Russell, George William, 1867-1935
Variant namesGeorge William Russell was born on April 10, 1867 in Lurgan, County Armagh, Ireland to Thomas and Marianne (Armstrong) Russell. The family moved to Dublin in 1878, and Russell attended Dr. Power’s School in Harrington Street and night classes at the Metropolitan School of Art, before entering Rathmines School, which he left in 1884. He would later recall experiencing visions and trances during his youth, experiences which would cement his life-long interest in the supernatural. Those visions also brought about his pen name, “AE”, which was derived from “Aeon”, the first sound in the universe. Russell’s first book of poetry, Homeward: Songs by the Way, was published in 1894, influenced by his fascination with the occult. In 1897, he published his second collection, entitled The Earth Breath.
In 1898, Russell married Violet North, with whom he went on to have two sons, Bryan (born 1899) and Diarmuid Conor (born 1902). That same year, he began working for the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society (IOAS). In 1898, Russell was appointed as the organization’s Dublin-based secretary. He continued to write poetry and literary reviews, and his play, Deirdre, was produced in 1902. In 1903, Russell accepted the joint vice-presidency of the Irish National Theatre Society. He published a further two collections of poetry, The Divine Vision and Other Poems (1904) and The Mask of Apollo and Other Stories (1905).
Russell grew increasingly political in the early twentieth century, and he began to publish nationalist essays and poems. Despite his political engagement, he was surprised by the Easter Rising in 1916. Russell was a pacifist, and although he supported Irish independence, never fully embraced radical republicanism. He supported the Free Staters during the Civil War (1922-1923). In 1923, he assumed editorship of The Irish Statesman, continuing in this role until the journal closed in 1930. Russell left Ireland for London in 1933, disenchanted by the Free State and grieving for his wife, who died in 1932. Russell died in London on July 17, 1935.
Archival Resources
| Role | Title | Holding Repository | |
|---|---|---|---|
| referencedIn | James A. Healy collection of Irish literature | Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives | |
| referencedIn | John Quinn papers, 1901-1926 | New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division | |
| referencedIn | Dame Edith Sitwell collection of papers, 1926-1965 | The New York Public Library. Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature. | |
| referencedIn | Torrence Ridgely Papers | Dartmouth College Library | |
| creatorOf | Boston College Collection of George William Russell | Boston College. John J. Burns Library | |
| referencedIn | Theodore Roosevelt Collection: Books, pamphlets, periodicals, 18-- - <ongoing> | Theodore Roosevelt Collection, Harvard College Library, Harvard University | |
| referencedIn | William Butler Yeats Collection TXRC02-A7., 1872-1970 | Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center | |
| referencedIn | Lady Gregory papers | Emory University. Special Collections and Archives | |
| referencedIn | Boris Souvarine papers, 1915-1984 (inclusive), 1940-1984 (bulk). | Houghton Library | |
| referencedIn | Maloney collection of Irish historical papers, 1857-1965, 1913-1922 | New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division | |
| referencedIn | Grace Hill Turnbull papers | Johns Hopkins University, Sheridan Libraries and the Milton S. Eisenhower Library | |
| referencedIn | Ralph Hodgson papers, 1695-1976, 1914-1970 | Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library | |
| referencedIn | Sir William Rothenstein correspondence and other papers, 1887-1957. | Houghton Library | |
| creatorOf | A. E., 1867-1935. [The candle of vision] [manuscript] / [A.E.]. | University College Dublin, James Joyce Library | |
| creatorOf | Letters of British authors, 1770-1915 | Getty Research Institute | |
| referencedIn | English literature mss., 1901-1950 | Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington) | |
| referencedIn | Herbert F. West collection of A. Hugh Fisher, 1860-1945, 1901-1945 | Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library | |
| George William Russell collection | University of Victoria Libraries, UVic | ||
| creatorOf | Autograph letter signed "A. E." : Dublin, to Mr. Hard | Pierpont Morgan Library. | |
| referencedIn | John Thomas Codman Brook Farm collection, 1840-1901. | Houghton Library | |
| referencedIn | James Stephens collection of papers, 1908-1939, 1911-1938 | The New York Public Library. Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature. | |
| referencedIn | Leslie Shane papers | Boston College. John J. Burns Library | |
| referencedIn | Houghton Mifflin Company correspondence and records, 1832-1944. | Houghton Library | |
| creatorOf | M.J. MacManus papers, 1849-1951, (bulk 1934-1942). | Boston College. John J. Burns Library | |
| creatorOf | George William Russell collection | University of Victoria Libraries, UVic | |
| referencedIn | William Butler Yeats collection of papers, 1876-[1965, 1897-1939 | The New York Public Library. Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature. | |
| creatorOf | George William Russell [AE] letters and poems, 1927 | University of Delaware Library - Special Collections | |
| referencedIn | The Harry Lyman Koopman Collection | Brown University Archives, John Hay Library | |
| referencedIn | Frank O'Connor Papers | University of Florida Archives, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida | |
| referencedIn | Lewis Mumford papers | University of Pennsylvania, Archives & Records Center | |
| referencedIn | Jay Sigmund Papers | University of Iowa. Libraries. Special Collections Dept. | |
| creatorOf | Autograph letter signed to James B. Pond, Hyde Park | Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives | |
| referencedIn | Edward Harry William Meyerstein collection of papers, 191-?]-1959, 1924-1959 | The New York Public Library. Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature. | |
| referencedIn | Horace Mason Reynolds papers, 1895-1965. | Houghton Library | |
