Maud Hart Lovelace Collection
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
- 1904 - 2010
Creator
- Lovelace, Maud Hart, 1892-1980 (Person)
- Edwards, Thomas C., 1878- (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
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.
- Authors -- 20th century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Authors, American -- 20th century Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Best friends -- Juvenile fiction 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
- Christmas stories Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- City and town life -- Juvenile fiction Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Friendship -- Juvenile fiction Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- High schools -- Juvenile fiction Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Identity (Philosophical concept) -- Juvenile fiction Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Interpersonal relations -- Juvenile fiction Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Lovelace, Delos W.
- Minnesota -- History Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Minnesota -- Juvenile fiction Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Orphans -- Juvenile fiction Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Parties -- Juvenile fiction Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Valentine's Day -- Juvenile fiction Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Source
- Edwards, William (Donor, Person)
- Shaw, Andrea (Donor, Person)
- Kirchner, Merian (Person)
- 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
