Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Hahn, Emily, 1905-1997
- Abstract:
- The Hahn mss., 1900-1991, consists of the correspondence and writings of author Emily Hahn, 1905-1997.
- Extent:
- 15 Boxes and 3 folios (oversize)
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
[Item], Hahn mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
Background
- Biographical / Historical:
Emily Hahn, 1905-1997, was born on 14 January 1905 in St. Louis, Missouri, and lived there until her family moved to Chicago, Illinois, during her high school years. In 1926, she became the first woman to receive a mining engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin. In 1927, Hahn moved to New York City, where she took graduate classes at Columbia University. She then traveled in Florence, London, and the Congo before settling in Shanghai in 1935. The Sino-Japanese conflict eventually caused Hahn to leave Shanghai for Hong Kong, where she was trapped when Japan took control of the area in 1941. She was repatriated in 1943 and married British Major Charles Ralph Boxer, 1904-2000, in 1945; they lived at his family estate in Dorset, England, with their two children: Carola (b. 1941) and Amanda (b. 1948). In 1950, Hahn moved back to New York City. A prolific writer, Hahn published numerous articles and short stories as well as over fifty books of fiction and non-fiction, including biographies of Aphra Behn, James Brooke, Fanny Burney, Chiang Kai-shek, D.H. Lawrence, and Mabel Dodge Luhan; a description of the diamond business; four books on zoos and animals; histories of China, Ireland, and women; and several autobiographical accounts. Hahn died in New York City on 18 February 1997.
- Scope and Content:
The Hahn mss., 1900-1991, contains drafts of Emily Hahn's writings, typescripts, galleys, photographs, and research materials relating to her publications; several unpublished fictional pieces; college notes; family memorabilia and letters; photographs of various areas of the United States and Africa taken during the 1930s; clippings of book reviews and articles by and about Hahn; and miscellaneous clippings relating to people and places familiar to her.
The collection also contains Hahn's letters home to her family while she lived and traveled in Europe, Africa, and China during the 1920s and 1930s. This early correspondence is particularly descriptive of people, places, and activities, and is most interesting for the early years of Asian conflict that would later be seen as a prelude of World War II.
- Acquisition information:
- Purchase: 1975, 1976, 1989, 1992
- Arrangement:
This collection is arranged by format: Correspondence, Writings, Photographs, Printed, Memorabilia, Miscellaneous.
- Physical location:
- ALF (Auxiliary Library Facility); ALF (Auxiliary Library Facility) - OVFlat
Indexed Terms
- Subjects:
- Authors, American--Correspondence
Travel
Women
Africa--Description and travel - Names:
- Hahn, Emily, 1905-1997--Correspondence
Boxer, C. R. (Charles Ralph), 1904-2000--Correspondence
Bruccoli, Matthew J. (Matthew Joseph), 1931-2008--Correspondence
Buck, Pearl S. (Pearl Sydenstricker), 1892-1973--Correspondence
MacDonald, Malcolm, 1901-1981--Correspondence
Oppenheimer, H. F. (Harry Frederick), 1908-2000--Correspondence
Sassoon, Elias Victor, 1881-1961--Correspondence
Shawn, William
West, Rebecca, 1892-1983
Kennedy, Margaret, 1896-1967 - Places:
- United States--Description and travel
China--Description and travel
Access
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
This collection is open for research.
Many collections are housed offsite; retrieval requires advance notice. Please make an appointment a minimum of one week in advance of your visit.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
-
Photography and digitization may be restricted for some collections. Copyright restrictions may apply. Before publishing, researchers are responsible for securing permission from all applicable rights holders, then filling out the Permission to Publish form.
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
[Item], Hahn mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
-
1200 East Seventh StreetBloomington, Indiana 47405-5500, USA
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- CONTACT:
-
(812) 855-2452liblilly@indiana.edu