| referencedIn | Miscellaneous Foreign Letters, 1796-1979 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Rare Book Literary and Historical Papers. | |
| referencedIn | Frank O'Connor Papers, 1927-1972 | Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida | |
| referencedIn | Gertrude Folks Zimand and Savel Zimand papers | Vassar College | |
| referencedIn | Oliver St. John Gogarty letter lecture tour publicity collection, circa 1933 | University of Delaware Library - Special Collections | |
| referencedIn | Papers of James Southall Wilson | University of Virginia. Library. Special Collections Dept. | |
| referencedIn | Autograph letter signed from James Welch, London, to A.E [manuscript] | Folger Shakespeare Library | |
| creatorOf | Autograph letter signed A.E. to "My dear Leah" | Wellesley College | |
| creatorOf | Glenveagh Castle : visitors' book | Harvard University Archives. | |
| creatorOf | George William Russell Papers | Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library | |
| referencedIn | Jack Butler Yeats collection of papers, 1899-1955 | The New York Public Library. Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature. | |
| referencedIn | Mary Louisa Sutliff papers | Columbia University. Libraries. | |
| referencedIn | James Southall Wilson Guest Book | University of Virginia. Library. Special Collections Dept. | |
| referencedIn | Letters of British authors, 1770-1915 | Getty Research Institute | |
| referencedIn | Letter 1913 Oct 21 Coole Park, Gort, Co. Galway, to George Russell | University of Tulsa. | |
| referencedIn | John MacKay Shaw Collection, 1737-2007 | ||
| creatorOf | Letter to Richard Weil. : Dublin, Ireland, | University of Iowa. Libraries. Special Collections Dept. | |
| referencedIn | Kemp Malone papers | Johns Hopkins University, Sheridan Libraries and the Milton S. Eisenhower Library | |
| creatorOf | George William Russell [AE] letters to James Stephens, 1925–1928 | University of Delaware Library - Special Collections | |
| referencedIn | Guide to the Archives of Irish America Pamphlet Collection, 1843-1992 | Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives | |
| creatorOf | George William Russell (AE) letter to Ogden Heath, 1935 February 5 | University of Delaware Library - Special Collections | |
| creatorOf | George William Russell [AE] letter, 1915 January 19 | University of Delaware Library - Special Collections | |
| creatorOf | Letters : Dublin, to Claud Lovat Fraser | Bryn Mawr College | |
| referencedIn | Herbert Hitchen Irish Collection MS 10., 1908-1970 | Mortimer Rare Book Room | |
| referencedIn | Siegfried Sassoon papers | Columbia University. Libraries. | |
| referencedIn | James Joyce collection of papers, 1897-1971, 1902-1949 | The New York Public Library. Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature. | |
| referencedIn | Thomas Bird Mosher papers, 1890-1939 (inclusive) 1895-1924 (bulk). | Houghton Library | |
| creatorOf | George William Russell collection of papers, 1891-1935 | The New York Public Library. Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature. | |
| creatorOf | George William Russell (AE) letter to Ogden Heath | University of Delaware Library - Special Collections | |
| referencedIn | William Whittingham Lyman memoirs : typescript | University of California, Berkeley. Library | |
| creatorOf | [Miscellaneous papers and poems] | New Mexico State University | |
| creatorOf | Russell, George William, 1867-1935. Letters, 1935. | Washington State University, Holland and Terrell Libraries | |
| creatorOf | George William Russell [AE] letters, 1925–1929 | University of Delaware Library - Special Collections | |
| referencedIn | Papers concerning the Abbey Theatre and the Irish National Theatre Society, 1903-1942 and undated. | Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University | |
| referencedIn | Padraic Colum collection of papers, 1901-1963 | The New York Public Library. Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature. | |
| creatorOf | Letters : to Henry A. Wallace. Dublin, Ireland | University of Iowa Libraries | |
| referencedIn | Papers of Arthur Kingsley Porter | Harvard University Archives. | |
| referencedIn | Shan F. Bullock Manuscript Collection, 19th century | Queen's University, Belfast | |
| referencedIn | Lennox Robinson papers | Southern Illinois University, Morris Library | |
| creatorOf | Letter, AE | Brigham Young University. | |
| creatorOf | George William Russell [AE] letter to [Summers], 1934 September 28 | University of Delaware Library - Special Collections | |
| referencedIn | English literature mss., ca. 1750-ca. 1979 | Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington) | |
| referencedIn | John Butler Yeats collection of papers, 1897]-1921 | The New York Public Library. Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature. | |
| creatorOf | Correspondence to Van Wyck Brooks, 1955-1959. | University of Pennsylvania Library | |
| referencedIn | Scrapbook of newspaper clippings about George William Russell | Indiana University | |
| referencedIn | Houghton Library printed book provenance file, A-D | Houghton Library | |
| creatorOf | George William Russell [AE] letter | University of Delaware Library - Special Collections | |
| referencedIn | Annotations and Additions to Rathmines School Roll., 1932-1939 | University of Kansas Kenneth Spencer Research Library Department of Special Collections |
Bibliographic and Digital Archival Resources
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| Place Name | Admin Code | Country | |
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| London | ENG | GB | |
| Lurgan | NIR | GB | |
| Dublin | L | IE |
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| Authors, Irish |
| Editors |
| Irish literature |
| Irish poetry |
| Nationalism |
| Patriotism |
| Poets, Irish |
| Occupation |
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| Authors |
| Economists |
| Editor |
| Journalists |
| Playwright |
| Poets |
| Poets, Irish |
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Person
Birth 1867-04-10
Death 1935-07-17
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