Collection Summary
Sir Francis Joseph Campbell Papers
1870-1935
1870-1935
MSS14860
Campbell, Francis Joseph, Sir, 1834-1914
10,500 items
35 containers
14 linear feet
English
Collection material in English and braille
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
American-born musician, educator, and
advocate for blind people. Correspondence, biographical notes and manuscripts, speeches,
articles, printed matter, and photographs; personal letters, family papers, and
manuscript of a biography of Campbell by his wife, Lady Sophia Campbell; and papers of a
son, Charles Francis Faulkner Campbell. Includes papers relating to the Royal Normal
College and Academy for the Blind in London, England, and of various members of the
family identified with the college.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC
Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and
by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Alcock, Rutherford, Sir, 1809-1897--Correspondence.
Armitage, Thomas Rhodes, 1824-1890--Correspondence.
Arrol, William, 1839-1913.
Campbell family.
Campbell, Charles Francis Faulkner, 1876- Charles Francis Faulkner Campbell
papers.
Campbell, Francis Joseph, Sir, 1834-1914.
Campbell, Sophia Faulkner. Sophia Faulkner Campbell papers.
Coldstream, John P., 1806-1863.
Eden, Charles.
Fawcett, Henry, 1833-1884.
Fitzroy, Carl C.
Gardner, Richardson.
Hopkins, Edward.
MacDonald, John.
Playfair, Lyon Playfair, Baron, 1818-1898.
Presland, John, 1839 or 1840-1897.
Smith, Dudley R.
Tebb, William, 1830-1918--Correspondence.
Wilson, Henry J.--Correspondence.
Organizations
Royal Normal College and Academy for the Blind.
Subjects
Blind--Education.
Education--England--London.
Music for the blind.
Occupations
Educators.
Musicians.
Acquisition Information
The papers of Sir Francis Joseph Campbell, musician, educator, and advocate for blind
people, were given to the Library of Congress by Edna Irwin Davis and Mary Dranga
Campbell in 1952-1953. The bulk of the papers had been willed to Edna Irwin Davis as a
part of the estate of her late brother, Robert B. Irwin, who was preparing a biography
of Sir Francis Joseph Campbell and had served as executive director of the American
Foundation for the Blind.
Processing History
The collection was processed in 1953-1954. The finding aid was revised in 2014. The
finding aid was updated in 2023 by Maria Farmer as part of a division-wide remediation
project by the Inclusive Description Working Group.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Sir Francis Joseph Campbell is
governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The Campbell Papers are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the
Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and
advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information:
Container number, Sir Francis Joseph Campbell Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1832, Oct. 9
Born, Franklin County, Tenn.
1836
Lost eyesight
1844
Attended Nashville Institution for the Blind, Nashville, Tenn.
1850
Appointed teacher of music, Tennessee State Institution for the Blind,
Nashville, Tenn.
1856
Studied improved methods of teaching at normal school, Bridgewater,
Mass.
Taught music, Wisconsin Institution for the Blind
Returned to Tennessee where he was boycotted for being abolitionist
Married Mary Bond (died 1873)
1858
1869
Taught music and physical education, Perkins Institute, South Boston,
Mass.
1869
1871
Studied abroad under the pianists Kullak and Tausig
1871
Attended meeting of blind people in London, England, where he presented plans
for normal college for blind students
1872
With assistance of T. R. Armitage founded Royal Normal College and Academy for
the Blind, Upper Norwood, London, England
1872
1912
Principal, Royal Normal College and Academy of Music for the Blind, Upper
Norwood, London, England
1875
Married Sophia Faulkner
1880
Climbed Mount Blanc
1909
Knighted by King Edward VII
1914
Died, London, England
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Sir Francis Joseph Campbell (1834-1914) span the years 1870-1935. The
collection consists of correspondence, biographical notes and writings, printed matter,
photographs, family papers, an unpublished manuscript of a biography of Campbell by his
wife, Lady Sophia Campbell, and papers of a son, Charles Francis Faulkner Campbell. Part
of the material is in braille. Included are papers relating to the Royal Normal College
and Academy for the Blind in London, England, and of various members of the family
identified with the college. The papers are comprised of four series: [Letters Sent](Sent), [Letters Received](Rec), [Family Papers](Fam), and [Subject File](Subj).
Among the correspondents are Sir Rutherford Alcock, Thomas R. Armitage, William A.
