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
Overview
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.
This collection was processed as part of an internship through Simmons College Graduate School of Library and Information Science in July 2009.
- Authors, American -- 20th Century -- Archives
- Baker Street Irregulars (Organization : U.S.) -- Pictorial works
- Clippings (information artifacts)
- Dannay, Frederic, 1905-1982
- Detective and mystery stories, American -- 20th Century
- Lee, Manfred B. (Manfred Bennington), 1905-1971
- Mystery Writers of America -- Pictorial works
- Photographic prints
- Queen, Ellery
- True crime stories -- United States
- 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
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.