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Donated by Doris Tappan Connor, 1976.
The collection is arranged into the following series: Series 1: Esperanto language publications and resources, 1887-1976 Series 2: Esperanto conference and organization materials, circa 1905-1968 Series 3: Esperanto cultural materials, 1907-1970 Series 4: Esperantist personal papers, 1907-1966 Series 5: Other artificial world language publications, circa 1880-1960
Series 1 includes the following subseries: 1.1: Books and monographs, by author, 1887-1976. 1.2: Serials and periodicals, by title, 1889-1976. 1.3: Dictionaries, by edition/author, 1906-1966. 1.4: Informational pamphlets and short reference works, circa 1905-1960.
Series 3 includes the following subseries: 3.1: Travel brochures and guidebooks, 1908-1954. 3.2: Pamphlets, 1907-1970. 3.3: Esperanto works in braille, 1920-1964. 3.4: Sheet music and song books, 1910-1951. 3.5: Artifacts, circa 1915-1952.
Series 4 includes the following subseries: 4.1: Charles H. Briggs papers, 1907-1928. 4.2: Ernest G. Dodge papers, 1937-1954. 4.3: George Alan Connor papers, 1915-1962. 4.4: Other Esperantist papers, 1920-1966.
Series 5 includes the following subseries: 5.1: Books and monographs, by author, circa 1880-1960. 5.2: Series and periodicals, by title, circa 1900-1955. 5.3: Informational pamphlets and short reference works, 1922-1959.
Esperanto
The Esperanto language was created by Ludwik Lazar Zamenhof. According to his reminiscences, conflicts among Russians, Poles, Jews, and Germans in his native, multi-racial village of Bialystock, Poland, stimulated him to search for possible solutions to daily human discord and prejudices caused by these national and ethnic differences. Zamenhof became convinced that a common auxiliary language would lead to international friendship and tolerance among the many nationalities of the world. He wanted to emphasize the use of his language not only as a means of better communication, but in relationship to his goals for universal brotherhood One hundred years ago Zamenhof finished the rudimentary concepts of his language, and studied it with school friends who were in enthusiastic agreement to its utopian possibilities. Esperanto publications flourished between 1900 and 1940. During this time many Esperanto clubs and organizations were founded on a regional, philosophical, social, or professional basis; many such groups issued periodicals. Many Esperantists had hopes that their language would receive official endorsement and achieve recognition as a required auxiliary language. Some philosophical disagreements within the movement led to several short-lived schisms. The closest step to official acknowledgement of Esperanto occurred in 1954 when UNESCO stated that its programs were in agreement with the goals of Esperanto, and promised to cooperate with the Universal Esperanto Association (UEA) to aid in the use of Esperanto.
George Alan Connor
This collection was formed through the efforts of George Alan Connor, editor and moving force of American Esperanto Magazine for twenty years. Connor was born in Waterbury, Nebraska in 1895 and died in Portland, Oregon in 1973. His early printing experiences earned him a living while in normal school in La Crosse, Wisconsin,; a Washington post while in the U.S. Army; a graphic arts position in the New York City schools; and an opportunity to apply his trade in the Soviet Union, 1930-1932. Esperanto had been an early interest and upon his return from the Soviet Union he again felt very strongly the need for an international language. His enthusiasm for Esperanto led him to study it seriously, teach the language, and head tours for Esperantists through the Soviet Union and Western Europe. From the mid-1940s, George Connor and his wife Doris concentrated their energies on promoting Esperanto in America. They were active in the New York Esperanto Association of North America; they wrote for and edited the American Esperanto Magazine Amerika Esperantisto and served as its officers. The Connors assembled an enviable record as represented by their efforts and as reflected by the George Alan Connor Collection.
[Identification of item], George Alan Connor Esperanto collection, Bx 178, Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries, Eugene, Oregon.
Collection processed by Alexa Goff in 2018. The collection was reconsolidated from two collections previously separated during earlier processing: books and periodicals (Book 001) and papers and artifacts (Bx 178). This consolidation reflects its original arrangement and the unified provenance of the materials from George Alan Connor.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
The George Alan Connor Esperanto collection includes books, papers, and artifacts on the topic of Esperanto and artificial world languages.
Series 1 includes books, periodicals, and reference works on Esperanto. A
Property rights reside with Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs. All requests for permission to publish collection materials must be submitted to Special Collections and University Archives. The reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.
A
Materials on the subject of Esperanto and Esperantists including articles, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, speeches, poems, schools and coursework, and vocabularies. Pamphlets are written in English, Esperanto, and other languages.
Materials about international Esperanto organizations and congresses including proceedings, membership lists, brochures, and guidebooks. Organizations represented in the collection include Esperantista Akademio-Lingva Komitato, Internacia Esperanto Ligo, Internacia Scienca Asocio Esperantists, Sennacieca Asocio Tutmonda, Tutmonda Junular-Organizo, and Universala Esperanto-Asocio. Materials on conferences are arranged by date and materials about organizations or clubs are arranged by country. Box 229 includes small artifacts from conferences such as pins, ribbons, buttons, and ephemera. Box 239 and 240 include pennants, banners, and oversize flags.
Arranged by country.
Materials written in Esperanto arranged by subject matter including advertising, art and culture, calendars, postcards, phtoographs, literature, politics, and religion.
Periodicals published in the braille alphabet of Esperanto including Esperanta Ligilo and Auroro. Also includes a grammar book printed in braille published by The National Institute for the Blind (London).
Includes objects with packaging written in Esperanto such as cigarettes, matchbooks, perfume, signs, pins, and cards. Also includes photographs and blank postcards.
Includes correspondence, manuscripts, language practice and organizational material. Also includes addresses of Esperantists located in Minnesota collected by Briggs.
Includes manuscripts, correspondence and materials about Esperanto Lending Library. Includes correspondence with descendants of L.L. Zamenhof.
Includes correspondence and miscellaneous non-Esperanto pamphlets and publications.
Includes correpondence of various Esperantists. Also includes papers of Doris Connor on the Vietnam War.
Materials on other artificial international languages including Interlingua, Antido, Ido, Mondilinguo, Olingo, Occidental, Interglossa, Suma, and others. Also includes articles and pamphlets on the general topic of linguistics and international languages, as well as miscellaneous political and scientific works.