Annunzio, Dante Alighieri, Lorenzo da Ponte, Lauro de Bosis, Eleonora Duse, Umberto Giordano, Carlo Goldoni, Brunetto Latini, Wyndham Lewis, Gina Lombroso-Ferrero, Niccolò Machiavelli, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Gaetano Mosca, Benito Mussolini, Giovanni Papini, Vilfredo Pareto, Giovanni Pascoli, Luigi Pirandello, Giuseppe Prezzolini, Countess Irene di Robilant, Gaetano Salvemini, Carlo Sforza, Gino Speranza, Adriano Tilgher, and Giovanni Verga.
In addition, larger groups of correspondence create a more sustained portrait of Livingston's relationships with some of the authors whom he championed in the United States.
The Spanish novelist Vicente Blasco Ibáñez discusses Livingston's translations of the novels
Santa Borghese, like so many other correspondents, makes observations on Luigi Pirandello; she also discusses Gabriele d'Annunzio, Lauro de Bosis, and Giuseppe Prezzolini.
Lauro de Bosis's correspondence touches on the "poisoning and humiliating" atmosphere of Fascist Italy; his desire to translate James Branch Cabell's
Claude Farrére writes at length about the rights to his novels; his novels,
Guglielmo Ferrero maps out his plan for a series of four novels, the first two to be published under the collective title
Leo Ferrero describes his interviews with the Romanian king Carol II and the Yugoslavian king Aleksander I, while expressing his gratitude for Livingston's castigation of the New York
The correspondence from Paul Kennaday of the Foreign Press Bureau (continuing through its incarnations as the Foreign Press Service and Kennaday and Livingston) includes requests for newspaper articles from Livingston as well as discussions of Claude Farrère; Kennaday's desire that Vicente Blasco Ibáñez return to his "former vigorous style;" Blasco Ibáñez's
Gina Lombroso-Ferrero's correspondence includes comment on the American publishing business; her books
Alberto Moravia considers his skills as a translator of Italian; his novel
The correspondence from the Italian senator Gaetano Mosca focuses on his major work,
Giovanni Papini discusses Prezzolini; his own objections to the film of his
Vilfredo Pareto's widow, Jane Régis Pareto, refuses to grant the rights to her husband's work to Livingston. Letters from various correspondents are included with Ms. Pareto's correspondence, including those from her lawyer, C. Droin, stating the conditions pertaining to Livingston's translation and publication rights; letters from Harcourt, Brace and Co., documenting their own dealings with Ms. Pareto; a letter from the United States Copyright Office, concerning the foreign copyright of Pareto's
Brock Pemberton, theatrical producer, discusses the performance rights and the success of various plays, including Sem Benelli's
Giuseppe Prezzolini, the literary representative of the Foreign Press Service in Italy, touches on Gabriele d'Annunzio; Luigi Pirandello and his plays,
Aldo Ravà discusses Casanova and a book of correspondence from certain women to Casanova; Venice; and the Venetian playwright, Carlo Goldoni.
Renzo Rendi's correspondence includes discussions of Prezzolini; Gioacchino Forzano's plays,
Gaetano Salvemini writes about his lecture tour of the U. S. and potential topics for discussion; the oath of allegiance to the Fascist Party; the Italian military hero Emilio Lussa and his feats during World War I; Salvemini's desire to publish the names of those who have sworn allegiance to the Fascist Party; Benito Mussolini; Prezzolini as a Fascist spy; Fascist agents in the U. S. who attempt to thwart the efforts of men, such as Salvemini, against Fascism; Salvemini's
Arnaldo Segarizzi reports on the printing of Livingston's volume of Busenello sonnets and the activity of the periodicals,
Gino Speranza discusses Salvemini; his own disfavor with both the Fascist government in Italy and the Italian immigrant population in the U. S.; Livingston's work on Busenello; Pirandello's tendency to create "mannikins or corpses," rather than living characters; and the difficulty of translating Pirandello's work for an American audience.
Guido da Verona discusses Giovanola's role as his intermediary with the Foreign Press Service; Prezzolini's incompetence in contract negotiations; contentious points in negotiations with the Foreign Press Service; Livingston's apparent disregard for the terms of the contract for
These subjects provide an extensive, though by no means exhaustive, map of the highlights of the incoming correspondence.
These materials include original documents, including typescripts and holograph manuscripts, ephemera, financial statements, correspondence, contracts, receipts, printed advertisements, programs, clippings, and photographs. Much of this material arises from Livingston's responsibilities with the Foreign Press Service. Consequently, there are many manuscripts that were submitted to Livingston in his capacity as literary representative or that result from his work as a translator. An index of important manuscripts is available at the end of this inventory. The series is arranged alphabetically by writer or subject, although works of uncertain authorship are organized at the beginning of the series.
One of the most important groups of material concerns Luigi Pirandello and the publication and performance of his work outside Italy. Correspondence from Livingston, organized chronologically, includes a letter to the editor of the London
Other significant works include typescripts of Vicente Blasco Ibáñez's novels,
Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga's long poem,
Alberto Moravia's novel,
Typescripts of Adriano Tilgher's essays,
There are also manuscripts of works, often in English translation, by Gilberto Beccari, Benedetto Croce, Gabriele d'Annunzio, Leo Ferrero, Merritt Y. Hughes, J. S. Lamplough, Gina Lombroso-Ferrero, Ettore Marroni, William Pepperell Montaigne, Leo Ongley, Vilfredo Pareto, Vittorio Racca, Beniamino de Ritis, Paul Scheffer, and Carlo Leonardo Speranza.
As a result of Livingston's research on Lorenzo da Ponte, there are four folders of typescript transcriptions of Anderson Family correspondence, dating from 1823 until 1846, including a typescript poem by Louise Duncan,
(*see Oversize Folder)
(*see Galley File)
(* see Galley File)
(*see Galley Files)
The Personal Papers include financial documents, official documents, invitations, programs, correspondence, clippings, photographs, and note cards. Livingston's U. S. passport, birth certificate, Italian visa, entrance passes for libraries and museums, financial receipts, business cards, programs of cultural events and banquets, and invitations are present. There is also one folder of correspondence of a personal nature, including financial transactions and material relating to Livingston's retreat on Swan's Island in Maine, which is arranged alphabetically by writer. In addition, there are photographs of prominent Italian personalities, including Giovanni Papini, Ettore Cadorin, Benito Mussolini, Rachele Mussolini, Mussolini's children, Mussolini and Gabriele d'Annunzio, a photographed drawing of Guido de Ruggiero, Luigi Federzoni, Benedetto Croce, Francesco de Pinedo, and Giovanni Gentile, among others. The remainder of the series consists of clippings and two document boxes of note cards, containing Livingston's bibliographical citations.
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