Dr. Seuss Collection
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http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf1000043t Online items available Dr. Seuss Collection Special Collections & Archives Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego Copyright 2005 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla 92093-0175 [email protected] URL: http://libraries.ucsd.edu/collections/sca/index.html Dr. Seuss Collection MSS 0230 1 Descriptive Summary Languages: English Contributing Institution: Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive La Jolla 92093-0175 Title: Dr. Seuss Collection Identifier/Call Number: MSS 0230 Physical Description: 197.7 Linear feet (25 archives boxes, 7 records cartons, 4 card file boxes, 2 phonograph disc boxes, 559 mapcase folders, 75 flat box folders and 35 art bin items) Date (inclusive): 1919 - 2003 Abstract: Manuscripts and drawings of Theodor S. Geisel, author and illustrator known internationally as Dr. Seuss. The collection (1919-1992) includes early drawings, manuscripts and drawings for the majority of his children's books, scripts and storyboards for Dr. Seuss films, television specials and theatre productions, advertising artwork, magazine stories, speeches, awards, memorabilia, fan mail, Dr. Seuss products and photographs. Also included are videorecordings and cassette audiorecordings of UCSD events held to commemorate Geisel's life and work. The collection is arranged in twelve series: 1) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL, 2) BOOKS, 3) SCRIPTS, SCREENPLAYS AND ADAPTATIONS, 4) ADVERTISING ARTWORK, 5) MAGAZINE STORIES AND CARTOONS, 6) WRITINGS, SPEECHES AND TEACHING PROGRAMS, 7) AWARDS AND MEMORABILIA, 8) FAN MAIL, 9) SEUSS PRODUCTS, 10) BOOK PROMOTION MATERIALS, 11) PHOTOGRAPHS, and 12) UCSD EVENTS. Scope and Content of Collection The Dr. Seuss Collection documents the artistic and literary career of Theodor Seuss Geisel, popularly know as Dr. Seuss, from 1919 to 1992. Included are early drawings and writings; manuscripts, drawings and finished artwork for the majority of his children's books; manuscripts, drawings and storyboards for film, television and theatrical presentations; advertising artwork; manuscripts and drawings for magazine stories and cartoons; awards and memorabilia; fan mail; Seuss products; book promotion materials, and photographs. Notably absent from the collection is correspondence from Geisel and manuscripts and drawings related to his books And To Think That I saw It on Mulberry Street, The Lorax, and Daisy-Head Mayzie. The Dr. Seuss Collection is arranged in twelve series: 1) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL, 2) BOOKS, 3) SCRIPTS, SCREENPLAYS AND ADAPTATIONS, 4) ADVERTISING ARTWORK, 5) MAGAZINE STORIES AND CARTOONS, 6) WRITINGS, SPEECHES AND TEACHING PROGRAMS, 7) AWARDS AND MEMORABILIA, 8) FAN MAIL, 9) SEUSS PRODUCTS, 10) BOOK PROMOTION MATERIALS, 11) PHOTOGRAPHS and 12) UCSD EVENTS. SERIES 1: BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL The BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL series contains the earliest known original drawings by Ted Geisel and also documents his military service during World War II. It is arranged in three subseries: A) Early Drawings and Artwork, B) High School and College Materials, and C) US Army Materials. The Early Drawings and Artwork subseries contains the earliest examples of Geisel's drawings, including four titled ink drawings on paper (1926-1927) done while he was travelling in Europe after leaving Oxford University. Of interest are photographs of murals he designed for a children's playroom. The drawings are arranged chronologically. The High School and College Materials subseries includes Geisel's wonderful Oxford University notebook (1925-1926), which contains lecture notes, abundant margin drawings, doodles and humorous jottings. Geisel's high school activities are documented by the program for a high school comedy he wrote and performed in called "Chicopee Surprised." The US Army Materials document Geisel's service in the Army during World War II. Commissioned as a captain on December 31, 1942, Geisel was assigned to the Special Service Division in Hollywood where he helped produce films and pamphlets. The administrative files reflects his activities and projects and contains orders, vouchers for per diem reimbursement, memoranda and other miscellaneous documents. Memorabilia and documents from Geisel's trip to the European Theatre of Operations in late 1944 and early 1945 are also included in the subseries. Of particular interest is a collection of pencil-on-paper cartoons which take a humorous view of army life. Finally, the subseries contains the small instructional pamphlet on malaria entitled This Is Ann, which Geisel illustrated for the War Department. Materials in this subseries are arranged chronologically. The Miscellany subseries contains a videorecording of Geisel's appearance on the television program