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William Harlowe Briggs Papers
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Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
William Harlowe Briggs (1876-1952) was the son of Judge Henry C. Briggs and Amanda R. Hebard Briggs. Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, his family pioneered West around 1886 and settled in Ipswich, South Dakota. Briggs began his literary career there as a young man by publishing a small newspaper, the Praire Grove Leaflet, in 1889-1890. Moving to the East, Briggs became an editor for the Chicago American and from 1908 in New York for Harper & Brothers. Briggs was also the author of many plays, such as Behold thy Wife, produced in 1915 by Henry W. Savage, and a novel, Dakota in the Morning (1942).
Consists of selected papers of Briggs, a playwright and editor at Harper & Brothers, including 24 scripts for plays such as Behold Thy Wife (1910), By Dawn's Early Light (1936), Benjamin Franklin (1938), and Keeping Up With Lizzie (1911), co-authored with Irving Bachellor; family correspondence (1894-1936), juvenalia, playbills, and copies of the Praire Grove Leaflet, edited by Briggs in 1889. Also present are articles, lectures, commonplace books, and diaries (1864-1901) of Briggs' mother, Amanda R. Hebard Briggs, and a few diaries (1876-1885) of Briggs' father, Henry C. Briggs. The diaries document the family's moves from Massachusetts to Michigan and then to the Dakota Territory.
Gift of The Hampton Booth Theatre Library.
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This collection was processed in 1995. Finding aid written in 1995.
No appraisal information is available.
People
Subject
Place
- Publisher
- Manuscripts Division
- Finding Aid Date
- 2002
- Access Restrictions
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Collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
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Collection Inventory
Consists of the papers of William Harlowe Briggs, primarily containing writings and correspondence.
This series is arranged into three subseries: Writings, Correspondence, and Miscellaneous Papers.
Physical Description7 boxes
Consists of 23 typescripts, with some autograph notes for plays written by Briggs between the years 1903-1938. Included are scripts for Behold Thy Wife, produced in 1915 at the Apollo Theater in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Benjamin Franklin, The Passionate Salesman, Keeping Up With Lizzie, written in collaboration with Irving Bachellor, and Night Court, written in collaboration with Fulton Oursler.
Arranged alphabetically by title.
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Consists of letters (1890s) by Briggs to his mother, Amanda R. Hebard Briggs, while working on local newspapers in Illinois and South Dakota; correspondence (1895-1919) with his father, Henry C. Briggs; letters from his wife "Berta" and his brother Henry B. R. Briggs (1881-1936), a journalist and Postmaster of Los Angeles. Also present is correspondence with Briggs concerning the development and disposition of his Dramatic Criticism Clipping Collection (1905-1933), which was acquired by the University of Chicago in 1933, and miscellaneous letters.
Arranged by genre of correspondence.
Physical Description1 box
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(acquired by the University of Chicago, 1933)
Physical Description1 box
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Consists of juvenalia of Briggs, including a diary (1887), school papers (1887-1888), and proofs of articles for his newspaper the Praire Grove Leaflet (1889-1890). In addition, there are copies of the Holmes' Trade Sheet (1916-1920), family memorabilia, and miscellaneous clippings.
Not arranged according to any arrangement scheme.
Physical Description1 box
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Consists of the papers of Amanda R. Hebard Briggs, including articles, lectures, and diaries, as well as commonplace books.
This series is arranged into three subseries: Articles & Lectures, Commonplace books, and Diaries.
Physical Description2 boxes
Consists of drafts and notes for articles and talks at various clubs by Amanda R. Hebard Briggs, mother of William Harlowe Briggs and a former English instructor at Andover College, on such subjects as women and patriotism, women and fashion, and the bible as literature.
Not arranged according to any arrangement scheme.
Physical Description1 box
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Consists of 5 volumes (circa 1863-1872) of notebooks kept by Amanda R. Hebard Briggs containing copies of favorite verse and prose and her own notes on various topics of history, literature and religion.
Not arranged according to any arrangement scheme.
Physical Description1 box
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Consists of 17 volumes (1864-1901) of diaries kept by Amanda R. Hebard Briggs while living in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and then from 1886 on in Ipswich, Dakato Territory, which became South Dakota in 1889.
Not arranged according to any arrangement scheme.
Physical Description1 box
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Consists of the papers of Henry C. Briggs, including his diaries.
Arranged by genre of material.
Physical Description1 box
Consists of 4 volumes (1876; 1883-1885) of diaries of brief entries kept by Henry C. Briggs (1831-1920), father of William Harlowe Briggs and a prominent judge and lawyer, while living in Michigan and South Dakota.
Not arranged according to any arrangement scheme.
Physical Description1 box
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