Julia Johnson Davis Papers, 1909-1961 | Sargeant Memorial Collection

By Sarah Osorio

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Collection Overview

Title: Julia Johnson Davis Papers, 1909-1961

ID: 001/01/MSS 0000-214

Primary Creator: Davis, Julia Johnson (1889-1961)

Extent: 8.0 Boxes

Arrangement: Arranged by record type. Poems and essays are arranged in alphabetical order by title.

Date Acquired: 00/00/0000

Subjects: England, International travel, Poets, American, Scotland, Women authors, American--20th century

Forms of Material: Correspondence, Envelopes, Essays, Manuscripts, Notes, Photographs, Poems

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Essays, poems, notes, correspondence, and other personal papers and manuscripts of Julia Johnson Davis of Norfolk, Virginia. Many of her essays appear to be recollections of Davis's childhood, early life, and later international trips to Europe. Some correspondents include fellow writers Mary Sinton Leitch, John Richard Moreland, William Stanley Braithwaite, and Idella Purnell. Prominent categories for Davis's poetry include ballads, sonnets, lyrics, and "Negro dialect." The collection also contains letters and materials relating to the Women's Voluntary Services for Civil Defence and photographs featuring buildings and people in England and Scotland.

Biographical Note

Julia Johnson Davis was born on May 14, 1889 in Norfolk, Virginia. She was a prolific writer, focusing primarily on children's stories, ballad poetry, and essays. Davis attended Leache-Wood Seminary and Longwood College. She married Mirabeau Lamar Thomas Davis on July 6, 1918. Davis published two books: The Garnet Bug and Gribbles: The Story of a Beloved Penny Shop. Additionally, her poetry was featured in a variety of literary publications including The Christian Science Monitor, The Commonwealth, Nation, and Century. Davis was one of the founders of The Lyric and served as treasurer. She was also a member of the Poets Club of Norfolk, Poetry Society of America, Norfolk Society of Arts, and Irene Leache Memorial. Davis was also vice director for the Norfolk Chapter of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. She was a member of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. Davis died on December 26, 1961 in Norfolk, Virginia and was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Norfolk, Virginia.

Subject/Index Terms

England
International travel
Poets, American
Scotland
Women authors, American--20th century

Administrative Information

Repository: Sargeant Memorial Collection

Access Restrictions: This collection is open to all researchers.

Use Restrictions: The status of copyright for these materials is governed by Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. C.). Copyright restrictions may apply.

Acquisition Source: Unknown

Preferred Citation: Julia Johnson Davis Papers, MSS 0000-214, Sargeant Memorial Collection, Norfolk Public Library, Norfolk, Virginia.

Processing Information: Processed June 16, 2020.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

[Box 1: Poems],
[Box 2: Essays (Box 1 of 4)],
[Box 3: Essays (Box 2 of 4)],
[Box 4: Essays (Box 3 of 4)],
[Box 5: Essays (Box 4 of 4)],
[Box 6: Notes],
[Box 7: Correspondence],
[Box 8: Ephemera],
[All]

Box 1: Poems

Folder 1: Poems, List of Julia Johnson Davis's Poetry
Folder 2: Poems, "A"
Folder 3: Poems, "B"
Folder 4: Poems, "C"
Folder 5: Poems, "D"
Folder 6: Poems, "E"
Folder 7: Poems, "F"
Folder 8: Poems, "G"
Folder 9: Poems, "H"
Folder 10: Poems, "I"
Folder 11: Poems, "J"
Folder 12: Poems, "L"
Folder 13: Poems, "M"
Folder 14: Poems, "N"
Folder 15: Poems, "O"
Folder 16: Poems, "P"
Folder 17: Poems, "Q"
Folder 18: Poems, "R"
Folder 19: Poems, "S"
Folder 20: Poems, "T"
Folder 21: Poems, "V" and "W"
Folder 22: Booklet, "It's Lullaby Time", circa 1920s: Includes poem To My Little Son.
Folder 23: Poems, Garden poetry reading
Folder 24: Poems, To Be Sent to Catholic Magazines
Folder 25: Poems, Being Worked On
Folder 26: Clippings, Published Poems (Folder 1 of 3), circa 1920s-1930s
Folder 27: Clippings, Published Poems (Folder 2 of 3), circa 1920s-1930s
Folder 28: Clippings, Published Poems (Folder 3 of 3), circa 1920s

Box 2: Essays (Box 1 of 4)

Folder 1: Essay, Acquaintances Abroad
Folder 2: Essay, A. E. Housman
Folder 3: Essay, Animal Psychology
Folder 4: Essay, Assyria
Folder 5: Essay, The Back Parlor
Folder 6: Essay, Books
Folder 7: Essay, The Buoy
Folder 8: Story, The Chest of Drawers
Folder 9: Essay, Christmas Preparations
Folder 10: Essay, Dancing School
Folder 11: Essay, Emily Dickinson: Her Life and Letters
Folder 12: Essay, Euripides
Folder 13: Essay, The Fourth of July
Folder 14: Essay, Further Recollections of Childhood
Folder 15: Essay, Gardening
Folder 16: Essay, Gardens
Folder 17: Essay, Grace Sherwood
Folder 18: Essay, Great, Great Aunt Margaret
Folder 19: Essay, Hanging Out the Clothes
Folder 20: Essay, Health and Food
Folder 21: Essay, House Maid
Folder 22: Essay, I Have Still Another Book
Folder 23: Essay, In Defense of Drudgery
Folder 24: Essay, In Defense of Self Pity

