|
Manuscripts of poems, short stories, collections of verse, and other
writings, correspondence, and miscellany trace the writing career and personal
life of Ogden Nash, 1882-1969 (bulk 1928-1969). The collection is organized
into four series which are generally arranged alphabetically by author or
title: I. Works, 1927-1969 (3.5 boxes), II. Letters, 1928-1969 (5.5 boxes),
III. Recipient, 1928-1969 (1.5 boxes) and IV. Miscellaneous, 1882-1969 (1.5
boxes). This collection was previously accessible through a card catalog, but
has been re-cataloged as part of a retrospective conversion project. |
|
The Works series contains drafts of over 350 of Nash's poems and
published collections, many of them holographs, as well as typed and copied
versions with edits, printer's marks, and notes, arranged alphabetically by
title. Unidentified and untitled poems are arranged alphabetically by first
line. In addition, an untitled and unpublished novel, lyrics, scripts, and a
few essays and speeches are scattered through the series. Specific manuscripts
can be found using the Index of Works at the end of this finding aid. |
|
The Letters series consists almost entirely of 577 letters, telegrams,
and flower cards from Nash to his wife, Frances Leonard Nash. Additionally,
there are letters to publishers, friends, and in-laws. The Recipient series is
composed of letters and telegrams from friends, fans, editors, and publishers.
These include Larry Adler, Spiro Agnew, Nicolas Bentley, Gelett Burgess, Curtis
Brown, Ltd., Walt Disney, Corey Ford, Eugene McCarthy, Groucho Marx, Marianne
Moore, Christopher Morley, staff at
The New Yorker, Charles G. Norris, J.B.
Priestley, John Pudney, John Updike, E. B. White, and P.G. Wodehouse.
Additional correspondents can be identified using the Index of Correspondents
in this finding aid. |
|
The Miscellaneous series contains a wide variety of material ranging
from honorary degrees awarded to Nash, a journal of publishing information for
all of Nash's published poems, certificates of membership in various societies,
wedding license and program, biographical essays about several of Nash's
antecedents (Edmund Strudwick Nash, Gen. Francis Nash, Abner Nash, and
Frederick Nash) as well as obituary notices for other family members. A series
of letters from Edmund Strudwick Nash, Ogden's father, span 1882-1924. Also
included in this series are galley proofs for E.B. White's collection of verses
"The Fox of Peapack and other Poems," letters
from Frances L. Nash to her mother, and minutes from the Nassau and Suffolk
County Deviled Ham and Lake Ronkonkoma Club meetings. |
|
Elsewhere in the Ransom Center is a large collection of newspaper
clippings covering the publication and criticism of Nash's work (23 Vertical
File folders and four Scrapbooks). Also, located in the Art Collection, are 84
images. About two-thirds of these are sketches by Ogden Nash, along with his
captions for them. The remaining images are interpretations of the drawings by
an artist. In the Literary Files of the Photography Collection there are about
90 photographs and negatives, spanning Nash's life. There are a few childhood
pictures of Nash, several photos from Nash's time at St. George's School, and a
number of family snapshots of Nash's wife and children. Also included are
photos of Nash speaking, writing, and posing. |