Herbert Lionel Matthews Papers, 1943-1982 MS# 0856
©2007 Columbia University Library
This document is converted from a legacy finding aid. We provide this Internet-accessible document in the hope that users interested in this collection will find this information useful. At some point in the future, should time and funds permit, this finding aid may be updated.
SUMMARY INFORMATION Creator
Herbert Lionel Matthews
Title and dates
Herbert Lionel Matthews Papers, 1943-1982
Abstract
Correspondence, manuscripts, notes, clippings, periodical articles, photographs, book, and pamphlets relating to the fall of Batista's Cuba and the rise of Fidel Castro. These files contain the documentation of Mathwes's noted series of articles on the Cuban revolution, the books which developed from these articles, and newspapers clippings, periodicals, and pamphlets, in English and Spanish, concerning the rise of Castro.
Size
27 linear ft. (43 document boxes & 4 flat boxes)
Call number
MS# 0856
Location
Columbia University Butler Library, 6th Floor Herbert Lionel Matthews Papers
Rare Book and Manuscript Library 535 West 114th Street New York, NY 10027
Language(s) of material
English, Spanish
Biographical Note
Herbert Lionel Matthews (January 10, 1900-July 30, 1977) had a long and highly successful career with the New York Times: He was a correspondent in Paris, Rome, and Italy, and war correspondent covering the Abyssinian War, the Spanish Civil War, and World War II. He was chief of the London bureau from 1945 till 1949, and a member of editorial staff from 1949 till 1967. Matthews is the reporter best remembered as a chronicler of the Spanish Civil War and the Cuban Revolution.
Born in New York City, Matthews graduated from Columbia University (A.B., 1922). In 1936, Matthews covered the civil war in Spain for the New York Times and wrote sympathically of the efforts of those fighting for the Republic’s cause against Franco. Matthews became a hero to the American Communist volunteers who fought Franco in Spain as part of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade.
In 1957 the Cuban dictator, Fulgencio Batista, claimed that Fidel Casto had been killed by his troops. It was Matthews who made the world aware that Fidel Castro was still alive and living in the Sierra Maestra mountains. On February 24, 1957, the New York Times published his interview which helped in-part to undermine the Batista regime and revive the struggle of Castro, making him appear as the best hope for democracy and social justice in Cuba: "[Castro]has strong ideas of liberty, democracy, social justice, the need to restore the constitution, to hold elections."
Matthews was criticized for helping bring Castro to power in Cuba. Many critics lampooned Matthews and the New York Times by staring that 'Castro got his job through the New York Times'.
Page 2 of 9 Herbert Lionel Matthews Papers
On Saturday, February 17th, 2007, the Cuban government unveiled a marble plaque commemorating the 50th anniversary of the meeting between Castro and Matthews. The plaque was placed on the spot where Matthews met with Castro at his hideout in the Sierra Maestra mountains of south eastern Cuba.
In 2006 Anthony DePalma's The Man Who Invented Fidel: Castro, Cuba, and Herbert L. Matthews of The New York Times was published by Public Affairs.
Some of the more notable writings of Matthews are: Eyewitness in Abyssinia, Secker, 1937. Two Wars and More to Come, Carrick, 1938. The Fruits of Fascism, Harcourt, 1943, reprinted, AMS Press, 1979. The Education of a Correspondent, Harcourt, 1946, reprinted, Greenwood Press, 1970. (With wife, Edith Matthews) Assignment to Austerity, Bobbs-Merrill, 1950. (Editor) The United States and Latin America, Prentice-Hall, 1953, 2nd edition, 1963. The Yoke and the Arrows, Braziller, 1956, revised edition, 1969. The Cuban Story, Braziller, 1961. Cuba, Macmillan, 1964. Return to Cuba, California Institute of International Studies, 1964. Fidel Castro Simon & Schuster, 1969 (published in England as Castro: A Political Biography, Penguin, 1969). A World in Revolution: A Newspaperman's Memoir, Scribner, 1972. Half of Spain Died: A Reappraisal of the Spanish Civil War, Scribner, 1973. Revolution in Cuba: An Essay in Understanding, Scribner, 1975.
