A.J. Liebling collection, 1920-1963.
Collection Number: 4613

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cornell University Library


DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
A.J. Liebling collection, 1920-1963.
Repository:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Collection Number:
4613
Abstract:
Manuscripts, correspondence, and other papers of A.J. Liebling, an American journalist who served as reporter and columnist for the New Yorker magazine from 1935-1963.
Creator:
Liebling, A. J. (Abbott Joseph), 1904-1963.
Stafford, Jean, 1915-
Liebling, Anna.
Liebling, Joseph.
Liebling, Ann Beatrice McGinn.
Liebling, A. J. (Abbott Joseph), 1904-1963. (Title of work: Press..)
Liebling, A. J. (Abbott Joseph), 1904-1963. (Title of work: Between Meals..)
Liebling, A. J. (Abbott Joseph), 1904-1963. (Title of work: Honest Rainmaker..)
Liebling, A. J. (Abbott Joseph), 1904-1963. (Title of work: Pigs of St. Lô..)
Quanitities:
15 cubic feet.
Language:
Collection material in English

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

American journalist, who served as reporter and columnist for the New Yorker magazine from 1935-1963.

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Manuscripts, correspondence, galley proofs, printed articles, newspaper clippings, photographs, documents, and a few tapes and films, spanning Liebling's entire career as a journalist. The collection consists largely of typewritten drafts for hundreds of articles Liebling wrote for the New Yorker magazine, with his extensive autograph corrections, including his articles for the columns "Talk of the Town," "Our Far-Flung Correspondents," "A Reporter at Large," "Profiles," "The Wayward Press," "Fiction and Talk," "Letters From Paris" (1939-1944), "Normandy Revisited," and "Comment," as well as miscellaneous untitled articles. Also included are notes and drafts for his books The Press, Between Meals, The Honest Rainmaker, and The Pigs of St. Lô, as well as book reviews and stories he published in the New Yorker. The "Letters From Paris" articles give a firsthand account of life in Paris during World War II, mainly from 1939-1940, while "The Wayward Press" comments, often critically, on the practices of American journalism, especially in the Hearst and the McCormick newspapers.Also included are extensive notes and drafts for a book on Henry Luce and the Time empire which Liebling never published.
Correspondence includes letters from Liebling to his parents, Joseph and Anna Liebling, describing his life as a student at Dartmouth and at the Sorbonne in the early 1920's, and later letters to them which describe Paris before the Nazi occupation and London during the blitz. Other correspondents include Liebling's first wife, Ann (Beatrice McGinn) Liebling, and Jean Stafford, who became his third wife.

RELATED MATERIALS

Large related collections of the papers of New Yorker writers E.B. White, Frank Sullivan, and Morris Bishop are also held in the repository.

INFORMATION FOR USERS

Cite As:

A.J. Liebling collection, #4613. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.

SUBJECTS

Names:
Liebling, A. J. (Abbott Joseph), 1904-1963.
Hearst, William Randolph.
Places:
United States -- Intellectual life -- 20th century.
New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs.
New York (N.Y.) -- Description and travel.
Paris (France) -- Description and travel.
Paris (France) -- History.
France -- Description and travel.
France -- History -- German occupation, 1940-1944.
Subjects:
World War, 1939-1945 -- France -- Normandy.
World War, 1939-1945 -- France -- Paris.
World War, 1939-1945 -- France.
Journalism -- United States.

