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COLLECTION Identifier: MS Am 1883-1883.3

William B. Wisdom collection of Thomas Wolfe

Overview

Papers of American novelist Thomas Wolfe.

Dates

  • Creation: 1909-1959

Language of Materials

Collection materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Closed for additional processing, 2024.

Restriction: These manuscripts may not be consulted without the permission of Eugene Winick c/o McIntosh & Otis, Inc. 353 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1500 New York, NY 10016.

Extent

78 linear feet (156 boxes)

Scope and Contents

The Wisdom collection consists of manuscripts, letters, and other papers of Thomas Wolfe purchased by William B. Wisdom from the Wolfe estate. The collection includes manuscripts, drafts, and notes for Wolfe's novels, as well as his plays, poems, and other writings; correspondence, chiefly from the 1930's, including long runs of letters to and from Aline Bernstein, Elizabeth Nowell, Maxwell E. Perkins, and family members; pocket notebooks; academic notebooks, exercises, essays, and examinations; legal and business papers, including royalty reports; and manuscripts and correspondence concerning Wolfe. Proofs of Thomas Wolfe's books have been catalogued and shelved with the books in the Wisdom collection.

Additional Description

Biographical / Historical

Wolfe was an American novelist.

Arrangement

  1. 1. bMS Am 1883: Compositions by Thomas Wolfe
  2. A. Poems
  3. B. Plays
  4. C. Passage to England with travel notes and miscellaneous sketches
  5. D. O lost [Look Homeward, Angel]
  6. E. Boston and Cambridge ledgers
  7. F. The river people
  8. G. The October fair
  9. H. K-19
  10. I. A portrait of Bascom Hawke
  11. J. The web of earth
  12. K. The train and the city
  13. L. Boom town
  14. N. The hills beyond Pentland
  15. O. The story of a novel
  16. P. From death to morning
  17. Q. Fame and the poet
  18. R. I have a thing to tell you
  19. S. The hound of darkness
  20. T. The vision of Spangler's Paul
  21. U. The ordeal of the Bondsman Doaks
  22. V. The Webber cycle
  23. W. The web and the rock
  24. i. A.MS. drafts for material used in or pertaining to The web and the rock
  25. ii. TS. drafts used in or pertaining to The web and the rock.
  26. iii. Final TS., with corrections, revisions and instructions to the printer in the hands of Edward Campbell Aswell and others
  27. X. You can't go home again
  28. i. A.MS. drafts for material used in or pertaining to You can't go home again
  29. ii. TS. drafts used in or pertaining to You can't go home again
  30. Y. A.MS. and TS. drafts related to The hills beyond
  31. Z. Rejected passages
  32. AA. Unpublished fiction
  33. BB. Miscellaneous notes, outlines, reviews, speeches, recollections, etc.
  34. CC. The pocket notebooks
  35. DD. Academic notebooks, exercises, essays, examinations, fragments of fiction and notes
  36. EE. A.MS. and TS. relating to Thomas Wolfe as a teacher at New York University
  37. FF. Miscellaneous fragments
  38. GG. Other papers owned by Thomas Wolfe
  39. HH. Miscellaneous themes and articles submitted to Thomas Wolfe
  40. II. MS s. and TS.s. relating to Thomas Wolfe
  41. 2. bMS Am 1883.1: Letters to Thomas Wolfe
  42. 3 bMS Am 1883.2: Letters from Thomas Wolfe
  43. 4. bMS Am 1883.3: Other letters

Please note that item number 322 was inadvertently omitted from this finding aid.

Physical Location

b

Custodial History

Shortly after Thomas Wolfe's death William B. Wisdom purchased from Maxwell Evarts Perkins, the literary executor of the Wolfe estate, the entire assembly of manuscripts, letters, books, and personal papers left by Thomas Wolfe. In 1947, Mr. Wisdom donated the entire collection to Harvard University where it joined the earlier donations of Gabriel Wells and James Buell Munn. Supplementary contributions, both by William B. Wisdom and others, were added to the main collection. These can be identified in the present index by the accession numbers to the right of the titles. In 1947, Thomas Little provided an initial descriptive list of the material in the collection. Begun in March 1972 the final cataloguing and housing of the papers, made possible with funds contributed by William B. Wisdom, was completed in April 1973. The present index is essentially arranged chronologically according to Thomas Wolfe's published or unpublished titles.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Items in the catalogue without an accession number are the gift of: William B. Wisdom, Esq., 715 American Bank Building New Orleans 12, Louisiana; received: 15 Feb 1947.

DAL 4183.6.105. Manuscript presented by James Buell Munn; received: 5 Jul 1938.

MS Am 326F to MS Am 326.5F. Manuscripts presented by Gabriel Wells, in memory of William James; received: 25 Feb 1939.

