Jane Harrison Collection

Jessie Stewart (nee Crum) became a student of Jane Harrison's in her second year at Newnham, and accompanied her on a trip to Greece in 1901 to visit archaeological sites in Athens and the Peloponnese. In Part II of the Classical Tripos in archaeological studies, she was the first of Harrison's students to gain a First. Their friendship continued throughout Harrison's life. She married Hugh Stewart of Trinity College in 1902, and raised a large family, but continued to make drawings of Greek vase paintings and illustrations for Harrison's publications.

Her papers reflect their friendship during Harrison's life and her efforts to keep Harrison's flame alight for 30 years after her death. Both she and Hope Mirrlees planned to write a biography of Harrison and collected letters, reminiscences, and papers from friends, including many from Newnham College, colleagues, and family to this end. It was to Stewart that Murray entrusted the 800 letters to him and his wife from Harrison, and it was she who transcribed them, and used many in what was to become the first biography: "Jane Ellen Harrison: A Portrait from Letters", published in 1959.

Stewart was truly devoted. As well as all her work to produce and/or persuade Mirrlees to produce a life of JEH, she was instrumental in causes concerning Harrison: the fund for her retirement from Newnham in 1922, the Harrison memorial lectures in 1928, and efforts to get Harrison's works republished. She kept everything she wrote: drafts, copies, notes are dispersed throughout her papers. She also kept all the letters she received from Harrison, Mirrlees, Murray et al, as well as all those concerning Jane Harrison's legacy, including her efforts to write a biography and get "A Portrait" launched.

The letters from Harrison are in 1/4. The rest of the Stewart papers have been arranged as follows: 5/1 correspondence; 5/2 printed matter; 5/3 research notes; 5/4 JEH A Portrait from Letters. See individual files for more detail.