Charles Wellington Furlong Collection
Abstract
Charles Wellington Furlong (1895 - 1967) was a noted explorer, author, and artist. He traveled extensively through the Balkans and Middle East during the early twentieth century and served as a military observer in the latter region during World War I. This collection broadly encompasses the years 1918 to 1945 and includes materials relating to Furlong’s experience abroad, as well as his research and diplomatic interests in the region.
Dates
- 1918 - 1945
Language of Materials
This collection contains materials in English, Greek, and French
Biographical / Historical
Charles Wellington Furlong (1895-1967) was a noted explorer, author, and artist. He was the first American to cross the Tripolitan Sahara, an adventure which inspired his first book, Gateway to the Sahara (published in 1909). Subsequent expeditions, undertaken with literary or scientific intent, took Furlong to the tip of South America and, later, to the West African islands.
Furlong joined the United States Army in 1914 and served the duration of World War I as an observer for Allied Forces in the Middle East. He was a member of the American delegation at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 where he served as a special aide to President Wilson. He later resumed his post as a military observer and intelligence officer in the Balkans and Middle East.
Extent
1.5 linear feet (2 letter-sized boxes, 1 legal box. )
2 Volumes (The 1909 and 1914 editions of Gateway to the Sahara by Charles W. Furlong )
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in the original order provided by the donor, in a box level inventory
Physical Location
Special Collections, Plume 2
Materials Specific Details
Both copies of Gateway to the Sahara are inscribed by Furlong. The 1914 edition also contains an original sketch of a Bedouin on a camel.
General
Additional Furlong collections are held by the University of Oregon, Dartmouth College, and the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.
- Author
- Sarah Vlasity, October 2018.
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the University of Colorado Boulder Libraries, Rare and Distinctive Collections Repository
