John Needels Chester collection, 1703-1939 | Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Title: John Needels Chester collection, 1703-1939

ID: 01/01/MSS00075

Primary Creator: Chester, John Needels (1864-1955)

Extent: 1.51 Cubic Feet

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged in the following series:

Series 1: Autographs, portraits, manuscripts, and other material pertaining to Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French

Series 2: Autographs, portraits, manuscripts, and other material pertaining to American history, chiefly concerning the Civil War

Series 3: Autographs, portraits, manuscripts, and other material pertaining to writers and literature, chiefly American

Series 4: Other autographs, portraits, and manuscripts

Subjects: Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821, United States--History

Languages: English

This collection consists of approximately 175 manuscript items collected by John Chester, a member of the University of Illinois Class of 1891, who gave portions of his collection to the University Library over a twenty year period. The manuscripts comprise autographs, letters, news clippings, and portraits, including over 100 items concerning Napoleon Bonaparte and people associated with him, as well as similar memorabilia concerned with American history (especially the U.S. Civil War) and American writers, including Oliver Wendell Holmes and Joel Chandler Harris.

Besides this manuscript collection, Chester gave many books to the University of Illinois. Among Chester's early gifts to the university was a first edition of Sir Walter Raleigh's The History of the World (1614). This volume was the first gift made to the Library through the University of Illinois Foundation. His other gifts included a collection of material concerning the period of World War I, books on Napoleon Bonaparte, his family, and his era, fifteen volumes of literature, including a first edition of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, and two manuscript letters written by James Whitcomb Riley. (Note that this collection includes only the manuscript material that Chester donated; the other items were catalogued separately). The manuscript material was formerly catalogued with the call number MS944.05n16wche

Some items individually described in the Letters card catalog.

NOTE: Some information about individual items in this collection may have been cut off in a previous database transfer. This finding aid reflects the most up-to-date information in our records.

Born 24 Sep 1864 in Groveport, Ohio to Hubert Chester and Melvina Sophia Needles. Moved to Champaign County, Illinois, with his family in 1865.

Graduated University of Illinois 1891 with a degree in engineering, earned his professional degree in civil engineering in 1909 and his master's from UIUC in 1911. Member of the Society of Mechanical Engineers and member and past president of the Engineers Society of Western Pennsylvania.  Member and Vice President of the American Society of Civil Engineering and won the George Warren Fuller award of the American Water Works Association for distinguished service in the field of water works supply.  founded the company of Chester and Fleming Engineers in Pittsburgh, which became Chester Engineers after Fleming's death.  Was a director of the University of Illinois Foundation. Died 1 Nov 1955 in Urbana, Illinois, after a 7 year illness. Buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Urbana, Illinois.

Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821
United States--History

Repository: Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Access Restrictions: Open to researchers.

Use Restrictions:

The RBML reproductions policies can be found here:

http://www.library.illinois.edu/rbx/ReproductionServices.htm

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials.

Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study scholarship or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement.

This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgement, fulfillment of the order would damage materials or involve violation of copyright law.

Acquisition Method:

Gift, 1934-1956.

Gift, 1936.

Gift, 1948/49 from J.N. Chester

Gift, 1955/56 from the estate of John Needels Chester, class of 1891.

Processing Information: https://wiki.cites.uiuc.edu/wiki/display/librare/Home

Box and Folder Listing

Series 3: Autographs, portraits, manuscripts, and other material pertaining to writers and literature, chiefly American

Box 2

Folder 7

Item 1-1: From: Twain, Mark, undated

Corp. Body/Address: Rockwood. Union Sq., New York.

Photo of Raymond and Twain.

Other Information: if remove a, dup with LITERATU 001b, 001

Physical Description: 1 photo. 3 piece(s).

Item 1-2: From: Twain, Mark, 1885

Photo of Mark Twain and Cable plus copy.

Physical Description: 1 photo + copy. 3 piece(s).

Item 1-3: From: Curtis, George W., 1887/05/25

Autograph letter, signed

Concerned with Civil Service Reform.

Other Information: if remove b, dup with LITERATU 001a, 001

Physical Description: 1 letter. 1 piece(s).

Item 2: From: Shelley, Mary  To: Booth, Isabel, [1847?]

Autograph letter, signed

Physical Description: 1 letter. 1 piece(s).

Item 3-1: From: Ade, George  To: Chester, John Needles, 1939/03/21

"The Microbe's Serenade" and "Remorse" by George Ade.

Physical Description: 1 poem with signature. 3 piece(s).

Item 3-2: From: Ade, George  To: Chester, John Needles, 1939/03/21

Autograph letter, signed

Letter from Mark Twain to William Dean Howells.

Physical Description: 1 photocopy of a letter. 3 piece(s).

Item 4-1: From: Holmes, Oliver Wendell, 1889/03/05

Clipping

Corp. Body/Address: Baylis and Leighton. Johnson's-Court, Fleet-Street.

A page from Holmes copy of Burns' poems.

Physical Description: 1 page from Burns' Poems + catalog citation of the same.. 8 piece(s).

Item 4-2: From: Holmes, Oliver Wendell, 1859/12/26

Autograph letter, signed

A reply to a letter which includes a photograph.

Physical Description: 1 letter. 8 piece(s).

Item 4-3: From: Holmes, Oliver Wendell, undated

Photocopy of a signed portrait and biography from.

