Selous, Frederick Courteney, 1851-1917

Three works come under consideration in the “Book Reviews” section. Cole Patrick looks at both the 1941 and 1989 editions of the Theodore Roosevelt Cyclopedia. He comments on the work of Albert Bushnell Hart in compiling and editing the first edition, and he quotes from William Allen White’s foreword from 1941. Patrick explains the various additions made to the 1989 edition by John A. Gable of the Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA), including a bibliography, a chronology of Theodore Roosevelt’s life, and a history of the TRA.

Tweed Roosevelt examines Bartle Bull’s Safari: A Chronicle of Adventure and highlights its coverage of Theodore Roosevelt’s African safari of 1909-1910, and he also looks at other figures, British and American, who made safaris. He praises the book’s organization and illustrations but faults it for not giving a sense of who the hunters were as people, Roosevelt included. Marilyn E. Weigold praises Elizabeth Winthrop’s novel, In My Mother’s House, for its “precise descriptions of life in Manhattan in the last few decades of the nineteenth century.” The novel’s main character is based on the life of the daughter of Corinne Roosevelt Robinson, Theodore Roosevelt’s sister.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

In the “Book Notes” column, John A. Gable reviews Bully: An Adventure With Teddy Roosevelt which consists of the script of the play of the same name, complemented by eight pages of photographs. Gable quotes from a review of the play and from Theodore Roosevelt IV’s introduction to the book. Gable, as he did in the case of the play and film adaptation, praises the book and author Jerome Alden because he “does not tailor T.R. to fit current social or ideological fashions.”

Marvin R. Morrison reviews The End of the Game: The Last Word from Paradise which deals with the plight of the African elephant. Theodore Roosevelt’s hunting and his African safari of 1909 figure in the book and review. Morrison quotes Roosevelt, lists some of his fellow hunters, and argues that hunters are conservationists.  

As first reported in the Chronicle, President Roosevelt asked elephant hunter Frederick Courteney Selous to purchase and make arrangements for outfitting his African tour. Selous will buy the equipment in England.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-08-25

Newspaper clippings from The Field, including an article regarding the coloration of the African hunting dog and two letters in response to the article.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-04-01

This postcard is number three in a series. Description is given on reverse: “An interesting group viewing Mombassa from the ship’s rail. Reading from left to right we have Messrs. Roosevelt, Selous, Mearns, and Kermit Roosevelt. Mr. Selous is the most famous living American hunter; Mr. Mearns represents the Smithsonian Institute and has charge of all the taxidermy work of the expedition.”

Collection

Fritz R. Gordner Collection

Creation Date

1909

On reverse: “TALES OF HUNTING EXPLOITS. In the course of their travels, Mr. Roosevelt and his party have had to spend many hours on board small river and land steamers. Thrilling tales by Mr. Roosevelt, who has had many years’ experience hunting in the wild animals of North America, and by Mr. Selous, Africa’s most famous hunter, made the time pass quickly and pleasantly. This picture shows Mr. Selous (the gentlemen to the right of Roosevelt) relating his experiences in East Africa in 1888.” Postcard is number twenty-seven in a series.

Handwritten message says: “Hello dessie how are you getting a long by this time how did youre get home asunday I got home fine how is Pearl and all the rest youre come out all right again tell Pearl I said she was to answer my post card and you must ans to.”

Collection

Fritz R. Gordner Collection

Governor Roosevelt has firmly decided he will not accept the Vice Presidency. He is corresponding with Frederick Courtenay Selous, a big game hunter from South Africa, about the Second Boer War.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1900-02-05

Theodore Roosevelt writes his sister Anna Roosevelt Cowles that he may ask her to entertain the famous hunter Frederick Courteney Selous in November. Roosevelt does not know when he will have time to visit the Bryces and will be going on the USS Dolphin (PG-24).

