Music and the Bible

Handwritten Letter from Julia Ward Howe to Edgar Fawcett

By: Julia Ward Howe

Collection ID

PPR.001220

Type

Papers

Date

1889

Geography

United States

Language

English

Medium

Ink on Paper

Dimensions

7.8 × 9.5 in. (20 × 25 cm)

Exhibit Location

Not on View

Julia Ward Howe (1819–1910) was a poet and author best known for writing the lyrics to “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” in 1861. Howe first published her writings anonymously in 1853 and continued to advocate for abolition and women’s suffrage. After the Civil War, she focused her activities on women’s rights, establishing the Association of American Women and helping found the New England Women’s Club and the New England Woman Suffrage Association. Howe wrote this letter to novelist and poet Edgar Fawcett (1847–1904) in response to Fawcett sending her a volume of his poems. In response to his accompanying letter, Howe wrote that she appreciated Fawcett’s “humane thirst” when writing about “the woes of poor mothers in this city.”

Created on February 5, 1889, by Julia Ward Howe, Boston, Massachusetts, United States; Ownership assumed in 1889 by Edgar Fawcett, United States. Acquired by Alexander Autographs, Inc., Cos Cob, Connecticut; Acquired by 2010 by Gene Albert (Christian Heritage Museum), Hagerstown, Maryland; Privately purchased in 2010 by Green Collection, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Donated in 2017 to National Christian Foundation (later The Signatry), under the curatorial care of Museum of the Bible, Washington, DC.

Questions about our Collections?

Visit Contact Us Page

(866) 430-MOTB

To acquire permission to use this image, please visit our Rights and Reproduction page .

More From The Collections

© Museum of the Bible 2024
Designed by PlainJoe