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Virginia Hamilton Papers

A Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of Congress

Prepared by Donna Ellis

Manuscript Division, Library of Congress

Washington, D.C.

2007

Contact information: http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/mss/address.html

Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Manuscript Division, 2009

Finding aid URL: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms009203

Title: Virginia Hamilton Papers
Span Dates: 1938-2003
Bulk Dates: (bulk 1970-1999)
ID No.: MSS84975
Creator: Hamilton, Virginia, 1936-2002
Extent: 900 items; 47 containers; 18.8 linear feet
Language: Collection material in English
Repository: Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Abstract: African-American children's author. Correspondence, drafts, proofs, research material, publicity, and reviews pertaining to the production of Hamilton's books.

Selected Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein.

Personal Names

Burns, Anthony, 1834-1862.
Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963.
Hamilton, Virginia, 1936-2002.
Robeson, Paul, 1898-1976.

Subjects

African American authors.
African Americans--Biography.
African Americans--Fiction.
American literature--African American authors.
Children's books.

Related Names

Hamilton, Virginia, 1936-2002. Anthony Burns : the defeat and triumph of a fugitive slave. 1988.
Hamilton, Virginia, 1936-2002. Bluish : a novel. 1999.
Hamilton, Virginia, 1936-2002. House of Dies Drear. 1968.
Hamilton, Virginia, 1936-2002. M.C. Higgins, the great. 1974.
Hamilton, Virginia, 1936-2002. Paul Robeson : the life and times of a free Black man. 1974.
Hamilton, Virginia, 1936-2002. W.E.B. Du Bois : a biography. 1972.

Occupations

Authors.

Administrative Information

Provenance:

The papers of Virginia Hamilton, African-American children's author, were given to the Library of Congress by her husband, Arnold Adoff, between 2003 and 2007.

Transfers:

Items have been transferred from the Manuscript Division to other custodial divisions of the Library. A book was transferred to the Rare Book and Special Collections Division. Some audiotapes have been transferred to the Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division, Recorded Sound Section. All transfers are identified as part of the Virginia Hamilton Papers.

Copyright Status:

Copyright in the unpublished writings of Virginia Hamilton in these papers and in other collections in the custody of the Library of Congress is reserved. Consult a reference librarian in the Manuscript Division for further information.

Access and Restrictions:

The papers of Virginia Hamilton are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.

Preferred Citation:

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container number, Virginia Hamilton Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Biographical Note

Date	Event
1953-1956	Attended Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio
1956-1958	B.A., Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
1959	Attended New School for Social Research, New York, N.Y.
1960	Married Arnold Adoff
1967	Published Zeely. New York: Macmillan
1968	Published The House of Dies Drear. New York: Macmillan
1971	Published The Planet of Junior Brown.
1972	Published W. E. B. Du Bois: A Biography. New York: Crowell
1974	Published M. C. Higgins, the Great. New York: Macmillan Published Paul Robeson: The Life and Times of a Black Man. New York: Harper and Row
1975	Published The Writings of W. E. B. Du Bois. New York: Crowell Received John Newbery Medal and National Book Award for M. C. Higgins, the Great
1976	Published Arilla Sun Down. New York: William Morrow
1980-1981	Published the Justice trilogy, Dustland, The Gathering, and Justice and Her Brothers. New York: Greenwillow Books
1982	Published Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush. New York: Philomel
1983	Published The Magical Adventures of Pretty Pearl. New York: Harper Published Willie Bea and the Time the Martians Landed. New York: Greenwillow Books
1984	Published A Little Love. New York: Philomel Virginia Hamilton Lecture in Children's Literature established at Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
1936, Mar. 12	Born, Yellow Springs, Ohio
1985	Published The People Could Fly. New York: Knopf
1988	Published Anthony Burns: The Defeat and Triumph of a Fugitive Slave. New York: Knopf Published In the Beginning. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich
1989	Published The Bells of Christmas. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich
1990	Published Cousins. New York: Philomel
1992	Received Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing
1994	Honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
1995	Received Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal Fellow, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
1997	Published Her Stories. New York: Blue Sky Press
1998	Published Second Cousins. New York: Blue Sky Press
2002, Feb. 19	Died, Yellow Springs, Ohio
2003	Posthumous publication of Wee Winnie Witch's Skinny. New York: Blue Sky Press