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1897-08-31

Theodore Roosevelt writes his son Kermit and is concerned he has not been getting his letters so that he does not know he has been appointed a captain of artillery and must report to Madrid, Spain. He says Flora Payne Whitney has permission from her father to go to Europe and marry Quentin Roosevelt and Quentin is upset there are still no planes to fly over France. Roosevelt reports that Major Wadsworth is dead and the son of his friend Frederick Courteney Selous was killed.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1918-05-12

Theodore Roosevelt writes his son Kermit Roosevelt to say he has received a letter from his friend Frederick Selous, and he feels sorry for him being so unhappy. Roosevelt says that, unlike him, Selous cannot be happy just retiring to his home. He says that he is ready to send Kermit’s article “The sheep of the desert” to some publishers. Roosevelt gives updates on the family: Archibald “Archie” B. Roosevelt shot a crow, Quentin Roosevelt must have his tonsils out, and Ethel Roosevelt had Billy Appleton over.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1911-09-11

President Roosevelt writes his son Kermit to update him on plans for their trip to Africa and encloses letters from Frederick Selous, Edward Buxton, and Reginald Wingate. He talks of celebrating Ted’s birthday and spending time talking with him. He closes by saying Archie is back at school and Sagamore is being closed up for the season.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1908-09-14

Theodore Roosevelt’s secretary forwards to Kermit Roosevelt a letter from Frederick Courteney Selous, noting that a different letter from Selous had been sent by mistake.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1914-12-05

Theodore Roosevelt writes his son Kermit on his animosity towards Englishmen who will not fight in the war but will go watch football games. He says he has been writing about the war and strongly disapproves of President Wilson’s administration of foreign affairs. Roosevelt gives updates on Archie at Harvard, Quentin at Groton, and Ethel and her husband returning from a trip. Roosevelt hopes Belle is doing better in the heat and is enjoying his duty to be lazy and enjoy himself.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1914-12-02

President Roosevelt writes to his son Kermit Roosevelt about his thoughts on the upcoming Republican National Convention. He is sure they can get Secretary of War Taft nominated, but Roosevelt does worry about a “stampede” for himself. He encloses letters he wrote to be read at the Convention. Roosevelt also writes about spring in Washington, D.C., his thoughts on the guns to take on the African hunting trip, and what to do with Archibald “Archie” B. Roosevelt’s schooling at Groton.Save

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1908-06-06

President Roosevelt writes to his son Kermit with more plans for their Africa trip. He has had help planning from friends Edward Buxton and Frederick Selous. Roosevelt feels the whole trip will last about eleven months. He closes by saying he is interested in Kermit’s rowing.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1908-05-01

President Roosevelt updates his son Kermit on the planning for his trip to Africa, though he is not yet sure he can make it. Results from Massachusetts and New York have settled the Republican presidential nomination for Secretary of War Taft, and Governor Hughes’s run is over. Roosevelt says Edith enjoys riding much better since getting a new horse, and Congress is refusing to do what it should.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1908-04-11

President Roosevelt writes to his son Kermit to discuss his views on sadness in fiction. He mentions entertaining Frederick Selous, who told exciting stories to Ethel, Archie, and Quentin. Roosevelt adds that it is Quentin’s birthday and they played all sorts of games. He ends by saying he walks every morning with Edith, and the gardens are disheveled.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1905-11-19

President Roosevelt writes to his son Kermit to say that he is glad Ted visited Kermit at Groton, and, if Kermit works hard, he can finish school at home next year. Roosevelt says he is having problems with the Panama Canal because of clashes between Secretary of War Taft and Chairman Shonts. Massachusetts is going crazy over the tariff as well. Roosevelt says he is getting plenty of tennis, rides, and scrambling walks. He adds that Edith has been reading a lot to Archie and Quentin and the next day African hunter Frederick Selous is visiting.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1905-11-12

Handwritten obituary for the great explorer and naturalist Frederick Courteney Selous. With the printed pages from The Outlook, 7 Mar 1917, in which this obituary appeared.

Collection

Harvard College Library

Creation Date

1917

Theodore Roosevelt thanks C. W. L. Pulpett for sending him a book with an inscription from the “King.” Roosevelt relays that he wrote a letter to him in response and sends regards to the MacMillan family, Selous, and McMillan.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-07-23