Herbert Read Collection
User Collection Public
Sir Herbert Edward Read (1893-1968) was a poet, art historian, anarchist, literary critic, philosopher, prolific author, and champion of modern artists in Britain.
This collection consists of his correspondence with many important and influential individuals including Barbara Hepworth, T. S. Eliot, George Orwell among many others.
For more information and a complete list of correspondents, please visit the Special Collections fonds: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/sir-herbert-edward-read-fonds
Permalink: http://vault.library.uvic.ca/collections/07631c3d-47fa-4d81-893c-4c72e8feb6ed
Collection Details
- Items 383
- Last Updated 2025-07-09
Parent Collections (2)
Subcollections (1)
There are no visible subcollections.
Works (382)
81. Letter from Eric Gill to Herbert Read, August 20, 1934
- Title:
- Letter from Eric Gill to Herbert Read, August 20, 1934
- Description:
- Part of a collection of correspondence from Eric Gill to Sir Herbert Read. Gill was a renowned early 20th century English printmaker, typeface designer, and sculptor. In this letter, Gill defends his latest book from certain statements in a review by Read.
- Subject:
- Printmakers, Authors, Poets, Gill, Eric, 1882-1940, Authors, English, Artists' books, Poets, English, Anarchists, Read, Herbert, 1893-1968, Sculptors, Art historians, and Artists
- Creator:
- Gill, Eric, 1882-1940
- Contributor:
- Read, Herbert, 1893-1968
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1934-08-20
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- License:
- Use of this material is permitted for research and private study purposes only. For all other uses, contact University of Victoria Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Identifier:
- HR/EG-3-4
- Extent:
- 2 pages
- Geographic Coverage:
- England--High Wycombe
- Coordinates:
- 51.62907, -0.74934
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Handwritten in black ink.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Herbert Read Collection
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- correspondence and letters (correspondence)
- Archival Item Identifier:
- File: 8.47
- Fonds Title:
- Sir Herbert Edward Read fonds
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC100
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collections finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/sir-herbert-edward-read-fonds
- Date Digitized:
- 2022/2023
- Technical Note:
- Scanning and metadata by Rowan O'Brian and additional metadata by SC.
82. Letter from Eric Gill to Herbert Read, August 27, 1934
- Title:
- Letter from Eric Gill to Herbert Read, August 27, 1934
- Description:
- Part of a collection of correspondence from Eric Gill to Sir Herbert Read. Gill was a renowned early 20th century English printmaker, typeface designer, and sculptor. In this letter, Gill continues to debate the designation of the term "artist" and the role of artists in society.
- Subject:
- Authors, English, Anarchists, Poets, English, Artists' books, Artists, Gill, Eric, 1882-1940, Poets, Authors, Sculptors, Printmakers, Art historians, and Read, Herbert, 1893-1968
- Creator:
- Gill, Eric, 1882-1940
- Contributor:
- Read, Herbert, 1893-1968
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1934-08-27
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- License:
- Use of this material is permitted for research and private study purposes only. For all other uses, contact University of Victoria Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Identifier:
- HR/EG-5-6
- Extent:
- 2 pages
- Geographic Coverage:
- England--High Wycombe
- Coordinates:
- 51.62907, -0.74934
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Handwritten in black ink.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Herbert Read Collection
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- correspondence and letters (correspondence)
- Archival Item Identifier:
- File: 8.47
- Fonds Title:
- Sir Herbert Edward Read fonds
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC100
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collections finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/sir-herbert-edward-read-fonds
- Date Digitized:
- 2022/2023
- Technical Note:
- Scanning and metadata by Rowan O'Brian and additional metadata by SC.
83. Letter from Eric Gill to Herbert Read, September 16, 1934
- Title:
- Letter from Eric Gill to Herbert Read, September 16, 1934
- Description:
- Part of a collection of correspondence from Eric Gill to Sir Herbert Read. Gill was a renowned early 20th century English printmaker, typeface designer, and sculptor. In this letter, Gill explains and defends his use of the word "art", as he interprets it, in his book.