Matthews received many awards including: Italian War Cross Grand Officer, Crown of Italy Commendatore, Order of Merit (Italy) Officer, Order of Condor of Andes (Bolivia) Chevalier of Legion of Honor (France) Officer, Order of Southern Cross (Brazil) Officer, Order of Boyaca (Colombia) Columbia University Medal of Excellence Maria Moors Cabot Award, 1956 George Polk Memorial Award, 1957 Newspaper Guild of New York Page One Award, 1957
Description Correspondence, manuscripts, notes, clippings, periodical articles, photographs, book, and pamphlets relating to the fall of Batista's Cuba and the rise of Fidel Castro. These files contain the documentation of his noted series of articles on the Cuban revolution, the books which developed from these articles, and newspapers clippings, periodicals, and pamphlets, in English and Spanish, concerning the rise of Castro. Of special interest is the holograph penciled notes of Matthews's famous 1957 interview with Castro in his Sierra Madre mountain hideout. Translations available for interview and part of Spanish language material.
There is a folder of photographs of Cuba and Cuban personalities and an English translation of an interview which Castro gave to a panel of newsmen on October 27, 1962. There is some material concerning the Spanish Civil War. The collection includes three letters by Fidel Castro, as well as letters from Romulo Betancourt, Benedetto Croce, Juscelino Kubitsehek, Archibald MacLeish, and Luis Munoz Marin. There are
Page 3 of 9 Herbert Lionel Matthews Papers also manuscripts and related materials for Matthews' works Half of Spain Died, World in Revolution, Italy in World War II A Newspaperman, Assignment to Austerity, The Big Story, Two Wars & More to Come, The Yoke and the Arrows, and The Education of a Correspondent.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in eight series.
Series I: Cataloged Correspondence & Manuscripts PAGE 7 Series II: Cuba PAGE 7 Series III: Book manuscripts, proofs, & related materials PAGE 8 Series IV: Miscellaneous PAGE 8 Series V: Books by & about Matthews PAGE 8 Series VI: 1977 Addition PAGE 8 Series VII: Scrapbooks PAGE 9 Series VIII: 1991 Addition PAGE 9
ACCESS AND USE Access
This collection has no restrictions.
The following boxes are located off-site: 2-43. You will need to request this material from the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.
Restrictions on Use and Copyright Information
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material from the collection must be requested from the Curator of Manuscripts, Rare Book and Manuscript Library (RBML). The RBML approves permission to publish that which it physically owns; the responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.
ACQUISITION AND APPRAISAL Provenance and Acquisition
Gift of Herbert L. Matthews, 1962 Transferred from the Journalism Library, 1977 Gift of John L. Matthews, 1991 & 1992
Accrual of Records
No additions are expected.
PROCESSING AND OTHER INFORMATION Processing Information
This collection was processed by Mary Boone Bowling in 1975. Finding aid written by Mary Boone Bowling in October 1975.
Descriptive Rules Used
Page 4 of 9 Herbert Lionel Matthews Papers
Finding aid adheres to that prescribed by Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Encoding
Finding aid written in English.
Preferred Citation
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Herbert Lionel Matthews Papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
Subject Headings
These papers have been indexed in the Columbia University Library online catalog using the following terms. Those seeking related materials should search under these terms.
