All Things Ransome Online Archives


The Online Archives section was created as a way to archive journals, newsletters, correspondence, and other such material, generally created by Arthur Ransome enthusiasts or occasionally by Ransome himself (i.e. fan letter replies). Journals and newsletters are generally ephemeral, and often material which would have been of interest to researchers is no longer available, or is not available in a practical and convenient way, while Ransome's fan letter replies are often not published or otherwise accessible.

This section provides a place for such material to be archived and remain available to future enthusiasts and researchers. Appropriate permissions will be obtained for posting. The explicit permission of the Arthur Ransome Literary Executors will also be obtained if the material contains copyright items of the Arthur Ransome Estate.

Initially this section was used to make available online once more the original "Signalling to Mars" mailing list newsletter from the mid-1990s, and the online versions of "Signals from TARSUS" from 1998 to the present. All Things Ransome would be happy to consider making other Ransome-related journals, newsletters, etc. available so long as the appropriate permissions are forthcoming. Please send any suggestions to AR Online Archives.


Signalling to Mars "The Official Electronic Newsletter of The Arthur Ransome Society"

S2M was originated by Peter Dowden of New Zealand in 1994 as an online newsletter to which TARS members who had e-mail (by no means widespread in 1994) could sign up. Editorship moved to Doug Faunt of the United States, and the newsletter eventually stopped being produced by the end of 1995. As was common at that time it was strictly text-based.
Signals from TARSUS
North Pole News
"The Newsletter of The Arthur Ransome Society in the United States" and
"The Newsletter of The Arthur Ransome Society in Canada"

SfT was started by Ellen Tillinghast, the original coordinator of the United States branch of TARS, shortly after TARS itself was formed. Beginning in 1998 issues of SfT were made available online at the same time as they were distributed in print, and in 2009 SfT began to shift to online availability as its primary mode of distribution.

As of 2011, the TARSCanada publication, North Pole News, has been restarted and included with Signals from TARSUS as a combined publication.
TARSUS Introductory Bios Introductory Biographies of TARSUS Members

From its inception, TARSUS encouraged its members to send introductory "resumes" or biographies, in part telling how each member discovered the Swallows & Amazons books and became an Arthur Ransome enthusiast. These short documents were circulated to the TARSUS membership, initially in the body of the periodic newsletters, and later as the latest page to a growing set of "Resumes". Each new member received the complete set up to that point. These introductions tell much about the wide variety of people who are Ransome fans, and occasionally contain other gems, such as the letter from Arthur Ransome to Taylor Myers (later Rhodes) in 1939 appointing him the Admiral of the "United States Branch" of the S's, A's, and D's! (See in Arthur Ransome Connections.)
TARS IAGMS Pictures from the 1998-2000 TARS IAGMs

These pictures from the 1998, 1999, and 2000 TARS International Annual General Meeting events were originally in the "Slide Show" section of the old Arther Ransome website which served as the original source for material for All Things Ransome (in particular the Literary Pages).


In all cases, copyright of material in the Online Archives is to the original authors or organizations, and material is presented on All Things Ransome with their permission. Permission to use material online which is copyright to the Arthur Ransome Estate has been given by the Arthur Ransome Literary Executors.

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