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John E. Hart collection regarding Albert Halper

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Held at: University of Delaware Library Special Collections [Contact Us]181 South College Avenue, Newark, DE 19717-5267

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Delaware Library Special Collections. 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

The novelist Albert Halper was born in Chicago in 1904 and died in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1984. After graduating from high school and working at a number of jobs in Chicago, Halper moved to New York City in 1929 with the goal of becoming a writer. His first published novel,

Union Square, appeared in 1931 and was a Literary Guild selection. Halper followed this novel with a series of books based on his life in Chicago, notably a book of short stories, On the Shore (1934), and the novels, The Foundry (1934), The Chute (1937), Sons of the Fathers (1940), and The Little People (1942). Over the course of his career, Halper published three more novels (Only an Inch from Glory, Atlantic Avenue, The Fourth Horseman of Miami Beach), and two collections of essays and short stories. He also wrote two plays and the memoir, Good-bye, Union Square.

John E. Hart was born in Kansas in 1917. From 1954 until his retirement in 1981, he was professor of English and American Literature at Albion College in Albion, Michigan. Professor Hart's study of the American novelist Floyd Dell was published by Twayne in 1971. His

Albert Halper, also published by Twayne, appeared in 1978.

Biographical information derived from the collection.Hart, John E. "Albert Halper." The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives, Volume 1: 1981 – 1985. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: The Gale Group 2001. http://www.galenet.com/servlet/BioRC

The John E. Hart Collection regarding Albert Halper consists of correspondence relating to research and publication for Professor Hart's essay "Albert Halper's World of the Thirties" (

Twentieth Century Literature, v. 9:4, January 1964), and his book, Albert Halper (1978), part of the Twayne United States Authors Series. The collection contains both original correspondence and other material from Halper, as well as the correspondence Hart conducted with a number of individuals and institutions in connection with his research.

Hart's correspondence with Halper was conducted between 1962 and 1983. The collection includes a bibliography of Halper's work, compiled and annotated by Halper, as well as signed copies of two Halper stories that appeared in

Boys' Life and a signed copy of Halper's American Scholar essay, "Thoughts on Being Twayned."

Professor Hart's other correspondents included Halper's second wife, Lorna Blaine Halper, several academic libraries, and the Viking Press. The collection contains photocopies of Halper's correspondence (1931 – 1969) with Richard Johns, editor of the literary magazine

Pagany, obtained from the University of Delaware, and photocopies of the correspondence between Halper and the Viking Press (1931 – 1932), related to the publication of Halper's first novel, Union Square (1931). The correspondence between Hart and G.K. Hall, publishers of the Twayne series, related to the publication of Hart's book, is also part of the collection, as is a signed copy of Hart's book, Albert Halper.

Boxes 1-2: Shelved in SPEC MSS manuscript boxes

Gift of John E. Hart, January 2002

Processed by Kevin Burke, January 2002. Encloded by Jaime Margalotti, July 2021.

Publisher
University of Delaware Library Special Collections
Finding Aid Author
University of Delaware Library, Special Collections
Finding Aid Date
2021 July 22
Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections Department, University of Delaware Library, https://library.udel.edu/static/purl.php?askspec

Collection Inventory

Typed Letter Signed, 1962 January 11.
Box 1 Folder F1
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1962 February 9.
Box 1 Folder F1
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1962 October 8.
Box 1 Folder F1
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1962 November 9.
Box 1 Folder F1
Scope and Contents

Includes page 20 from a draft of Hart's

Twentieth Century Literature essay on Halper. Physical Description

2 pages

Typed Letter Signed, 1962 December 11.
Box 1 Folder F1
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1964 February 3.
Box 1 Folder F1
Scope and Contents

Refers to "the enclosed bibliography" of his work that Halper provided to Hart. (See F4)

Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1964 March 14.
Box 1 Folder F1
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1964 July 15.
Box 1 Folder F1
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1967 June 21.
Box 1 Folder F1
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1971 April 22.
Box 1 Folder F2
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1971 November 27.
Box 1 Folder F2
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1973 May 11.
Box 1 Folder F2
Scope and Contents

Includes "Chronology" of Halper's life sent by Hart to Halper and returned with corrections and annotations in Halper's hand.

Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1973 June 15.
Box 1 Folder F2
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1974 November 26.
Box 1 Folder F2
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1975 April 29.
Box 1 Folder F2
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1979 [February 16].
Box 1 Folder F2
Scope and Contents

Note: Date derived from postmark on envelope.

Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1979 February 27.
Box 1 Folder F2
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1979 March 8.
Box 1 Folder F2
Scope and Contents

Includes 2-page hand-written "Errata" of Halper's corrections to Hart's ms.

Physical Description

3 pages

Typed Letter Signed, 1979 March 31.
Box 1 Folder F2
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1980 June 3.
Box 1 Folder F2
Scope and Contents

Mentions that Halper will send copies of his stories that appeared in Boys' Life.

Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1980 April 4.
Box 1 Folder F2
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1983 April 7.
Box 1 Folder F2
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed, 1983 October 23.
Box 1 Folder F2
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter (copy), 1962 November 2.
Box 1 Folder F3
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter (copy), 1967 June 14.
Box 1 Folder F3
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter (copy), 1971 April 12.
Box 1 Folder F3
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed (copy), 1971 November 22.
Box 1 Folder F3
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter (copy), 1973 May 7.
Box 1 Folder F3
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter (copy), 1973 June 8.
Box 1 Folder F3
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter (copy), 1973 July 19.
Box 1 Folder F3
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed (copy), 1974 November 18.
Box 1 Folder F3
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed (copy), 1975 April 21.
Box 1 Folder F3
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed (copy), 1975 August 28.
Box 1 Folder F3
Scope and Contents

Includes Hart's original letter requesting

biographical information with annotations by

Halper, a carbon copy of the letter, and a photocopy of Hart's "Chronology" of Halper's life with annotations and corrections by Halper.

Physical Description

5 pages

Typed Letter (copy), 1979 February 12.
Box 1 Folder F3
Scope and Contents

Includes annotations and corrections in Hart's hand.

Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed (copy), 1980 March 29.
Box 1 Folder F3
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter (copy), 1980 May 27.
Box 1 Folder F3
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter (copy), 1980 June 21.
Box 1 Folder F3
Scope and Contents

Acknowledges receipt from Halper of two issues of

Boys' Life containing stories by Halper. Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed (copy), 1983 March 31.
Box 1 Folder F3
Physical Description

1 page

Typed Letter Signed (copy), 1983 October 19.
Box 1 Folder F3
Physical Description

1 page

Albert Halper bibliography.
Box 1 Folder F4
Scope and Contents

Bibliography of Halper's publications from Jan 1929 through Nov 1959 with annotations by Halper and Hart, sent by Halper to Hart in 1964.

Boys' Life, 1974 March.
Box 1 Folder F5
Scope and Contents

Includes Halper's story, "His Father's Shirt Sleeves," signed by Halper.

Boys' Life, 1974 December.
Box 1 Folder F6
Scope and Contents

Includes Halper's story, "The Hannukkah Bush," signed by Halper.

The American Scholar, 1981/1982 Winter.
Box 1 Folder F7
Scope and Contents

Includes Halper's essay, "Thoughts on Being Twayned," signed by Halper.

Twentieth Century Literature, 1964 January.
Box 1 Folder F8
Scope and Contents

Includes Hart's essay, "Albert Halper's World of the Thirties."

Lorna Blaine Halper and Thomas Halper correspondence.
Box 1 Folder F9
Scope and Contents

Includes copies of two typed letters from Hart to Lorna Blaine Halper, Albert Halper's second wife; a note and a card from Lorna Halper to Hart; and a copy of a letter from Hart to Thomas Halper, Albert Halper's son.

Physical Description

6 items

Granville Hicks correspondence, 1967 - 1971.
Box 2 Folder F10
Scope and Contents

Includes 2 Typed Notes Signed from Hicks in response to queries from Hart in connection with his research on Floyd Dell and Halper, and a copy of a Typed Letter from Hart to Hicks.

Physical Description

3 items

University of Delaware correspondence.
Box 2 Folder F11
Scope and Contents

Includes copies of Albert Halper's correspondence with Richard Johns, editor of

Pagany magazine (originals at University of Delaware Library).
Viking Press correspondence.
Box 2 Folder F12
Scope and Contents

Includes responses from Marshall Best, senior editor at Viking, to Hart's requests for publication information on Halper's books; also contains copies of Halper's early correspondence with Viking (1931-1934) related to the publication of his first book,

Union Square.
Correspondence related to Halper's publication history.
Box 2 Folder F13
Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence with Harper & Row, The Literary Guild, the Princeton University Library, and others regarding publication of Halper's books and availability of Halper's correspondence with his publishers.

Correspondence related to bibliographical research.
Box 2 Folder F14
Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence to a number of institutions and individuals regarding bibliographic information on the original periodical publication of Halper's stories. Correspondents include The Library of Congress, The Newberry Library, and The University of Maryland Library. A substantial portion of the correspondence is concerned with identifying

Parade magazine, an obscure literary magazine of the 1930's.
Correspondence related to biographical research.
Box 2 Folder F15
Scope and Contents

Includes information about Halper's early education and employment, as well as his subsequent career. Correspondents include the Chicago Board of Education, The Library of Congress, The Newberry Library, and others.

Material related to the publication of Albert Halper.
Box 2 Folder F16
Scope and Contents

Includes correspondence and other material related to the publication of John E. Hart's book,

Albert Harper, in G.K. Hall's Twayne United States Authors Series.
Personal correspondence.
Box 2 Folder F17
Scope and Contents

Includes 3 Typed Letters Signed from "Lotus," a professor at Keuka College and a friend of Hart's. Letters contain commentary on the manuscript of Hart's book.

Signed copy of Albert Halper by John E. Hart.
Box 2 Folder F18
Scope and Contents

Hart's book length study of Halper done for Twayne's United States Author Series. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1980

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