Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. records, 1914-1961, bulk (1930s-1950s)

Links

• View catalog record
• View PDF finding aid (171.96 KB)

Creator

Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

Location

Manuscripts and Archives Division

Extent

• 68 linear feet (73 boxes).

Access Restrictions

Restricted access; Manuscripts and Archives Division; Permit must be requested at the division indicated.

Scope/Contents Note

Collection contains correspondence, manuscript records, readers' reports, press clippings of reviews, press releases, and typescripts of books published by Knopf. Knopf's correspondence, 1914-1951, consists primarily ofletters to and from Knopf authors regarding publication oftheir work or that of other writers in the same field of expertise. Manuscript records and readers' reports, 1930-1947, include brief plot summaries and readers' opinions. Manuscript rejection correspondence, 1939-1943, contains letters from authors submitting manuscripts, and standard rejection letters from Knopf's editorial staff. Children'sDepartment records, 1952-1961, of rejected manuscripts include short summaries and evaluations. Files of press clippings, 1930s to 1950s, of reviews of Knopf books also contain some sample book jackets and press releases. In addition to typescripts, 1937-1944, of books published by Knopf, series includes galleys and page proofs.

Biographical/Historical Note

Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., founded in 1915 by Alfred A. Knopf (1892-1984), started by publishing translations of Russianand European works. By the 1920s, Knopf was publishing major American authors yet continued to publish important European authors as well. Knopf was renowned not only for its impressive list of authors but for the quality of its book production. The firm was acquired by Random House in 1960.

Controlled Access Terms

• Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
• American literature -- 20th century.
• Authors, American.
• Authors, European.
• Authors, Russian.
• Children's literature.
• Publishers and publishing -- United States.
• Publishers.

Additional Creator Names

• Bok, Curtis.
• Bragdon, Claude Fayette, 1866-1946.
• Bynner, Witter, 1881-1968.
• Cash, William J.
• Chandler, Raymond, 1888-1959.
• Clendening, Logan, 1884-1945.
• Crane, Charles Edward, b. 1884.
• Crofts, Frederick S.
• Dewey, Thomas E. (Thomas Edmund), 1902-1971.
• Farrell, James T. (James Thomas), 1904-1979.
• Fish, Earle.
• Fletcher, J. S. (Joseph Smith), 1863-1935.
• Freud, Sigmund, 1856-1939.
• Gale, Zona, 1874-1938.
• Haskell, H.J.
• Hershkovitz, Melville.
• Hillyer, Robert, 1895-1961.
• Ingram, Rex, 1895-1969.
• Knopf, Alfred A., 1892-1984.
• Lowe-Porter, H. T. (Helen Tracy), 1876-1963.
• Mann, Thomas, 1875-1955.
• Mencken, H. L. (Henry Louis), 1880-1956.
• Percy, William Alexander, 1885-1942.
• Postgate, Raymond, 1896-1971.
• Schuman, Frederick Lewis, 1904-
• Stout, Rex, 1886-1975.