Frederic Dannay papers, 1920-1982

Summary Information

At a Glance

Arrangement

Arrangement

The papers are divided into two main sub-groups. The first sub-group consists of the papers of Frederic Dannay, and the second sub-group consists of the manuscripts submitted to Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.

Frederic Dannay Papers are organized as follows: Cataloged correspondence, Boxes 1-8; Cataloged manuscripts, Boxes 8-63B; Arranged correspondence (chronological), Boxes 64-72; Arranged manuscripts, Boxes 73-78 & 89-90; Cataloged documents, Box 79; Arranged documents (alphabetical), Boxes 79-81; Arranged documents (chronological), Boxes 82-87; Cataloged photographs, Box 88; Arranged photographs and artwork, Box 88; Printed materials, Boxes 91-100; Objects and memorabilia, Box 101.

Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine Series is organized as follows: Cataloged manuscripts, A-Z, Boxes 102-188; Arranged manuscripts, Box 189.

• Series I: Cataloged Series
• Subseries I.1: Correspondence
• Subseries I.2: Manuscripts
• Series II: Arranged Series
• Subseries II.1: Correspondence
• Subseries II.2: Manuscripts
• Series III: Documents
• Subseries III.1: Cataloged and Arranged Documents
• Subseries III.2: Arranged Documents
• Series IV: Artwork and Photographs
• Series V: Printed Materials
• Series VI: Objects and Memorabilia
• Series VII: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine
• Subseries VII.1: Catalogued Manuscripts
• Subseries VII.2: Arranged manuscripts
• Subseries VII.3: Audiovisual

Description

Summary

Correspondence, outlines and drafts, manuscripts, letters of agreement, contracts, photographs, artwork, and memorabilia. The collection is divided into two parts: the Frederic Dannay papers and the files of ELLERY QUEEN'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE (EQMM). The Dannay papers consist of extensive correspondence with most of the notable mystery writers of this century, as well as well-known authors who sometimes wrote in that genre: Isaac Asimov; Lawrence Block; Ray Bradbury; Perl S Buck; Edgar Rice Burroughs; James M. Cain; Raymond Chandler; Agatha Christie, etc. Most of the novels and short stories written by Dannay and Lee are represented in manuscript form: "The Roman Hat Mystery;" "Ten Day's Wonder;" "Cat of Many Tails;" "The Scarlet Letters;" "The Glass Village;" "The Player on the Other Side;" "And on the Eighth Day" etc. In addition, there are the manuscripts of books edited by Ellery Queen; manuscripts by Ellery Queen Jr.; scripts by Ellery Queen; poetry by Dannay; contracts between Dannay and Lee, as well as between them both as Ellery Queen and numerous parties. There are also manuscripts by such notables as Jorge Luis Borges; Erskine Caldwell; Raymond Chandler; Agatha Christie; Stanley Ellin; William Faulkner; Dashiell Hammett; O Henry; Nigel Morland; Georges Simenon; Muriel Spark; Julian Symons; Roy Vickers; and Cornell Woolrich.

The second part of this collection is the files of ELLERY QUEEN'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE (EQMM). Containing some 4,600 manuscripts submitted to the magazine over a period of 40 years, it is an unrivaled collection of its kind. Nearly all of the manuscripts have Dannay's manuscript corrections.

• Series I: Cataloged Series

• Series II: Arranged Series

• Series III: Documents

• Series IV: Artwork and Photographs

  Cataloged and arranged

• Series V: Printed Materials

• Series VI: Objects and Memorabilia

• Series VII: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine

  This part of the collection comprises 87 Boxes of manuscripts submitted to EQMM from its beginning in 1941 till the early 1980s. Each manuscripts has been cataloged.

Using the Collection

Rare Book and Manuscript Library

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.

This collection is located on-site.

This collection has no restrictions.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Readers must use microfilm of materials specified above.

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); Frederic Dannay papers; 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 letter; manuscript of "The Glass Village" and "Notes on Wrightsville" are on: microfilm.

Ownership and Custodial History

Gift of Richard and Douglas Dannay, 1985 & 1987.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Papers: Source of acquisition--Dannay, Richard and Douglas. Method of acquisition--Gift.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Papers Entered in AMC HR 02/--/91.

The EQMM series was physically renumbered consecutively after box 101 to avoid confusion. Series was added 07/2021 by YH.

Revision Description

2010-01-27 Legacy finding aid created from Pro Cite.

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

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.

Genre/Form

Subject

History / Biographical Note

Biographical / Historical

Mystery writer, editor, critic of crime fiction, and coauthor with Manfred B. Lee of the Ellery Queen mystery novels and stories. Born Daniel Nathan in Brooklyn, New York on 20 October 1905, Frederic Dannay and his cousin Manfred B. Lee created Ellery Queen in 1929. In a series of novels starting with The Roman Hat Mystery (1929), The Devil to Pay (1938), Calamity Town (1942), Ten Days' Wonder (1948), Cat of Many Tails (1949), and And On the Eighth Day (1964), Dannay and Lee established Queen as one of the most influential and groundbreaking mystery novelists. The cousins also produced a number of mystery anthologies, as well as publishing the acclaimed Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine in 1941. Manfred B. Lee died in 1971, and Frederic Dannay died in White Plains, New York, on 3 September 1982.