Research

Francis Henry Bacon Papers

COLLECTION OVERVIEW

Collection Number: GR ASCSA FHB 017
Name(s) of Creator(s): Francis Henry Bacon (1856-1940)
Title: Francis H. Bacon Papers
Date [bulk]:
Date [inclusive]: 1881-1938
Language(s): English
Summary: This collection contains several albums (scrapbooks) compiled by Francis H. Bacon (F.H.B.); four are proper journals illustrated with B/W photographs: “A Journey to the Mediterranean in 1897,” “The Journal of Francis H. Bacon for 1895 from Boston to Dardanelles and return by way of Gibraltar, Algiers, Naples, Palermo, Messina, Taormina, Catania, Piraeus, Aegina, Smyrna, Dardanelles, Constantinople, Vienna, Paris, London,” “A Journey to the Mediterranean in 1914,” and “Journey to the Dardanelles by Francis H. Bacon 1919”.
In addition to these four journals, the collection includes: the publication Investigations at Assos (1902) with additional notes and photographs added by F.H. B.; an album with about sixty late 19th century (what seem to be random) newspaper clippings; an album titled The International Manuscripts, which is a collection of facsimiles from original manuscripts in the British Museum; an album containing newspaper clippings and humorously described by F.H.B. as : “This is My scrapbook  not Yours! If you don’t like the selections, it is nullum tui negotii! -- About 1886 –”; an untitled collection of B/W reprints of drawings and photographs of exteriors and interiors of various buildings and paintings from magazines; an untitled collection of F.H.B. journals, letters and magazine reprints dating 1878–1938 plus miscellaneous photographs and drawings; and pencil drawings, rubbings and ground plans from the Agora, Delphi, Epidauros and Acropolis Museum, Athens Epigraphical Museum, Athens National Museum, National Museum Naples, Patissia Museum, Pireaus Museum and “Stamboul” Museum.
A typescript copy of the so-called "Assos Days" ("An Archaeological Expedition to Asia Minor. Letters and Journals of Francis H. Bacon, 1881-1882-1883"), a typescript account titled "How Francis H. Bacon Got Away from the Dardanelles for the Long Dreamed of Visit to Athens" (May 6, 1938), a typescript of the "Log of the Dorian," a collection of several portrait photos taken by Francis H. Bacon in 1929, 1931, and 1938 (portraits include: Carl W. Blegen, Bert H. Hill, Konstantinos Kourouniotis and Panagiotis Aristophron, Vasileios Leonardos, David M. Robinson, and Adolf Wilhelm), and photocopies of news published by Bacon in various newsletters. There is also a second copy (photocopy) of his travelling journal “Assos Days 1881-1883,” as well as a geological map by J. S. Diller (1881) and a map representing Mr. J. H. Haynes’s route (kept separately in Flat Storage, drawer #15). Finally, the collection includes Bacon's portfolio of F.S.D. (Full-Scale-Detail) moldings and rubbings of relief decoration of funerary monuments, capitals, and friezes in Asia Minor, and Greece. 
Quantity:  0.30 linear meters
Immediate Source of Acquisition: Francis H. Bacon, 1938; Helen Bacon Landry 1995; Tessa Dinsmoor, 1998; Robert S. Bacon and descendants, 2022.
Information about Access: The collection is available for research
Cite as: American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Archives, Francis H. Bacon Papers (Αμερικανική Σχολή Κλασικών Σπουδών στην Αθήνα, Αρχείο Francis H. Bacon)

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Francis H. Bacon (1856-1940) studied architecture and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1876. He and Joseph T. Clarke excavated at Assos, near the Dardanelles, the first classical excavation of the newly founded Archaeological Institute of America. Bacon is one of the three co-authors of the excavations's final publication, Investigations at Assos (1921). After Assos, Bacon became an interior designer working for A.H. Davenport.

Bacon was one of the few architects who continued to produce F.S.D. (Full-Scale Detail) architectural drawings in the early 20th century. He and his wife Alice Calvert are buried in the Dardanelles.

See also: N. Vogeikoff-Brogan, "Francis H. Bacon: Bearer of Precious Gifts from the Dardanelles," in From the Archivist's Notebook, June 9, 2019.

For more information, please contact the ARCHIVES at:
The American School of Classical Studies at Athens
54 Souidias Street
Athens 106 76
Greece
Phone: 213 000 2400 (ext. 425)
E-mail

CONTENT LIST

UPLOADING IS IN-PROGRESS

BOX 1
Note: This box contains five albums: I, II, IV, V, XII

(ALBUM I): “A Journey to the Mediterranean in 1897 by Francis H. Bacon”.
29 x 24 cm, blue-gray hard paper cover, 101 pages. Condition is good. Printed label inside front cover “The Property of Francis H. Bacon”.