- Subject:
- Poets, Printmakers, Gill, Eric, 1882-1940, Artists, Anarchists, Artists' books, Art historians, Sculptors, Read, Herbert, 1893-1968, Authors, English, Poets, English, and Authors
- Creator:
- Gill, Eric, 1882-1940
- Contributor:
- Read, Herbert, 1893-1968
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1934-09-16
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- License:
- Use of this material is permitted for research and private study purposes only. For all other uses, contact University of Victoria Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Identifier:
- HR/EG-7-10
- Extent:
- 4 pages
- Geographic Coverage:
- England--High Wycombe
- Coordinates:
- 51.62907, -0.74934
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Handwritten in black ink.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Herbert Read Collection
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- letters (correspondence) and correspondence
- Archival Item Identifier:
- File: 8.47
- Fonds Title:
- Sir Herbert Edward Read fonds
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC100
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collections finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/sir-herbert-edward-read-fonds
- Date Digitized:
- 2022/2023
- Technical Note:
- Scanning and metadata by Rowan O'Brian and additional metadata by SC.
84. Letter from Paul Nash to Herbert Read, November 17, 1934
- Title:
- Letter from Paul Nash to Herbert Read, November 17, 1934
- Description:
- Part of a collection of correspondence between Herbert Read and Paul Nash (British surrealist painter, printmaker, war artist, and older brother to Paul Nash).
- Subject:
- Authors, Modernism (Literature), Artists, Nash, Paul, 1889-1946, Modernism (Art), Literature, Modern, Read, Herbert, 1893-1968, and Authors, English
- Creator:
- Nash, Paul, 1889-1946
- Contributor:
- Read, Herbert, 1893-1968
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1934-11-17
- Rights Statement:
- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
- License:
- Use of this material is permitted for research and private study purposes only. For all other uses, contact University of Victoria Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Identifier:
- HR/PN 1-4
- Extent:
- 4 pages ; 13.5 x 17.5 cm
- Geographic Coverage:
- England--Swanage
- Coordinates:
- 50.60827, -1.95664
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Handwritten, signed, light blue paper.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Herbert Read Collection
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- correspondence and letters (correspondence)
- Archival Item Identifier:
- File: 9.28
- Fonds Title:
- Sir Herbert Read fonds
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC100
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collections finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/sir-herbert-edward-read-fonds
- Date Digitized:
- 2021-10-21
- Technical Note:
- Scanned on Epson Expression 10000XL at 600 DPI TIFF, images cropped & resized for Vault to be under 35MB by PD. Metadata by KD.
85. Letter from Paul Nash to Herbert Read, November 17, 1934
- Title:
- Letter from Paul Nash to Herbert Read, November 17, 1934
- Description:
- Part of a collection of correspondence between Herbert Read and Paul Nash (British surrealist painter, printmaker, war artist, and older brother to Paul Nash).
- Subject:
- Artists, Nash, Paul, 1889-1946, Literature, Modern, Authors, English, Modernism (Literature), Read, Herbert, 1893-1968, Modernism (Art), and Authors
- Creator:
- Nash, Paul, 1889-1946
- Contributor:
- Read, Herbert, 1893-1968
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1934-11-17
- Rights Statement:
- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
- License:
- Use of this material is permitted for research and private study purposes only. For all other uses, contact University of Victoria Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Identifier:
- HR/PN 1-4
- Extent:
- 4 pages ; 13.5 x 17.5 cm
- Geographic Coverage:
- England--Swanage
- Coordinates:
- 50.60827, -1.95664
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Handwritten, signed, light blue paper.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Herbert Read Collection
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- correspondence and letters (correspondence)
- Archival Item Identifier:
- File: 9.28
- Fonds Title:
- Sir Herbert Read fonds
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC100
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collections finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/sir-herbert-edward-read-fonds
- Date Digitized:
- 2021-10-21
- Technical Note:
- Scanned on Epson Expression 10000XL at 600 DPI TIFF, images cropped & resized for Vault to be under 35MB by PD. Metadata by KD.
