Scope and Contents
The William McFee Collection contains correspondence between McFee and literary colleagues, publishers, friends, and family; third-party correspondence concerning McFee, his family, and his friendship with James T. Babb; autograph manuscript or typescript drafts for most of McFee's novels, and for short stories, essays, books reviews, and poems; autograph manuscript diaries, 1911-1963; writings of others, including Margery Allingham and Beatrice Allender McFee; photographs of McFee and others; drawings of McFee and illustrations for his writings by Arthur J. Elder and others; a bronze bust of McFee by Jason Sturm (Yale 1922); scrapbooks containing clippings about McFee, reviews of his writings, photographs, and ephemera; other clippings about McFee; personal papers, mostly concerning McFee's family or his work as a marine engineer; correspondence relating to Babb's collecting of books and manuscripts by McFee, and research materials and drafts for A Bibliography of the Writings of William McFee; audiotapes relating to McFee's 75th birthday in 1956; and films and videocassettes of McFee and his family. Major correspondents include Margery Allingham, other members of the Allingham family, James T. Babb, Van Wyck Brooks, Arthur J. Elder, George T. Keating, Beatrice Allender McFee, other members of the McFee family, Byrne Marconnier, Harry E. Maule, Christopher Morley, Dudley Nichols, and Frank Swinnerton.
Dates
- 1862 - 1966
- Majority of material found within 1900 - 1966
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Boxes 93-95: Restricted until 2033 September 24. For more information, consult the appropriate curator.
Box 92 (reel-to-reel audiotapes) and box 103 (16mm films): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Boxes 106-107: Restricted fragile material. Consult Access Services for further information.
Boxes 93-95: Restricted until 2033 September 24. For more information, consult the appropriate curator.
Box 92 (reel-to-reel audiotapes) and box 103 (16mm films): Restricted fragile material. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Boxes 106-107: Restricted fragile material. Consult Access Services for further information.
Conditions Governing Use
The William McFee Collection 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.
Conditions Governing Use
Videocassettes (in box 100): Use of originals is restricted. Reference copies may be requested. Consult Access Services for further information.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of James T. Babb, (Yale 1924), 1952-1968, gift of Harry E. Maule, 1954 and 1970, and gift of Margaret Bradley Babb, 1983; and acquired from other donors and vendors, 1948-2002, as indicated in subseries and folder notes. For more information consult the appropriate curator.
Arrangement
Organized into two groupings: Acquisitions, 1948-1972 and 1983; and Acquisitions, 1979-2002.
Extent
39.91 Linear Feet ((107 Boxes) + 1 art)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
The William McFee Collection contains correspondence between McFee and literary colleagues, publishers, friends, and family; third-party correspondence concerning McFee, his family, and his friendship with James T. Babb; autograph manuscript or typescript drafts for most of McFee's novels, and for short stories, essays, books reviews, and poems; autograph manuscript diaries, 1911-1963; writings of others, including Margery Allingham and Beatrice Allender McFee; photographs of McFee and others; drawings of McFee and illustrations for his writings by Arthur J. Elder and others; a bronze bust of McFee by Jason Sturm (Yale 1922); scrapbooks containing clippings about McFee, reviews of his writings, photographs, and ephemera; other clippings about McFee; personal papers, mostly concerning McFee's family or his work as a marine engineer; correspondence relating to Babb's collecting of books and manuscripts by McFee, and research materials and drafts for A Bibliography of the Writings of William McFee; audiotapes relating to McFee's 75th birthday in 1956; and films and videocassettes of McFee and his family. Major correspondents include Margery Allingham, other members of the Allingham family, James T. Babb, Van Wyck Brooks, Arthur J. Elder, George T. Keating, Beatrice Allender McFee, other members of the McFee family, Byrne Marconnier, Harry E. Maule, Christopher Morley, Dudley Nichols, and Frank Swinnerton.
