Lenniger Literary Agency records , 1926-1975

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Lenniger Literary Agency
Title
Lenniger Literary Agency records
Dates
1926-1975 (inclusive)
Quantity
67.5 linear feet, (47 containers)
Collection Number
Ax 073
Summary
The Lenniger Literary Agency was founded in 1923 by August Lenniger. Its purpose was to place a writer's books and stories with publishers and to negotiate with the publishers. August Lenniger and Edith Margolis corresponded with hundreds of agency clients. The letters concern editing and sales of manuscripts, requirements and house rules of publishers, the state of the literary market, and personal problems of the writers. The collection contains correspondence, published works, manuscripts and other miscellaneous material.
Repository
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.

Additional Reference Guides

See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Lenniger Literary Agency was founded in 1923 by August Lenniger. Its purpose was to place a writer's books and stories with publishers and to negotiate with the publishers. August Lenniger and Edith Margolis corresponded with hundreds of agency clients. The letters concern editing and sales of manuscripts, requirements and house rules of publishers, the state of the literary market, and personal problems of the writers.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Lenniger Literary Agency Records include correspondence with clients of the agency, totaling over 10,000 letters. The Lenniger Agency was represented by August Lenniger and Edith Margolis. In addition to correspondence, there are literary manuscripts, books of published advertisements, account ledgers, published copies of books written in several languages and other miscellaneous items relating to the publication of manuscripts.

The long and detailed letters between the agents and their clients concern the problems of writing, editing, and selling contemporary publishers; and the personal problems that the agent shares with his clients. It is unusual to see a collection containing more personal information concerning the craft of writing than does this collection.

The Lenniger clients represent recognized writers within almost every field of contemporary fiction. The writers are novelists, masters of the short story, or specialists within a literary genre.

In the box and folder list, the folders simply marked with a letter of the alphabet signify that there is correspondence with multiple authors within.

The researcher should also note that some of the folders of correspondence also contain other items such as clippings, tear sheets, dust jackets, manuscript outlines, fragments and drafts. Some of the folders also contain royalty statements, contracts, personal information about the author, photographs and other such items.

The Lenniger Literary Agency Records were acquired over a several-year period and are described as they were received; therefore, the collection, in its numeric box order, contains groups of materials located intermittently throughout the collection.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Authors, American--20th century--Correspondence
  • Literary agents--United States--Correspondence
  • Publishers and publishing--Correspondence

Personal Names

  • Lenniger, August
  • Margolis, Edith
  • Payne, John K.

Corporate Names

  • Western Writers of America

Form or Genre Terms

  • Correspondence