Bradbury mss. II, 1949-1976
Summary Information
Repository
Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
Lilly Library
Indiana University
1200 E. Seventh St.
Bloomington, IN 47405-5500
Phone: 812-855-2452
Fax: 812-855-3143
Email: liblilly@indiana.edu
Creator
Bradbury, Ray, 1920-2012.
TitleBradbury mss. II, 1949-1976
Collection No.
LMC 1121
Extent
123 items
Language
Materials are in English.
Abstract
The Bradbury mss. II, 1949-1976,
consists of letters from science fiction writer Ray Douglas Bradbury, to his editors
at Doubleday & Company, chiefly Walter I. Bradbury.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research.
Biographical Note
Bradbury was born on August 22, 1920 in Waukegan, IL. In 1922 he married Marguerite
McClure; together they had four daughters, and stayed married until her death in
2003. At the age of sixteen Bradbury began a distinguished literary career that
spanned eight decades and included novels and stories such as:
"Pendulum,"
Dark Carnival;
The Martian Chronicles;
Fahrenheit 451;
The Illustrated Man;
Something
Wicked This Way Comes;
and numerous other works. He died on June 5, 2012. In his
obituary,
The New York Times wrote: "By many estimations, Mr. Bradbury was the
writer most responsible for bringing modern science fiction into the literary
mainstream."
Scope and Content Note
Topics discussed include current manuscripts, films based on Ray Bradbury's
books, including
Fahrenheit 451 and
The Illustrated Man, illustrations and book jackets, and
various reprintings of certain titles, particularly and most often
The Martian Chronicles. Bradbury also comments
occasionally on his screenplay an theatre writing, providing particular detail about
the script for
Moby Dick, filmed in 1954. Much of the
later correspondence is especially concerned with Doubleday's advertising and
handling of his books.
Sometime in 1959 Walter Bradbury left Doubleday, so that Ray Bradbury's letters are
primarily to Timothy Seldes from June of that year until June 1963. In late 1964 or
early 1965, Walter Bradbury returned to Doubleday and the letters are once again
addressed to him. There are also a few letters during the mid-1960s to other people
in the firm seeking specific information about sales or numbers of copies of a title
remaining in stock.
Related Material
Bradbury mss. and
Bradbury mss. III, also located at the Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Acquired: 1982
Usage RestrictionsPrior arrangements are not necessary before coming to the Library, however,
patrons from out of town are encouraged to communicate with the Library in
advance of their visits to ascertain availability of materials.
Photocopying permitted only with permission of the Curator of Manuscripts, Lilly
Library.
Preferred Citation
Bradbury mss. II, Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
Processing InformationProcessed by Staff.
Completed in 2013
Correspondence, 1949-1950, discussing mainly
The Martian Chronicles
and
The Illustrated Man
Correspondence, 1951-1952, discussing mainly
The Golden Apples of the Sun
Correspondence, 1953-1955, includes watercolor of dust jacket of
Green Town, Illinois
Correspondence, 1956, discussing mainly
Dandelion Wine
Correspondence, 1957, discussing mainly
Dandelion Wine
Correspondence, 1958, includes
"Zen and the Art of Writing"
from
The Writing,
Oct 1958
Correspondence, 1959-1960
Correspondence, 1961-1965
Correspondence, 1966-1968
Correspondence, 1969-1976, includes stationary with book illustrations