Fifty-six pages of typed, double-spaced text interspersed with forty-four pages (obverse and reverse) of seventy-six photographs. F.H.B. transcribed this travelogue from his hand-written letters (there is occasional penciled editing). Almost all of the photographs have hand-written captions which are copied here without quotation marks. Occasionally comments in italics in parenthesis. Unless otherwise described as postcards or professional photographs, these appear to be photographs taken by F.H.B.

Each page of text has a typed page number at bottom of page and a different penciled page number upper right corner which took into account the addition of photographs. Numbers in parenthesis are the penciled album page number (24r means reverse of page 24).

Text and Photographs

  • 25 September 1897. S.S. Fulda. (Steamship from New York to Italy). (1)
  • The Deck of the Fulda. (2)
  • Germaine Ceresole. (2)
  • Entering Gibraltar, The Waterport Gate, F.H.B., G.C. (2r)
  • Gibraltar (?).
  • The Ticket they give on entering Gibraltar. (A small ticket stub). (2r)
  • [Two untitled photographs, probably Gibraltar] (3)
  • Gibraltar. (3r)
  • In the Garden, F.H.B., Miss Wilder. (3r)
  • 26 September–2 October 1897. On board S.S. Fulda. (4)
  • 3 October 1897. Pass Cape St. Vincent. (4)
  • 4 October 1897. Gibraltar. (4–5)
  • 4–6 October 1897. Pass Sardinia. (5)
  • 7 October 1897. Disembark in Naples. (5)
  • 8 October 1897. Pompeii, Naples, purse-snatcher. (5–7)
  • Diving for Money, Naples. (8)
  • The Galleria. (8)
  • The House of Vettias – Pompeii. 4 photos. (8r–9)
  • Pompei. (9r)
  • The Baths. (9r)
  • Pompei. 2 photos. (10)
  • 9 October 1897. Naples, train to Brindisi. (11)
  • 10 October 1897. Joins his family arriving by steamboat from Dardanelles and they continue on to Trieste, Venice. (11)
  • 12 October 1897. Trieste. (11–12)
  • 13 October 1897. Trieste, board boat for Vienna. (12)
  • 14 October 1897. Venice. (12–13)
  • 15 October 1897. Venice. (13)
  • 16 October 1897. Venice. (13)
  • 17 October 1897. Train to Florence. (13)
  • 18 October 1897. Florence. (13–14)
  • 18–21 October 1897. Florence. (14–15)
  • 22 October 1897. Train to Milan. (15)
  • 23–24 October 1897. Milan (15)
  • The Rialto, Venice. 2 photos. (16)
  • Base of the Rialto. (16r)
  • My Family. (16r)
  • Alice & Fritz. (17)
  • In the Ducal Palace. (17)
  • Florence. (17r)
  • Over the Arno. (17r)
  • Palazzo Vecchio. (18)
  • Fritz in Tower of Palazzo Vecchio. (18)
  • Tower of Palazzo Vecchio. (18r)
  • In Court of Palazzo Vecchio. (18r)
  • In the Loggia, Florence, Bronze Perseus by Benvenuto Cellini. 2 photos. (19)
  • In Florence. 2 photos. (19r)
  • In the Bargello, Florence. 2 photos. (20)
  • Fiesole. 2 photos. (20r)
  • Tomb of Hugo by Mina diFiesole, Florence. Fritz. (21)
  • Lake Como. (21)
  • Como. 2 photos. (21r)
  • On Lake Como. (22)
  • In Como. (22)
  • Brunato. (22r)
  • Villa on Como. (22r)
  • Lake Como. 8 photos. (23–24r)
  • Bellagio, Lake Como. (25)
  • Up to Villa Serbellino. (25)
  • Lake Como. 2 photos. (25r)
  • 25 October 1897. Como. (26)
  • 26 October 1897. Como, carriage to Blevio. (26)
  • 27 October 1897. Steamer to Bellagio for the day. (26–27)
  • 28 October 1897. Bus to Berne, short stop in Lucerne. (27–28)
  • 29–30 October 1897. Berne. (28–29)
  • 31 October 1897. Lausanne. (29)
  • 1 November 1897. Visit with friends. (29–30)
  • 2 November 1897. Train to Paris. (30)
  • 3 November 1897. Paris. Train to Harve, board S.S. Gascogne for New York, “vacation is over” (30–31)
  • Fountains in Berne. 4 photos. (32–32r)
  • On the Gascogne. 2 photos. (33)
  • The Gascogne. (33r)
  • Firenze. Large professional photograph. (34)
  • By Mina da Fiesole in Cathedral at Volterra. Large professional photograph. (34r)
  • Firenze, Museo Nazionale. Large professional photograph. (35)
  • Firenze. Large professional photograph. (35r)
  • Firenze, Museo Nazionale. Large professional photograph. 5 photos. (36–38)
  • Padova. Large professional photograph. (38r)