*45M-153F to *45M-156F. Manuscripts presented by Miss Aline Bernstein, 1 West 64th Street New York, New York; received: 1 Dec 1945.

*46M-329 to *46M-332. Manuscripts presented by Maxwell E. Perkins, Esq., 597 Fifth Avenue New York, New York; received: 30 Apr 1947.

*47AM-7. Manuscript presented by Edward C. Aswell, Esq., Whittlesey House 330 West 42nd Street New York 18, New York; received: 3 Apr 1948.

*47AM-8. Manuscript presented by Harper and Brothers New York, New York through Edward C. Aswell, Esq.; received: 9 Sep 1947.

*47AM-9. Manuscript presented by Edward C. Aswell, Esq., Whittlesey House 330 West 42nd Street New York 18, New York; received: 25 Apr 1948.

*47AM-10F. Photostats presented by The Newberry Library Chicago 10, Illinois; received: 22 Jun 1948.

*47M-88. Manuscript presented by Edward C. Aswell, Esq., Whittlesey House 330 West 42nd Street New York 18, New York; received: 20 Nov 1947.

*48AM-1. Manuscript presented by Mrs. Sherwood Anderson, Box 149 Marion, Virginia; received: 2 Oct 1948.

*48AM-2. Manuscript presented by Edward C. Aswell, Esq., Whittlesey House 330 West 42nd Street New York 18, New York; received: 15 Dec 1948.

*48M-221. Manuscript presented by Edward C. Aswell, Esq., Whittlesey House 330 West 42nd Street New York 18, New York; received: 29 Apr 1949.

*48M-233. Manuscripts presented by William B. Wisdom, Esq., 715 American Bank Building New Orleans 12, Louisiana; received: May 1949.

*49M-143. Manuscripts presented by Edward C. Aswell, Esq., Whittlesey House 330 West 42nd Street New York 18, New York; received: 23 Mar 1950.

*49M-209. Manuscripts presented by Edward C. Aswell, Esq., Whittlesey House 330 West 42nd Street New York 18, New York; received: 24 Apr 1950.

*49M-239. Manuscript deposited by William B. Wisdom, Esq., 715 American Bank Building New Orleans 12, Louisiana, purchased from Vardis Fisher, presented Dec 1951; received: 26 May 1950.

*50M-23. Transcripts presented by Edward C. Aswell, Esq., Whittlesey House 330 West 42nd Street New York 18, New York; received: 1 Aug 1950.

*50M-24. Photostats presented by Edward C. Aswell, Esq., Whittlesey House 330 West 42nd Street New York 18, New York; received: 10 Sep 1950.

*50M-63. Photostats received Gratis; received: 1 Oct 1950.

*50M-80F. Manuscripts deposited by William B. Wisdom, Esq., 715 American Bank Building New Orleans 12, Louisiana; received: 1 Nov 1950.

*50M-81F. Photostats presented by Mrs. Clarence Simmons 4311 Sutro Avenue Los Angeles 8, California; received: 13 Nov 1950.

*50M-166. Manuscripts presented by Olin Dows, Glenburn Rhinebeck, New York in commemoration of the 25th reunion of the Harvard Class of '26; received: 16 Jan 1951.

*50M-167. Manuscript deposited by William B. Wisdom, Esq., 715 American Bank Building New Orleans 12, Louisiana; received: 4 Dec 1950.

*50M-189 to *50M-190. Manuscripts deposited by William B. Wisdom, Esq., 715 American Bank Building New Orleans 12, Louisiana; received: 30 Jan 1951.

*50M-423. Manuscript presented by Edward M. Miller, The Oregonian Portland 1, Oregon; received: 1951.

*50M-542. Manuscript presented by Edward C. Aswell, Esq., Whittlesey House 330 West 42nd Street New York 18, New York; received: 2 May 1951.

*51M-73. Photostat received in exchange from Dr. Walter Bonime 10 Park Avenue New York, New York; received: 15 Sep 1951.

*53M-31. Photostats presented by Edward C. Aswell, Esq., Whittlesey House 330 West 42nd Street New York 18, New York; received: 1 Oct 1953.

*53M-50F. Manuscripts deposited by Edward C. Aswell, Esq., Whittlesey House 330 West 42nd Street New York 18, New York; received: 12 Nov 1953. Restricted: No access to these papers may be granted to anyone without permission of the Maxwell Evarts Perkins estate and of the Thomas Wolfe estate.

*53M-113F. Photostats presented by Edward C. Aswell, Esq., Whittlesey House 330 West 42nd Street New York 18, New York; received: 20 Feb 1954.

*53M-165 to *53M-171. Manuscripts found among the papers of John Skally Terry, Deposited by William B. Wisdom; received: 1954.

