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Ellery Queen papers

 Collection
Call Number: YCAL MSS 335

Scope and Contents

The Ellery Queen Papers document the mystery writing career of Ellery Queen, a pseudonym for Frederic Dannay and Manfred B. Lee. The collection includes correspondence, fan mail, telegrams, advertisements, proposals for ventures, photographs, and ephemera relating to Ellery Queen. The collection does not include drafts of manuscripts, but includes American Weekly newspaper articles, likely written by Lee, with clippings describing authentic murder cases. Some of Manfred B. Lee's personal papers such as letters, photographs, and cards are also included in the collection. The collection dates from 1929 to 1972, with the bulk of the material falling between 1946 and 1971.

Dates

  • 1929 - 1972
  • Majority of material found within 1946 - 1971

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The Ellery Queen Papers is the physical property of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the appropriate curator.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Manfred B. Lee, 1976.

Arrangement

Organized into three series: I. Correspondence, 1929-1971. II. Writings, 1931-1961. III. Other Papers, 1939-1972.

Extent

0.7 Linear Feet (2 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/beinecke.elleryqueen

Abstract

The Ellery Queen Papers document the mystery writing career of Frederic Dannay and Manfred B. Lee, writing as "Ellery Queen." The collection includes correspondence, fan mail, telegrams, advertisements, proposals for ventures, photographs, and ephemera relating to Ellery Queen. The collection does not include drafts of manuscripts, but includes American Weekly newspaper articles, likely written by Lee, with clippings describing authentic murder cases, and fan mail documenting their 1948 radio play "A Question of Color." Some of Manfred B. Lee's personal papers such as correspondence and photographs are also included.

Ellery Queen

Ellery Queen is a pseudonym for the writing team of Frederic Dannay (1905-1982) and Manfred B. Lee (1905-1971). Dannay and Lee were cousins who entered a writing contest co-sponsored by McClure's Magazine and Lippincott's publishing house, and formed the joint venture of Ellery Queen. Although they did not win the contest, the cousins were rewarded with a book publication deal. Between 1928 and 1971, "Ellery Queen" wrote radio shows, a monthly magazine, a weekly newspaper series, novels, and television series all centered around the investigator "Ellery Queen." In the beginning of their writing career, Dannay and Lee kept their identities secret, but revealed their authorship in 1936. Although their work tended to be a "whodunit" type of story, the authors did address current issues or problems. Their most controversial work was a radio show called "A Question of Color", which debuted on February 12, 1948, and confronted the issue of racism in America. Dannay and Lee were also the co-writers of the Barnaby Ross mystery novels.

Processing Information

The Ellery Queen Papers contain material formerly listed as Uncat.ZA MS.154.

This collection was processed as part of an internship through Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science in July 2009.

Title
Guide to the Ellery Queen Papers
Author
by Theresa Battaglio
Date
July 2009
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Part of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Repository

Contact:
P. O. Box 208330
New Haven CT 06520-8330 US
(203) 432-2977

Location

121 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511

Opening Hours

Access Information

The Beinecke Library is open to all Yale University students and faculty, and visiting researchers whose work requires use of its special collections. You will need to bring appropriate photo ID the first time you register. Beinecke is a non-circulating, closed stack library. Paging is done by library staff during business hours. You can request collection material online at least two business days in advance of your visit, using the request links in Archives at Yale. For more information, please see Planning Your Research Visit and consult the Reading Room Policies prior to visiting the library.