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Elizabeth Ripley papers
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Held at: Free Library of Philadelphia: Children's Literature Research Collection [Contact Us]1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19103
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Free Library of Philadelphia: Children's Literature Research Collection. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Elizabeth Ripley was born on June 9, 1906 in New Haven, Connecticut. She graduated from Smith College in 1928 and went on to study theatrical design and drama at the Art Students League in New York from 1940 to 1942. She then lived in Europe and Asia for several years, working in various theater groups. She owned and managed her own greeting card company called Elizabeth Ripley Cards in New London, Connecticut from 1948 to 1956, and worked as a writer and illustrator for Workshop Cards Corporation from 1956 to 1962. She illustrated books of jokes, Lots of Laughs (1942) and Dopey Doings (1950), and limericks, Nothing but Nonsense (1943). She also wrote a series of biographies about famous artists, including Leonardo da Vinci: A Biography (1952), Rembrandt: A Biography (1955), and Rodin: A Biography (1967). These books served as an introduction to these painters and sculptors for adolescents. She died on June 21, 1969.
Bibliography
Something About the Author, vol. 1.
This is a collection of manuscripts and notes by Elizabeth Ripley for her last three artist biographies: Copley: A Biography, about John Singleton Copley, the American colonial painter best known for his portraits; Hokusai: A Biography, about Katsushika Hokusai, the Japanese artist best known for the series "Thirty-six views of Mt. Fuji"; and Rodin: A Biography, about the sculptor Auguste Rodin, well-known for his sculpture "The Thinker." Materials include drafts, outlines, notes, dummies, page proofs, galley proofs, photographs, and correspondence. This collection provides insight into a professional author's process for writing biographies intended for a juvenile audience. Of particular interest are her handwritten notes on the artists' lives, some of which were taken abroad while researching. There is also a good deal of correspondence with different museums seeking permission to obtain photographs of artwork, and with her publisher following the development of each biography from the contract to publication.
This collection is arranged in three series, alphabetically by title: 1. Copley: A Biography; 2. Hokusai: A Biography; and 3. Rodin: A Biography. Within each series the materials are arranged in probable order of creation. The author's original order was retained where possible.
The galley proofs are housed in a box with the proofs from the Elizabeth Hoffman Honness papers.
Gift of Elizabeth Blake Ripley, 1976.
People
Subject
- Publisher
- Free Library of Philadelphia: Children's Literature Research Collection
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid prepared by Garrett Boos
- Sponsor
- The processing of this collection was made possible through generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources’ “Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives” Project.
- Access Restrictions
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This collection is open to researchers by appointment. Please contact the Curator for information on access.
- Use Restrictions
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The right of access to material does not imply the right of publication. Permission for reprinting, reproduction, or extensive quotation from the rare books, manuscripts, prints, or drawings must be obtained through written application, stating the use to be made of the material. The reader bears the responsibility for any possible infringement of copyright laws in the publication of such material. A reproduction fee will be charged if the material is to be reproduced in a commercial publication.
Collection Inventory
Also contains original folder with annotations.
This material is too fragile for use without supervision by the Curator.
This material is too fragile for use without supervision by the Curator.
This material is too fragile for use without supervision by the Curator.