William McFee (1881-1966)
William McFee (Yale 1936 MA honorary), marine engineer, and author of maritime fiction. McFee was born in London, moved to the United States in 1911, and became an American citizen in 1925, settling in Roxbury, Connecticut. He served as an engineer in the British navy during World War I, and for the United Fruit Company and other merchant ships, 1906-1924. McFee wrote maritime novels, short stories, and essays, and reviewed books about the sea for the The Sun (New York) and the New York Times. He was married to Pauline Khondoff, 1920-1932, and novelist Beatrice Allender, 1932-1952; he later married Dorothy North, and was stepfather of North's son Richard McFee.
James T. Babb (1899-1968)
James T. Babb (Yale 1924), book and manuscript collector; Yale University Librarian, 1943-1965. Babb collected books and manuscripts by William McFee and was the author of A Bibliography of the Writings of William McFee (Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Company, 1931).
Processing Information
Former call numbers: MS Vault McFee, Uncat MS Vault McFee, Uncat MS Vault 272, Uncat MS Vault 304, Uncat MS Vault 305, Uncat MS Vault 306, Uncat MS Vault 743, Uncat MS Vault 761, Uncat MSS 82, Uncat MSS 309, Uncat Ms Vault File, Iq M167 1, Iq M167 +1, Iq M167 904, Iq M167 912, Iq M167 C1, Iq M167 G1, Artstore 674, Artstore 675, Artstore 677, Artstore 678, Artstore 679, Artstore 680, Artstore 681, Artstore 682, and Artstore 885. In 2014, the collection received a baseline level of processing, including partial rehousing and minimal organization. The collection was reclassed under one call number, materials were organized by acquisition, and containers were renumbered in a single sequence. Most folder titles were based on information provided by the creator, while some were assigned by Library staff. Folder titles were not verified against contents.
- Adventure stories, American
- Adventure stories, English
- Allingham family
- Allingham, Margery, 1904-1966
- Audiotapes -- United States -- 20th Century
- Audiovisual materials -- United States -- 20th Century
- Authors -- Great Britain -- 20th Century
- Authors -- United States -- 20th century
- Authors, English -- 20th Century -- Archives
- Babb, James T. (James Tinkham), 1899-1968
- Babb, James T. (James Tinkham), 1899-1968 (Bibliography of the writings of William McFee)
- Book collecting -- United States
- Book collectors -- United States
- Brooks, Van Wyck, 1886-1963
- Busts (figures) -- United States -- 20th Century
- Diaries -- Great Britain -- 20th Century
- Diaries -- United States -- 20th Century
- Drawings (visual works) -- Great Britain -- 20th Century
- Drawings (visual works) -- United States -- 20th Century
- Elder, Arthur J., 1874-
- English literature -- 20th Century
- Great Britain. Royal Navy
- Keating, George T., 1892-
- Manuscripts -- Collectors and collecting -- United States
- Marconnier, Byrne
- Marine engineering -- Great Britain
- Marine engineers -- Great Britain
- Marine engineers -- Great Britain -- 20th Century
- Maule, Harry E. (Harry Edward), 1886-1971
- McFee, Beatrice Allender
- McFee, William, 1881-1966
- McPhee family
- Morley, Christopher, 1890-1957
- Motion pictures (visual works) -- United States -- 20th Century
- Nichols, Dudley, 1895-1960
- Photographs -- Great Britain -- 20th Century
- Photographs -- United States -- 20th Century
- Scrapbooks -- Great Britain -- 20th Century
- Scrapbooks -- United States -- 20th Century
- Sculpture (visual work) -- United States -- 20th Century
- Seafaring life in literature
- Sturm, Jason
- Swinnerton, Frank, 1884-1982
- United Fruit Company. Engineering Department
- Videotapes -- United States -- 20th Century
- Title
- Guide to the William McFee Collection
- Status
- Under Revision
- Author
- by Karen Spicher
- Date
- 2014 February
- 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.