Guide to the Lewis Family Papers: Isabell Lewis Agrell
Contents in Boxes 20-26 were the gift of Isabel Lewis Agrell in Oct. 1987. In addition she donated two 12"x10" portraits of her father (C. B.) and mother (Mary) for the Lewis Room, Alumni House.
BOX 20 CORRESPONDENCE See also Box 1, folders 1-14, for additional correspondence. Folder 1 Sinclair Lewis to Claude B. Lewis. During the period of this correspondence, three residences are referred to; Twin Farms (Barbard, Vt.); Bronxville (N.Y.); Thorvale Farm (Williamstown, Mass.). 1923, London Christmas card T.L.S. 14 May 1933, Twin Farms T.L.S. 2 leaves Encourages Claude to let Virginia go on trip to Europe; Dorothy Thompson in Europe: "She also twice butted into Germany ... opposition to Hitler." 4 June 1933, Twin Farms T.L.S. 1 leaf 21 June 1933, Twin Farms T.L.S. 2 leaves Buying a home in Bronxville; advice for Virginia on trip to Europe. 8 April 1934, Bronxville T.L 1 leaf Play Dodsworth " ... is an enormous success ... " 8 June 1934, South Pomfret, Vt. T.L. 1 leaf" ... 'Dodsworth' continues to be the most successful play on Broadway. ... I've rewritten and rewritten the play 'Jayhawker,' ... it is supposed to go into rehearsal about September 1st." 1 Oct. 1934, NYC T.L.S. 1 leaf 10 Feb. 1945, NYC T.L.S. 1 leaf [Jan. 1946], Duluth A.L.S. 2 pages 3 June [1949], Thorvale Farm A.L.S. 3 pages Sympathy letter on death of Mary Lewis. 13 June 1949, Williamstown, Mass. T.L.S. 1 page Invitation to join trip to Europe. 15 Oct. 1950, Rome A.L.S. 1 leaf 2 Sinclair Lewis to Virginia Lewis. Advice to a young niece; family references include son "Mick;" trips by himself and Dorothy Thompson. 19 Nov. 1930, Westport, Conn. T.L.S. 1 leaf 17 Feb. 1933, London T.L.S. 2 pages " ... I have had infinitely more from travel than from a University education." 14 May 1933, Twin Farms T.L.S. 1 leaf 4 June 1933, Twin Farms T.L.S. 1 page With forwarding notes from C. B. and Mary Lewis. 29 Nov. 1933, Bronxville T.L.S. 1 leaf 21 Dec. 1933, Bronxville A.L.S. 2 pages "Anyway, Sidney Howard's dramatization of 'Dodsworth' is definitely accepted and goes into rehearsal Dec. 29 ... " 8 July 1935, Twin Farms T.L.S. 1 leaf 9 Jan. 1936, Bronxville T.L.S. 1 leaf 7 Nov. 1936, Bronxville T.L.S. 1 leaf 15 Mar. 1937, Bronxville T.L.S. 1 leaf 19 July 1937, Stockbridge, Mass. T.L.S. 2 leaves "This is a little cottage which I have taken to be off by myself while I am writing a novel. I run between here and Vermont." 12 Nov. 1937, N.Y.C. T.L.S. 1 leaf 24 Dec. 1937, N.Y.C. T.L.S. 1 leaf 11 Aug. 1938, Cohasset, Mass. T.L.S. 1 leaf "'Can't Happen Here' on road." 9 Dec. 1939, New Orleans T.L.S. 1 leaf 15 May 1940, Beverly Hills T.L.S. 1 leaf 29 Dec. 1943, N.Y.C. T.L.S. 1 leaf 31 Mar. 1944, N.Y.C. T.L.S. 1 leaf 26 Jan. 1945, N.Y.C. T.L.S. 1 leaf Comments on Marcella's job; afterwar social issues. 30 Mar. 1945, N.Y.C. T.L.S. 1 leaf 26 July 1945, Duluth T.L.S. 1 leaf 16 Dec. 1946, Thorvale Farm A.L.S. 2 pages Easter Day - 48, Thorvale Farm T.L.S. 1 leaf 13 June 1948, Thorvale Farm T.L.S. 1 leaf 28 June 1949, Thorvale Farm T.L.S. 1 leaf 27 Feb. 1950, Florence, Italy T.L.S. 1 leaf 3 Sinclair Lewis to Isabel Lewis Agrell. 29 Oct. [1929?], Twin Farms T.L. 1 leaf 14 Feb. [1945?], N.Y.C. A.L.S. 1 leaf 30 Aug. [1945?], Duluth T.L.S. 2 pages 30 Jan. 1950, Florence, Italy A.L.S. 2 pages Note from Mrs. Agrell: "Sinclair's last letter to us ... " Flyleaf page autograph: "To Isabel, this best of my books, Sinclair Lewis." Note by Isabel on reverse: "Sinclair gave me a 'dummy' book of Prodigal Parents. He wrote on the flyleaf." 