Scope and Contents
The Lenniger Literary Agency Records include correspondence with clients of the agency, totaling over 10,000 letters. The Lenniger Agency was represented by August Lenniger and Edith Margolis. In addition to correspondence, there are literary manuscripts, books of published advertisements, account ledgers, published copies of books written in several languages and other miscellaneous items relating to the publication of manuscripts.
The long and detailed letters between the agents and their clients concern the problems of writing, editing, and selling contemporary publishers; and the personal problems that the agent shares with his clients. It is unusual to see a collection containing more personal information concerning the craft of writing than does this collection.
The Lenniger clients represent recognized writers within almost every field of contemporary fiction. The writers are novelists, masters of the short story, or specialists within a literary genre.
In the box and folder list, the folders simply marked with a letter of the alphabet signify that there is correspondence with multiple authors within.
The researcher should also note that some of the folders of correspondence also contain other items such as clippings, tear sheets, dust jackets, manuscript outlines, fragments and drafts. Some of the folders also contain royalty statements, contracts, personal information about the author, photographs and other such items.
The Lenniger Literary Agency Records were acquired over a several-year period and are described as they were received; therefore, the collection, in its numeric box order, contains groups of materials located intermittently throughout the collection.
Dates
- 1926-1975
Creator
- Lenniger Literary Agency (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs. All requests for permission to publish collection materials must be submitted to Special Collections and University Archives. The reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.
Biographical / Historical
The Lenniger Literary Agency was founded in 1923 by August Lenniger. Its purpose was to place a writer’s books and stories with publishers and to negotiate with the publishers. August Lenniger and Edith Margolis corresponded with hundreds of agency clients. The letters concern editing and sales of manuscripts, requirements and house rules of publishers, the state of the literary market, and personal problems of the writers.
Extent
67.5 linear feet (47 containers)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Lenniger Literary Agency was founded in 1923 by August Lenniger. Its purpose was to place a writer’s books and stories with publishers and to negotiate with the publishers. August Lenniger and Edith Margolis corresponded with hundreds of agency clients. The letters concern editing and sales of manuscripts, requirements and house rules of publishers, the state of the literary market, and personal problems of the writers. The collection contains correspondence, published works, manuscripts and other miscellaneous material.
Arrangement
Collection is organized into the following series:
Series: Correspondence and Manuscripts
Series: Correspondence with Edith Margolis
Series: Correspondence (editorial files) and manuscripts
Series: Correspondence, Addenda 1969
Series: Ad Books
Series: Published Books by Clientele
Series: Ad Books
Series: Published Books by Clientele
Series: Account Ledgers
Series: Correspondence With Clients
Series: Published Advertisements and other Publicity Material
Series: Correspondence
Series: August Lenniger Files
Series: Edith Margolis Files
Series: Correspondence with Publishers and other Agents
Series: Published Books and Manuscript Drafts
Series: Correspondence and Miscellaneous Items
Series: Correspondence with other Book Agencies and Agents, both Domestic and Foreign
Series: Miscellaneous Correspondence and other Items
Series: Correspondence
Series: Contracts
Series: Correspondence with August Lenniger
Series: August Lenniger Correspondence with Publishers
Series: Correspondence with Edith Margolis
Series: Correspondence with Publishers
Series: Miscellaneous
Series: Correspondence
Series: Correspondence with Publishers
Series: Correspondence with Foreign Agents
Series: Correspondence with Edith Margolis
Series: Correspondence with John K. Payne
Series: Manuscripts
Series: Western Writers of America and Miscellaneous
Series: Account Ledgers
Series: Correspondence and Miscellaneous
Processing Information
Collection processed by Ed Kemp, in June 1980.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
- Authors, American -- 20th century -- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Correspondence Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Lenniger, August
- Literary agents -- United States -- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Literature Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Margolis, Edith
- Payne, John K.
- Publishers and Publishing Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Publishers and publishing -- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Western Writers of America
- Title
- Guide to the Lenniger Literary Agency records
- Status
- Revise Description
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by processing staff
- Date
- 2006
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is in English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Repository Details
Part of the University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives Repository