Zelda Fitzgerald Papers, 1919-1997 (mostly 1920-1950)

Contents and Arrangement

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Collection Overview

Creator:

Fitzgerald, Zelda (1900-1948)

Title:

Zelda Fitzgerald Papers

Repository:

Manuscripts Division

Permanent URL:

http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/5q47rn76d

Dates:

1919-1997 (mostly 1920-1950)

Size:

9 boxes and 8.5 linear feet

Storage Note:

Firestone Library (scahsvm): Boxes 1-5; 7-8; 11-12

Language:

English

Abstract: The Zelda Fitzgerald Papers consists of manuscripts, correspondence, miscellaneous notes and related material, documents, pictures, clippings, and photographs of American author Zelda Fitzgerald.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of manuscripts, correspondence, miscellaneous notes and related material, documents, pictures, clippings, and photographs of Zelda Fitzgerald. Included are the typescript, set for printer, of Save Me the Waltz (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1932), manuscripts (mostly typescripts) of short stories, articles, and her play Scandalabra , and tear sheets of some of her published articles and stories: "Big Top," "Caesar's Things," "Choreography of an Idea," "Janno and Jacob," "Other Names for Roses," "Show Mr. and Mrs. F. to Number...," and "Unembellished." Also present is a portrait drawing by Zelda of her husband, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and several other drawings. There are letters to her daughter, Frances Scott Fitzgerald (married name, Scottie Fitzgerald Smith), correspondence with other people, such as Ludlow Fowler, Charles Kalman, Margaret Turnbull, George Nathan, and others, and correspondence between various family members. Correspondence between Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald is gathered in his Papers (C0187).

Additions to her papers consist of a family scrapbook of photographs, clippings and memorabilia, dating from Zelda's childhood to 1927, and an album, compiled by Eleanor Lanahan in 1997, entitled Zelda by Herself, The Art of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald , which contains a 45-page catalog and 235 color slides of all of the known art works of Zelda Fitzgerald and their various locations. A later addition includes a jacket worn by Zelda, a photograph of Zelda, Lane Montgomery's notes about Zelda from her writings, and her correspondence with Scottie Fitzgerald Smith (daughter of Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald) and others about Zelda and William Luce's play Zelda (1984) in which Ms. Montgomery collaborated and performed.

Arrangement

The collection has been arranged into 8 series, primarily by type/genre.

Collection Creator Biography:

Fitzgerald

Zelda Fitzgerald (1900-1948) was an American socialite, novelist, painter, and wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Frances Scott ("Scottie") Fitzgerald Lanahan (later Smith), the daughter of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald, donated the papers to the Princeton University Library in 1950. Some accession numbers associated with this collection are AM 14450 and AM 20502, with additions made to the collection over time until that practice was discontinued.

Some of these additions were from Lane Montgomery, Henry Dan Piper, John Evans, Eleanor Lanahan, James R. Duke (some accession numbers associated with these various gifts include AM 1997-97, AM 1997-106, AM 1999-16, AM 1999-27, AM 2002-149, AM 2006-51, AM 2007-38, and AM 2013-58).

Zelda Fitzgerald's scrapbook was purchased 1982 December 17 (AM 83-73). Easter card purchased 1978 October 31 (AM 79-61).

Processing Information

In 2023, rehousing and metadata enhancement was completed to prepare materials for digitization. The finding aid was revised by Amy C. Vo in June 2023.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

This collection is currently undergoing conservation review and digitization efforts. Some materials may be temporarily unavailable. Please consult staff if you have questions about the status of any material.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

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