4 C. B. or Mary Lewis. To Freeman 7 Dec. 1925, St. Cloud C. B. A.L.S. 3 leaves ? Dec. 1925, St. Cloud Mary A.L.S. 4 pages To Isabel 21 Aug. 1949, Thorvale Farm A.L.S. 2 pages 23 May 1951, Rattvik A.L.S. 2 pages To Virginia (photocopies) 24 Aug. 1949, Thorvale Farm A.L.S. 4 leaves 17 Sept. 1949, London A.L.S. 2 leaves 20 Sept. 1949, London A.L.S. 2 leaves 24 Oct. 1949, Brussells A.L.S. 2 pages 31 Oct. 1949, Paris A.L.S. 2 leaves 3 Nov. 1949, London postcard A.LS. ? Italy A.L.S. Note on back of wine bottle label: "Hal says he can't send you the wine so he is sending you the label. He has a bottle for lunch and dinner but I don't care for the stuff. Dad." 17 Feb. 1950, Melbourne A.L.S. 7 leaves To St. Cloud Clinic 25 Sept. 1948, Thorvale Farm A.L.S. 2 pages 27 Sept. 1948, Thorvale Farm A.L.S. 6 pages 5 Death of Sinclair Lewis. a. 6 Jan 1951. Telegram from Department of State Sinclair " ... diagnosed as suffering from toxic bronchial pneumonia." b. 10 Jan. 1951. Telegram from Department of State Reports Sinclair's death. c. 11 Jan. 1951. Letter from Helen Lewis to Isabel and Virginia. C. B. Lewis received telegrams, etc. after hearing of his brother's death over the radio. 6 Miscellaneous. a. Dr. E.J. Lewis, Sauk Centre 1) To Ruth Gates 5 Dec. 1923 A.L.S. 1 leaf 2) To Mary (Mrs. C.B.) Lewis 29 May 1925 A.L.S. 1 leaf 3) To Claude Lewis 18 Dec. 1925 A.L.S. 2 pages 22 Dec. 1925 A.L.S. 1 leaf b. 19 Apr. 1915 (postmark) Card addressed to Mrs. C.B. Lewis, from [C.B. Lewis?] c. [Treaty Party 1924?] Note from [C.B.? to Mrs. Lewis?]. "Do not expect to hear after leaving Big River. All seems to go well. Dad." Forwarded by Mrs. C.B. Lewis to [E.J. Lewis?]. d. 14 July 1934 T.L.S. 1 leaf Frank Burnstrom to Sinclair Lewis on capital punishment. e. 16 July 1934 A.L.S. 2 pages To Sinclair Lewis from Elida Burton requesting help in writing a novel. f. 1935 T.L. 1 leaf Note to [Virginia Lewis?] from [Helen Wolff Vogel?] after a visit with Sinclair Lewis and Dorothy Thompson. g. Sept. 1948 A.L. 2 pages Note from C.B. and Mary Lewis to [Virginia?] about trip East. h. 24 Jan. 1958 T.L.S. 1 leaf Lucille Kane, Minnesota Historical Society, to Mrs. Robert Agrell. i. 18 April 1961 A.L.S. 10 pages Letter to "Dear Virginia," from Glanville [Smith?]. j. 12 Apr. 1968 carbon T.L.S. 1 leaf Mark Schorer to the Sauk Centre museum. k. 22 Dec. 1969 A.L.S. 1 leaf Receipt from Sinclair Lewis Foundation to Mrs. Helen Lewis for donation of furniture. l. 8 Aug. 1970, Tokyo carbon T.L. 1 page Virginia Lewis to James Lundquist about the Sinclair Lewis Newsletter, and the commercialization of Lewis in Sauk Centre. m. 14 July 1983 T.L.S. 1 leaf U. S. Postal Service response to Mrs. Agrell on suggestion of a Lewis commemorative stamp. n. 17 Sept. 1984 A.L.S. 4 pages To Virginia Lewis from Marcella Powers. o. 31 Oct. 1984 T.L.S. 2 leaves To Isabel Agrell from Marcella Powers. p. 24 March 1985 A.L.S. 2 pages To Isabel Agrell from Mary Branham on the death of M. Powers. q. Correspondence between Virginia Lewis and Jame Marshall, writer of articles on Sinclair Lewis, 1985. r. 19 May 1985 T.L.S. 1 leaf To Virginia Lewis from Jean K. Archibald, Macalester College Library Director. s. 4 Sept. 1986 To Isabel Lewis Agrell from Wayne Schmalz, CBC. 7 Lewis, Grace Hegger, 1923-1980. First wife (1914-1928) of Sinclair Lewis. Married Telesforo Casanova in 1933. Both Grace and Telesforo died in 1981. Letters to Virginia and Isabel; letters after death of Telesforo from his sister-in-law Mrs. Leonardo Casonova; clippings. 