Guide to the E. B. White Collection,
1899-1985

Collection Number: 4619

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cornell University Library

Contact Information:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
2B Carl A. Kroch Library
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
(607) 255-3530
Fax: (607) 255-9524
rareref@cornell.edu
http://rmc.library.cornell.edu
EAD encoding:
Martin Heggestad, June 2003
Date modified:
Jude Corina, August 2012

© 2002 Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library

DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
E. B. White collection, 1899-1985.
Collection Number:
4619
Creator:
E. B. (Elwyn Brooks) White, 1899-
Quantity:
96.9 linear ft.
Forms of Material:
Manuscripts, letters, documents, clippings, photographs, filmstrips, film reels, notecards, cassette tapes, bound photocopies, medals, and awards.
Repository:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library
Abstract:
Manuscripts, letters, documents, clippings, photographs, filmstrips, film reels, notecards, cassette tapes, bound photocopies, medals and awards by, to, or about E.B. White, spanning the entire range of his activities throughout his life.
Language:
Collection material in English

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

American essayist and author.
COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Manuscripts, letters, documents, clippings, photographs, filmstrips, film reels, notecards, cassette tapes, bound photocopies, medals and awards by, to, or about E.B. White, spanning the entire range of his activities throughout his life. Letters consist of ca. 3,000 letters by White and 25,000 letters to him from others; manuscripts include drafts, notes, and some galley proofs for his books Charlotte's Web, The Elements of Style, the Essays of E.B. White, the Letters of E.B. White, One Man's Meat, The Points of My Compass, Poems and Sketches, and Stuart Little, as well as drafts of his "Notes and comment" and "Talk of the Town" columns for the New Yorker magazine from 1934-1953. Printed items include White's contributions to the New Yorker and other magazines, his editorials for his high school newspaper, and ca. 350 articles about him, including interviews and reviews. Photographs include a large portrait photo of White, ca. 1950, and a family group photo taken at the 50th wedding anniversary of Samuel T. White and Jesse White in 1929, with E.B. and Katherine Sergeant White included in the group. Films include Maine lobsterman, narrated by White and produced for the television show Omnibus in 1954, and The family that dwelt apart, written and also narrated by White.
Correspondents include: Katharine Sergeant White (his wife), James Thurber, Frank Sullivan, Harold Ross, William Shawn, Gus Lobrano, S.J. Perelman, Nathaniel Benchley, Howard Cushman, Alice Burchfield Sumner, Scott Elledge, and publishers such as Harper & Row, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, and Macmillan.
SUBJECTS

Names:
White, E. B. (Elwyn Brooks), 1899-
Benchley, Nathaniel, 1915-
Cushman, Howard.
Elledge, Scott.
Lobrano, Gustav Stubbs.
Perelman, S. J. (Sidney Joseph), 1904-
Ross, Harold Wallace, 1892-1951.
Shawn, William.
Sullivan, Frank, 1892-
Sumner, Alice Burchfield.
Thurber, James, 1894-1961.
White, Katharine Sergeant Angell.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Inc.
Harper & Row, Publishers.
Macmillan & Co.

Titles:
New Yorker.

Subjects:
American literature--20th century.
Journalism--United States.
American literature--History and criticism.
American fiction--20th century--Sources.
American wit and humor.
Authors, American.
Humorists, American.

Form and Genre Terms:
Photographs.
Portraits.
INFORMATION FOR USERS

Restrictions on use:
By appointment only. Researchers may view one folder at a time.
Cite As:
E. B. White collection, #4619. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
RELATED MATERIALS

Book collection also held at the repository, including virtually all editions of White's books. Related manuscript and book collections also held at the repository concerning New Yorker writers A.J. Liebling, Frank Sullivan, and James Thurber.
COLLECTION ARRANGEMENT

Organized into the following major series: Manuscripts by White; miscellaneous printed material; letters received by White; letters written by him; fan letters received by him; and other materials.
Manuscripts arranged alphabetically by book title; letters received by White, alphabetically by correspondent; letters written by White, in chronological order; fan letters received, alphabetically by subject.
CONTAINER LIST

