George and Ellen Frost collection of Robert Frost materials
Content Description
This collection contains letters, Christmas cards, a magazine, a family genealogy, a book, and other ephemera relating to Robert Frost, compiled by his cousin, George Frost, and his wife, Ellen. The content spans the period from 1919 to 1962. There are four manuscript letters sent by Robert Frost to either Ellen or George: Robert to Ellen, 1919; Robert to George, 1938; Robert to Ellen, 1951; Robert to “Mrs. Frost,” 1939. The envelope for a 1938 letter to George Frost from Robert is included, but contains no letter. Also present is a 1939 letter to Ellen Frost from Kathleen J. Morrison, who was charged with “taking care of Robert’s letters for him [that] winter” and an undated and unmarked postcard of the Frost family farmhouse in New Hampshire. In addition to the correspondence, there is a Dartmouth College Alumni Magazine dated March 1959 featuring Robert Frost on its cover, sixteen printed Christmas greeting poems by Frost, dating from 1934 to 1962, a funeral notice for Elinor Frost, letters from publishers inviting George and Ellen to readings of Frost’s poetry, a handwritten Frost family genealogy, and a signed copy of “New Hampshire,” a 1955 poem by Frost.
Dates
- Creation: 1919-1962
Creator
- Frost, Robert, 1874-1963 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection has been minimally processed and is open for research.
Biographical / Historical
Robert Frost (1874–1963) was an American poet whose work drew from rural New England life, blending colloquial speech with philosophical reflection. Robert Lee Frost was born in San Francisco on March 26, 1874, later relocating to Massachusetts after his father’s death. He published his first poem, “My Butterfly,” in 1894 and gradually established himself as a major literary figure through early collections such as A Boy’s Will (1913) and North of Boston (1914). Known for poems including “Mending Wall,” “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” and “The Road Not Taken,” Frost became one of the most celebrated poets of the twentieth century, earning four Pulitzer Prizes and serving as U.S. Poet Laureate. Frost died in Boston on January 29, 1963.
References
“Robert Frost.” Poetry Foundation. Accessed April 27, 2026.
“Robert Frost.” Academy of American Poets. Accessed April 27, 2026.
Full Extent
0.2 Cubic Feet (One letter-sized half-width document box)
Language of Materials
English
Metadata Rights Declarations
- License: This record is made available under an Universal 1.0 Public Domain Dedication Creative Commons license. The Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library of the University of Virginia makes its bibliographic records and the metadata contained therein available for public use under the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Designation.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was purchased from John Waite Rare Books by the Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia on 19 September 2025.
Condition Description
Good
- Title
- Guide to the George and Ellen Frost collection of Robert Frost materials
- Status
- In Progress
- Author
- Eric Willersdorf, Student Accessioning Assistant
- Date
- 27 April 2026
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library Repository
Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
P.O. Box 400110
University of Virginia
Charlottesville Virginia 22904-4110 United States