University of Virginia Library

Barrett Donates
Rare Frost Works

A collection of notebooks, letters, family
papers, first editions, manuscripts and other
papers of Robert Frost have been given to the
University's Alderman Library by collector C.
Waller Barrett

The gift includes the only surviving copy of
"Twilight," Mr. Frost's first collection of
poems printed in 1894 by a job printer in
Lawrence, Mass. Mr. Frost had two copies of
this first book printed, one for his future bride,
Elinor White, and one for himself, which he
later destroyed.

The gift from Mr. Barrett, a member of the
University's Board of Visitors, is "one of the
best Frost collections in existence," said
William II. Runge, Alderman Library's curator
of rare books.

Included in the gift, which is valued at
$60,000, are first editions of nine Frost books,
autograph manuscripts of two unpublished
plays, a letter of proposal from Mr. Frost's
father to his mother, and the order of exercises
of the 41st anniversary of Lawrence High
School of Lawrence, Mass., containing the
"Class Hymn" written by Mr. Frost, then senior
class poet.