Sydney Taylor Papers
Scope and Contents
The collection contains typescripts and proofs for several children's books published by Sydney Taylor. The bulk of the collection is made up of correspondence, including personal correspondence, editorial material, fan letters, and others. The collection also has several folders of financial documents, some autobiographical material, and miscellaneous typescripts.
Dates
- 1950 - 1980
Creator
- Taylor, Sydney, 1904-1978 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Open for use in the Elmer L. Andersen Library reading room.
Conditions Governing Use
This collection may be protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials. Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provision of the copyright law.
Biographical / Historical
Sydney Taylor was born Sydney Brenner in New York Lower East Side on October 30, 1904, the daughter of Jewish immigrants. She attended high school in the Bronx. After graduating, she worked as a secretary and at night, from 1925-1929, worked as an actress with the Lenox Hill Players. Her work with the Players led to an interest in dance and dramatics. She studied dance with Margarete Wallmann, and danced with Martha Graham's troup from about 1932 to 1935.
In 1925 she married Ralph Taylor, president of Caswell-Massey, Ltd. and after her daughter's birth in 1935 spent the next seven years as a homemaker before resuming her interest in dance and dramatics. She taught at Cejwin Camps for over 30 years, writing, directing, and choreographing plays and dance presentations. She died in 1978.
Taylor's first book was written for her daughter. The book, All of a Kind Family (1951), based on her own childhood, was the first in a series of four. Taylor wrote several other books and numerous short stories for juvenile publications, many of which have Jewish themes.
Extent
6.25 Cubic Feet (5 record cartons)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Collection contains typescripts and proofs for several children's books written by author Sydney Taylor, as well as correspondence and financial papers.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into two series: 1) Writings and 2) Correspondence and papers.
The writings series is arranged alphabetically by title, with autobiographical writings and miscellaneous typescripts at the end.
Correspondence and financial papers are arranged by document type.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Some materials were donated by Sydney Taylor, with correspondence and related papers donated by her husband Ralph Taylor, after her death.
- Authors, American -- 20th century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Children's literature, American Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Children's stories, American Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Families -- Juvenile fiction Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Jewish authors -- 20th century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Jews -- United States -- Juvenile fiction Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Manuscripts for publication Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- New York (N.Y.) -- Juvenile fiction Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Source
- Taylor, Ralph, 1904- (Donor, Person)
- Title
- Sydney Taylor Papers, 1950-1980
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Leslie Czechowski
- Date
- 2005
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- February 2019: Collection reprocessed and finding aid updated by Caitlin Marineau
Collecting Area Details
Contact The Children's Literature Research Collections Collecting Area
