Paul Philemon Kies Autograph Collection | Washington State Magazine

From “Historically Yours”, by Hannelore Sudermann:

Paul Philemon Kies, a popular professor of English, was one of the keenest collectors at Washington State College. When he wasn’t teaching, advising, or shooting photographs on campus, he was filling his office and home with rare books, autographs, letters, and photographs…

…He started his collecting habit with first edition books, which he bought to show students. That led him to rare book catalogues, which led him to the autographs.

Browse a few of the items from Kies’s collection below, part of a digital collection at WSU Libraries’ Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections.

The full collection is available for viewing at the MASC website.

Cheryl Gunselman, Manuscripts Librarian, and Greg Matthews, Metadata Librarian, oversaw the digital collection creation. Jeff Kuure created the graphics. Lane Moran did the bulk of the scanning and metadata input, assisted by Mirra Moran and Hannah Robinson. The digital collection was organized by Doug Lambeth, Digital Projects Production Coordinator.

Letter from Oscar Wilde, (no later than summer 1894) (Autograph letter, signed), to George Alexander, with supporting documentation.

Document from Queen Victoria — Document from Victoria, Queen of England, 22 November 1838 (Document, signed), with supporting documentation.

Commission from Abraham Lincoln, 1862 February 6 (document, signed), about the commission of Brigadier General Henry W. Benham.

Letter from Alexandre Dumas, pére, circa 1850’s (Autograph letter, signed), to an unidentified English publisher, with supporting documention.

Legal document by Adolf Hitler, 16 January 1942 (Typed document, signed), with supporting documention.

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt, 27 December 1897 (Typed letter, signed), to Thomas A. Janvier.

Ship’s papers signed by James Madison (American president), 1810 March 2, for The Adaline of Salem, on vellum.

Letter from Booker T. Washington, 1898 October 12 (Manuscript letter, signed), to Professor C.E. Norton, with supporting documentation.

Letter from Charles Dickens, 1866 January 19 (Autograph letter, signed), with supporting documentation.

Note from Henrik Ibsen, 1887 May 18 (Autograph note, signed), to an unidentified woman, with supporting documention.

Browse or search the whole collection.