Scope and Content Note

The papers of Virginia Hamilton (1936-2002) span the years 1938-2003 with the bulk of the material dating between 1970 and 1999. The collection, arranged alphabetically by title of writing with a miscellany file at the end, documents the production of her numerous children's books. Material consists of background information, correspondence with her publishers, drafts of writings, illustrations, printing proofs, publicity items, and reviews. The miscellany contains biographical information, general correspondence, and material relating to Hamilton's public appearances and speeches. Included in the writings are drafts of her biographies of W. E. B. DuBois and Paul Robeson and such works as Anthony Burns: The Defeat and Triumph of a Fugitive Slave; Bluish; The House of Dies Drear; and M. C. Higgins, the Great, for which she received the National Book Award and the John Newbery Medal.

Arrangement of the Papers

This collection is arranged alphabetically by title of writing with a miscellany file at the end.

Container List

CONTAINER	CONTENTS


BOX 1	All Jadhu Storybook See Containers 42-43 , Time Ago Tales of Jadhu

	Anthony Burns: The Defeat and Triumph of a Fugitive Slave

		Background information, undated
			(2 folders)

		Correspondence, 1972-1974, 1987, undated

		Drafts, undated
			(5 folders)
BOX 2			(5 folders)

		Final version, undated
			(2 folders)

		Galley proofs, 1988

		Jacket art, undated

		Miscellany, 1986-1987, undated

		Revisions, 1987, undated
			(1 folder)
BOX 3			(3 folders)

	Arilla Sun Down

		Background information and notes, undated

		Drafts, undated
			(6 folders)
BOX 4			(2 folders)

		Galley proofs, undated
			(2 folders)

		Miscellany, 1983, undated

	The Bells of Christmas (formerly titled “The Hundred Year Old Christmas”)

		Background information, undated

BOX 5		Drafts, undated
			(3 folders)

		Illustrations, 1988, undated

		Miscellany, 1989, undated

		Proofs, 1989

			Galley

			Page

			Printer's set

	Bluish

		Background information, 1994-1998, undated

		Correspondence, 1998-1999, undated

		Drafts, 1998-1999, undated
			(1 folder)
BOX 6			(5 folders)

		Miscellany, 1999, undated

	Cousins

		Drafts, 1990
			(2 folders)

		Miscellany, 1990-1998, undated

BOX 7		Proofs, 1990

			Galley

			Page

	The Dark Way

		Drafts, 1989-1990
			(4 folders)

		Illustrations, undated

BOX 8		Miscellany, 1990, undated

		Proofs, 1990

			Galley

			Master

BOX 9			Page

			Revised master

BOX 10	Dustland

		Drafts, 1980, undated
			(3 folders)

		Galley proofs, 1980

		Miscellany, 1979, undated

	Elements of Literature: Folk Tales from Around the World

		Background information and notes, 1990-1993, undated
			(2 folders)

BOX 11		Correspondence, 1990-1992, undated

		Drafts, undated

		Galley proofs, 1991

	The Gathering, undated

		Drafts
			(3 folders)
BOX 12			(6 folders)

		Galley proofs

BOX 13	Her Stories

		Draft, 1995

		Miscellany, 1994-1995

	House of Dies Drear

		Drafts, 1968, undated
			(5 folders)

BOX 14		Galley proofs, 1968

		Miscellany, 1968, 1988, undated

		Screenplay adaptation, 1979

	In the Beginning

		Background information, undated

		Correspondence, 1987-1988, undated

		Drafts, undated
			(5 folders)

BOX 15		Galley proofs, 1988

		Miscellany, 1987-1989, undated

	Jadhu See Containers 42-43 , Time Ago Tales of Jadhu

	Jaguarundi

		Background information and notes, undated

		Correspondence, 1991-1994, undated

		Drafts, 1992-1994, undated
			(3 folders)

		Proofs, 1994

			Color

			Page

	Junius Over Far

		Drafts, undated
			(1 folder)
BOX 16			(6 folders)
BOX 17			(1 folder)

		Miscellany, 1985

		Proofs, 1985

			Galley

				Master

				Revised

			Page

		Submission pages, undated
			(2 folders)

BOX 18	Justice and Her Brothers

		Drafts, undated
			(7 folders)
BOX 19			(4 folders)

		Galley proofs, 1981

		Miscellany, undated

BOX 20	A Little Love

		Drafts, 1984, undated
			(5 folders)

