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Stephen Winsten papers

 File — Document box: 3, Folder: 4

Scope and Contents note

From the Collection:

The Dwight Strong Collection of George Bernard Shaw comprises over 225 volumes and seven boxes of materials, offering an in-depth look at Shaw’s literary and personal life. The collection includes rare first editions, typed and handwritten manuscripts, and extensive correspondence that documents Shaw’s interactions with friends, family, and professional associates.

Highlights include personal letters, marked proofs, and manuscript drafts, which provide insight into Shaw’s creative process, his humor, and his engagement with social and political issues. These materials illustrate Shaw’s influence on Victorian, Edwardian, and early 20th-century society, capturing his contributions to theater, social activism, and the Fabian Society. The collection offers researchers a valuable resource for studying Shaw’s enduring legacy and the impact of his work on modern drama and social thought.

Dates

  • 1885-1983
  • Majority of material found within 1885 - 1983

Extent

From the Collection: 231 Volumes

From the Collection: 7 boxes

From the Collection: 1 Files (Flat file drawer)

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

General

Correspondence with Stephen Winsten: with the exception of one typed card, and one typed letter, all the pieces from Shaw are initialled. Most of the letters address Winsten by his pet name, Inca, presumably a reference to the Inca of Perusalem. In one long letter, May 17, 1950, Shaw writes about Salt and writing "The Philanderer" while staying with him. Shaw also writes about Tolstoy, Morris and Ruskin as well as a page on utopian communities.

Other letters refelct less happy aspects of Winsten's relationship with Shaw. Two concern a row about an electric vegetable shredding machine. Other letters concern financial assistance which Shaw gave the Winstens, particularly in connection with thier housing problems. There are also references to Winsten's Book, "Days with Bernard Shaw", notably a protest from Shaw that he was not kept informed.

A further letter encloses a few printed pieces concerned with Henry Salt, including a testimonial to Edward Carpenter to which Shaw was one of the signatories.

Series contains five autograph letters, 1 autograph postcard, 2 typed letters, 1 typed postcard, and an autograph note on a letter to Shaw from Winsten.

Creator

Repository Details

Part of the CSUF University Archives & Special Collections Repository

Contact:
University Archives & Special Collections
Pollak Library South Room 352 (PLS 352)
Fullerton CA 92831-3599 USA
(657) 278-4751