Box 3: Essays (Box 2 of 4)

Folder 1: Essay, In Praise of Gardens
Folder 2: Story, Jack
Folder 3: Essay, James McNeill Whistler and Oscar Wilde
Folder 4: Essay, Jamestown Exposition, 1907
Folder 5: Essay, Jane Austen
Folder 6: Essay, Katherine Mansfield: An Appreciation
Folder 7: Essay, The Lodger
Folder 8: Story, Longmeadow
Folder 9: Essay, Marketing
Folder 10: Essay, Memoirs of a Fox Hunting Man and Memoirs of an Infantry Officer
Folder 11: Essay, Miss Mittie
Folder 12: Essay, Mourning and Funerals
Folder 13: Essay, My Actress Book
Folder 14: Essay, My Mother Guards Our Health
Folder 15: Essay, My Nurse, Mike, and the Housemaid
Folder 16: Essay, Navy Yard
Folder 17: Story, Ned's Visit to the City
Folder 18: Essay, Needlework
Folder 19: Essay, Of No Importance
Folder 20: Essay, Old Acquaintance Meet Again

Box 4: Essays (Box 3 of 4)

Folder 1: Essay, On Acquiring An Early Education
Folder 2: Essay, On the Advantages of Being Considered Literary
Folder 3: Essay, Paper Doll Book
Folder 4: Essay, The Party
Folder 5: Essay, The Penny Shop
Folder 6: Essay, Pilgrim's Way
Folder 7: Essays, Plum Bushes and Funerals
Folder 8: Essay, Pranks
Folder 9: Essay, Realism and Jane Austen
Folder 10: Essay, Recollections of Childhood: Christmas Preparations and Christmas Shopping
Folder 11: Essay, Recollections of College Place
Folder 12: Essay, Recollection of Ghent
Folder 13: Essay, Recollections of a Wood Stove
Folder 14: Essay, Sabrina
Folder 15: Essay, Sailors
Folder 16: Essay, School Days
Folder 17: Story, A Sea Baby's ABC Book: Includes sketches in pencil.

Box 5: Essays (Box 4 of 4)

Folder 1: Essay, The Sewing Room
Folder 2: Essay, A Sheet of Paper
Folder 3: Essay, Singing School
Folder 4: Essay, Some Aspects of Dickens
Folder 5: Essay, Some Traditional Poets
Folder 6: Essay, Spending the Night
Folder 7: Essay, St. Ignatius Ziekenhuis
Folder 8: Essay, Steamboats
Folder 9: Essay, The Story of Chance
Folder 10: Essay, The Story of Rhoecus
Folder 11: Essay, Summer Clothes and Winter Clothes
Folder 12: Essay, The Summons
Folder 13: Essay, Sun Worshippers? No.
Folder 14: Story, Ted's Visit to the Country
Folder 15: Essay, That Very Noble Lady
Folder 16: Essay, The Turkeys
Folder 17: Essay, Two Young Men
Folder 18: Essay, The Visit
Folder 19: Essay, The Voice
Folder 20: Essay, We Dine on a British Freighter / Not a Very Noble Lady
Folder 21: Essay, Wood Gathering

Box 6: Notes

Notes from poems, essays, stories, and literary sketches.

Folder 1: Notes, Essays, Stories, and Literary Sketches (Folder 1 of 3)
Folder 2: Notes, Essays, Stories, and Literary Sketches (Folder 2 of 3)
Folder 3: Notes, Essays, Stories, and Literary Sketches (Folder 3 of 3)
Folder 4: Notes, Poetry (Folder 1 of 2)
Folder 5: Notes, Poetry (Folder 2 of 2)
Folder 6: Notes, Empty Envelopes

Box 7: Correspondence

Folder 1: Correspondence, 1909
Folder 2: Correspondence, 1920s
Folder 3: Correspondence, 1930s
Folder 4: Correspondence, 1940s
Folder 5: Correspondence, 1950-1951
Folder 6: Correspondence, 1952
Folder 7: Correspondence, 1954-1959
Folder 8: Correspondence, 1961
Folder 9: Correspondence, undated

Box 8: Ephemera

Folder 1: Correspondence, Typed letters about Drummond Restaurant and food, circa 1940-1946
Folder 2: Bulletins, Women's Voluntary Services for Civil Defence, 1942 February - October
Folder 3: Ephemera, Women's Voluntary Services For Civil Defence, 1942-1946
Folder 4: Newspaper, South London Press, 1940 December 27
Folder 5: Ephemera, English trip, 1952
Folder 6: Photographs, England and Scotland, circa 1920s, 1940s-1950s
Folder 7: Manuscripts, England and Scotland Travels, circa 1945-1955
Folder 8: Notebook, School notes on teaching kindergarten, circa 1912
Folder 9: Clippings, circa 1920-1930
Folder 10: Ephemera, circa 1910-1942: Includes one print photograph titled "Class of June, 1910," one program for Derby Grammar School Graduation Exercises of the Class of 1927, and "Some comments on the work of Julia Johnson Davis."