Physical Description: 2 photocopies. 8 piece(s).

Item 4-4: From: Holmes, Oliver Wendell  To: Nealy, Mrs., 1866/01/22

Autograph letter, signed

Thanks for a letter and the compliments.

Physical Description: 1 letter + envelope. 8 piece(s).

Item 4-5: From: Holmes, Oliver Wendell  To: Smith, Rev. Samuel Frances, 1888/10/21

Autograph letter, signed

Physical Description: 1 letter. 8 piece(s).

Item 5: From: Cooper, James Fenimore  To: Carey & Hart Booksellers, 1840/06/10

Autograph letter, signed

Corp. Body/Address: Carey & Hart. Philadelphia.

Expresses desire to negotiate with publisher.

Physical Description: 1 letter. 1 piece(s).

Item 6: From: Hazzard, John Edward, undated

Corp. Body/Address: The Evening Sun.

"Ain't It Awful, Mabel?"  a poem by John Edward Hazzard.

Physical Description: 1 clipping. 1 piece(s).

Item 7: From: Howells, William Dean, 1908/06

Corp. Body/Address: The Books News Monthly.

Portrait series, No.  261

Physical Description: 1 portrait. 1 piece(s).

Item 8: From: Moulton, Louise Chandler, 1888/08

Manuscript

Physical Description: 1 poem. 1 piece(s).

Item 9-1: From: Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 1847/01/19

Autograph letter, signed

Four line poem signed.

Physical Description: 1 letter. 2 piece(s).

Item 9-2: From: Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, undated

Clipping

Photograph of the bust of Henry Wadsworth Longfell.

Physical Description: 1 clipping of a photograph from a book.. 2 piece(s).

Item 10: From: Carlyle, Thomas, undated

Clipping

Published copy of a water-colour drawing by C. Pel[?]

Physical Description: 1 clipping from a book. 1 piece(s).

Item 11-1: From: Carman, Bliss, undated

Manuscript

Spring in Newtowne.

Physical Description: 1 poem typed and signed  2 p.. 5 piece(s).

Item 11-2: From: Carman, Bliss, undated

Manuscript

St. Michael's Star.  A Hymn for Labor Day.

Physical Description: 1 poem  4 p. signed. 5 piece(s).

Item 11-3: From: Carman, Bliss, undated

Manuscript

Song of the Mother Range in the author's handwriting.

Physical Description: 1 poem 3 p.. 5 piece(s).

Item 11-4: From: Carman, Bliss, 1907/11/20

Manuscript

Corp. Body/Address: Hotel Netherland. New York.

After the Shower in the author's own handwriting.

Physical Description: 1 poem 5 p.. 5 piece(s).

Item 11-5: From: Carman, Bliss, undated

Manuscript

On Ponus Ridge which appears in "The Rough Rider".

Physical Description: 1 poem 9 p.. 5 piece(s).

Item 12: From: Burdette, Robert J., 1896/08/20

Manuscript

Bryn Mawr, Pa.

Physical Description: 1 poem. 1 piece(s).

Item 13-1: From: Smith, Samuel Francis, 1886/12/04

Manuscript

A copy of "America" entirely in the author's hand.

Physical Description: 1 hymn. 1 piece(s).

Item 13-2: From: Smith, Samuel Francis, undated

Clipping

The announcement of the death aboard a train.

Physical Description: 1 clipping. 3 piece(s).

Item 14-1: From: Harris, Joel Chandler, undated

Clipping

Physical Description: 2 clippings--portraits, one signed.. 5 piece(s).

Item 14-2: From: Harris, Joel Chandler, undated

Clipping

Physical Description: 1 clipping - etching. 5 piece(s).

Item 14-3: From: Harris, Joel Chandler, 1896/01/??

Clipping

Corp. Body/Address: "Sign of the Wren's Nest". Atlanta, Georgia.

Sketch of Mr. Harris drawn by John Hunderfon Garns.

Physical Description: 1 clipping. 5 piece(s).

Item 14-4: From: Harris, Joel Chandler, undated

Photo

Corp. Body/Address: Walter F. Winn, Inc.  Atlanta, GA.

Memorial to Joel Chandler Harris.

Physical Description: 1 photograph. 5 piece(s).

Item 14-5: From: Harris, Joel Chandler, undated

Photo

Corp. Body/Address: Walter F. Winn, Inc.  Atlanta, GA.

Wide view of memorial to Joel Chandler Harris.

Physical Description: 1 photograph. 5 piece(s).

Item 15: From: Irving, Sir Henry  To: Jefferson, Joseph, undated

Autograph letter, signed

Greeting to Joseph Jefferson.

Physical Description: 1 l. + clipping. 2 piece(s).

Item 16: From: Smith, E. U., 1917/11/04

Autograph letter, signed

An offer to buy Dr. Holmes poem.

Physical Description: 1 letter. 1 piece(s).

Item 17-1: undated

2 prints

Corp. Body/Address: J. M. Gahey, Lith.  59 Paradise St. Liverpool.

"The Chair Of Robert Burns" and "Burn's Candle"

Physical Description: 2 lithographs. 3 piece(s).

Item 17-2: undated

1 print

Corp. Body/Address: London Virtue & Co.

Engraving of the sculpture in memory of Allan Cunn.

Physical Description: 1 etching. 3 piece(s).