To Tell The Truth in 1958. SERIES 2: BOOKS Dr. Seuss Collection MSS 0230 2 The BOOKS series contains the manuscripts, typescripts, rough sketches and finished drawings for the majority of books Geisel published under the pseudonyms Dr. Seuss, Theo. LeSieg, and Rosetta Stone. Notably absent from the collection are significant materials related to the books And To Think That I saw It on Mulberry Street, The Lorax, and Daisy-Head Mayzie. The series is arranged in four subseries: A) Drafts and Drawings, B) Book Dummies, C) Cut-Up Books and D) Unpublished Editorial Collaborations. In the Drafts and Drawings subseries are located manuscripts, typescripts, color rough sketches, original finished drawings, hand-penciled color specification instructions and miscellaneous proofs from the printer for the majority of Geisel's published books. Also included are rough sketches for several unpublished projects such as "The Sad, Sad Story of the Obsks." The materials are arranged alphabetically by title. Within each title the materials are organized according to stages of production, from rough to finished. Extant materials for individual titles vary. For early books, such as The Seven Lady Godivas and The King's Stilts, the extant drawings are finished pencil and gouache on board. Later books are typically represented by successive manuscript drafts of text, colored rough sketches and finished ink on board drawings which are subsequently photographed to produce prints which Geisel hand colored and numbered for the printer. For McElligot's Pool, Happy Birthday To You!, and I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today!, Geisel painted finished illustrations in gouache. The Book Dummies subseries contains blank book samples that show cover cloth, paper weight, book size, board thickness and other binding variables. In the Cut-Up Books subseries are published books from which Geisel clipped artwork and characters to use as color chart specifications. The books are arranged alphabetically by title. SERIES 3: SCRIPTS, SCREENPLAYS AND ADAPTATIONS The SCRIPTS, SCREENPLAYS AND ADAPTATIONS series contains original works for film, original works for television and adaptations of Dr. Seuss books from print medium to television or the stage. The series is arranged by format in five subseries: A) Films, B) Sound Recording Scripts, C) Television Scripts and Storyboards, D) Theater Productions and E) Interactive Media. The major work in the Films subseries is The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, a musical released by Columbia in 1953. Included are numerous successive drafts of the screenplay, sketches and music scores. Scripts for Geisel's postwar films, Your Job in Germany (later released by Warner Brothers as Hitler Lives), Design For Death and Gerald McBoing-Boing are represented. The actual film versions of titles in this subseries are not included in the collection. The Films subseries is arranged alphabetically by title. The Sound Recording Scripts subseries contains scripts for adaptations of books to phonograph discs. The actual discs are listed in the Seuss Products series. Materials are arranged alphabetically by title. The Television Scripts and Storyboards subseries includes manuscripts, storyboard drawings, sketches, and song lyrics for Dr. Seuss television specials. Although extant materials vary for individual titles, the "Hoober-Bloob Highway," "Halloween is Grinch Night," "Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You?" and "The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat" are particularly well documented. Drawings from the unfinished adaptation of Geisel's book Oh, The Places You'll Go! are also contained in this subseries. The following television specials are represented in the Dr. Seuss Collection: "Butter Battle Book" (TNT, 11/13/89) "The Cat in the Hat" (CBS, 03/10/71) "Dr. Seuss On the Loose" (CBS, 10/15/73) "The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat" (ABC, 05/20/82) "Halloween Is Grinch Night" (ABC, 10/28/77) "Hoober-Bloob Highway" (CBS, 02/19/75) "Horton Hears a Who" (CBS, 03/19/70) "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (CBS, 12/18/66) "The Lorax" "Pontoffel Pock, Where Are You?" (ABC, 03/02/80) Broadcast versions in film format for several television specials are listed in the Seuss Products series. The subseries is arranged alphabetically by title. The Theatre Productions subseries contains the only Dr. Seuss book adapted to the theatre, the 1980 Children's Theatre of Minneapolis production of "The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins." Also included in the subseries are four designs for scenes in an untitled musical that was never produced. Finally, the Interactive Media subseries contains production materials for CD ROM adaptations of Geisel's books. Dr. Seuss Collection MSS 0230 3 SERIES 4: ADVERTISING ARTWORK The ADVERTISING ARTWORK series documents Geisel's career as an advertising artist and cartoonist. His major