Metadata: A. C. Jacobs Collection
Collection
- Country:
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Holding institution:
- The University of Leeds Cultural Collections & Galleries
- Holding institution (official language):
- The University of Leeds Cultural Collections & Galleries
- Postal address:
- The Brotherton Library, Woodhouse Ln, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9JT
- Phone number:
- 0113 343 5518
- Reference number:
- MS 2065
- Title:
- A. C. Jacobs Collection
- Title (official language):
- A. C. Jacobs Collection
- Creator/accumulator:
- Arthur C. Jacobs
- Date(s):
- 1955/2000
- Language:
- English
- Hebrew
- Extent:
- 2 cubic metres (6 boxes)
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- Good
- Scope and content:
-
The collection represents the works of Arthur C. Jacobs, a Scottish Jewish Poet. It includes six boxes of archival material (MS 2065/1) and five volumes of printed works (MS 2065/2). The archival material primarily comprises Jacobs’s work as a poet and translator from Hebrew into English. Box 1 contains an incomplete run of copies of the Jewish Quarterly (1964-1990), alongside cuttings from various other Jewish publications, largely written in Hebrew. The following four boxes largely contain drafts of poetry and writings relating to Jacobs’s work as a translator. The majority of Jacobs’s poetry concerns his life and upbringing as a Jew in Britain, relating to diasporic identities, perspectives on war, and his experiences with life and death. There are also drafts of articles and reviews concerning other writers, namely Jon Silkin, a fellow British Jewish Poet and founder of Stand magazine. The final box contains further drafts and notebooks, alongside correspondence relating to specific translations, submissions for publication, poetry groups, and responses to reviews and edits of work. This correspondence is from a variety of publishers, authors, and Jewish organisations. Specific details for each box are as follows:
MS 2065/1 Box 1: inventory carried out by John Roty; copies of the Jewish Quarterly 1964-1990 containing works by Jacobs (incomplete run); newspapers mainly Jewish, some in Hebrew, 1955-1980.
MS 2065/1 Box 2: 6 manuscript notebooks containing drafts of poems and reviews mainly in English, but with some Hebrew; 1 manuscript notebook labelled 'Greek vocabulary'; 1 folder containing manuscript drafts of translations, reviews and letters; 1 folder with typescript copy of 'Poems by C. N. Bialik' translated by A. C. Jacobs, typescript and manuscript drafts of poems and article about Israel Zangwill; 1 folder containing article on David Vogel, notebook with review of Jon Silkin's work and translations; barely used 1958 diary.
MS 2065/1 Box 3: 2 folders containing draft translation of book, no title, 1 copy starts at page 4; 1 folder of manuscript poems.
MS 2065/1 Box 4: 1 folder of drafts of poems; draft of 'A bit of dialect'; 1 folder containing a letter about Jacobs' translation of Israel Pincas' poems 'Mediterranean' 1975, correspondence in English and Hebrew with 'The Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature Ltd.' 1964-1968, also contains poems in Hebrew and translations, newspaper cutting, photocopies, typescript papers and a copy of 'Jewish Book Council Jewish Book Week and Exhibition' 1970; book of poetry by Amir Gilboa containing a 3 page translation by Jacobs of a poem; 1 file of manuscript drafts of poems; 1 file containing manuscript review of Geoffrey Hill's work, part of a translation of a prose work, draft of an introduction to the book 'Married life' by David Vogel, photocopies of poems and prose works, draft reviews, correspondence.
MS 2065/1 Box 5: folder labelled 'Poems by Avraham Ben Yitzhak' 1960; folder enclosing 2 copies of 'Poetry and Audience' 1959-60 containing two poems by Jacobs; copy of 'The Littack Supplement' 1977; copy of 'York Chamber of Trade original guide to the City of York' with draft poem by Jacobs on front cover; poster for poetry reading by Jacobs, 1989; typescript papers; 1 folder labelled 'A. C. Jacobs (1937-1994); photocopies of poems unpublished in 'The proper blessing' ... or in 'A bit of dialect' ... some of them have appeared in various magazines 'Family's copy'; 1 folder of manuscript poems by Jacobs; 1 folder labelled 'Fragments. Poem (copies & oddments); 1 folder labelled 'Unpublished material 14/11/2000. Poems (copies and payments)' which contains drafts of poems and translations; exercise books labelled 'Poems I' and Poems ‘II'.
MS 2065/1 Box 6: 2 notebooks labelled 'Bella Copia' one containing a few drafts of poems, the other Italian grammar exercises; red notebook containing brief memoirs and draft poems; green notebook containing drafts of poems; 'Baberton notebook' with notes on a visit to the British Museum; address book; 1967 diary; reporter's notebook containing the draft of a play; 'Basildon Bond' writing pad with drafts of letters and poems, 'Lion Brand' writing pad with draft of article on poetry; copy of 'Migrant. Two' 1959; copy of Stand Magazine Winter 1995 with note from Jon Silkin; 2 folders of correspondence, 1954-1993. The correspondence relates to specific translations, submissions for publication, (Uol 1989), poetry groups, responses to reviews and edits of work. The correspondence is from publishers, authors and Jewish organisations. There are some letters by Jacobs. Includes one letter from Jon Silkin 1959. Most of the correspondence relates to business. There are a few postcards; 1 folder of photocopied obituaries of Jacobs and reviews of his works, photocopied correspondence about Jacobs' works, with Timothy Gee of Tim Gee Editions, correspondence about the publication of Jacobs' poem 'N.W.2: Spring', correspondence about the publication of Jacobs' works, newspapers and cuttings featuring poems by Jacobs.
- Archival history:
- Purchased from Sheila Gilbert, December 2016.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- Arthur C. Jacobs (1937-1994) was born to an Orthodox Jewish family in Glasgow, Scotland. Both his paternal and maternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Lithuania (at the time, Tsarist Russia). Jacobs received a traditional Jewish education as well as attending secular Scottish schools until his family moved to London in 1951. In London he established himself in the local poetry scene, where he met fellow poets Philip Hobsbaum and Jon Silkin. Silkin became Jacobs’ mentor and close friend, publishing much of Jacobs’ early poetry in his Magazine, Stand. Following his death, his editor Anthony Rudolf commented on his work, "Many of Jacobs' poems celebrate Jewish life or honour Jewish death, sometimes with a tartan tinge", reflecting themes of conflicting identities and ‘otherness’ present throughout Jacobs’ writings.
- Access points: persons/families:
- Arthur C Jacobs
- Jon Silkin
- Access, restrictions:
- Some parts of this collection may be restricted due to copyright or data protection laws.
- Yerusha Network member:
- The University of Leeds Cultural Collections & Galleries
- Author of the description:
- Holly Addie, University of Leeds Cultural Collections & Galleries, 2025