8 Thompson, Dorothy, 1934-1961. Second wife (1928-1942) of Sinclair Lewis. Married Maxim Kopf in 1943. Lived at Twin Farms, which was inherited by her grandsons. Postcard to Sinclair from Berlin [1934] with holographic address and note: "Heil! Dottie," letters to Helen Lewis; Christmas cards; clippings. 9 Lewis, Michael, 1962-1975. Son of Sinclair Lewis and Dorothy Thompson. Michael first married Bernadette ___?___; two sons, Jean Paul and Gregory. His second wife was Valerie Cardew; they had a daughter, Lesley Dorothy. Letters; clippings. 10 Lewis, Lesley Dorothy, 1985-1986. Daughter of Michael and Valerie Cardew Lewis. Letters to Isabel Lewis Agrell and Virginia Lewis from Lesley Lewis and her grandmother, Kay Cardew; clippings. 11 Sale of Lewis letters, autographed books, 1951-1976. Correspondence on use of letters in publications, and sale of letters and books. Correspondents include the children of C. B. Lewis; appraiser, John Kohn; attorney, Melville Cane; authors, Mark Schorer, and Harrison Smith; and St. Cloud State University. For related materials see Box 15, folder 1. 12 Compton, Ida Kay, 1978-1986. Letters to Isabell Agrell from Ida and Charles Compton; clippings. BOX 21 Folder 1 Lewis works donated to St. Cloud State University. On 18 Aug. 1986, Virginia Lewis and Isabel Lewis Agrell presented St. Cloud State University with a gift of the 24 volume works of Sinclair Lewis edited by Hiroshige Yoshida. a. Correspondence. b. Photographs. For related materials see Box 18, folder 4. 2-3 Family papers and memorabilia. a. History of the Kermott family, 12 Feb. 1899. Carbon copy. b. Notebooks. Address books; account books showing costs of education, Freeman at Exeter and Harvard $12,522; Virginia at Carlton, etc. $6543; Isabel at Columbia $8578. c. Bills and miscellany. One is dated 22 Jan. 1946 for the funeral of Fred Lewis. Note [by C.B. Lewis?] divides cost $338.50 by two. See letter from Sinclair to Claude dated Jan. 1946, enclosing his half of the $338.50 (Box 20, folder 1.) d. Envelopes. From letters addressed to E.J. Lewis, Claude Lewis, and others. e. Silk scarf, 3 ft. x 6 ft. 2 in. Parisian gift to Mary Lewis from Grace Hegger Lewis, ca. 1925. f. Architectural drawings for C. B. Lewis residence. 1) Second floor (E. C. Pinault, Architect). 2) Grounds (H. V. Feehan, Architect). According to note by Isabel Lewis Agrell this plan was not used. PHOTOGRAPHS 4 Dr. and Mrs. E. J. Lewis and family, 1914-1924. 5-6 Dr. and Mrs. C. B. Lewis and family, ca. 1907-1934. a. Includes portrait size photographs of C. B. Lewis, Mary (Mrs. C. B.), Virginia, and Isabel. b. Photo album, 7 in. x 10 in., of a 1931 fishing trip to Lake of the Woods by C. B. Lewis and others. 7 Sinclair Lewis and family, 1885-1928. Includes photographs of Sinclair Lewis at 5 months; Sinclair and Grace in their Ford car, 1924; Grace; Wells; pictures of Sinclair with his parents and with C. B. and his family; clipping pictures. 8 Sinclair Lewis and family, 1928-1986. Includes photographs of Sinclair Lewis, 1949; Dorothy Thompson; Michael Lewis; Lesley Lewis; slides of Thorvale Farm. BOX 22 TRAVEL JOURNALS Folder 1 Saskatchewan trip, 1924. a. "Canadian canoe trip, 1924. from the diary of Claude Bernard Lewis, M.D." Typescript covering the Indian Treaty Party trip with Sinclair, 6 June - 23 Aug. 1924. Bound, 196 leaves. "During November and December of 1941, I typed this from my father's diaries which were becoming increasingly hard to read." Holographic insert by Isabel Lewis Agrell. See also Box 1, folder 9, for related materials. 