Helen Worden Erskine Papers, 1860-1984.

Summary Information

At a Glance

Arrangement

Arrangement

Material is arranged into four series:

• Series I: Correspondence
• Series II: Writings
  • Subseries A: Autobiography
  • Subseries B: Biography
  • Subseries C: Crime
  • Subseries D: Fiction
  • Subseries E: Funerals and Memorial Societies
  • Subseries F: Magazines
  • Subseries G: Newspaper Columns and Articles
  • Subseries H: Travel
  • Subseries I: Writings as a Subject
  • Subseries J: Miscellaneous
  • Subseries K: Scrapbooks
  • Subseries L: Miscellaneous Manuscripts, Documents, and Tapes (not by Erskine)
• Series III: Artwork
• Series IV: Photographs

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Description

Scope and Content

Correspondence, manuscripts, drafts, notes, documents, drawings, photographs, audio tapes, clippings, and other printed materials covering every aspect of her life and career. There are extensive biographical files on: Jenny S. Bradley, Prince Charles of England, Joseph Dixon, President and Mrs. Eisenhower, Rosina Lhévinne, Paul Niehans, the Morgan twins (Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt; Thelma Furness, Jovanka Tito, President and Mrs. Truman, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor; and large files on crime, recluses, New York City history, and travel. There are extensive drafts and source materials for her unpublished autobiography. There are pencil sketches, pen-and-ink drawings, watercolors, charcoal sketches, photographs, and printed copies by H.W. Erskine and by others. See also 2 oversize portfolios (Oversize 3 and 4)

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Using the Collection

Partially Offsite

Access Restrictions

Series I: Catalogued Correspondence, Boxes 1-2, is located on-site.

 Series II, III, and IV are located off-site. You will need to request the off-site material at least two business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

This collection has no restrictions.

Restrictions on Use

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); Helen Worden Erskine Papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Card catalog and list (9 p.).

Selected Related Material--at Columbia

Her mother, Wilburtine Teters Worden (Ms Coll Worden), Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University

Her aunt, Lue Ellen Teters Bussenius (Ms Coll Bussenius), Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University

Her husband, John Erskine (Ms Coll Erskine), Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University

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About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries. Rare Book and Manuscript Library; machine readable finding aid created by Columbia University Libraries Digital Library Program Division

Processing Information

Processed 03/16/88 HR

Machine readable finding aid generated from MARC-AMC source via XSLT conversion June 26, 2009 Finding aid written in English.

2014-07-11 xml document instance created by Adrien Hilton

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Subject Headings

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

All links open new windows.

Additional Creators

Heading	CUL Archives: Portal	CUL Collections: CLIO	Nat'l / Int'l Archives: ArchiveGRID
Barton, Bruce, 1886-1967.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Bolton, Guy, 1884-1979.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Bradley, Jenny Serruys.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Charles, Prince of England, 1948-	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Dixon, Joseph.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Erskine, John, 1879-1951.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Graham, Stephen, 1884-	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Hurst, Fannie, 1889-1968.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Hurston, Zora Neale.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Lhevinne, Rosina, 1880-1976.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
New York world-telegram.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Niehans, Paul, 1882-1971.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Vanderbilt, Gloria Morgan, 1904-1965.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
World.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID

Genre/Form

Heading	CUL Archives: Portal	CUL Collections: CLIO	Nat'l / Int'l Archives: ArchiveGRID
Correspondence.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Photoprints.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID

Subjects

Heading	CUL Archives: Portal	CUL Collections: CLIO	Nat'l / Int'l Archives: ArchiveGRID
Crime.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
New York (N.Y.)--History.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Recluses.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Royal households--Great Britain.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Travel.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID
Women journalists--United States--20th century.	Portal	CLIO	ArchiveGRID

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History / Biographical Note

Biographical Note

Helen Worden Erskine, 1896-1984, journalist and author. Reporter and columnist, The World (later New York World-Telegram), 1926-1944; wrote for many magazines, 1944-1956; wrote the "Dorothy Dix Column," 1959-1964; published books on New York City and recluses; ghost writer for several books and many articles. She studied drawing at the University of Colorado from 1915 until 1919 and, in Paris, with Andre Lhote, 1885-1962 in 1925 and 1926. She often incorporated sketches in her columns. Married John Erskine, author and professor of English at Columbia University, 1945 until his death in 1951; and to William Henry Harrison Cranmer, a mining engineer, 1959 until his death in 1967.

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