Call Number:

C0129

Repository:

Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division

Extent:

• 856 boxes
• 400 linear feet

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Archives of Harold Ober Associates, Box and Folder Number; Special Collections, Princeton University Library.

Date:

1913-2002 (inclusive) and 1968-2002 (bulk)

Creator:

Harold Ober Associates

Form:

Contracts -- 20th century.

Abstract:

This collection consists of correspondence of the New York City literary agency Harold Ober Associates, Inc. and its three London affiliates. Established by Harold Ober (1881-1959) in the 1920s, the agency quickly grew in size and reputation, and has been considered one of the leading representatives for American and British writers in the world. The correspondence includes letters between the agency or affiliates and clients, editors, publishers, and other agents. Also included are other organizational files, such as date books and financial ledgers.

Harold Ober Associates, Inc., is a literary agency in New York City. Established by Harold Ober in the 1920s, it quickly grew in size and reputation and has been considered one of the leading representatives for American and British writers in the world.

The collection consists of the Harold Ober Associates author files (1927-2002), organizational date books (1950-2017), financial and account ledgers (1935-2010), and files of the agency's three London affiliates: David Higham Associates (1965-1972), Bolt & Watson Limited (1971-1972), and Hughes Massie Limited (1968-1972).

The Harold Ober Associates author files contain correspondence with clients and with editors, publishers, and other agents concerning clients' work. Also included are occasional manuscripts of stories or poems, chapter outlines of novels, and revisions/insertions for clients' work, as well as copies of some contracts. The files of the London affiliate agencies generally contain inter-agency correspondence about clients' work, although letters directly from the authors frequently appear.

Authors with major files in the records include Richard Adams, William Barrett, Catherine Drinker Bowen, Pearl Buck, Walter Edmonds, John Gunther, Langston Hughes, John Bartlow Martin, Muriel Spark, and Philip Wylie. Literary estate correspondence for F. Scott Fitzgerald and William Faulkner is also sizable.

All the series are organized chronologically by year and then alphabetically by the correspondent's last name or by organization name, as appropriate.

The Author Files for the years 1973-1982 also contain material from the affiliate agencies.