Martha Dickinson Bianchi papers (Ms. 2010.046)

Biographical note

Martha Dickinson Bianchi is the author of Russian Lyrics, Emily Dickinson Face to Face, and many other poems and stories. She is the niece of Emily Dickinson and daughter of William Austin and Susan Dickinson. Martha married Count Alexander Emmanuel Bianchi (about whose real identity many questions have been raised) in 1903, then divorced him in 1920. Martha’s brothers, Thomas Gilbert Dickinson and Edward Austin Dickinson died at the ages of 7 and 37, respectively, leaving Martha as heir to the family estate and Emily Dickinson’s legacy. Alfred and Mary Hampson were Martha’s friends, co-authors, and heirs, and much of their material is included in this collection. Mary Hampson is the granddaughter of Charles K. Landis who founded Vineland, New Jersey in the nineteenth century as a utopia. There is some material related to Vineland in the collection. More information about the Dickinsons, Bianchis, and Hampsons, as well as some history about the collection, can be found at Treasures of the Evergreens .