Collection MS 88 - Joseph Johnston Lee

A War Prisoner's Journal: II Karlsruhe Group of prisoners-of-war around a table
Original Digital objects and photographs not accessible

Identity area

Reference code

MS 88

Title

Joseph Johnston Lee

Date(s)

  • 1898-2007 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

0.80 linear metres.

Context area

Name of creator

(1876-1949)

Biographical history

Joseph Johnston Lee was a journalist, poet and artist, best known for his war poetry. Born in Dundee in 1876, he was the grandson of Sergeant David Lee, a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars. At the age 14 Joseph Lee left school and began work in the office of a local solicitor. He found this work to be dull and eventually took a job as a steamship's stoker, making a number of sketches during his voyages. In 1904 he was employed as an artist in London drawing cartoons for the Tariff Reform League, subsequently becoming a newspaper artist. In 1906 he returned to Dundee and started to produce edit, and write for several local periodicals including The City Echo and The Piper O' Dundee. In 1909 he became a member of staff at the firm of John Leng & Co. and was soon regularly contributing poetry to their People's Journal, a publication which he eventually edited. In 1914 he joined the 4th Battalion of the Black Watch. Two books of his war poems and sketches, Ballads of Battle and Work-a-Day Warriors were published while he was at the Front. In 1917 he became a second lieutenant in the 10th Battalion of the King's Royal Rifle Corps and later that year he was captured near Cambrai. His experiences while a prisoner in camps at Karlsruhe and Beeskow are described in his book A Captive at Carlsruhe. In 1924 Lee married Miss Dorothy Barrie, a well-known viola player. The couple went to Epsom and Lee became sub-editor on the News Chronicle. After his retirement in 1944 he returned to Dundee, where he died in 1949. Lee's other published works include poems, Tales O' Our Town, and a short play Fra Lippo Lippi.

Archival history

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Journals kept by Joseph Lee while a prisoner of war in Germany 1916-1918 and in later years when a journalist in London, which include sketches, photographs and miscellanea; also includes sketches of figures drawn by Lee at the Slade School of Art 1898-1948; local magazines edited by Lee 1907-1913; miscellaneous papers and correspondence relating to poetry, including correspondence with Robert Bridges 1914-1948; correspondence relating to his period of captivity in Karlsruhe Prisoner-of-War camp 1917-1918; miscellaneous correspondence 1913-1919; photographs 1914-1948; miscellaneous Material. c 1914 - 2007.

Accruals

Possible

System of arrangement

Records are arranged chronologically within series.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open for consultation subject to preservation requirements. Access must also conform to the restrictions of the Data Protection Act (2018), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, 2018) and any other relevant legislation or restrictions. Clinical information is closed for 100 years.

Conditions governing reproduction

Reproduction is available subject to preservation requirements. Charges may be made for this service, and copyright and other restrictions may apply; please check with the Duty Archivist.

Language of material

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

The records are on paper and include photographs.

Finding aids

Descriptive list. Subject source lists and databases are also available.

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

MS 362; MS 360

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Previous

MS 88

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

MS 88

Rules and/or conventions used

Description compiled in line with the following standards: International Council on Archives, ISAD(G) General International Standard Archival Description; International Council on Archives, ISAAR(CPF): International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons, and Families; National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997

Status

Catalogued

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

Sources

Digital objects and photographs (Master) rights area

Digital objects and photographs (Reference) rights area

Digital objects and photographs (Thumbnail) rights area

Accession area

Related people and organizations

Related genres

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