Arthur Hobson Quinn papers Ms. Coll. 1236 Finding aid prepared by Sam Allingham. Last updated on April 03, 2020. University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts 2017 May 2 Arthur Hobson Quinn papers Table of Contents Summary Information....................................................................................................................................3 Biography/History..........................................................................................................................................4 Scope and Contents....................................................................................................................................... 4 Administrative Information........................................................................................................................... 5 Related Materials........................................................................................................................................... 5 Controlled Access Headings..........................................................................................................................6 Collection Inventory...................................................................................................................................... 8 Series I: Correspondence.........................................................................................................................8 Series II: Work by Quinn......................................................................................................................76 Series III: Material related to Quinn's role at the University of Pennsylvania....................................108 Series IV: Personal material................................................................................................................111 Series V: Playbills and libretti............................................................................................................ 112 Series VI: Works by others.................................................................................................................116 Series VII: James A. Herne material.................................................................................................. 118 - Page 2 - Arthur Hobson Quinn papers Summary Information Repository University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts Creator Quinn, Arthur Hobson, 1875-1960 Title Arthur Hobson Quinn papers Call number Ms. Coll. 1236 Date [bulk] 1907-1960 Date [inclusive] 1801-1961 Extent 46.2 linear feet (93 boxes) Language English Language Note The bulk of the collection is in English, with occasional French, Latin, and German. Abstract Arthur Hobson Quinn (1875-1960) was a professor and dean of English and History at the University of Pennsylvania and an internationally recognized authority on the history of American drama. This collection contains material representative of Quinn’s entire professional life: correspondence, manuscripts of books and articles, lecture notes, reviews of contemporary plays, his collection of playbills and libretti, and material related to his research on Edgar Allan Poe and the American realist playwright James A. Herne. - Page 3 - Arthur Hobson Quinn papers Cite as: Arthur Hobson Quinn papers, 1801-1961 (bulk: 1907-1960), Ms. Coll. 1236, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania Biography/History Arthur Hobson Quinn (1875-1960) was a professor and dean of English and History at the University of Pennsylvania and an internationally recognized authority on the history of American drama. Other than a brief period at the University of Munich during his PhD studies, the whole of Quinn’s postsecondary education took place at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his B.S. in 1894 and his PhD in 1899. The same is true of Quinn’s teaching career; hired by the University as an instructor of Mathematics in 1894, he became instructor of English in 1895 and was appointed Assistant Professor of English in 1904. Quinn would eventually hold the title of Welsh Professor of History and English, and serve as Dean of the College from 1912 to 1922. Born in Philadelphia, he had a special interest in that city’s role in the development of the American theater. His books on American drama were for many decades the standard reference work for university courses on the subject, and his critical biography of Edgar Allan Poe was crucial in elevating Poe’s position from that of an intriguing curiosity to a central figure in American literature. In addition to his scholarly work, Quinn was very active in the theatrical scene of his day, corresponding with important playwrights and theatre professionals, most notably Eugene O’Neill; he was also an avid supporter of amateur drama, both at the University of Pennsylvania and in Philadelphia at large. He died in 1960 in Bala Cynwyd, PA. Scope and Contents This collection contains material related to Quinn’s entire professional life: his correspondence with publishers, playwrights, and theatre professionals; manuscripts (some partial) and notes for four of his books, A History of the American Drama from the Beginning to the Civil War (1927), The Soul of America (1932), Edgar Allan Poe, a Critical Biography (1941), and his collaborative textbook The Literature of the American People (1951), as well as numerous scholarly articles; extensive lecture notes for his classes at the University of Pennsylvania; reviews of contemporary plays; his collection of playbills and libretti; and material related to his research on Edgar Allan Poe and the American realist - Page 4 - Arthur Hobson Quinn papers playwright James A. Herne, including several of Herne’s own manuscripts. Although the collection contains a small amount of personal material belong to Quinn and his daughter Kathleen, there is very little material concerning Quinn’s family or his private life. For more details, see notes at the series level. Administrative Information University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts 2017 May 2 Finding aid prepared by Sam Allingham. Access Restrictions This collection is open for research use. Use Restrictions Copyright restrictions may exist. For most library holdings, the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania do not hold copyright. It is the responsibility of the requester to seek permission from the holder of the copyright to reproduce material from the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts. Source of Acquisition Gifts of Kathleen Carberry Quinn and James H. McK. Quinn, August 1984, December 1985, and December 1986. Related Materials Related Archival Materials note At the University of Pennsylvania Archives and Records Center: Arthur Hobson Quinn papers, 1908-1940, UPT 50 Q7 - Page 5 - Arthur Hobson Quinn papers Controlled Access Headings Corporate Name(s) • University of Pennsylvania. Department of English. • University of Pennsylvania. Form/Genre(s) • Correspondence • Librettos • Manuscripts (documents) • Playbills • Writings (documents) Personal Name(s) • Herne, James A., 1839-1901 • O'Neill, Eugene, 1888-1953 • Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809-1849 Subject(s) • American literature--History and criticism • Authors • College teachers • Dramatists • Education • Education, Higher • Literature • Performing arts • Theater • Theater--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia • Theater--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--19th century • Theater--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--20th century • Theater--United States--20th century - Page 6 - Arthur Hobson Quinn papers • Theater--United States--History--20th century - Page 7 - Arthur Hobson Quinn papers Series I: Correspondence Collection Inventory Series I: Correspondence, 1886-1965 (Bulk, 1909-1954) . Scope and Contents note The bulk of this series is divided into letters addressed to Quinn, alphabetical by sender, and carbon copies of Quinn’s replies, in chronological order. The senders and recipients of these two subseries are more or less the same, and may be used together. If researchers are looking for communications to and from a certain correspondent, they should first look in B. Correspondence to Quinn, then look in the chronological files of A. Correspondence from Quinn. Researchers should search for correspondents in the last name, first name format. There is a subseries specifically dedicated to correspondence between Quinn and the publishers of his books, in chronological order, as well as subseries of notable correspondence with playwrights and theatre professionals, alphabetical by sender. However, there is some overlap between these subseries, and some publishing correspondence and some correspondence with playwrights/theatre professionals may be found in the general correspondence. A. Correspondence from Quinn. Box Folder 1908-1924. 1 1 1925 January-April. 1 2 1925 May-July. 1 3 1925 August-October. 1 4 1925 November-December. 1 5 1926 January. 1 6 - Page 8 - Arthur Hobson Quinn papers A. Correspondence from Quinn 1926 February-March. 1 7 1926 April-May. 1 8 1926 June-September. 1 9 1926 October-December. 1 10 1927 January-February. 1 11 1927 March-April. 1 12 1927 May-September. 1 13 1927 October-December. 1 14 1928 January-April. 1 15 1928 May-August. 2 1 1928 September-October. 2 2 1929 January-October. 2 3 1929 November. 2 4 1929 December-1930 January. 2 5 1930 February. 2 6 1930 March. 2 7 1930 April-May.