The second part of this travelogue is 35 typed pages of transcribed letters written to his good friend W.E. “Billy” Chamberlin (classmates at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, class of 1877) from 20 July 1904 to 25 March 1910 on what appear to have been business trips buying and studying furniture and interior architecture designs for his work at Davenport Company. (39–80)

  • “Letters to W.E. Chamberlin, Boston, 1926”. (39)
  • 20 July 1904. Describes trip on 9 July 1904 from Constantinople to Vienna, Zurich, Bale, Lausanne, Paris. He mentions Anastas Adossides, M. Homolle, former director of French School in Athens. (40–46)
  • 4 September 1907, “Another Journey, Letter to W.E. Chamberlin at Cambridge” on board S.S. Deutschland from U.S. to Plymouth, Cherbourg, Paris. (46–47)
  • 5 September 1907, “Hotel St. James & D’Albany, Paris. Letter to W.E. Chamberlin.” (47–51)
  • Two studio photos of W. E. Chamberlin dated 1880, 1891. (50)
  • Two cartoon drawings and hand-written letter to Chamberlin on Hotel Ulm, Münster letter paper. (50r)
  • 9 September 1907. Lausanne, Ulm, Augsburg, Munich, Stuttgart. (51–54)
  • 14 September 1907. Augsburg to Munich. (54–55)
  • 23 September 1907. Rothenburg, Steinach, Nurnberg, Berlin, Hannover, Bremen. (“Berlin is a great big deadly uninteresting city.” (55–59)
  • 6–9 March 1910. “Another Journey! To W.E. Chamberlin. On board S.S. Romanic” U.S. to Italy. (59–61)
  • “To W.E.C. – On a postcard from Algiers”. (61)
  • 15 March 1910. Grand Hotel Marini, Rome, Naples. (62–64)
  • 16–18 March 1910. “To W.E. Chamberlin” Naples, Rome. Talks about the Ludovisi Throne “It was smuggled out of Italy.” and the American Academy in Rome. (64–69)
  • 25–? March 1910. Rome, Sienna, Florence, Bologna, Venice. Concerning the Sienna Cathedral: “Why did they stripe it so? Some crazy loon just out of prison I suppose!” (69–75)

In these March 1910 letters from Italy he talks a lot about the flourishing business of faking antique furniture.

  • Poem from WEC to FHB, Cambridgeport 1890. (76–77)
  • Poem by John Stewardson, 1894. (78–80)

Photographs (81–99), unless otherwise noted these appear to be photographs taken by F.H.B.:

  • Marble vases from Didyma in the Louvre. 4 photos. (81, 81r)
  • Cast of Naxian Sphinx in Louvre. (82)
  • “MEWES Archt. in his office in Paris, friend of Chamberlin with him in Atelier Vaudremer”. (82)
  • Statues in Tuleries Garden, Paris. 2 photos. (82r)
  • Tuleries Garden. 4 photos. (83, 83r)
  • Louvre from Quai Voltaire. (84)
  • F.H.B. Fountain in Court, Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris. (84)
  • Mrs. Edward Ceresole (nee Wilder), Germaine Ceresole and children. (84r)
  • The Tea at Chalet on the Hills. (84r)
  • Ulm. Postcard. (85)
  • Cathedral at Ulm on the Danube. Postcard. (85)
  • Ulm Cathedral. Postcard. (85r)
  • Ulm Cathedral, Main Entrance. Postcard. (85r)
  • Augsburg, the only photograph I took. (86)
  • Munich. (86)
  • Munich, on the road to Nymphenburg, Fritz. (86r)
  • Munich, Palace at Nymphenburg. (86r)
  • Munich, in the Restaurant  Hofbraü. (87)
  • Nurnbürg, St. Sebald. (87)
  • Munich, Starnberger See, F.H.B. (87r)
  • Munich, Starnberger See, Fritz. (87r)
  • Two large commercial photographs of Rothenburg. (88, 89)
  • On the Walls of Rothenburg, F.H.B. Himself. (88r)
  • Rothenberg on the Tauber. (89r)
  • Rothenberg on the Tauber, Fritz. (89r)
  • Rothenberg, Queer little House outside the walls. (90)
  • Rothenburg, Entrance to “Q.L. House”. (90)
  • Rothenberg. 2 photos. (90r)
  • Hildesheim. 4 postcards. (91, 91r)
  • Madeira, 1910. (92, 92r)
  • Madeira. Large commercial photograph. (no page number)
  • Some of the things I bought in Naples. Think this was by Percier & Fontaine. (no page number, r)
  • Some of the things I bought in Naples. Inlaid chest. (no page number, r)
  • Napoli, Museo Nazionale, Diana. Postcard. (93)
  • The Sicilian Table. (93)
  • Florence, In Antique Warerooms. 2 photos. (93r)
  • Hooray! I didn’t have to buy this. (94)
  • Florence. (94)
  • In Florence. (94r)
  • Siena, Town Hall. Large commercial (?) photograph. (95)
  • Siena, Torch Support. Large commercial (?) photograph. (95r)
  • Siena. 2 postcards. (96)
  • In Florence. Postcard. (96r)
  • In Florence, Ponte Vecchio, Gallery over to Pitti Palace. (96r)
  • Rome, Capitol Museum, Greek Charioteer. 2 photos. (97)
  • Rome, Capitol Museum. (97r)
  • Rome, Capitol Museum, Greek Pedestal in Court. (97r)
  • Rome Museo Nazionale. Large commercial photo. (98)
  • Rome Museo Nuovo nel Palazzo. Large commercial photo. (98r)
  • Glued onto back of last page and inside back cover: handwritten list of furniture purchases and amount paid in Naples and Rome on 22 March 1910 and typed list of furniture purchases and amount paid in Florence on 24 March 1910.
     

(ALBUM II): “The Journal of Francis H. Bacon for 1895 from Boston to Dardanelles and return by way of Gibraltar, Algiers, Naples, Palermo, Messina, Taormina, Catania, Piraeus, Aegina, Smyrna, Dardanelles, Constantinople, Vienna, Paris, London”

29 x 24 cm, greenish hard paper cover, 70 pages.Condition is good. Printed label inside front cover “The Property of Francis H. Bacon”.

Thirty-nine pages of typed, double-spaced text interspersed with twenty-seven pages (fifty-four obverse and reverse pages) of eighty-five snapshot photographs presumably taken by F.H.B. plus large commercial photographs.

F.H.B. transcribed this travelogue from his hand-written letters (there is occasional penciled editing). Almost all of F.H.B.’s photographs have hand-written captions.

Each page of text has a typed page number at bottom of page and a different penciled page number upper right corner which took into account the addition of photographs. Numbers in parenthesis are the penciled album page number (24r means reverse of page 24).

  • 22 March 1895. From Winchester to SS Fulda. (1)
  • 23–29 March 1895. On board SS Fulda. (2)
  • 1 April 1895. Gibraltar. (2)
  • 2 April 1895. Algiers. (3)
  • 4-5 April 1895. Napoli. See mention of Koldeway and Puchstein. (5)
  • 6-8 April 1895. Palermo. (6–9)
  • 9 April 1895. Messina. (10–11)
  • 13 April 1895. Piraeus. (11)
  • 14 April 1895. Smyrna. (12)
  • 16–24 April 1895. Dardanelles. (13, 14)

Photographs with hand-written captions

  • Gibraltar. (2 large commercial photos on 2 unnumbered pages)
  • Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Cope. (15)
  • Ethelbert Nevin. (15).
  • Group photo: Mrs. Nevin, Alice, Mrs. March, Nevin. (15r)
  • Group photo: Paul Nevin, Fritz Bacon. (15r)
  • Algiers. (16, 2 photos).
  • Dorothy Nevin. (16r)
  • Fritz. (16r)
  • The mosque we visited in Algiers. (17)
  • Doorway in Algiers. (18, large commercial photo)
  • The Pirate Boatmen. Naples. (19).
  • Our Luggage! 10 trunks, 3 bags, parcels, bicycle, etc. Drawn on picture, official saying Liras! Liras! (19)
  • Palermo. (19r)
  • Fritz in Palermo Cathedral. (19r)
  • Monreale. (2 large commercial photos, no page numbers)
  • Fritz sailing his boat in Hotel des Palmes. (20)
  • Monreale. Alice, Fritz, Laura. (20)
  • Monreale. (20r)
  • Monreale Cloister. (20r)
  • Palermo Cathedral. (large commercial photo, no page number)
  • Palermo Cathedral. (large commercial photo, no page number)
  • Campo Santo Messina. (21)
  • Taormina. (21)
  • In the theatre at Taormina. (21r)
  • At Piraeus – Laura, Irene, Paul, Fritz. Revel children. (21r)
  • Monreale (large commercial photo, no page number)
  • Tombs. (large commercial photo, no page number)
  • Etna 1892. (large commercial photo, no page number).
  • S. Domenico con Etna – Taormina. (large commercial photo, no page number)