Acheson, Dean, 1893-1971 Articles Authors Autobiographies Baker, Carlos, 1909-1987 Batista y Zaldivar, Fulgencio, 1901-1973 Betancourt, Romulo, 1908- Book reviews Bowers, Claude Gernade, 1879-1958 Castro, Fidel, 1927- Croce, Benedetto, 1866-1952 Cuba--Description and travel Cuba--History--Revolution, 1959 Cuba--Politics and government Dispatches Duvalier, Francois, 1907-1971 Eaton, Cyrus Stephen, 1883- Foreign correspondents Frankel, Max, 1914- Galley proofs Guevara, Ernesto, 1928-1967 Heads of state Hemingway, Ernest, 1899-1961 India--History20th century Interviews Journalists Kubitschek, Juscelino, 1902-1976 Lippmann, Walter, 1889-1974 MacLeish, Archibald, 1892- Manuscripts for Publication Maps Matthews, Herbert Lionel, 1900- Medallions (medals) Memorabilia
Page 5 of 9 Herbert Lionel Matthews Papers
Memorandums Military passes Munoz Marin, Luis, 1898- Notes Passports Photographs Photoprints Politicians Press releases Proofs Quintanilla, Luis, 1900-1980 Radio scripts Releases Reston, James. 1909- Revolutionaries Scrapbooks Scripts Spain--History--Civil War, 1936-1939 Statesmen Sulzberger, Arthur Hays, 1891-1968 Thomas, Norman, 1884-1968 Transcripts Translations World War, 1939-1945--Italy
Page 6 of 9 Herbert Lionel Matthews Papers Box
Series I: Cataloged Correspondence & Manuscripts
Acheson, Dean Baker, Carlos Batista, Fulgencio Betancourt, Romulo Bowers, Claude Gernade Castro, Fidel Croce, Benedetto Duvalier, Francois Eaton, Cyrus S. Frankel, Max Guevara, Ernesto "Che" Keller, Fred Kubitschek, Juscelino Lippmann, Walter MacLeish, Archibald Marin, Luis Munoz H.L.M. to Ernest Hemingway Mirό Cardona, Jose Peter, Prince of Greece Quintanilla, Luis Reston, James Sulzberger, Arthur Hays Thomas, Norman Mattoon
Series II: Cuba
1 Catalogued correspondence and manuscripts Miscellaneous correspondence
2 Subject folders Statements, releases, etc.
3 Notes, clippings, letters used in The Cuba Story Latin America Herbert Matthews - personal
4 Fidel Castro--autograph manuscript and typed manuscript
5-5a Sunrise in Cuba (Revolution in Cuba)--manuscript and typescript
6 Revolution in Cuba--related material
7 Printed material--clippings
8 Printed material--magazines and pamphlets
Herbert Lionel Matthews Papers Box
Series III: Book manuscripts, proofs, and related materials
9-12 Marti, Jose: Obras Completas. Printed material
13-14 Half of Spain Died and World in Revolution--autograph manuscript and typed manuscript
15 Half of Spain Died and World in Revolution--proofs and correspondence Spain - miscellaneous folders
16-17 World in Revolution--proofs
18 Italy in World War II--correspondence and subject files Italy--miscellaneous Casa Italiana, Columbia
19 A Newspaperman--autograph manuscript Notes and correspondence, 1972 Cuba trip
Series IV: Miscellaneous
20 Miscellaneous maps, photographs, printed material, memorabilia Bigongiari, D. & G.--letters, article, book
21 Miscellaneous printed material
Series V: Books by and about Matthews
22 Books by and about Herbert Matthews
40-43 Miscellaneous books [8 volumes]
Series VI: 1977 Addition Transferred from Journalism Library
23-26 Italian Dispatches
27 Cuba--Papers
28 Cuba--Periodicals and newspapers
29 Cuba--Books
30 Spanish Civil War dispatches and miscellaneous papers
31 Indian dispatches
32 Miscellaneous dispatches and papers Two volumes, bound and in slipcases, of Matthews' typescript dispatches to the New York Times on the Spanish Revolution
Page 8 of 9 Herbert Lionel Matthews Papers Box
Series VII: Scrapbooks Seven scrapbook of clippings of Matthews' articles in the New York Times, 1949-1967 [Gift of the New York Times, 1977]
Flat Box 325 Volumes 1 & 2 Flat Box 326 Volumes 3 & 4 Flat Box 327 Volumes 5 & 6 Flat Box 328 Volume 7
Series VIII: 1991 Addition [Gift of John L. Matthews]
33 Arranged correspondence Photographs
Manuscripts by HLM: 34 Assignment to Austerity The Big Story Cuba [Spanish Civil War] untitled Two Wars & More to Cole (1937) The Yoke and the Arrows
35 The Education of a Correspondent, (with correspondence)
Subject files: 36 Cuba (with correspondence) Spanish Civil War
Page 9 of 9