Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections
University of South Carolina Libraries

Mitchell and Morley Kennerley Papers, 1902-1975

Collection Mss. 2005: 7

Contact information:

Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections

Ernest F. Hollings Special Collections Library
University of South Carolina Libraries
1322 Greene Street
Columbia SC 29208
(803) 777-3847
(803) 777-3842 fax
email: tclrare@mailbox.sc.edu
www.sc.edu/library/spcoll/rarebook.html

©2011 University of South Carolina Libraries

Summary

Title: Mitchell and Morley Kennerley Papers, 1902-1975

Collection Number: MSS. 2005: 7

Creator: Mitchell and Morley Kennerley

Extent: 1 cubic foot (3 archival boxes)

Administrative Information

Provenance: Girft of Matthew J. Bruccoli.

Processed by: Jessica Dowd.

Access Restrictions: Collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation: [Item], Mitchell and Morley Kennerley Papers, Rare Books and Special Collections, University of South Carolina Libraries

Publication Rights: All rights reside with the estate of the creator. For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact Rare Books and Special Collections.

Scope and Contents

Mitchell Kennerely (1878 – 1950) was an American publisher, born at Burslem, England. He was the manager of the New York branch of John Lane, the London publisher, from 1896 to 1900, business manager of the Smart Set in 1900-01, founded in 1901 and was editor and proprietor until 1905 of the Reader magazine, and then engaged in the publishing business. In 1907, he ventured into bookselling by starting The Little Book-Shop Around the Corner as a means of distributing books published under the Mitchell Kennerley imprint and also imported examples of fine printing. In 1910 he undertook the publication of The Forum and of The Papyrus. From 1915-1929 he was the president of Anderson Galleries, a New York auction house specializing in antiquarian books and art. Kennerley published works by such notable authors as: Frank Harris, D. H. Lawrence, Walter Lippman, Van Wyck Brooks, Oscar Wilde and H. G. Wells.

This collection includes materials and correspondence relating to Kennerley’s career as an auctioneer, publisher and bookman.

Morley Kennerley was the son of Mitchell Kennerley and a director of British Publisher Faber and Faber. This series is comprised of clippings, notes, research materials and correspondence primarily relating to Mitchell Kennerley following his suicide in 1950. The bulk of the collection is the research notes of Morley Kennerley and Laurence Gomme, who were planning to publish a biography on Mitchell Kennerley. Notable items include black and white photographs of T.S. Eliot with the Kennerleys in Morocco and at Faber and Faber publishing as well as samples of bookplates from the libraries of several early twentieth century book collectors.

Series Box

Mitchell Kennerley Papers

I: General 1

II: Correspondence 1-2

Morley Kennerley Papers

III: General 3

IV: Correspondence 2-3

V: Mitchell Kennerley Biography Materials 3

Container List

Mitchell Kennerley Papers

Series I: General Material

Box Folder

1 1 Auctioneer materials, notes and clippings by Kennerley on auctions and best auction practice, 1938, n.d.
1 2 Bibliofiends, by Oliver Herford, book leaf, n.d.
1 3 Binder’s stamping tool with “MK” logo, n.d.
Clippings
1 4 Announcement, release of Francis Harper’s “Colored Plate Books and their
1 values,” n.d.
1 5 Banned D.H. Lawrence pictures
1 6 Mitchell Kennerley advertising in Bookfellows, photocopy, 1921
1 7 Envelopes (empty), addressed to Wm. J. Campbell, Mitchell Kennerley, and
1 8 Millicent Cosgrave 1938, n.d.
1 9 Photographs, two, published photographs of Mitchell Kennerley, n.d.
1 10 Publications list, handwritten by Kennerley, n.d.
1 11 Publisher’s Weekly, Kennerley obituary, 1950
1 12 Publishing, articles and notes by Kennerley regarding his publishing activities, 1930, n.d.
1 13 “Some early English and American Strindberg criticism” by Alrik Gustafson with Inscription from Gustafson to Kennerley, n.d.
1 14 Village Press Archive, articles and essays relating to the its donation to Vassar, 1939-1949

