Guide to the Anne Charlotte Lynch Botta Papers, 1835-1894

John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148
Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Published in 2014

Collection Overview

Title:	Anne Charlotte Lynch Botta Papers
Date range:	1835-1894
Creator:	Botta, Anne C. Lynch (Anne Charlotte Lynch), 1815-1891
Extent:	6.5 Linear feet
Abstract:	Anne Charlotte Lynch Botta (1815-1891) was a teacher and poet of Providence, Rhode Island and New York City. The collection covers the years 1835-1894 and contains correspondence concerning literary and personal affairs, three manuscripts of her poems, two engraved portraits extracted from a book, and miscellaneous notes.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Collection number:	Ms.Botta

Scope & content

The Anne Charlotte Lynch Botta Papers comprise correspondence and manuscripts materials. The bulk of the collections consists of the incoming and outgoing correspondence of Anne Charlotte Lynch Botta, though the collection includes incoming and outgoing correspondence of Vincenzo Botta, and incoming correspondence of Thomas R. Lynch and Julia M. Lynch. Among Anne and Vincenzo Botta’s numerous correspondents are Ralph Waldo Emerson, Julia Ward Howe, Bayard Taylor, and Edith Thomas. The first three addenda include manuscript poems by Anne Botta. The fourth addenda, the Scheips Collection of Anne Botta Papers, includes materials collected by Scheips in the course of his research and contains additional incoming correspondence addressed to Anne and Vincenzo Botta, the Paul J. Scheips papers, and the the Sarah E. Ballard papers. The Paul J. Scheips papers consist of collected research materials and notes of Paul J. Scheips. The Ballard papers consist of teaching materials, student work, clippings, and a scrapbook compiled in the 1870s. Ballard was a teacher and lived in Troy and Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. While S.E. Ballard was very interested in poetry, her connection to the Bottas is unable to be determined based on Paul V. Scheips' correspondence (Addendum 4).

Two engraved portraits of A.C.L. Botta, extracted from a book, are included in Addendum 2, "Miscellaneous material".

Access Points

Subject Names

• Allibone, S. Austin (Samuel Austin), 1816-1889
• Ballard, Sarah E.
• Bigelow, John, 1817-1911
• Botta, Anne C. Lynch, 1815-1891
• Botta, Vincenzo
• Dodge, Mary Mapes, 1830-1905
• Elton, Romeo, 1790-1870
• Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 1803-1882
• Greene, Albert G., 1802-1868
• Greenwood, Grace, 1823-1904
• Howe, Julia Ward, 1819-1910
• Stedman, Edmund Clarence, 1833-1908
• Stoddard, Richard Henry, 1825-1903
• Whitman, Sarah Helen, 1803-1878
• Willis, Nathaniel Parker, 1806-1867

Subject Organizations

• Christine Dunlap Farnham Archive.

Subject Topics

• Poetry, American--19th century

Occupations

• Poets
• Teachers

Document Types

• Clippings
• Letters (Correspondence)
• Poems
• Portraits

Subject Topics

• Language and Literature

Arrangement

The collection is organized in 6 series and 4 addenda. Items are arranged chronologically.

• Series 1. Letters written by Anne Charlotte Lynch Botta
• Series 2. Letters received by Anne Charlotte Lynch Botta
• Series 3. Letters received by Vincenzo Botta
• Series 4. Letters received by Thomas R. Lynch
• Series 5. Letters received by Mrs. Julia M. Lynch
• Series 6. Miscellaneous material

Addendum 1: Photostats

• Letters written by A.C.L. Botta
• Letters received by A.C.L. Botta
• Letters written by Vincenzo Botta
• Miscellaneous letters
• Manuscript poem

Addendum 2

• Letters written by A.C.L. Botta
• Manuscript of poems by A.C.L. Botta
• Letters received by A.C.L. Botta
• Letters received by Vincenzo Botta
• Letters received by Mrs. Julia M. Lynch
• Miscellaneous material

Addendum 3

• Letters written by A.C.L. Botta
• Manuscript of poem by A.C.L. Botta

Addendum 4: Scheips Collection of Anne Botta papers

• Letters received by A.C.L. Botta
• Letters received by Vincenzo Botta
• Paul J. Scheips papers
• Sarah E. Ballard papers

Biographical/Historical note

Anne Charlotte Lynch Botta was born in Bennington, Vermont on November 11, 1815. She graduated from Albany Female Academy in 1834, and from 1835-1845 she conducted a school for girls in Providence, Rhode Island. She then taught at the Brooklyn Academy for women from 1845-1850. In 1855 she married Vincenzo Botta, a noted Italian educator and naturalized American citizen.

Anne Lynch Botta, an active member of the literary community of the northeast, was herself a poet of some distinction. The first edition of her Collected poems appeared in 1849. She was a frequent contributor to the Democratic Review and in 1860 authored A Handbook of Universal Literature. During the 1850s and 1860s her home in New York City became a gathering place for artists and writers. Among others, she entertained Bryant, Emerson, Greeley, Willis, and Poe.

She died in New York City on March 23, 1891.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Use of the materials:	Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Alternate form:	Digital facsimiles of items from this collection are available from within the online finding aid.
Preferred citation:	Anne Charlotte Lynch Botta Papers, Ms. Botta, Brown University Library.
Contact information:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148 Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	The Anne Charlotte Lynch Botta Papers were a gift to Brown University from C. Russell Sherman in 1940. Addendum 1 consists of photostats included in this donation.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Jamie Radke
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2014-12-11

Additional Information

Separated material:	Thirteen letters from A.C.L. Botta to Sarah H. Whitman (1816-1878) are located in the Sarah Helen Whitman Collection (Ms 7911). The letters date from 1845 to 1848. Several of the letters to S. H. Whitman make reference to Poe, items which are not in every case flattering to Poe.
Location of originals:	Brown University does not know where the original letters listed in Addendum 1 are maintained, unless otherwise indicated.
Location/Existence of copies:	Digital facsimiles of items from this collection are available from within the online finding aid.
Other information:	Brown University Library catalog record for this collection: Anne Charlotte Lynch Botta Papers

Inventory

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