Gordon Kinzer (1900-1966) was an American artist. His collection of letters focuses on Rupert Brooke (1887-1915), an English poet known for his wartime sonnets written during the First World War.
Born in Hamilton, Ohio on December 23, 1900, Gordon Kinzer studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA). He moved to California in 1922, settling in Los Angeles by 1932. He died in Orange, California on April 14, 1966.
Rupert Brooke was born on August 3, 1887 in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. He attended King's College at Cambridge University and graduated with his B.A. in 1909. Upon graduating, Brooke took a job as schoolmaster at the Rugby School. He served in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve from 1914 to 1915. Brooke died on April 23, 1915 on a ship in the Aegean Sea of blood poisoning from a small mosquito bite on his lip. Brooke is best remembered for his sonnets that were inspired by his wartime experiences, such as The Soldier .
From the guide to the Gordon Kinzer Letters, 1924, undated, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)
