AHJ_ah10902 Inventory of the Richard Harrity papers, 1870-1972 Harrity (Richard) papers Processed by Emily Christopherson The creation of the EAD-version of this finding aid has been made possible through a grant from the National Historic Publications and Records Commission. University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.
American Heritage Center Dept. 3924, 1000 E. University Avenue University of Wyoming Laramie, WY 82071 Phone: 307.766.2574 Fax:307.766.5511 Email:ahcref@uwyo.edu URL:http://ahc.uwyo.edu/
2011

University of Wyoming

 Finding aid encoded by Emily Christopherson March 2011 Finding aid is in English Collection Summary Harrity, Richard Richard Harrity papers 1870-1972 10902 19.04 cubic ft. (24 boxes) University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center. English The papers of Richard Harrity, a playwright, travel writer, and author of non-fiction pictorial works. Biography of Richard Harrity

Born in Virginia in 1907, Richard Harrity was a playwright and author. As a youth, Harrity was part of a family vaudeville act whose history he described in his book, "The World Famous Harrity Family." Harrity enlisted in the army where he served as a G.I. journalist writing and editing for several military publications through WWII. In the 1950s, Harrity worked for a few gubernatorial campaigns. In 1955, Harrity was hired by Cosmopolitan to write travel articles, and traveled to over 90 countries. He also wrote plays during the 1940s, such as "Hope Is a Thing with Feathers" and “A Shovelful of Stars.” In the 1950s and 1960s, Harrity was known for his pictorial biographies, such as "Eleanor Roosevelt: Her Life in Pictures," "The Human Side of F.D.R.," and "Man of the Century: Churchill," written with Ralph G. Martin. He was a featured writer for "Cosmopolitan," "Look," and other magazines. He died in New Hampshire in 1973.

 Scope and Content

The collection contains manuscripts and notes of Harrity's books, plays, and articles as well as related correspondence. There are also original copies of the magazines carrying some of his articles. A large portion of the collection consists of photographs collected by Harrity for use in his books and articles, which were heavily pictorial. Prominent topics represented include prohibition, gangsters and assassins, Berlin and Germany (especially during WWII), presidents and political parties, and a variety of images representing the 20th century up to 1965. A manuscript and photographs of his youth in a family vaudeville act (The World Famous Harrity Family) are also present. The collection also contains unpublished plays and books created by Harrity, as well as audio tapes of readings from the author's works.

 Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

 Copyright Information

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

 Related Materials

There are no known other archival collections created by Richard Harrity at the date of processing.

 Acquisition Information

This material was received from Richard Craven (Richard Harrity's step-son) in April 1974

 Processing Information

The collection was processed by Emily Christopherson in March 2011

 Preferred Citation

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

 Access Terms Harrity family. Authors--United States. Dramatists--United States. Photojournalism. Biography--20th century--Portraits. Europe--Description and travel. Photographs. Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Performing Arts Journalism Photographs Container List Series I. Non-fiction works 1870-1971

Arranged alphabetically by topic and manuscript title. This series contains photographs, manuscripts, notes, and correspondence relating to the non-fiction pictorial works written by Richard Harrity, not all of which were published.

 1 "20th Century" (article for Look magazine) - notes and photographs 1900-1965 18 "20th Century" - magazine lay-out 1900-1965 17 "20th Century" - matted photographs 1900-1965 6 "America on the Rocks: The Fantastic Story of Prohibition" - prohibition notes, photographs, and book mock-up circa 1920-1969 19 "America on the Rocks: The Fantastic Story of Prohibition" - matted photographs circa 1920-1969 24 "America on the Rocks: The Fantastic Story of Prohibition"/"How Dry We Were" - cover mock-up undated 19 "America on the Rocks: The Wild Story of Prohibition" - final article in Look magazine undated 6 Angkor Wat - newspaper clippings 1970-1971 5 "The Belly of Paris Will Be Transplanted" (Les Halles) - notes, photographs, book mock-up circa 1968 18 "Berlin: The Problem City of the Western World, 1871-1971" - book mock-up circa 1968 2-3 "Berlin: The Problem City of the Western World, 1871-1971" - research, notes, and photographs 1870-1968, undated 24 "Berlin: The Problem City of the Western World, 1871-1971" - research, notes, and photographs undated 4 Cardinal Leger - notes and photographs 1968-1969 20 Cardinal Leger - research material 1968-1969 8 Charlie Chaplin - photographs undated 24 Charlie Chaplin - "I am Here Today: Look and Flip With Fun" cover mock-up undated 8 Cosmopolitan magazine travel articles and correspondence 1957-1961 6 Eleanor Roosevelt - research, notes, and photographs circa 1894-1960 20 Eleanor Roosevelt - research material and photographs circa 1894-1960 5 "Face of the Killer" ("Face of Crime") - notes and photographs undated 5 Gangsters and assassins - notes and photographs circa 1920-1968 4 "The Great American Bandwagon: 64 Years of Presidential Campaigns, 1900-1964" - text and captions undated 10 Ideas 1965-1967, undated 7-8 "Lenin: The Chilling Story Behind the Man Who Created the Communist Threat to Our World" - text and photographs undated 4 Madame Tussaud - notes and photographs 1965, undated 8 "A Memorable Christmas Eve," undated 23 Miscellaneous photographs undated 24 New York Journal newspaper cover featuring the San Francisco earthquake 1906 April 18 10 Notes - miscellaneous undated 10 Notes and articles to be sorted undated 16 Notes and pamphlets - Germany, Berlin, and Vienna undated 4 "Our Two Party System…And How It Grew" - notes and photographs undated 8 Pestalozzi Children's Village circa 1964 8 Portuguese bullfights - photographs undated 20 Presidents - research material and photographs undated 8 "Report in Red: Stalin and Khrushchev in Pictures" - Photographs undated 5 Scotland Yard - notes circa 1951 5 Tower of London - research and notes undated 6 "Unforgettable Madame Ritz," undated 22 Unidentified photographs undated 5 Violence - newspaper clippings 1968-1969, undated 18 "Windswept Irish Edge of Europe: The Aran Islands" - article in Look magazine 1969 21 "The World Famous Harrity Family" - book mock-up 1967-1970 9 "The World Famous Harrity Family" - notes, text, photographs, and reviews 1967-1970 22 "The World Famous Harrity Family" - photographs circa 1967-1970 Series II. Plays and scripts 1945-1971

