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[?] Undated

 File — Box: 4, Folder: 43

Scope and Content Note

From the collection:

This collection houses correspondence, memorandae of agreement, contracts, legal documents, royalty statements, and other materials documenting the life and work of English author George Meredith. The majority of the collection consists of correspondence between Meredith's son and agent, William M. Meredith, and publishing houses in Britain, the United States, and Germany. Also included are legal papers governing publication of English and translated versions of Meredith's works, correspondence and other documents showing dramatizations of Meredith's works, and materials documenting the Meredith family. The collection has been divided into six series.

Series I: W. M. Meredith Correspondence has been divided into two sub-series. Sub-Series A: Correspondence with Publishers houses letters exchanged between W. M. Meredith and such firms as Ward, Lock & Bowden (later Ward, Lock & Co.), Charles Scribner's Sons, Roberts Bros., and Bernhard Tauchnitz. The majority of these letters were written while W. M. Meredith was acting as his father's literary agent between 1894 and 1909 and document Meredith's efforts to buy back his father's publishing contracts, assign intellectual property rights, and retain the rights to American editions of Meredith's work. A few of the letters in this group are addressed to George Meredith rather than to W. M. Meredith. Also included are letters exchanged between British publishers and their representatives, W. M. Meredith, other representatives of George Meredith's estate, and Carl Otto of Bernhard Tauchnitz's firm in Germany between 1920 and 1921 documenting efforts to continue marketing German editions of Rhoda Fleming and The Egoist under the terms of the 1919 peace treaty that ended World War I. Sub-Series B: Other Correspondence houses personal letters written to W. M. Meredith, many of which concern his publication of Letters of George Meredith. Of particular note are letters from such prominent individuals as Virginia Woolfe, Fiona MacLeod, Marie Corelli, and Thomas J. Wise.

Series II: Contracts, Intellectual Rights, and Translations houses memorandae of agreement, correspondence, contracts, royalty and account statements, and sales summaries documenting publication of English versions of George Meredith's works; translation of Meredith's works into Czech, Polish, and German; dramatization of Meredith's works; and W. M. Meredith's retention of George Meredith's copyrights after George Meredith's death. Of particular interest are the original contract for Diana of the Crossroads (1884) and several agreements for publication of the Collected Works of George Meredith.

Series III: Meredith Family Papers houses letters, receipts, and other materials documenting the Meredith family. Of particular interest is correspondence between Arthur Meredith and his father and stepmother, a copy of William Maxse Meredith's birth certificate, and a receipt for Marie (Vulliamy) Meredith's burial. Series IV: Publications houses such published works as George Meredith's Cleopatra, a film script for Diana of the Crossways, a collection of unpublished poems by George Meredith, and published letters between George Meredith, Edward Clodd, and Clement K. Shorter. Series V: Other Materials includes advertisements for letters by George Meredith available for purchase, photographs of plays and stills from movies based on George Meredith's works, and two photographs of George Meredith.

Dates

  • Creation: Undated

Language of Materials

From the collection:

Material in English

Access Restrictions

From the collection:

To view this collection, make an appointment at least five business days prior to your visit by contacting Ask an Archivist or calling (480) 965-4932. Appointments in the Wurzburger Reading Room at Hayden Library (rm. 138) on the Tempe campus are available Monday through Friday. Check the ASU Library Hours page for current availability.

Full extent

From the collection: 7 Box(es)

Full extent

From the collection: 4.17 Linear Feet

  • Box: 4, Folder: 43 (Mixed Materials)

Repository details

Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository

Contact

Arizona State University
P.O. Box 871006
Tempe AZ 85287-1006 United States
(480) 965-4932