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Joseph Hergesheimer Letter

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 0163

Scope and Contents

The letter in this collection, dated January 23, 1930, was written to Pierre Bosman in Johannesburg, South Africa, and includes the original envelope postmarked January 27, 1930. Writing from The Dower House in Westchester, Pennsylvania, Hergesheimer says "... The Party Dress has been cut down in the Cosmopolitan. That changes the proportions. It has, as well, been a little cooled off ... It will be published April 4 this year and I'll send you a copy. The Limestone Tree is almost another year off as a book." The Party Dress was published in 1930, and The Limestone Tree was published in 1931.

Dates

  • 1930

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is retained by the creators of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information. Please see our Sensitive Materials Statement.

Biographical or Historical Information

Born February 15, 1880 in Philadelphia, Joseph Hergesheimer was the son of Joseph and Helen MacKellar Hergesheimer. He grew up in a stable, middle-class, suburban family. His father, a cartographer, worked for the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey. After studying at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Hergesheimer traveled to Europe on money inherited from his grandfather, studying and painting in Florence and Venice. By 1907, when he returned to the United States and married Dorothy Hemphill, Hergesheimer had focused his artistic endeavors on fiction writing. In 1913, Forum magazine published his sketch "The City of Pleasure"; then in 1914 his first novel, The Lay Anthony, was published. It was not until the release of his third novel, The Three Black Pennys (1917), that Hergesheimer finally attained public and financial success. His work has been praised for lush description and psychological insight.

A prolific writer during the 1920s, Hergesheimer began writing only magazine fiction after the publication of The Foolscap Rose in 1934. The last twenty years of his life seem to have been spent mainly in genteel seclusion. He died April 25, 1954 in Sea Isle, New Jersey.

Extent

0.01 Linear Feet (1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Joseph Hergesheimer (1880-1954) was an American fiction writer. The letter in this collection is addressed to Pierre Bosman and discusses the status of two of Hergesheimer's novels.

Method of Acquisition

Purchased in November 2000.

Offensive Language Statement

The UNC Greensboro University Libraries collects, preserves, and makes accessible unique and historical materials for learning and research. The nature of historical materials is such that some material may represent positions, norms, and values that are offensive and objectionable. These materials represent the opinions and actions of their creators. By providing access to these records in our reading room and through our digital collections, we recognize that archives and rare books can play a vital role in holding those creators accountable and in helping us learn from the past.

Our finding aids and other collection descriptions may occasionally re-use language provided by creators or former holders of the materials, but we strive to place outdated or offensive terminology in context. That said, we recognize that we may not always make the right decision and welcome feedback from all sources so we can learn and adjust our practices. Please contact us at scua@uncg.edu if you encounter problematic language in our finding aids or other collection description. We will review the language and, as appropriate, update it in a way that balances preservation of the original context with our ongoing commitment to describing materials with respectful and inclusive language.

Processing Information

Processed by Archives staff.

Title
Joseph Hergesheimer Letter
Author
Archives staff
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
eng

Repository Details

Part of the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives Repository

Contact:
P.O. Box 26170
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Greensboro NC 27402-6170 US
336-334-5246