CONTAINER LIST
Container
Description
Date
Manuscripts
Box 1
Between Meals
Box 2
Books reviews
Box 3
"...Correspondents..."
1936-1957
Box 4
Fiction and "Talk of the Town" A-M
Box 5
Fiction and "Talk of the Town" N-Z
Box 6
The Honest Rainmaker
"Letters from Paris"
Box 7
Oct. 1939-Oct. 1944
Box 8
Nov. 1944-Aug. 1952
Box 9
Sept. 1952-Sept. 1960
Box 10
Miscellaneous factual pieces A-P
Box 11
Miscellaneous factual pieces R-Z
Box 12
"Note and Comment"
Box 13
"Normandy Revisited"
Box 14
Profiles A-H
Box 15
Profiles I-Z
Box 16
The Press
"Reporter at Large"
Box 17
A-C
Box 18
D-G
Box 19
H-M
Box 20
N-T
Box 21
U-Z
Box 22
The Wayward Press A-M
Box 23
The Wayward Press N-Z
Manuscripts by others
Box 24
A-C
Box 25
D-Z
Box 26
James Munves [Time notes]
Documents
Box 27
Including Publishing Agreements
Outgoing correspondence
Box 28
Family
1920-1944
Box 29
Friends and business
Box 30
Jean Stafford
1915-1963
Incoming correspondence
Box 31
1936-1959
Box 32
1960-1964
Correspondence
Box 33
By and to others
Reviews and articles
Box 34
Reviews and articles
Box 35
Reviews and articles
Box 36
Miscellaneous clippings
Box 37
Photographs
Miscellaneous
Box 38
Miscellaneous
Box 39 Folder 1
New York World-Telegram
1934
Box 39 Folder 2
New York World-Telegram
1935
Box 39 Folder 3
The New Yorker
1959
Box 39 Folder 4
The New Yorker
1960
Box 39 Folder 5
The New Yorker
1961
Box 39 Folder 6
The New Yorker
1962
Box 39 Folder 7
The New Yorker
1963-64
Box 39 Folder 9
Letters to and from Ann Liebling, article regarding her death
Box 39 Folder 10
Draft of Liebling's "Algerie," misc. articles
Box 39 Folder 11
Drafts of "Action in the Desert" and "Earl Long-I" by Liebling
Box 39 Folder 12
Misc. drafts by Liebling, "T.V. Views the Press" script
Box 39 Folder 13
Misc. editorial notes
Box 39 Folder 14
Misc. letters and notes for Liebling's biography
Box 39
Misc. items including passports, note files, and notepads
Box 40 Folder 1
New York World-Telegram, The World
1930-31
Box 40 Folder 2
New York World-Telegram
1932
Box 40 Folder 3
New York World-Telegram
1933
Box 40 Folder 4
The New Yorker
1936-38
Box 40 Folder 5
The New Yorker
1939
Box 40 Folder 6
The New Yorker
1940
Box 40 Folder 7
The New Yorker
1941
Box 40 Folder 8
The New Yorker
1942
Box 40 Folder 9
The New Yorker
1943
Box 40 Folder 10
The New Yorker
1944
Box 40 Folder 11
The New Yorker
1945-46
Box 40 Folder 12
The New Yorker
1947-48
Box 40 Folder 13
The New Yorker
1949
Box 40 Folder 14
The New Yorker
1950
Box 40 Folder 15
The New Yorker
1951-52
Box 40 Folder 16
The New Yorker
1953-54
Box 40 Folder 17
The New Yorker
1955
Box 40 Folder 18
The New Yorker
1956
Box 40 Folder 19
The New Yorker
1957
Box 40 Folder 20
The New Yorker
1958
Box 40 Folder 21
The Observer
1955-1957
Box 40 Folder 22
Short story draft by Liebling regarding Gafsa (photocopy)
Box 40 Folder 23
Misc. draft by Liebling (photocopy)
Box 40 Folder 24
Misc. drafts by Liebling (photocopy)
Box 40 Folder 25
Short story draft by Liebling (?)
Box 40 Folder 26
Draft of Liebling's "The Girl with the Cauliflower Ear: A Romance" (photocopy)
Box 40 Folder 27
Liebling's "Sur La Piste de Mollie" (photocopy)
Box 40 Folder 28
Letters to family from Liebling (photocopy)
Box 40 Folder 29
Letters to Jean Stafford, misc. letters and articles (photocopy)
Box 40 Folder 30
Letters to Jean Staffford, misc. letters (photocopy)
Box 40 Folder 31
Misc. letters from Liebling (photocopy)
Box 40 Folder 32
Misc. letters from Liebling (photocopy)
Box 40 Folder 33
Misc. letters and documents (photocopy)
Box 40 Folder 34
Raymond Sokolov's research for Liebling's biography
Box 40 Folder 35
Misc. letters and articles for biography
Box 40 Folder 36
Misc. letters and articles
Box 40 Folder 37
Misc. writings
Box 40 Folder 38
Misc. articles by Liebling (photocopy)
Box 40 Folder 39
Horse Racing Programs (photocopy)
Box 40 Folder 40
Misc. articles