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Original handwritten autograph letter signed (ALS) by Albert Bushnell Hart (1854–1943), one of the leading American historians of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and a longtime professor at Harvard University.
Dated Cambridge, Massachusetts, September 26, 1929, the letter is written on the official stationery of Hart’s major editorial project, Commonwealth History of Massachusetts: Colony, Province and State (1600–1926), published by the States History Company.
The letter is addressed “My dear Woodburn,” almost certainly to fellow historian James Albert Woodburn (1856–1943), longtime professor of American history at Indiana University and a prominent figure in the professional historical community.
Excerpts
Hart writes concerning an upcoming trip to Washington:
“It now appears that I can reach Washington on Wednesday morning the 2nd…”
He asks Woodburn to meet with him:
“Can we get together sometime Wednesday?”
Hart then refers to historical research or archival material:
“Very anxious to see the new material.”
He continues with what appears to be a proposal for a broader published treatment:
“Has not the time come for a comprehensive account of these funds? We might work the N.Y. Times?”
Hart concludes by giving his Washington address:
“My usual address will be Cosmos Club.”
Signed at bottom:
“A B Hart”
Summary and Historical Importance
This is more substantial than a simple autograph or social note. It documents professional communication between two important American historians during the period when modern academic history was becoming firmly established in American universities.
Hart was arranging to meet Woodburn in Washington, examine “new material,” and discuss the possibility of preparing a “comprehensive account” of the subject under discussion, with possible involvement of The New York Times.
The Cosmos Club reference adds further interest. The Washington, D.C. institution was closely associated with prominent scholars, scientists, writers, government officials, and intellectuals, and Hart was a member.
The letterhead is also significant. Hart was serving as editor of the multi-volume Commonwealth History of Massachusetts, one of the major historical publishing projects of his later career.
The 1929 date places the letter late in Hart’s long scholarly career, after his retirement from regular Harvard teaching but while he remained highly active as a historian, editor, and public intellectual.
Albert Bushnell Hart Biography
Albert Bushnell Hart (1854–1943) was an influential American historian, educator, editor, and political scientist.
A graduate of Harvard University, Hart later studied in Germany and earned his doctorate at Freiburg before returning to Harvard, where he taught history and government for decades.
Hart became one of the central figures in the development of professional historical scholarship in the United States. His accomplishments included:
- Longtime professor at Harvard University
- President of the American Historical Association
- President of the American Political Science Association
- Editor of the important multi-volume American Nation historical series
- Editor of Commonwealth History of Massachusetts
- Author and editor of numerous works on American history, government, constitutional history, and political institutions
- Teacher and mentor to generations of historians and public figures
Among the students associated with Hart’s Harvard career were W. E. B. Du Bois, Carter G. Woodson, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Hart remained active in historical scholarship and public historical projects well into his later years.
James Albert Woodburn Biography
James Albert Woodburn (1856–1943) was an important American historian and educator whose career was closely associated with Indiana University.
Woodburn studied at Indiana University and later pursued advanced historical study at Johns Hopkins University, one of the major centers for the emerging professional discipline of history in the United States.
He became professor of American history at Indiana University and eventually headed its history department. Woodburn wrote extensively on American political and constitutional history and participated in historical organizations and commemorative projects.
His professional career placed him firmly within the same national network of academic historians as Albert Bushnell Hart, making the identification of “Woodburn” as James Albert Woodburn highly plausible.
Physical Description / Condition
Single handwritten letter on printed Commonwealth History of Massachusetts stationery.
The sheet bears Hart’s handwritten text and his characteristic “A B Hart” signature. Original mailing folds are present, along with expected age toning and minor handling wear. Please examine the photographs carefully for exact condition.
An appealing piece of Harvard, American historiography, academic history, Washington, D.C., Cosmos Club, and early 20th-century intellectual history, with a strong association between two notable American historians.
Original 1929 manuscript letter, not a reproduction.