Arrol, John P. Coldstream, Charles Eden, Henry Fawcett, Richardson Gardner, Carl C.
Fitzroy, Edward Hopkins, John MacDonald, Sir Lyon Playfair, John Presland, Dudley R.
Smith, William Tebb, and Henry J. Wilson.
Arrangement of the Papers
This collection is arranged in four series:
-
[ Letters Sent, 1879-1909 ](Sent)
-
[ Letters Received, 1870-1905
](Rec)
-
[ Family Papers, 1875-1935 ](Fam)
-
[ Subject File, 1871-1926 ](Subj)
Catalog Record: [https://lccn.loc.gov/mm78014860]
Container List
Container
Contents
1-4
Letters Sent, 1879-1909
1879-1909
Letterbooks of letters sent and a few loose letters; also typewritten copies of
letters not in letter books. The source of these typewritten copies is not known.
Arranged chronologically by year.
1
Letterbooks
1
Aug. 1879-Oct. 1886
Aug. 1879-Oct. 1886
1
Oct. 1886-May 1888
Oct. 1886-May 1888
1
Nov. 1889-July 1891
Nov. 1889-July 1891
1
July 1891-Oct. 1892
July 1891-Oct. 1892
2
Nov. 1895-Mar. 1897
Nov. 1895-Mar. 1897
2
Oct. 1902-May 1903
Oct. 1902-May 1903
2
Nov. 1902-Nov. 1906
Nov. 1902-Nov. 1906
3
July 1904-May 1906
July 1904-May 1906
3
July 1905-Nov. 1906
July 1905-Nov. 1906
3
Sept. 1905-Mar. 1907
Sept. 1905-Mar. 1907
4
Typescript copies
4
Feb. 1879-Mar. 1895
Feb. 1879-Mar. 1895
4
Jan. 1874-Sept. 1909
Jan. 1874-Sept. 1909
5-29
Letters Received, 1870-1905
1870-1905
Handwritten and typed letters in English and braille.
Arranged chronologically by year. Letters in braille are located at the end of the
file.
5
1870-1875
1870-1875
6
1875-1876
1875-1876
7
1876
1876
8
1876
1876
9
1877
1877
10
1877
1877
11
1877-1878
1877-1878
12
1878-1879
1878-1879
13
1879
1879
14
1880
1880
15
1880-1882
1880-1882
16
1882
1882
17
1882-1883
1882-1883
18
1883-1884
1883-1884
19
1884-1888
1884-1888
20
1888-1889
1888-1889
21
1889-1893
1889-1893
22
1893
1893
23
1894
1894
24
1895-1897
1895-1897
25
1897-1899
1897-1899
26
1901-1902
1901-1902
27
1903-1904
1903-1904
28
1905-1908
1905-1908
29
In braille, 1878-1905, undated
1878-1905, undated
30-31
Family Papers, 1875-1935
1875-1935
Letters sent and received and other papers of Campbellās wife, Lady Sophia
Campbell, and son, Charles Francis Faulkner Campbell.
Arranged according to type of material within their separate files.
30
Lady Sophia Campbell (wife)
30
Correspondence, 1875-1931
1875-1931
30
Speeches and articles
31
Campbell, Charles Francis Faulkner (son)
31
Correspondence, 1902-1935
1902-1935
31
Speeches and articles by Charles Francis
Faulkner Campbell and others
32-35
Subject File, 1871-1926
1871-1926
Biographical papers, material relating to the Royal Normal College and Academy for
the Blind, London, England, to other work with blind people, miscellany, and
photographs.
Arranged according to type of material.
32
Biographical material, 1898-1930
1898-1930
32
Congratulatory letters concerning knighting of
Campbell, 1909-1910
1909-1910
33
Lady Sophia Campbell's biography of Sir Francis
Joseph Campbell
33
Royal Normal College and Academy for the Blind,
London, England, 1878-1923
1878-1923
34
Typescript of newspaper articles
34
Royal Normal College and Academy for the
Blind, London, England, 1871-1891
1871-1891
34
Perkins Institution and Massachusetts School
for the Blind, Boston, Mass., 1905-1908
1905-1908
34
Braille committees, 1899-1903
1899-1903
34
Miscellaneous material pertaining to blind
people, 1877-1933
1877-1933
34
Miscellaneous, general, 1875-1926
1875-1926
35
Photographs