		Miscellany, 1984-1985, undated

		Proofs

			Galley, 1984

				Master

BOX 21				Revised

			Page, undated
				(2 folders)

	M. C. Higgins, the Great

		Drafts, undated
			(2 folders)
BOX 22			(7 folders)
BOX 23			(5 folders)

		John Newbery Medal, 1975

		Miscellany, 1974-1977, 1999, undated

		Proofs

			Bound, 1974

BOX 24			Galley

				Author's set, 1974

				Master, 1974

				Twenty-fifth anniversary edition, 1999
					(2 folders)

BOX 25		Script, recorded book, 1974

	The Magical Adventures of Pretty Pearl

		Correspondence, 1976-1984

		Drafts, undated
			(6 folders)
BOX 26			(1 folder)

		Dramatic adaptation, 1991

		Notes, undated

		Proofs

			Galley, 1982-1983
				(4 folders)

BOX 27			Page, 1983
				(3 folders)

		Reviews, 1983-1984

	Many Thousand Gone

		Background information and notes, 1991, undated

		Correspondence, 1990-1992, undated

		Drafts, undated
			(2 folders)
BOX 28			(7 folders)

		Miscellany, 1993, undated

BOX 29		Proofs

			Galley, 1992

			Unbound gatherings, 1993

	More Tales of Jadhu See Containers 42-43 , Time Ago Tales of Jadhu

	Mystery of Drear House

		Drafts, 1985, undated
			(4 folders)
BOX 30			(6 folders)
BOX 31			(1 folder)

		Miscellany, 1984-1987, 1995

		Notes, undated

	“The One Hundred Year Old Christmas” See Containers 4-5 , The Bells of Christmas

	Paul Robeson: The Life and Times of a Free Black Man

		Drafts, undated
			(5 folders)
BOX 32			(6 folders)

		Miscellany, 1969-1974, undated

BOX 33		Proofs, 1974

			Galley

			Master
				(2 folders)

	The People Could Fly

		Miscellany, 1985-1993, undated

		Proofs, 1985

BOX 34	Plain City

		Drafts, 1992-1993, undated
			(6 folders)

		Miscellany, 1985, 1993, undated

		Notes, 1993, undated

BOX 35		Page proofs, 1993

	The Planet of Junior Brown

		Drafts, undated
			(6 folders)

BOX 36		Galley proofs, 1971
			(3 folders)

		Miscellany, 1971

BOX 37	A Ring of Tricksters

		Background information, 1963

		Book layout and design, 1997
			(4 folders)
BOX 38			(3 folders)

BOX 39		Drafts, 1996-1997
			(3 folders)

		Miscellany, 1997, undated

	Second Cousins

		Background information, 1997, undated

		Drafts, 1997-1998, undated
			(3 folders)
BOX 40			(3 folders)

		Miscellany, 1996-1998, undated

		Proofs, 1998
			(2 folders)
BOX 41			(3 folders)

	Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush

		Drafts, undated
			(2 folders)
BOX 42			(2 folders)

		Galley proofs, 1982
			(2 folders)

		Reviews, 1982

	Time Ago Tales of Jadhu

		Drafts, undated
			(4 folders)
BOX 43			(2 folders)

		Galley proofs, 1990-1991
			(2 folders)

		Illustrations, 1991

		Reviews, 1969

	W. E. B. Du Bois: A Biography

		Drafts, undated
			(2 folders)
BOX 44			(5 folders)

		Editor's notes, 1969, undated

		Reviews, 1972

	Wee Winnie Witch's Skinny, 2003

	When Birds Could Talk and Bats Could Sing, 1999

	A White Romance

		Correspondence, 1986-1989, undated

		Drafts, undated
			(1 folder)
BOX 45			(5 folders)

		Proofs, 1987

			Bound

			Galley

	Willie Bea and the Time the Martians Landed

		Background information, 1938

BOX 46		Drafts, undated
			(5 folders)

		Galley proofs, 1983

		Miscellany, 1983-1984

	The Writings of W. E. B. Du Bois

		Correspondence, 1971-1976, undated

		Draft, undated
			(2 folders)
BOX 47			(2 folders)

		Galley proofs, 1975

		Review, 1976

	Zeely, 1967

	Miscellany

		Biographical material, 1987, undated

		Correspondence, 1968-1971, 1980, 1987, 1998-1999

		Notes, undated

		Public appearances and speeches, 1969, 1975, 1987, 1994-1998, undated

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