Description
Container
Manuscripts
A-Cg
 Box 1
Charlotte's Web
Box 2-3
Che-K
 Box 4
Elements of Style 1 1st and 2nd edition
Box 5
Elements of Style 2 2nd edition
Box 6
Essays of E. B. White galley proofs
Box 263
Letters of E.B. White
1
 Box 7
2
 Box 8
3
 Box 9
L-Le
 Box 10
Letters typescript
I-VI
 Box 11
VII-X
 Box 12
XI-
 Box 13
Letters Letters omitted
I-X
 Box 14
XI-XX
 Box 15
XXI-XXIX
 Box 16
XXX-XXXIX
 Box 17
XL-XLIX
 Box 18
L-LIX
 Box 19
Letters footnotes
I-VIII
 Box 20
IX-XVI
 Box 21
XVII-XXIII
 Box 22
XXIX-XXXI
 Box 23
XXXII-XXXVII
 Box 24
XXXVIII-XLIX
 Box 25
Letters queries
I-V
 Box 26
VI-X
 Box 27
Letters gallery
A
 Box 28
B (1)
 Box 29
B (2)
 Box 30
C
 Box 31
D
 Box 32
E
 Box 33
E + F
 Box 34
F + G
 Box 35
F + Misc.
 Box 36
Page proofs
 Box 37
Lf-Note
 Box 38
"Notes and Comments"
July 7, 1934-June 29, 1935
Box 39
July 6, 1935-June 27, 1936
Box 40
July 4, 1936-Nov. 4, 1939
Box 41
Feb. 3, 1940-Dec. 30, 1944
Box 42
1945-1947
Box 43
1948-1950
Box 44
Jan. 6, 1951-June 20, 1953
Box 45
July 18, 1953-
Box 46
O-One Man's Meat
Box 47
One Man's Meat-Onward and Upward in
Box 48
"Onward and Upward with the Arts"-Poem
 Box 49
Poems and Sketches
1
 Box 50
2
 Box 51
3
 Box 52
4
 Box 53
Poems-Points
 Box 54
Points of My Compass - final draft and postscript
Box 55
Poj-Stt
 Box 56
Stu-Th
 Box 57
Ti-Z
 Box 58
Outgoing correspondence
n.d.-1910
Box 59
1911-1935
Box 60
1936-1941
Box 61
1942-1947
Box 62
1948
Box 63
1949-Feb. 1950
Box 64
Mar. 1950-1951
Box 65
1952-Apr. 1953
Box 66
May 1953-1954
Box 67
1955-1958
Box 68
1959-1963
Box 69
1964-1969
Box 70
1970-1973
Box 71
1974-Apr. 1976
Box 72
May 1976-Mar. 1977
Box 73
Apr. 1977-Oct. 1977
Box 74
Nov. 1977-Apr. 1978
Box 75
May 1978-Dec. 1978
Box 76
1979
Box 77
1980
Box 78
1981
Box 79
1982
Box 80
1983-1984
Box 81
E.B.W. to S. Elledge
 Box 82
New Yorker Book A-I
 Box 83
New Yorker Book J-Rosr
 Box 84
New Yorker Book Ross, Harold Wallace
 Box 85
New Yorker Book Rost-Z
 Box 86
Incoming correspondence
A-Alk
 Box 87
All-Allen, Q
 Box 88
Allen, R-Anf
 Box 89
Ang-Angell, Q
 Box 90
Angell, Roger-Atk
 Box 91
Atl-Bd
 Box 92
Be-Bez
 Box 93
Bf-Bl
 Box 94
Bm-Brc
 Box 95
Brd-Brittingham, L
 Box 96
Brittingham, M-Brown, Q
 Box 97
Brown, R-Bz
 Box 98
C-Cd
 Box 99
Ce-Cld
 Box 100
Cle-Con
 Box 101
Coo-Corn
 Box 102
Cornell Dept. of Rare Books A-H
 Box 103
Cornell Dept. of Rare Books I-Z
 Box 104
Coro-Ct
 Box 105
Cu-Cushman, H (1959)
 Box 106
Cushman, H (1960)-Cz
 Box 107
Da
 Box 108
Db-Dh
 Box 109
Di-Dz
 Box 110
E-Em
 Box 111
En-Ez
 Box 112
F-Fh
 Box 113
Fi-Fl
 Box 114
Fm-Fz
 Box 115
G-Gn
 Box 116
Go-Grd
 Box 117
Gre-Gs
 Box 118
Gt-Gus
 Box 119
Gut-Gz
 Box 120
H-Haro
 Box 121
Harper-Harper, firm (1947)
 Box 122
Harper, firm 1947-1959
 Box 123
Harper, firm 1960-
 Box 124
Harper's-Hd
 Box 125
He
 Box 126
Hf-Hn
 Box 127
Hoa-Hot
 Box 128
Hou-Hz
 Box 129
I-Illian, K
 Box 130
Illian, L-Iz
 Box 131
J
 Box 132
Ka-Ke
 Box 133
Kf-Kz
 Box 134
L-Lea
 Box 135
Leb-Loa
 Box 136
Lob-Loq
 Box 137
Lor-Lz
 Box 138
M-Macl
 Box 139
Macm
 Box 140
Macn-Marb
 Box 141
Marc-Md
 Box 142
Me-Moo
 Box 143
Mop-Mz
 Box 144
