Watkins Loomis records, 1883-2007 2013-2018

Summary Information

At a Glance

Call No.:
MS#1309
Bib ID:
4079449 View CLIO record
Creator(s):
Watkins Loomis, Inc
Repository:
Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Physical Description:
205.5 linear feet (410 boxes 42 volumes 27 card file drawers)
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 files of Peter DeVries and Glendon Swartwout are CLOSED until one year after each author's death except with the written permission of the current presiding officer of Watkins Loomis, Inc.

The following boxes are located off-site: Series III-Series VIII (boxes 1-207); Series IX-Series XI (boxes 1-69); Series XII-Series XIII (boxes 277-397). 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.

Description

Summary

Correspondence, manuscripts, memoranda, contracts, and other legal documents, account books, royalty statements and other financial records, photographs, printed materials, and card files of the Watkins Loomis, Inc. literary agency. The papers deal with editorial, financial, and legal aspects of publishing, magazine, theatrical and film rights, and all other personal and professional activities of their American and English clients. Among these clients have been Michael Arlen, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Theodore Dreiser, Ernest Hemingway, Sinclair Lewis, Carson McCullers, Ezra Pound, Ayn Rand, Dorothy Sayers, Gertrude Stein, and Dylan Thomas.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into 14 series.

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 files of Peter DeVries and Glendon Swartwout are CLOSED until one year after each author's death except with the written permission of the current presiding officer of Watkins Loomis, Inc.

The following boxes are located off-site: Series III-Series VIII (boxes 1-207); Series IX-Series XI (boxes 1-69); Series XII-Series XIII (boxes 277-397). 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.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

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); Watkins Loomis 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

John Dixon Carr letters and manuscripts are on microfilm

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Method of acquisition--Purchase; Date of acquisition--1982. Accession number--M-82.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Cataloged Christina Hilton Fenn 09/--/89.

Katia Shraga, May 2019: prefixes (Roman numbers I and II) were added to box numbers of 11 boxes of Series I and Series II correspondingly. Now numeration of boxes in Series I is: boxes I.1-I.6; numeration of boxes in Series II is: boxes II.7-II.11. Box labels and stack directory were adjusted and updated accordingly.

Revision Description

2010-04-02 Legacy finding aid created from Pro Cite.

2013-02-14 xml document instance created by Adrien Hilton

2017-03-30 Archived Website series added by Jane Gorjevsky

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

Biographical / Historical

Literary agency. Ann Watkins (Angeline Whiton Watkins Davis Burlingame) 1885-1967) became a literary agent in 1910 and retired in 1957. Her son, Armitage Watkins (b. 1906), continues to operate the agency. In 1980 the agency changed its name from A. Watkins to Watkins Loomis.

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
Photographic prints CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Name
A. Watkins, Inc CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Arlen, Michael, 1895-1956 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Burnett, Frances Hodgson, 1849-1924 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Dreiser, Theodore, 1871-1945 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Lewis, Sinclair, 1885-1951 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
McCullers, Carson, 1917-1967 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Pound, Ezra, 1885-1972 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Rand, Ayn CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Sayers, Dorothy L (Dorothy Leigh), 1893-1957 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Stein, Gertrude, 1874-1946 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Thomas, Dylan, 1914-1953 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Watkins, Ann, 1885-1967 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Watkins, Armitage, 1906-1989 CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Subject
American literature -- 20th century CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Authors, American CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Authors, English CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Copyright CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
English literature -- 20th century CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Literary agents CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Literature publishing CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Publishers and publishing CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Women authors, English CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID
Women in the book industries and trade CLIO Catalog ArchiveGRID