Lowell and Frances Hyams Brentano papers
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of correspondence, manuscripts, tearsheets, copyright and registration material, court records, publisher and author permissions, reviews, biographical material, memorabilia, and a scrapbook.
The correspondence is divided between incoming (1917-1952) which is organized alphabetically buy sender's last name or organization title, and outgoing (1926-1952), which is organized chronologically.
The Brentano collection includes extensive correspondence with Fulton Oursler, who after becoming editor of Liberty Magazine in 1931 left the business end of their collaborative efforts in the hands of Lowell Brentano. Other correspondents include George Bernard Shaw, George Moore, Lord Dunsany, Jerry Wald, J. Frank Dobie, James Geller, the William Morris Agency, and John Benn of the English publishing house, Ernest Benn, Ltd.
The manuscripts section includes book, short story, and article-length manuscripts as well as play and movie scripts, synopses, by Lowell Brentano. There are also manuscripts, notes, research, publisher and author information for works by Frances Hyams Brentano (referred to as FHB in the paper finding aid). Also included are magazine tearsheets with articles by Lowell and Francis Brentano.
The collection also contains, copyright and registration material, court records, theatre bills and schedules, reviews, biographical material for both Lowell and Frances Brentano, memorabilia, and a scrapbook.
Dates
- 1917-1952
Creator
- Brentano, Lowell, 1895-1950 (Person)
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
Lowell Brentano (1895-1950) was born in New York City on April 18, 1895. He graduated with honors from Harvard in 1918 and joined the family publishing firm in an editorial capacity, later becoming vice-president. He was also writing plays, and in 1926 authored with Fulton Oursler, "The Spider," which enjoyed a long New York run and was performed in seven European countries. Other Brentano plays include "Zepplin," "Family Affairs," "Danger - Men Working," and "Great Lady." Brentano married Frances Hyams, an editor and literary scout who received her PhD in English from Radcliff in 1917.
In 1933, the Brentanos left the family business and concentrated on their writing careers. Lowell Brentano continued writing plays, movie scripts, articles and novels. Francis Brentano aided her husband critically and editorially and wrote magazine articles and fiction during the 1930s and 1940s. Lowell Brentano died in 1950 and Francis Brentano continued his activities with the New York League for the Hard of Hearing and as a publishing scout for several major publishers.
Extent
7.5 linear feet (5 containers) : 5 record storage boxes
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Lowell Brentano (1895-1950) was a publisher, playwright, novelist, editor, literary agent, and frequent collaborator with his wife, Frances Hyams Brentano and many others in the literary world. The collection consists of correspondence, manuscripts by Lowell and also Francis Brentano, tearsheets, copyright and registration material, court records, publisher and author permissions, reviews, biographical material, memorabilia, and a scrapbook.
Arrangement
Collection is organized into the following series: Correspondence, Manuscripts, Tearsheets, Copyrights and Registrations, Court Records, Publisher and Author Permissions, Reviews, Biographical Material, Memorabilia, and a Scrapbook
Other Finding Aids
Paper finding aid with additional information is available in Special Collections & University Archives.
Processing Information
Collection processed by staff, 1970.
This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.
- American drama -- 20th century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Authors and publishers -- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Authors, American -- 20th century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Brentano, Frances
- Brentano, Lowell, 1895-1950
- Brentano, Lowell, 1895-1950
- Correspondence Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Dramatists, American -- 20th century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Literature Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Manuscripts for publication Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Motion picture authorship Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Oursler, Fulton, 1893-1952
- Plays Subject Source: Genre Terms: A Thesaurus for Use in Rare Book and Special Collections Cataloguing
- Playwriting Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Publishers and Publishing Subject Source: Archiveswest
- Tear sheets Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Women authors, American -- 20th century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- Guide to the Lowell and Frances Hyams Brentano Papers
- Status
- Complete Description
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by University of Oregon Libraries, Archivists' Toolkit Project Team and Tanya Parlet.
- Date
- 2012
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
- Sponsor
- Funding for production of this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
Repository Details
Part of the University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives Repository