N-New Yorker (1947)
Box 145
New Yorker 1948-1981
Box 146
New Yorker (various)
Box 147
New Yorker A-O
Box 148
Pa-Pd
 Box 149
Pe
 Box 150
Pf-Pp
 Box 151
Po-Q
 Box 152
R-Rh
 Box 153
Ri-Rn
 Box 154
Ro-Rosr
 Box 155
Ross-Rz
 Box 156
S-Sd
 Box 157
Se-Sh
 Box 158
Si-Smith, Edm
 Box 159
Smith, Edn-Staa
 Box 160
Stab
 Box 161
Stac-Ste
 Box 162
Stix and Gude
 Box 163
Stf-Stt
 Box 164
Stu-Sz
 Box 165
Sumner, Alice Birchfield (outgoing)
 Box 166
T-Tg
 Box 167
Temple, Martha White
 Box 168
Tha-Thurber, H
 Box 169
Thurber, J-Thz
 Box 170
Ti-Tz
 Box 171
U-V
 Box 172
W-Wa
 Box 173
Wb-Whh
 Box 174
White, Allene
 Box 175
Whi-White, E.
 Box 176
White, F-White, Jessie
 Box 177
Joel White manuscripts and correspondence 1936-1950
Box 178
Joel White manuscripts and correspondence 1950-
Box 179
White, Katharine Sergeant
undated-1933 (outgoing)
Box 180
1934-1949 (outgoing)
Box 181
1950-1977 (outgoing)
Box 182
A-Scott Elledge
 Box 183
L-Ss
 Box 184
White, Stanley Hart
 Box 185
Stb-Wie
 Box 186
Wif-Will
 Box 187
Williamson-Wim
 Box 188
Wiri-Wri
 Box 189
Wrj-Z
 Box 190
Miscellaneous and solicitations
undated-1977
Box 191
1977-1978
Box 192
1979-1984
Box 193
Reader's mail from Harper's
1
 Box 194
2
 Box 195
3
 Box 196
4
 Box 197
Incoming correspondence from readers
A-C
 Box 198
Charlotte's Web
Box 199-201
Charlotte's Web-Elements
Box 202
Elements-General
Box 203
General
 Box 204-209
General-K
 Box 210
Letters of E.B. White
Box 211-212
Le-One
 Box 213
Onf-Stt
 Box 214
Stuart Little
Box 215
Stuart Little-Sympathy
Box 216
Sympathy-Z
 Box 217
1983-1984
Box 218
1984-1985
Box 219
Photographs
EBW alone or with others
 Box 220A
Others
 Box 220B
S.T. White's stereoptican collection
 Box 221
Miscellaneous printed material
1910-1929
Box 222
1930-1939
Box 223
1940-1949
Box 224
1960-1969
Box 226
1970-1975
Box 227
1976-
Box 228
Box 229
Whiteiana
Box 230
Medals, awards, etc.
I
 Box 231
II
 Box 232
Clippings
Box 233
1977-1978
Box 234
(sorted)
 Box 235
Box II
 Box 236
Miscellaneous
 Box 237
About E.B. White 1
 Box 238
About E.B. White 2
 Box 239
and miscellaneous
 Box 240
Harper & Row files
Trade I (Property of Harper & Row)
 Box 241
Trade II (Property of Harper & Row)
 Box 242
Various (Property of Harper & Row)
 Box 243
Scott Elledge, E.B. White: A Biography
Galley proofs
1
 Box 244
2
 Box 245
3
 Box 246
4
 Box 247
First draft and photographs and negatives
 Box 248
Second draft, Chapters I-VII
 Box 249
Second draft, Chapters VII-X
 Box 250
First complete text, Chapters I-IV
 Box 250
First complete text, Chapters V-X
 Box 251
Second text ( 1980 ), Chapters I-X
 Box 252
Second text ( 1980 ), Chapters XI-XV
 Box 253
Typescript, Chapters XI-XVIII (annotated)
 Box 253
Copy-edited typescript
 Box 254
Katherine Romans Hall, E.B. White: A Bibliographic Catalogue
Original manuscript
 Box 255
Publisher's copy I
 Box 256
Publisher's copy II
 Box 257
Printed scrapbook
Box 258
Scott Elledge note cards
Box 259
Miscellaneous (oversize)
Box 260
Addenda
Outgoing correspondence to Albert, Mildred, and William White, 1943-1981
Box 261
Addenda
Stuart Little roadster19--
Box 262