2 Maps. a. Southern Saskatchewan. Cloth map, 22 in. x 33 in. in a 7.5 in. x 5 in. binding with "Sinclair Lewis" printed in gold on the cover. Route marked from Big River "18 June", to The Pas, "20 Aug." b. Northern Saskatchewan. 3 Photographs. See also Boxes 2 and 21 for other photographs. a. In album with holographic descriptions. b. 16 loose photographs, some with holographic descriptions. 4 Correspondence, 1954-1958. Concerns publication of the C. B. Lewis diary. Primarily with Donald Greene, and potential publishers. 5 "TREATY TRIP: an abridgement of Dr. Claude Lewis's journal of an expedition made by himself and his brother Sinclair Lewis to Northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba in 1924. Edited, with an introduction by Donald Greene and George Knox." Carbon typescript, 142 leaves. Mailed to Dr. Lewis 19 Sept. 1955. BOX 23 TRAVEL JOURNALS Folder 1 Mexico, Feb. 1935. Dr. and Mrs. C. B. Lewis (Claude and Mary). Typescript, 29 leaves. Europe and Australia, Sept. 1949-May 1950, by Claude Lewis. 2 Copy 1: Typescript, 233 leaves, in bindings. Volume 1, chapters 1-19, Europe with Sinclair Lewis. New York, 3 Sept. 1949. Genoa, Italy, 28 Dec. 1949 (at sea). References to Alex Manson, ch. 12, p. 9. References to Michael Lewis, ch. 16, p. 6. 3 Volume 2, chapters 20-35, Australia, South Pacific. Genoa, Italy, 28 Dec. 1949. Freemantle, Australia, 23 Jan. 1950. California, 27 May 1950. 4-5 Copy 2: Carbon typescript. Includes forwarding notes by Virginia Lewis to other members of the C. B. Lewis family. 6 Miscellany. Hotel bills from Cornwall; map of route to New Zealand; clippings from press coverage; postal card. BOX 24 TRAVEL JOURNALS Dr. and Mrs. C. B. Lewis (Claude and Helen) Folder 1 Scandinavia and British Isles, 18 Apr. - 19 June 1951. Holographic notes on stenographic sheets, 18 Apr. - 26 June 1951. 2 Central and South America, 5 Feb. - 8 Apr. 1952. Holographic notes on stenographic sheets, 5-11 Feb. 1952. 3 Bound volume, typescript, 148 leaves. Complete coverage of trip to Scandinavia and British Isles (folder 1) and to South America (folder 2). 4 Mediterranean, 1953. Holographic notes on stenographic sheets, 20 Mar. (Naples) - 19 May (Paris). 5 Bound volume, typescript, various pagings. Pt. 1 Mediterranean, 10 Mar. 1953 (St. Cloud) - 22 May 1953 (St. Cloud). Pt. 2 California and Hawaii, 24 Feb. - 25 Apr. 1954. Driving in continental U. S. Pt. 3 Southern states, April 1955. Pt. 4 Alaska, 1 June - 25 July 1955. Pt. 5 Churchill, Canada, August 1955. 6 Alaska, 2 June - 21 July 1955. Holographic notes on stenographic sheets. BOX 25 TRAVEL JOURNALS AND SCRAPBOOK Folder Mrs. C. B. Lewis (Helen), folders 1-4. 1 Bound volumes, typescript, various pagings. Pt. 1 South Pacific, 8 Feb. - 29 Apr. 1958. Pt. 2 New England, 26 Sept. - 12 Oct. 1958. Pt. 3 England, Germany, Austria, and Scandinavia, 5 Apr.- 24 June 1959. 2 South Pacific, 1958. Holographic notes on stenographic sheets. Incomplete. 3 Passports. a. Claude B. Lewis. Issued 11 July 1949. b. Helen Adeline Lewis. Issued 16 Mar. 1951. 4 Scrapbook. Kept by Helen Lewis. BOX 26 Linguaphone Spanish records. Used by Sinclair Lewis. In 11 in. x 11 in. carrying case
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