Sienkiewicz in the eyes of the Curtins. From unpublished diaries of Mrs. Curtin in Poland in 1900 and 1903

Abstract

Jeremiah Curtin (1838-1906) was an American ethnographer and linguist, the author of Myths and Folk-Lore of Ireland, and The Mongols. He is best known, however, for his translations of the major works of Henryk Sienkiewicz.

Together with his wife, Alma Cardell, Curtin traveled frequently to Poland between 1897 and 1903, visiting Sienkiewicz many times in Warsaw, Kraków, Zakopane and Oblęgorek. The Curtins also developed contacts with other representatives of the Polish literary world, e.g. Prus, Sieroszewski, Świętochowski and Wolff.

Between 1976 and 1982, Mrs. Curtin’s family donated to The Milwaukee County Historical Society 16 boxes of manuscripts consisting mostly of Alma Cardell Curtin’s diaries and letters. Together, they give a vivid first-hand view of the working methods of Sienkiewicz and describe numerous meetings and conversations between Sienkiewicz and Curtin. In addition, Mrs. Curtin’s papers are rich in descriptions of ordinary people, living conditions, towns, and landscapes in Poland.

In 1900, the Curtins went to Warsaw to discuss American publication of The Knights of the Cross, which Curtin was then translating. Mrs. Curtin described in detail their meetings with Sienkiewicz, his family, opinions, and activities, as well as contractual arrangements concerning the book. While in Warsaw the Curtins also met with Bolesław Prus and Wacław Sieroszewski, and worked on the translation of Pharaoh. Then, they traveled to Wilno and visited Tolstoy in Jasnaja Poljana.

In 1903, the Curtins went to Warsaw to discuss the publication of On the Field of Glory. Sienkiewicz invited them to Oblęgorek, where they spent four days in June with him. Mrs. Curtin described in detail Sienkiewicz’s literary opinions, as well as his house, his property, and the gifts received by the author of Quo Vadis on the twenty fifth anniversary of his work. After spending four days in Kraków and the summer in Yugoslavia, the Curtins returned in September to Oblęgorek, where they stayed for three days with Sienkiewicz and his family.

Extensive passages recorded by Mrs. Curtin after daily visits with Sienkiewicz are published here for the first time and will add to the current knowledge about the Polish writer, his work, and his literary thought. Original unpublished photos taken by Mrs. Curtin illustrate the text.