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Maud Hart Lovelace Collection

 Collection
Identifier: CLRC-2113

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of manuscript materials and miscellaneous materials related to the works of Maud Hart Lovelace and includes corrected typescripts, notes, pamphlets, research materials, illustrations, reviews, correspondence, newspaper articles, photographs, and clippings. Note that there are many folders simply labeled “Notes”, which are typed notes that Lovelace ostensibly pulled from her personal journals she kept as a child; these journals were later destroyed. These notes were used for inspiration for Lovelace's Betsy-Tacy series, although they do not perfectly correspond to exact titles.

The majority of the material in the collection was donated by Maud Hart Lovelace's estate, while folders labeled "Thomas Edwards material" was donated by William Edwards.

Dates

  • Creation: 1904 - 2010

Creator

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

Maud Palmer Hart was born April 25, 1892 in Mankato, Minnesota to Tom Hart and Stella Palmer. Her life growing up in Mankato with her family and two sisters would later give inspiration for her writings, most notably in the Betsy-Tacy series. Maud married Delos Lovelace in 1917; they lived apart until 1919 due to Delos' military service in World War I. In 1928 they moved to Claremont, California and had a daughter, Merian, in 1931. Lovelace's first publication, The Black Angels, was published in 1926. Her well known children's series, known as the Betsy-Tacy series, started in 1938 after Lovelace began telling her childhood stories to her daughter Merian. The first book in the series, Betsy-Tacy, was published in 1940; ten titles later, the last book in the series, Betsy's Wedding, was published in 1955. The city of Mankato, for which the fictional Betsy-Tacy setting of Deep Valley was based upon, declared Betsy-Tacy Day on October 7, 1961. Lovelace passed away in 1980.

Extent

2.22 Cubic Feet (2 Record Cartons)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

This collection consists of manuscript materials and miscellaneous materials related to the works of Maud Hart Lovelace.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged alphabetically by title or subject.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Andrea Shaw (estate of Merian Kirchner), with additional material, primarily correspondence, donated by William Edwards.

Related Materials

Additional papers related to Maud Hart Lovelace can be found at the Minnesota Historical Society.

Subject

Source

Title
Maud Hart Lovelace Papers, 1904-2010
Status
Completed
Author
Kristell Benson
Date
August 22, 2017
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Revision Statements

  • June 2020: Description updated by Caitlin Marineau.

Collecting Area Details

Contact The Children's Literature Research Collections Collecting Area

Contact:
Suite 113, Elmer L. Andersen Library