86. Letter from Josiah Wedgwood to Herbert Read, December 15, 1934
- Title:
- Letter from Josiah Wedgwood to Herbert Read, December 15, 1934
- Description:
- One of a pair of letters to Sir Herbert Read from Josiah C. Wedgwood, the first Baron Wedgwood. Wedgwood served the British government as a Liberal and Labour politician. In this letter, Wedgwood expresses his appreciation for Read’s book “Art and Industry”, and points out a small error in the description of a photograph. In closing, he hopes Read might visit him sometime, or that he might visit Read.
- Subject:
- Nobility, Legislators, Read, Herbert, 1893-1968, Anarchists, Wedgwood, Josiah C. (Josiah Clement), 1872-1943, Politicians, Art historians, Poets, Authors, English, Poets, English, and Authors
- Creator:
- Wedgwood, Josiah C. (Josiah Clement), 1872-1943
- Contributor:
- Read, Herbert, 1893-1968
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1934-12-15
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- License:
- Use of this material is permitted for research and private study purposes only. For all other uses, contact University of Victoria Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Identifier:
- HR/JW
- Extent:
- 4 pages
- Geographic Coverage:
- England--Staffordshire
- Coordinates:
- 52.8577, -2.03686
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Handwritten in black ink.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Herbert Read Collection
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- correspondence and letters (correspondence)
- Archival Item Identifier:
- File: 9.75
- Fonds Title:
- Sir Herbert Edward Read fonds
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC100
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collections finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/sir-herbert-edward-read-fonds
- Date Digitized:
- 2022/2023
- Technical Note:
- Scanning and metadata by Rowan O'Brian and additional metadata by SC.
87. Letter from Walter de la Mare to Herbert Read, February 05, 1935
- Title:
- Letter from Walter de la Mare to Herbert Read, February 05, 1935
- Description:
- One of a pair of letters to Herbert Read from English writer Walter de la Mare. De la Mare is best known for his writing for children and his horror fiction, but he also wrote poetry and a considerable number of short stories. This letter is published with acknowledgement to The Literary Trustees of Walter de la Mare and the Society of Authors as their Representative. In this letter, de la Mare requests permission to include some extracts from Read's "The Innocent Eye" for a new book to be published by Faber & Faber.
- Subject:
- Read, Herbert, 1893-1968, Authors, Philosophers, Novelists, Philosophers, Modern, Art historians, Novelists, English, Poets, English, Poets, Anarchists, De la Mare, Walter, 1873-1956, and Authors, English
- Creator:
- De la Mare, Walter, 1873-1956
- Contributor:
- Read, Herbert, 1893-1968
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1935-02-05
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- License:
- Use of this material is permitted for research and private study purposes only. For all other uses, contact University of Victoria Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 2 pages
- Geographic Coverage:
- England--Taplow
- Coordinates:
- 51.53299, -0.68682
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Typewritten.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Sir Herbert Edward Read collection
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- letters (correspondence) and correspondence
- Archival Item Identifier:
- File: 8.28
- Fonds Title:
- Sir Herbert Edward Read fonds
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC100
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collections finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/sir-herbert-edward-read-fonds
- Date Digitized:
- 2022-11-29
- Technical Note:
- Scanning and metadata by Rowan O'Brian and additional metadata by SC
88. Letter from Adrian Stokes to Herbert Read, March 08, 1936
- Title:
- Letter from Adrian Stokes to Herbert Read, March 08, 1936
- Description:
- Part of a collection of correspondence between Adrian Stokes and Herbert Read spanning from 1934-1962. Stokes was a painter and art critic who also had an interest in psychoanalysis. It was largely due to his efforts and work that the small fishing port of St. Ives became a centre of modernist art culture. In this letter Stokes humbly thanks Read for attending one of his lectures.
