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Arthur Thornhill, Jr. Correspondence, 1943-1977 (mostly 1962-1964)

0.2 linear feet
Collection Creator:
Princeton University. Library. Special Collections and Porter, Katherine Anne (1890-1980)
Dates:
1943-1977 (mostly 1962-1964)
Located In:
Box B-002299, Folder 1-2
Extent:
0.2 linear feet, in one half-manuscript box
Languages:
English
Scope and Contents

Consists primarily of letters from Katherine Anne Porter to publisher Arthur Thornhill, Jr., President and CEO of Little, Brown & Company, which operated jointly with Atlantic Monthly Press. Also included are office memoranda and correspondence between Thornhill and two other executives at the company, Seymour Lawrence and Peter Davison. Most of the letters are typed and annotated by Porter with manuscript emendations and marginalia. The correspondence between Katherine Anne Porter and her publishers broadly cover questions of her contract and finances, particularly after the publication of Ship of Fools in 1962. In addition to the correspondence are documents related to Katherine Anne Porter's financial and publishing contracts; nine gelatin silver photographs of her; the original annotated typescript of her 1955 preface to The Retrial of Joan of Arc; and a 1968 copy of her foreword to an unpublished anthology of short stories.

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.

Acquisition:

Purchased from Tomberg Rare Books in November 2025 (AM 2026-038).

Credit this material:

Arthur Thornhill, Jr. Correspondence; Katherine Anne Porter Collection, C1175, Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Storage Note:
Firestone Library (mss)
Boxes B-002299
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.

Collection Overview

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

Consists primarily of letters from Katherine Anne Porter to publisher Arthur Thornhill, Jr., President and CEO of Little, Brown & Company, which operated jointly with Atlantic Monthly Press. Also included are office memoranda and correspondence between Thornhill and two other executives at the company, Seymour Lawrence and Peter Davison. Most of the letters are typed and annotated by Porter with manuscript emendations and marginalia. The correspondence between Katherine Anne Porter and her publishers broadly cover questions of her contract and finances, particularly after the publication of Ship of Fools in 1962. In addition to the correspondence are documents related to Katherine Anne Porter's financial and publishing contracts; nine gelatin silver photographs of her; the original annotated typescript of her 1955 preface to The Retrial of Joan of Arc; and a 1968 copy of her foreword to an unpublished anthology of short stories.

Arrangement

No arrangement information is available before the addition of the Arthur Thornhill, Jr. correspondence in 2025. The materials in that addition were arranged by the dealer: first by type/correspondent, then chronologically.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Purchased from Tomberg Rare Books in November 2025 (AM 2026-038).

Appraisal

No appraisal information is available.

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.

Credit this material:

Arthur Thornhill, Jr. Correspondence; Katherine Anne Porter Collection, C1175, Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
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Storage Note:
Firestone Library (mss)
Boxes B-002299