Kenneth Silverman Research Collection on Samuel F. B. Morse
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Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
This collection contains research materials collected by Kenneth Silverman while working on his book Lightning Man: The Accursed Life of Samuel F.B. Morse. Materials include photocopied articles and essays, microfilm, and correspondence (mostly transcribed) dating from 1792 to 1892. This collection does not include original materials from Morse.
Historical/Biographical Note
Kenneth Silverman currently serves as professor emeritus of English at New York University. He is the author of several biographies, including those of Samuel Morse, Cotton Mather, and Edgar Allen Poe. The Life and Times of Cotton Mather, perhaps his best-known work, won both the Bancroft Prize in History and a Pulitzer Prize for Biography. Silverman is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Samuel F.B. Morse, noted artist and inventor, served as a professor of painting and sculpture at New York University. In 1838, he perfected his most famous invention, the telegraph.
Sources:
All biographic information about Kenneth Silverman from the NYU website.Dim, Joan Marans, and Nancy Murphy Cricco. The Miracle on Washington Square: New York University. Lanham: Lexington, 2001.
Arrangement
Folders in Boxes 1-3 are arranged chronologically. Box 4 is arranged alphabetically by topic. Boxes 5 and 6 are arranged by document type.
The files are grouped into four series.
Series
- Chronological Files
- Subject File/Index and Other Papers
- Articles, Depositions, and Electronic Materials
- Microfilm
Scope and Contents
This collection includes photocopied articles and essays, microfilm, correspondence (mostly transcribed) and other research materials. The dates range from 1792-1892. The folders in the collection are arranged chronologically and by subject.
Subjects
Access Restrictions
Open for research without restrictions.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the:
New York University Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212) 998-2641
Fax: (212) 995-4225
E-mail: university-archives@nyu.edu
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form: Identification of item, date (if known); Kenneth Silverman Research Collection on Samuel F.B. Morse; MC 173; box number; folder number; New York University Archives, New York University Libraries.