Series II: Correspondence
Alphabetically, by recipient

1 15 Ballou, Robert from Mitchell Kennerley (6 tls, 3 letters with 3 replies), 1938
1 16 Bianco, Francesco from Mitchell Kennerley (1 tls with envelope), 1926
1 17 Edgett, Edwin F. from Ernest Henman (1 tls), 1915
1 18 Edgett, Edwin F. from Mitchell Kennerley (3 als), 1902-1903
1 19 Ellis, Richard M. from Mitchell Kennerley (3 als, 1 tls, 2 postcards, 5 envelopes), 1940
1 20 Forgue, Norman W. from Mitchell Kennerley (1 als, 1 postcard), 1937-1940
1 21 Gomme, Laurence from Mitchell Kennerely (38 tls, 16 letters with 22 MK responses), 1914-1949
1 22 Halpen, Irving from Mitchell Kennerley, (4 envelopes only), 1942-1948
1 23 Heartman, Madison from Mitchell Kennerley (1 tls, 1 als, one envelope), 1941-1942
2 24 Heartman, Madison from “Randolph,” (1 scrapbook style letter), n.d.
2 25 Henman, Ernest G. from Charles Townsend Copeland (1 tls and 4 replies (unsent), 1903
2 26 Kennerley, Helen from Mitchell Kennerley (1 als), n.d.
2 27 Kennerley, Mitchell from “Jo,” (3 als) 1931-1932
2 28 Kennerley, Mitchell from John Drinkwater (1 als), 1916
2 29 Kennerley, Mitchell, from Union Square Book Shop (1 tls), 1928
2 30 Loveman, Samuel from Mitchell Kennerley (1 tls with envelope), 1927
2 31 Roberts, Donald K. from Mitchell Kennerley (1 tls), 1938
2 32 Smith, “Mr. Smith” from Ernest G. Henman (John Trevana pseud.) (1 tls), 1915
2 34 van Houten, Lazette from Mitchell Kennerley (1 tls) , 1938
2 35 Voelker, F.E. from W.K. Bixby (1 als), 1917
2 36 Voelker, F.E. from Mitchell Kennerley (1 tls),1917
2 37 Tice, Cara from Mitchell Kennerely (1 carbon copy of typed letter), 1928
2 38 Unknown recipient from Mitchell Kennerley, (1 note, torn), 1902
2 39 Unknown recipient from Mitchell Kennerley, re “The Painting of D.H. Lawrence,” (1 typed letter), 1931
2 40 Unknown recipient, Christmas greeting card signed “From Helen and Mitchell Kennerley” (1 tls with envelope), n.d.

Morley Kennerley Papers

Series III: General

2 41 Bookplates, n.d., samples of bookplates from the following libraries: Mitchell
2 42 Kennerley, Morley Kennerley, C. Bishop, G. W. Cole, J. W. Ellsworth, H.
2 43 Glemby, J. Kern, W.H. Hagen, F. Halsey, J. Quinn, Racket and Tennis Club
2 44 Clippings re Mitchell and Morely Kennerley, 1944, 1985, n.d.
2 45 Death of Mitchell Kennerley, clippings and condolences, 1950
2 46 Passport (Morley Kennerley), 1902
Photographs
2 47 Jean Kennerley with spaniel puppies, 1975
2 48 Jean Kennerley with T.S. Eliot in Morocco (with explanatory note), 1960
2 49 Morley Kennerley and T.S. Eliot at Faber and Faber, 1944
2 50 Scrapbook, Morley Kennerley re the origin of the phrase “O Rare Ben Johnson,” 1927-1929

Series IV: Correspondence to Morley Kennerley

2 51 Basil, Amos, transcript of letter re: death of Mitchell Kennerley (1 type copy), 1950
2 52 Boulton, J.T. (3 tls, 1 als), 1981
3 53 Collieson, Frank (1 tls with attachments), 1975
3 54 Gordon, Dorothy re Mitchell Kennerley (9 tls, 1als, 8 letters, 1 reply, 1 envelope), 1950-1964
3 55 Kennerley, Mitchell (7 als, 6 letters, 1 reply), 1928-1948
3 56 Morley, Christopher (2 tls, 2 als, 2 envelopes), 1930, 1950
3 57 Tanselle, Thomas, (3 tls, 1 envelope) 1963

Series V: Mitchell Kennerley Biography Materials
Research by Laurence Gomme and Morely Kennerley

3 58 Art Center, 1960
3 59 Blank, Jacob, vetting of written material, 1960
3 60 Completed biography materials, 1960
3 61 Correspondence, between Laurence Gomme and Morley Kennerley re biography, 1957-1984
3 62 General research materials and notes, 1944-1960
3 63 Gomme, Laurence, essay about Mitchell Kennerley, 1960, 1968
3 64 Gomme, Laurence, tribute to Mitchell Kennerely with correspondence from Mitchell Kennerley, 1938-1960
3 65 References, 1959-1960
3 66 Writings of Mitchell Kennerley, notes, 1957