|
|
Personal Papers of Helen McMorran
| Title |
Personal Papers of Helen McMorran |
| Reference |
GBR/0271/GCPP McMorran |
| Creator |
McMorran, Helen Isabella, 1898-1985, librarian |
| Covering Dates |
1869–1967 |
| Extent and Medium |
3 boxes; Paper |
| Repository |
Girton College Archive, Cambridge |
|
| Content and context |
|
Helen McMorran was born in India, the daughter of an East India merchant but she and her three sisters (also Girtonians) grew up in the family home, Frithwood House, outside London. She was educated at Sutton High School and came to Girton to read Modern Languages 1916-19. She trained as a librarian at University College, London 1919-20 and was Assistant Librarian at Bedford College, London 1921-28. She then travelled for a year in India before coming back to Girton as a Fellow and Librarian in 1930. Shortly afterwards she supervised the move to a new College library, the anonymous gift of her father, Thomas McMorran(an extension was added in the sixties through the generosity of HM herself). Her professional standards were legendary throughout College, not just as Librarian (1930-62) but as editor of the 'Girton Review' (1932-63) and editor (with K T Butler) of the 'Girton College Register' (1948). In addition she was Vice-Mistress 1946-62 and Registrar of the Roll 1947-69. She was described by her obituarist, Muriel Bradbrook, as both austere and a connoisseur of excellence, combining great dignity with great modesty, 'the Girton she knew is now part of history'. On her retirement in 1962, she became a Life Fellow of the College until her death in 1985.
The papers comprise material arising from Helen McMorran's activities in her various College offices, as well as correspondence, collections of poems, of cuttings and offprints, and of play and concert programmes.
|
Access and Use
|
Please cite as Girton College Archive, Cambridge, Personal Papers of Helen McMorran, GCPP McMorran |
| Index Terms |
| McMorran, Helen Isabella (1898-1985) librarian |
| Girton/GCPP McMorran contains: |
|
1
|
Portraits of Mistresses. Correspondence, accounts, and cuttings about funds for portraits of College Mistresses - Elizabeth Welsh, Bertha Phillpotts, Helen Wodehouse and K T Butler, with letters from artists Percy Horton and Rodrigo Moynihan. The papers include Mary Clover's file on Sir John Lavery's portrait of Elizabeth Welsh (there are letters from John Lavery in the file).
Creator: Various.
2 files; Paper. |
1905–1949 |
|
2
|
Programmes for College events etc. Play and concert programmes, many in aid of the Women's University Settlement (WUSS). Also particulars about memorial and presentation funds, and advertisements for the posts of Bursar and Junior Bursar, 1929.
Creator: McMorran, Helen.
1 file; Paper. |
1918–1954 |
|
3
|
Roll, Library and Curator matters. Includes: notes on Emily Davies Papers and letter from Margaret Llewelyn Davies to Edith Major, 14 July 1930 about the gift of the papers; correspondence about T G Whitehead's books, 1952; correspondence in 1954 with Sylvia Benians about Lord Acton's letters to Elizabeth Welsh in 1898; correspondence with Constance Maynard about her publications (with 2 pamphlets), 1934; list of duplicate Women's Suffrage pamphlets 1855-1897 (with note signed by Emily Davies); two printed documents, one about the admission of women to the University (1920) the other about the admission of women to the University Library (1923); notes for Roll talks 1947, 1948, 1951, 1952 (Third Foundation); article - with letter - by Dorothy Henley 1960 about her memories of Girton (1901);, article by Sir Alfred Yarrow 'Women and Science' in 'The Woman Engineer', Vol. 1 No. 4, September 1920; arrangements for Roll Centenary Weekend, 1969 (includes list of commemorative trees planted at Girton).
Creator: McMorran, Helen.
1 file; Paper. |
1920–1969 |
|
4
|
Correspondence. Mostly letters from Girtonians, including Mary Kilgour, Margery Spring Rice, Greta Hort. Also letter from Winifred Nicholson (undated but received 28.6.1958), one from Muriel Rose, 26 August 1965 with a memorial leaflet to Phyllis Barron 1890-1964, and Helen McMorran's notes on Girton Domestic Staff with a letter about Mary Prime who died in 1963.
Creator: Various.
1 file; Paper. |
1940–1967 |
|
5
|
Janet Bacon's Valedictions and other Occasional Verses, 26 July 1935. Helen McMorran has tucked other poems into the book. Most of these are by Janet Bacon, one is by E E Constance Jones, 1911 and another by HM herself.
Creator: Bacon, Janet Ruth; McMorran, Helen.
1 volume; Paper. |
1911–1935 |
|
6
|
Newspaper cuttings. Volume of newspaper cuttings and offprints (a few pertaining to Girton), obituaries and articles on books, writers and librarianship; some loose, some pasted in, and notes. Most dating from the twenties and thirties.
Creator: McMorran, Helen.
1 volume; Paper. |
1869–1959 |
|
![[Home]](/images/logo.gif){kind=logo}
