Jean McClure Mudge Papers
Scope and Contents
This collection contains Jean Mudge’s personal files, which include photographs from film productions, film reviews, correspondences on film matters, and photographs documenting the Emily Dickinson house during Mudge’s curatorship. It also contain's Mudge's short 2013 memoir “Reminiscences" detailing her time as live-in curator of the Emily Dickinson house. In addition, the collection contains original prints of several of Mudge's films. This collection is unprocessed.
Dates
- 1916-2013
- Majority of material found within 1965 - 1991
Creator
- Mudge, Jean McClure, 1933- (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The motion picture films in the collection are restricted for preservation purposes. In general, there is no restriction on access to other materials in the collection for research use. Particularly fragile items may be restricted.
Conditions Governing Use
Requests for permission to publish material from the collection should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
Biographical / Historical
Jean Mudge is a writer and documentary filmmaker. From 1965-1976 she served as live-in curator of the Emily Dickinson house, creating the first incarnation of the current museum largely from scratch. She wrote her doctoral dissertation at Yale University on Emily Dickinson in 1973, which she published in 1975 as Emily Dickinson & the Image of Home. Several years later Mudge began a career in documentary filmmaking, creating a 3 film series on Emily Dickinson, Herman Melville, and Edgar Allen Poe; a film on Mary Lyon; and several other documentaries. Two of these films featured award-winning actress Julie Harris as narrator and actor, and several others featured collaborations with Richard Wilbur.
Extent
3 Linear feet (2 record boxes, 1 archives box and 5 films in original canisters)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Photographs, correspondence, motion picture films and other materials created by writer and filmmaker Jean McClure Mudge. The material primarily relates to her experience as curator of the Emily Dickinson House in Amherst, MA and her documentary films. A guide to this collection is not yet available and portions of the collection are restricted. Please contact Archives and Special Collections for access to this material.
Arrangement
This collection is unprocessed. The materials are in two groupings corresponding to two donations of materials. A folder listing for the 2013 donation was made when the material arrived at the archives and is available upon request. Materials in the 2013 donation are roughly grouped by subject matter. There is no folder listing for the 2014 donation.
- Status
- Unprocessed
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Repository
Amherst College Archives & Special Collections
Robert Frost Library
61 Quadrangle Drive
Amherst MA 01002-5000
(413) 542-2299
archives@amherst.edu