- Subject:
- Psychoanalysis, Poets, English, Authors, English, Anarchists, Painters, Art historians, Poets, Read, Herbert, 1893-1968, Art critics, Stokes, Adrian, 1902-1972, and Authors
- Creator:
- Stokes, Adrian, 1902-1972
- Contributor:
- Read, Herbert, 1893-1968
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1936-03-08
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- License:
- Use of this material is permitted for research and private study purposes only. For all other uses, contact University of Victoria Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Identifier:
- HR/AS-28-29
- Extent:
- 2 pages
- Geographic Coverage:
- England--Guildford
- Coordinates:
- 51.23536, -0.57427
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Handwritten in black ink.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Herbert Read Collection
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- letters (correspondence) and correspondence
- Archival Item Identifier:
- File: 9.62
- Fonds Title:
- Sir Herbert Edward Read fonds
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC100
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collections finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/sir-herbert-edward-read-fonds
- Date Digitized:
- 2022/2023
- Technical Note:
- Scanning and metadata by Rowan O'Brian and additional metadata by SC.
89. Letter from Ezra Pound to Herbert Read, May 03, 1936
- Title:
- Letter from Ezra Pound to Herbert Read, May 03, 1936
- Description:
- A letter to Herbert Read from Ezra Pound (American poet and critic). Pound discussing politics.
- Subject:
- Literature, Modern, Poets, American, Authors, Modernism (Literature), Authors, English, Read, Herbert, 1893-1968, Pound, Ezra, 1885-1972, Poets, and Critics
- Creator:
- Pound, Ezra, 1885-1972
- Contributor:
- Read, Herbert, 1893-1968
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1936-05-03
- Rights Statement:
- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
- License:
- Use of this material is permitted for research and private study purposes only. For all other uses, contact University of Victoria Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Identifier:
- HR/EP 4-5
- Extent:
- 2 pages ; 22.5 x 28.4 cm
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Typewritten, signed, Ezra Pound's letterhead on brown paper, corrections handwritten in black ink.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Herbert Read Collection
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- letters (correspondence) and correspondence
- Archival Item Identifier:
- File: 9.38
- Fonds Title:
- Sir Herbert Read fonds
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC100
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collections finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/sir-herbert-edward-read-fonds
- Date Digitized:
- 2021-10-20
- Technical Note:
- Scanned on Plustek OpticBookA300 at 600 DPI Tiff, images cropped and resized for Vault to be under 35MB by PD. Metadata by KD.
90. Letter from Laszlo Moholy-Nagy to Herbert Read, October 21, 1936
- Title:
- Letter from Laszlo Moholy-Nagy to Herbert Read, October 21, 1936
- Description:
- One of a pair of letters from Hungarian photographer and painter László Moholy-Nagy to Sir Herbert Read. Moholy-Nagy was also a member of the Bauhaus school and experimented with a number of artistic mediums including: sculpture, writing, film, and theatre. This letter is in German from Moholy-Nagy to Read.
- Subject:
- Painters, Anarchists, Moholy-Nagy, László, 1895-1946, Poets, English, Authors, Read, Herbert, 1893-1968, Art historians, Poets, Artists, and Authors, English
- Creator:
- Moholy-Nagy, László, 1895-1946
- Contributor:
- Read, Herbert, 1893-1968
- Language:
- ger
- Date Created:
- 1936-10-21
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
- License:
- Use of this material is permitted for research and private study purposes only. For all other uses, contact University of Victoria Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Identifier:
- HR/LM-N
- Extent:
- 4 pages
- Geographic Coverage:
- England--London
- Coordinates:
- 51.50853, -0.12574
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Handwritten in black ink.
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- Herbert Read Collection
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- letters (correspondence) and correspondence
- Archival Item Identifier:
- File: 9.22
- Fonds Title:
- Sir Herbert Edward Read fonds
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC100
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collections finding aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/sir-herbert-edward-read-fonds
- Date Digitized:
- 2022/2023
- Technical Note:
- Scanning and metadata by Rowan O'Brian and additional metadata by SC.