Arranged alphabetically by title. This series contains scripts and plays written by Richard Harrity, including many which were unpublished. Some files also include related correspondence and notes.

 13 "Alarums and Excursions: A Green Comedy," 1971 13 Biography and first story, "Bacchanalia," undated 13 "The Dogface Sonata," undated 13 "Gone Tomorrow," undated 13 "Ha-Shym Yirah," 1967 10 Hollywood play 1968-1969 13 "Home Life of a Buffalo," undated 13 "Hope Is a Thing With Feathers," 1949 17 "Hope Is a Thing With Feathers" - watercolor by R. Marsh 1945 13 "March Twenty-Fourth," undated 10 Miscellaneous script fragments 1971 10 "Once Upon a Time - Jack and the Beanstalk," 1951 10 Plays circa 1950 13 "A Rift in the Lute," undated 10 "A Shovelful of Stars," 1964-1970 11 "A Smoked Irish Fairy Tale," undated 12 "Solitude Without Loneliness," 1962-1970 10 "The Sweet Mossy Banks," undated 10 "Tante Loes," 1970 Series III. Personal and professional files 1948-1972

Arranged alphabetically by file name. This series contains correspondence, plays and stories written by other authors, and other miscellaneous files.

 15 "Beyond Summer" by John Farris 1970 13 Books in French undated 15 Correspondence 1968-1971 14 Correspondence - Christmas cards undated 14 Correspondence - condolences on his wife's death 1967 15 Correspondence - letter from C.R. Roberts (Brigadier General of USAF) to Representative H. R. Cross 1964 15 Correspondence - letter to Aileen 1967 14 Correspondence - postcards undated 13 Dr. David Gurewitsch photographs undated 14 Family photograph undated 13 Florida University Theatre circa 1968 15 Foreign addresses undated 13 Funny pictures and captions 1966 13 Hecht review undated 13 Irish addresses undated 13 Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts publication 1971-1972 22 Key to the city of San Francisco undated 15 "A Man for All Seasons" by Mai Harris 1966 13 Mirria La Cambra photographs 1966 13 Miscellaneous articles undated 15 Miscellaneous - notes, clippings, and photographs undated 14 Personal files 1969-1971 13 Political cartoon undated 14 Prayers and religious momentos undated 13 Prime Minister Sirimavo Pandaranaike article 1964 13 Roosevelt Productions - Actor's Studio presentation undated 13 Rudest city undated 15 "The Sacred and the Profane" by Mary Roelofs Stott 1968 13 Saxerriet circa 1969 15 Short writings by Mary Roelofs Stott 1968 13 Simon and Schuster royalty statement 1969 13 Stars and Stripes 1966 20 Stars and Stripes - photographs undated 15 "Swiss Open Prison" by Robert Milnes undated 13 Thespis Uptight 1969 13 Travel and Leisure magazine 1972 13 Universal Declaration of Human Rights - U.N. 1948, 1950 13 Via Veneto photographs undated Series IV. Audio and visual materials undated

Arranged by media type. This series primarily contains audio readings of Harrity's works, slides and negatives (mostly from Europe trips), and microfilm of his plays.

 16 Audio - Avis Rapetto 16 Audio - Camelot 16 Audio - Cardinal Leger 16 Audio - JFK speech excerpts 16 Audio - Saxerriet 16 Audio - A Shovelful of Stars 16 Audio - Solitude Without Loneliness 16 Audio - Unidentified 16 Film - Berlin wall (Burr Tillstrom hand ballet) 16 Film - Dick Craven 16 Microfilm - "Alarums and Excursions: A Green Comedy" by Richard Harrity 16 Microfilm - "A Shovelful of Stars" by Richard Harrity 16 Microfilm - "Solitude Without Loneliness" by Richard Harrity 16 Microfilm - Unidentified 16 Negatives - Miscellaneous 16 Slides - Europe trip 16 Slides - bulllfights 16 Slides - cemetery 16 Slides - unidentified 16 Slides - Hitler 16 Slides - Germany