Collections

The American literature mss., 1789-2000, consists of an ongoing collection of individual items related to American literature.

The Appleton-Century mss., 1846-1962, consists of the office files of the publishing company, its two predecessors, D. Appleton & Co., and the Century Co., and to a small extent its successor, Appleton-Century Crofts, Inc.

The Bernays mss., 1890-1955, consists of manuscripts collected by Louise (Lee) Bernays, 1888-1974, librarian of The Indianapolis News for twenty-three years.

The Bobbs-Merrill mss., 1885-1983, consists of the records of book publisher Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., located in Indianapolis, IN.

The Brunn mss., 1879-1921, are the letters and poems of James Whitcomb Riley, 1849-1916, poet, sent to Elizabeth D. Kahle, 1861?-?, of New Brighton, Pennsylvania.

The Dickey mss., 1872-1941, consists of the papers of John Marcus Dickey, 1859-1950, secretary, platform manager, and biographer of James Whitcomb Riley.

Consists of letters and papers of Charles Warren Fairbanks, 1852-1918, U.S. senator from Indiana and vice president (1905-1909), and his son, Warren Charles Fairbanks, 1878-1938, newspaper publisher. The Charles Warren Fairbanks material, which comprises the bulk of the collection, consists of correspondence with prominent political figures, businessmen, bankers, friends, relatives and constituents; manuscript and printed speeches of Fairbanks; law office papers; bills and receipts; miscellaneous papers; newspaper clippings; invitations; calling cards; pictures; slides of Fairbanks's trip around the world, 1909-1910; and miscellaneous printed matter. The Warren Charles Fairbanks papers, 1918-1938, relate to the settlement of the estate of his father, Charles Warren Fairbanks; the Indianapolis News; the Fairbanks Blue ridge farms in Piatt County, Illinois; and the Fairbanks Valley farms in Greene County, Illinois.

The Hitt mss., 1891-1938, consists primarily of letters from poet James Whitcomb Riley, 1849-1916, to journalist George Cooper Hitt, 1851-1944. George C. Hitt & Co. published Riley's first book, The Old Swimmin'-hole and'Leven More Poems, in 1883.

The Jameson, M. mss., 1875-1931, consists primarily of letters to author Booth Tarkington, 1869-1946, or to his sister, Mary "Haute" Booth (Tarkington) Jameson, 1881-1937, writer, suffragist, and clubwoman.

Includes materials by Riley, materials about Riley, scrapbooks, photographs, and memorabilia.