Series 1: Writings, 1928-1948
Consists of the writings of Zelda Fitzgerald, including manuscripts for novels, plays, and short stories.
The collection has been arranged into 8 series, primarily by type/genre.
Subseries 1A: Novels, 1932-1948
Subseries 1B: Play, undated
"Auction--Model 1934", 1934
"Choreography of an Idea", undated
"A Good Idea", circa 1937-1938
"Here's the True Story", circa 1934
"Miss Ella", undated
"Other Names for Roses", circa 1941
"Park Avenue", 1928
"Story", undated
"Unembellished", undated
"The world angered God...", undated
Subseries 1D: Tearsheets, 1928-1934
"Auction--Model 1934", 1934 July
"The Continental Angle", 1932 June 4
"A Couple of Nuts", 1932 August
"The Girl of Today", undated
"A Millionaire's Girl", 1930 May 17
"Miss Ella", 1931 December
"Poor Working Girl", 1931 January
"Southern Girl", 1929 October
Series 2: Correspondence, 1920-1949
Consists of correspondence with Frances Scott Fitzgerald and individuals such as Edmund Wilson and Allen Tate. Also includes correspondence with Princeton University and Bryn Mawr University.
The collection has been arranged into 8 series, primarily by type/genre.
Boyd, Madeleine, 1925 December 18
Bryn Mawr School, 1933 May 25
Cabell, James Branch, 1920
Forel, Dr. Oscar, 1930 November
Fowler, Ludlow, 1920-1922
McQuillan, Annabel, undated
Meyer, Dr. Adolph, undated
Murphy, Sara, 1927 June 28
Nathan George, 1920-1922
Owens, Isabel W., undated
Perkins, Maxwell, 1933
Satterfield, Mrs., undated
Sayre, Minnie Machen, 1933
Sayre, Rosalind (Smith), undated
Sedowa, Julie, 1929 September 13
Tate, Allen, 1942 April 18
Taylor, Cecilia, 1937 July
Turnbull, Margaret, 1934-1949
Van Vechten, Carl, 1923
Wilson, Edmund, 1930
Series 3: Notes and Ephemera, undated
Consists primarily of an address book and notebooks with sketches, religious and philosophical reflections.
The collection has been arranged into 8 series, primarily by type/genre.
Address Book, undated
Bouillabaisse Recipe, undated
Graphological Reading, undated
Notebook Pages, undated
Notes, undated
Series 4: Documents, 1927-1939
Consists of miscellaneous bills (including some from Highland Hospital) as well as a contract with Scribner's for Save Me the Waltz.
The collection has been arranged into 8 series, primarily by type/genre.
Series 5: Printed Material, 1933-1970
Consists of printed matter, primarily reviews of Zelda's works.
The collection has been arranged into 8 series, primarily by type/genre.
Camp Ken-Jocketee Brochure and Society of Baltimore Independent Artists Exhibition Program, 1933
Clippings, 1933-1948
Consists of photographs and drawings, primarily of Zelda, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and their daughter, Frances Scott Fitzgerald.
The collection has been arranged into 8 series, primarily by type/genre.
Series 7: Family Papers, 1924-1952
Consists of primarily correspondence with a few notes and writings from Frances Scott Fitzgerald (Lanahan) and Minnie Machen Sayre's papers. Correspondents include Henry Louis Mencken, Arthur Mizener, Gertrude Stein, Dr. Robert S. Carroll, and a few unidentified correspondents.
The collection has been arranged into 8 series, primarily by type/genre.
Mencken, Henry Louis, 1948 March 13
Mizener, Arthur, 1950 August 1
Stein, Gertrude, undated
Unidentified Correspondence, undated
Consists largely of a scrapbook and album of color slides, as well as materials from Lane Montgomery pertaining to Zelda Fitzgerald, some correspondence, and a jacket.
The collection has been arranged into 8 series, primarily by type/genre.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Credit this material:
Zelda Fitzgerald Papers; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
- Permanent URL:
- http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/5q47rn76d
- Location:
-
Firestone LibraryOne Washington RoadPrinceton, NJ 08544, USA
- Storage Note:
- Firestone Library (scahsvm): Boxes 1-5; 7-8; 11-12
- Existence and Location of Copies
Microfilm of parts of the collection are available, such as of the manuscripts and the scrapbook.
- Subject Terms:
- American fiction. -- 20th century
Artists -- United States -- 20th century -- Catalogs
Mothers and daughters -- United States -- 20th century
Novelists, American. -- 20th century
Short stories, American. -- 20th century
Women artists -- United States -- 20th century
Women novelists, American. -- 20th century - Genre Terms:
- Fiction. -- 20th century
Manuscripts (for publication)
Photoprints. - Names:
- Fitzgerald, F. Scott (Francis Scott) (1896-1940)
Smith, Scottie Fitzgerald