John Biggs Collection of F. Scott Fitzgerald Estate Papers, 1936-1978 (mostly 1940-1949)

Contents and Arrangement

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Collection Overview

Creator:

Biggs, John, Jr. (1895-1979)

Title:

John Biggs Collection of F. Scott Fitzgerald Estate Papers

Repository:

Manuscripts Division

Permanent URL:

http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/kd17cs90c

Dates:

1936-1978 (mostly 1940-1949)

Size:

9 boxes and 3.4 linear feet

Storage Note:

Firestone Library (scamss): Box 1-9

Language:

English

Abstract: Consists of the correspondence and legal documents of John Biggs (Princeton Class of 1918) accumulated as executor and trustee of the estate of F. Scott Fitzgerald (Princeton Class of 1917).

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of the correspondence and legal documents of Biggs (Princeton Class of 1918) accumulated as executor and trustee of the estate of F. Scott Fitzgerald (Princeton Class of 1917). Included are copies of Fitzgerald's will, publishers' contracts, royalty reports, tax returns, and papers concerning the posthumous publications of The Last Tycoon (1941), Tender Is the Night (1944), and The Crack-Up (1945). There is correspondence with Edmund Wilson, Maxwell Perkins, Harold Ober, Frances Kroll, Nancy Milford, Scottie Fitzgerald Smith (Fitzgerald's daughter), Arthur Mizener, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Zelda Fitzgerald, and the law offices of Barry Brannen, as well as papers concerning Zelda's hospitalization and death. Also present are an extra carbon copy of The Crack-Up, a photograph of Scott and Scottie, and miscellaneous articles and printed matter about Fitzgerald.

Arrangement

Series: I. Correspondence; II. Legal Papers; III. Works; IV. Photograph; V. Printed Matter; VI. Bank Statements.

Collection Creator Biography:

Biggs

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, born in 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota, attended the St. Paul Academy and the Newman School of Hackensack, New Jersey, before entering Princeton University in 1913. Fitzgerald left Princeton in 1917 to enlist in the United States Army. Following his discharge from the army, Fitzgerald worked in advertising in New York City. Fitzgerald's first commercial success as an author came in 1920 with the publication of his novel, This Side of Paradise. Fitzgerald continued to publish novels and short stories throughout the 1920s and 1930s, including the novels The Great Gatsby (1925) and Tender Is the Night (1934). Due to financial difficulties, Fitzgerald moved to Hollywood in the late 1930s and worked on scripts for Metro-Goldwyn Mayer. Fitzgerald died in 1940. Lifelong friend, John Biggs had been Fitzgerald's roommate at Princeton.

Collection History

Acquisition:: Gift of John Biggs III, Frances F. Smith, Charles R. Biggs, and Anna Biggs Pierce.
Appraisal: No appraisal information is available.
Processing Information: Folder inventory prepared by Michelle Ripplinger '2012 in 2011.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

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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