Meyer Schapiro letters and manuscripts of Whittaker Chambers and James Thomas Farrell, 1923-1991

Creator:

Schapiro, Meyer, 1904-1996

Extent:

3 linear feet 6 boxes

Language:

English .

Scope and content:

Autograph and typed letters from James Thomas Farrell to Schapiro, concerning Farrell's personal life, his writings, and current social and political affairs. There are also eight of Farrell's manuscripts from the 1960s. The long friendship of neighbors is seen in Farrell's personal letters about his private life and his family and in the discussions of whichever novel he was working on at the time. The main body of the correspondence is from the World War II period and shows much concern for current events in the Soviet Union as well as in the U.S. and Europe. The author also made a few forays into Irish humor, as in the use of his pseudonym, Jonathan Titelescu Fogarty. There are autograph drafts of Prof. Schapiro's replies to and notes about Farrell, and letters and post cards from Farrell's actress wife, Hortense Adler. Also, a letter from Frances Mitchell on her book, THE AWAKENING - LE REVEIL, 1950.

1995 Addition: 70 letters from Whittaker Chambers to Meyer Schapiro, along with copies of his letters and research material about Chambers.

Biographical / historical:

Educator, art critic, and professor of fine arts at Columbia University, 1928-1965, University Professor, 1965-1973, Prof. Schapiro (Columbia Univ BA, 1924; MA 1926, Ph.D., 1929) died in 1996.

Acquisition information:

Source of acquisition--Schapiro, Meyer. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--1982. Accession number--M-82.

W.Chambers material: Source of acquisition--Schapiro, Meyer. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--02/08/1995. Accession number--M-02-08-95.

Papers: Source of acquisition--Schapiro, Meyer. Method of acquisition--Bequest; Date of acquisition--10/25/1996. Accession number--M-96-10-25.

Custodial history:

Gift of Meyer Schapiro, 1982, 1984& 1995.

Bequest of Meyer Schapiro, 1996.

Processing information:

Cataloged Christina Hilton Fenn 09/--/1989.

W.Chambers material Processed HR 10/26/2000.

Papers Processed HR 10/30/2000.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into 5 series.

Accruals:

Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is located on-site.

This collection has no restrictions.

Terms of access:

Readers must use photocopies of Whittaker Chambers' letters.

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred citation:: Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Meyer Schapiro letters and manuscripts of Whittaker Chambers and James Thomas Farrell; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Location of this collection:: Rare Book & Manuscript Library

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Contact:: rbml@library.columbia.edu

Collection