A Guide to the Papers of Olivia Davis, 1955-1980 #13389

Special Collections, University of Virginia Library

Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
USA
Phone: (434) 243-1776
Fax: (434) 924-4968
Reference Request Form: https://small.lib.virginia.edu/reference-request/
URL: http://small.library.virginia.edu/

Processed by: Special Collections Staff

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Papers of Olivia Davis, Accession #13389, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

The collection was received as a gift to the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections at the University of Virginia Library from Miranda Wiebusch, Stafford, Va. on August 14, 2005.

Biographical/Historical Information

Olivia Davis, daughter of the portrait painter Henry Carr, was born in England and lived there until World War II when she met and married an American lawyer. She wrote, "The Last of the Greeks, ""Steps to the Sun, " and had short stories published in books and leading literary journals. She and her family lived in Springfield, Virginia.

Scope and Content

The collection, 1.5 linear feet, 3 Hollinger boxes and ca. 107 items, includes 33 short stories and two unfinished manuscripts, "Long After Bedtime " and "Unequal Voices " written by Olivia Davis. Some of the short stories contain rejection notices from various publishers.

One of the manuscripts, "Unequal Voices, " has many versions and several titles such as, "Unequal Voices, ""Secret Societies, " and "Renata. " It tells the story of a family living in England at the outbreak of World War II amidst air raids and bombings. In the beginning the parents are in love with each other and their children have dreams of success and romance but as time passes and the war is upon them, they experience disappointments.

After the war, they struggle with the acceptance of their relationships as a collection of familiar patterns and mutual understandings or yielding to an excitement and passion that surrounds romantic love. Some of the characters are unhappily married, divorced, unmarried, happily married, homosexual or in love with other spouses.

There are miscellaneous news clippings and a license agreement between Marcia Lerner and Olivia Davis for the sale of the publication of "The Other Child " for production by Marcia Lerner.