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.
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Series XII: Papers and photographs of Capt. Louis Henry Cohn
Gift of Carol Rothkopf, 2016. Accn #2016.2017.M105
Collection of World War I photographs and ephemera relating to Cohn's military service and work as correspondent for the Brooklyn Eagle and others
Arrangement
Selected materials cataloged; remainder arranged.
- Series I: Catalogued Correspondence
- Series II: Catalogued Manuscripts
- Series III: Catalogued Documents
- Series IV: Catalogued Photographs
- Series V: Catalogued Art Works
- Series VI: Arranged Correspondence
- Series VII: Crown Octavos arranged materials
- Series VIII: Writings and Memorabilia
- Series IX: Business Materials
- Series X: Ephemera
- Series XI: Photographs
- Series XII: Papers and photographs of Capt. Louis Henry Cohn
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.
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