*55M-45. Manuscript purchased from Mrs. Louise Jackson Wright the gift of William B. Wisdom, Esq., 309 California Co. Bldg. New Orleans 12, Louisiana; received: 17 Oct 1955.

*55M-74. Manuscripts presented by Henry E. Volkening, Esq., 522 Fifth Avenue New York, New York; received: 10 Dec 1955.

*55M-117 to *55M-118. Manuscripts presented by Mrs. Ralph Wheaton, 148 Edwin Place Asheville, North Carolina; received: 2 Feb 1956.

*55M-209. Manuscripts purchased from Mrs. Elaine Westall Gould, 26 Fayette Street Boston, Massachusetts, the gift of William B. Wisdom, Esq.; received: 16 Apr 1956.

*55M-228 to *55M-242. Manuscripts deposited by William B. Wisdom, Esq., 309 California Co. Bldg. New Orleans 12, Louisiana; received: Jun 1956.

*56M-53. Manuscripts deposited by Miss Elizabeth Nowell, 2 Prospect Street South Dartmouth, Massachusetts; received: 1956.

*56M-80 to *56M-82. Manuscripts purchased from Miss Elizabeth Nowell, the gift of William B. Wisdom, Esq. 309 California Co. Bldg. New Orleans 12, Louisiana; received: Nov 1956.

*57M-230. Manuscript presented by Edward C. Aswell, Esq., 575 Madison Avenue New York 22, New York; received: May 1958.

*57M-248. Manuscripts presented by Miss Elizabeth Nowell, 2 Prospect Street South Dartmouth, Massachusetts; received: Jan 1958.

*58M-66 to *58M-67. Manuscripts presented by Edward C. Aswell, Esq., 575 Madison Avenue New York 22, New York; received: 30 Oct 1958.

*58M-95. Manuscripts presented by The estate of Thomas Wolfe c/o Miss Joyce Rifkin, 575 Madison Avenue New York 22, New York; received: 1958.

58M-248 to *58M-249. Manuscripts presented by Edward C. Aswell, Esq., 575 Madison Avenue New York 22, New York; received: 1958.

*61M-165. Manuscripts recovered by The estate of Thomas Wolfe and deposited by William B. Wisdom, Esq., 309 California Co. Bldg. New Orleans 12, Louisiana; received: 1962.

*63M-31 to *63M-34. Manuscripts presented by Mr. James L. Mandel, 162-01 Powells Cove Boulevard Beechhurst 57, New York; received: 5 Nov 1963.

*63M-152. Manuscript presented by William B. Wisdom, Esq., 435 California Co. Bldg. New Orleans 12, Louisiana (Parke-Bernet sale, 31 Mar 1964, lot 244); received: 20 Apr 1964.

*63M-197. Manuscripts presented by Harper and Brothers, 49 East 33rd Street New York, New York; received: 11 Sep 1961.

*63M-215. Photocopies presented by Frederick W. Wolfe, 723 Otis Boulevard Spartanburg, South Carolina; received: 1963.

*64M-217. Manuscripts purchased from Mrs. Stanley R. Locke, 272 South Broadway Yonkers, New York 10705, the gift of William B. Wisdom; received: Apr 1965.

*67M-88.Manuscripts purchased from C.A. Stonehill, Inc., 282 York Street New Haven, Connecticut, the gift of William B. Wisdom; received: 4 Jan 1968.

*72M-11. Manuscript presented by Myra Champion, Beech Tree Cottage 7 Cherokee Road Asheville, North Carolina 28801; received: Sep 1972.

Note: Letters from Thomas Wolfe to various persons and letters from various persons concerning Thomas Wolfe donated by William B. Wisdom on 15 Feb 1947 are grouped collectively under the following two sets of accessions numbers: "*46AM-12 & 15" and "*46AM-11 to 15."
Link to catalog

Administrative Information

Title
Wisdom, William B., 1900-1977, collector. William B. Wisdom collection of Thomas Wolfe: Guide.
Author
Houghton Library, Harvard College Library
Language of description
und
EAD ID
hou00435

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Houghton Library Repository

http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.ois:HOU

Houghton Library is Harvard College's principal repository for rare books and manuscripts, archives, and more. Houghton Library's collections represent the scope of human experience from ancient Egypt to twenty-first century Cambridge. With strengths primarily in North American and European history, literature, and culture, collections range in media from printed books and handwritten manuscripts to maps, drawings and paintings, prints, posters, photographs, film and audio recordings, and digital media, as well as costumes, theater props, and a wide range of other objects. Houghton Library has historically focused on collecting the written record of European and Eurocentric North American culture, yet it holds a large and diverse number of primary sources valuable for research on the languages, culture and history of indigenous peoples of the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Houghton Library’s Reading Room is free and open to all who wish to use the library’s collections.

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