Text

  • 24 April 1895. Troy. (23)
  • 25 April 1895. Chigri, ancient Neandria. “Find the old temple excavated by Koldewey from which came the proto Ionic capital so long in the Calvert farm yard!” (23, 24)
  • 26–27 April 1895. Dardanelles. (25)
  • 28 April 1895. Hissarlik. (25)
  • 29 April–2 May 1895. Dardanelles. (26–29)
  • 3 May 1895. Constantinople. (29)
  • 3 May 1895. Receipt for Hotel Pera Palace, Constantinople. (28r)

Photographs

  • Calvert House. Garden side. (30)
  • Edith and Fritz. (30)
  • Calvert Farm “Thymbra”, The “Chicago Windmill”. (30r)
  • Thymbra Farm House. (30r)
  • Fording the Scamander, Expedition to Chigri. (31)
  • Large columns in Quarry (with measurements). (31)
  • Large columns in Quarry. (2 photos, 31r)
  • The Walls of Chigri (Neandria). (32)
  • Chigri. (32)
  • Picnic under Plane Tree at Chigri. (32r)
  • Helene and Winnie Calvert. (33)
  • Fritz and Winnie. (33)
  • F.H.B. and Greek Stele at Thymbra (Stele now in Boston Museum). (33r)
  • Winnie and “Alfredo”. (33r)
  • The Family at Thymbra. (34)
  • Antiquities found at Thymbra. (34)
  • Suleiman on Gustave’s Arab. (34r)
  • The Plain at Troy. (34r)
  • Small Theatre at Hissarlik. (2 photos, 35)
  • Bas Relief from Hissarlik. (2 photos, 35r)
  • Hissarlik. (36)
  • Fritz at Scaen Gate, Hissarlik. (36)
  • Frank Calvert at Hissarlik. (2 photos, 36r)

Page 37 is missing

  • The Start for “Priam’s Gold Mines”. (38)
  • Ahmet Bey. (38)
  • Astyra. (38r)
  • Entrance to Ancient Greek Mine. (38r)

Text
4–6 May 1895. Constantinople. (39)

Photographs

  • Ichinli Kiusk, Constantinople. (40)
  • Marble Palm Tree, Said to come from Delos. (40)
  • Lycian Sarcophagus in Museum Yard. Constantinople. (40r)
  • Capital from Priene  and added in pencil: Magnesia – AD MAEADER, now inside Museum at Constantinople, drawn by F.H.B. 1828. (40r)
  • Bosphoros Kaik. (41)
  • Valideh Mosque. (41)
  • Group photo: Helen Bleck, Uncle Edgar Whitaker, Mr. Wrench, Aunt Alice, Mr. Bleck, Evelline, Aunt Lavinia. (41r)
  • Pera, from Aunt Alices’ Window. (41r)
  • Stamboul. (42)
  • St. Sophia. (42)
  • In Vienna Museum. (2 photos, 42r)
  • Vienna Museum. (2 photos, 43)
  • Tinseau in Bois de Boulogne and two calling cards: M. Rushdi and Oscar Iskender. (43r)

Text

  • 7 May 1895. Sophia, Bulgaria. (44)
  • 8 May 1895. Vienna. (44)
  • 8 May 1895. Playbill from Vienna Theater. (44r)
  • 9–21 May 1895. Paris. (45–49)
  • Three furniture store business cards in Paris. (46r) 
  • Receipt for clothing store in Paris. (47r)
  • Receipt Hotel Chatham, Paris. (48r)
  • 21–23 May 1895. London. (49–52)
  • 22 May 1895. Receipt from tailor. (51r)
  • Three furniture store business cards. (52r)
  • 23–24 May 1895. London. (53)
  • 25–29 May 1895. London, Erith. (54–60) (Mentions J.T. Clark who worked at Assos and controversy with Norton and Athens School, page 58.)
  • 1 June 1895. On board S.S. New York. (60)

Photographs

  • St. Mary’s Strand. (61)
  • Village Church at Erith. (61r)
  • Hitchin and photo of Millard. (62)
  • Shops at Hitchin. (62)
  • The Old Church at Hitchin. (two photos, 62r)
  • Glued into inside back cover is a document in Arabic, penciled at top “FHB My Passport 1895”.