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Collection Overview

Creator:
Mencken, H.L. (Henry Louis) (1880-1956)
Title:
H. L. Mencken Letters to Rev. Dr. Herbert Parrish
Repository:
Manuscripts Division
Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/hh63sv93q
Dates:
1914-1925
Size:
1 box, 0.2 linear feet
Storage Note:
  • ReCAP (scarcpxm): Box 1
Language:
English

Abstract

Consists of 108 letters by the influential American editor, author, and critic H. L. Mencken to Rev. Dr. Herbert Parrish, who was the rector of Christ Church in New Brunswick, N.J.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of 108 letters (typed and signed) by Mencken to Rev. Dr. Herbert Parrish, who was the rector of Christ Church in New Brunswick, N.J. These are both personal and literary letters, many exhibiting Mencken's quick and affable humor, written to Parrish on a number of subjects, including the health and affairs of his family members, the death of his mother, his uncle's bankruptcy, his philosophies on writing and the state of current literature, and Parrish's own writings (many of which Mencken published). A number of letters also make references to alcohol consumption, prohibition laws, and social drinking. The letters range (where dated) from 2 December [1914] through 17 July 1942. Letterheads include the Smart Set and The American Mercury, as well as Mencken's home addresses in Baltimore: he lived on Hollins Street both before he was married to his wife Sara in 1930 and after she died in 1935, and while he was married he lived on Cathedral Street.

Arrangement

The letters are arranged chronologically by year.

Collection Creator Biography:

Mencken

H. L. (Henry Louis) Mencken (1880-1956) was an American journalist, magazine editor, critic, satirist and essayist. He was born in Baltimore and lived there all his life, and was known as the "Sage of Baltimore." He started his writing career as a journalist at the Baltimore Morning Herald , from 1899 to 1905, and then moved to The Baltimore Sun , where he contributed full-time until he suffered a stroke in 1948. In 1908, he became a literary critic for the magazine The Smart Set , and in 1924, he and George Jean Nathan founded The American Mercury . Dent Smith was founder and editor of the Hoboken-based literary magazine ENCORE between 1942 and 1944.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Purchased on August 16, 2007 (AM2008-25).

Appraisal

No appraisal information is available.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Lauren Kustner in September 24, 2007. Finding aid written by Lauren Kustner in October 1, 2007. Folder Inventory added by Hilde Creager (2015) in 2012.

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:

H. L. Mencken Letters to Rev. Dr. Herbert Parrish; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/hh63sv93q
Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
Storage Note:
  • ReCAP (scarcpxm): Box 1

Find More

Related Materials

See H. L. Mencken Collection (C0331) for materials gathered by Princeton University librarian Julian Boyd for a proposed book of H. L. Mencken's letters.

Subject Terms:
Editors --New York (State) --New York. -- 20th century -- Correspondence
Genre Terms:
Letters --20th century.
Names:
Parrish, Herbert