House of Books Ltd. records, 1875-1984

Summary Information

At a Glance

Call No.:
MS#0617
Bib ID:
4078352 View CLIO record
Creator(s):
House of Books, Ltd. (New York, N.Y.); Cohn, Marguerite Arnold, 1887-1984; Cohn, Louis Henry
Repository:
Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Physical Description:
86 boxes (86 boxes)
Language(s):
English .
Access:
You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

The following boxes are located off-site: 10-85. You will need to request this material from the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

This collection has no restrictions.

Description

Scope and Content

Correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, memorabilia, business records, book catalogs and other printed materials of Louis and Marguerite Cohn and their customers, associates and friends. Correspondents include Stephen Vincent Benʹet, Robert Frost, T.S. Eliot, and Marianne Moore, all among the authors represented in the Crown Octavos series published by the House of Books; there are also manuscripts, proofs and correspondence with printers for this series. Other correspondents include Cyril Connolly, W. Somerset Maugham and Tom Stoppard. Also in the collection are letters and manuscripts from the stock of the shop; notable among these are a series of Graham Greene letters and pages from an autograph book which contains entries from many turn of the century American Literary figures. The collection also include the personal memorabilia of the Cohn and Arnold families. Louis Cohn's participation in World War I as an officer in the French Army is recorded in photographs, documents and memorabilia. Marguerite's childhood collections, among them many early greeting cards, are also included.

Arrangement

Selected materials cataloged; remainder arranged.

Using the Collection

Restrictions on Access

You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

The following boxes are located off-site: 10-85. You will need to request this material from the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

This collection has no restrictions.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Reproductions 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); House of Books Ltd. records; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Accruals

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

Alternate Form Available

Pearl S. Buck manuscript is on: microfilm.

W.H. Auden letters are on: microfilm.

Ownership and Custodial History

Bequest of Marguerite A. Cohn, 1984.

Gift of Carol Z. Rothkopf, 1984-1995.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Business records and stock of shop: Source of acquisition--Cohn, Marguerite A. Method of acquisition--Bequest; Date of acquisition--1984.

Papers: Source of acquisition--Rothkopf, Carol Z. Method of acquisition--Gift, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1991.

Stoppard playscript: Source of acquisition--531. Method of acquisition--Purchase; Date of acquisition--07/01/1992. Accession number--M-92-07-01.

Letters & memorabilia: Source of acquisition--Rothkopf, Carol Z. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--06/28/1995. Accession number--M-95-06-28.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Business records and stock of shop Processed JCA 1985.

Papers Processed JCA/JL-W 1985.

Stoppard playscript Cataloged HR 07/23/1992.

Letters & memorabilia Cataloged & processed HR 10/06/1998.

Series IX: Business Materials (boxes 28-70) was formerly known as Series IX: Closed Materials.  The restriction was removed August 4, 2020.

Revision Description

2009-06-26 File created.

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

2020-08-03 Restriction on Series IX lifted. kws

Biographical sketch

Louis Henry Cohn, 1888-1953, and Marguerite Arnold Cohn, 1887-1984, opened the House of Books on October 10, 1930. The bookstore specialized in 20th century British and American first editions and brought the Cohns into contact with many of the major literary figures of the century.

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

All links open new windows.

Genre/Form
Financial records CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Manuscripts (documents) CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Photographs CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Proofs (printed matter) CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Name
Benét, Stephen Vincent, 1898-1943 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Connolly, Cyril, 1903-1974 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Eliot, T. S. (Thomas Stearns), 1888-1965 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Frost, Robert, 1874-1963 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Greene, Graham, 1904-1991 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Maugham, W. Somerset (William Somerset), 1874-1965 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Moore, Marianne, 1887-1972 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Stoppard, Tom CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Subject
American literature -- 20th century CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Booksellers and bookselling CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Bookstores -- United States CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Catalogs CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Consuls CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
English literature -- 20th century CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Publishers and publishing CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Soldiers CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
World War, 1914-1918 -- France CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID