The University of Chicago Library > The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center > Finding Aids > Guide to the Will Cuppy Papers circa 1884-1949
© 2011 University of Chicago Library
| Title: | Cuppy, Will. Papers |
|---|---|
| Dates: | circa 1884-1949 |
| Size: | 70 linear feet (125 boxes) |
| Repository: |
Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center |
| Abstract: | William Jacob ("Will") Cuppy was an American humorist and journalist, best known for his satirical books: How to be a Hermit (1929), How to Tell your Friends from the Apes (1931), How to Attract the Wombat (1949), and The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody (1950), as well as his numerous articles and book reviews. The Will Cuppy Papers consist largely of index card files containing story leads, jokes, factoids, trivia, and personal reminders. The collection also contains correspondence, drafts and manuscripts of his writings, clippings, magazines, books, photographs, illustrations, scrapbooks, artifacts and journals. |
The collection is open for research.
When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Cuppy, Will. Papers, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
William Jacob ("Will") Cuppy was an American humorist and journalist, best known for his satirical books How to be a Hermit (1929), How to Tell your Friends from the Apes (1931), How to Attract the Wombat (1949), and The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody (1950). He also wrote numerous essays, scripts, and reviews dealing with the animal kingdom, world history, crime fiction, and his personal life.
Cuppy was born and grew up in Auburn, Indiana, spending his summers at the family farm near South Whitley, where he discovered his first interest in the animal world. In 1902, he entered the University of Chicago and remained there for the next 12 years studying literature, although he devoted more attention to his work as a campus reporter for the Chicago Record-Herald and the Chicago Daily News. He was also involved in amateur theatre. Upon finishing his BA in 1907, he decided to stay on and pursue a PhD in English literature. Cuppy's first book, Maroon Tales (1910), was a collection of humorous stories about student life at the University of Chicago. Cuppy eventually lost interest in his PhD and left the university in 1914, after turning in his Master's thesis, "The Elizabethan Conception of Prose Style."
Cuppy then moved to New York City and began working as a copywriter to support himself while pursuing his own literary projects. He briefly served in the US military near the end of the First World War, but did not leave the country in his post in the motor transport corps. Around this time, he began writing for the New York Tribune (and later its successor, the New York Herald Tribune) where his old college friend, Burton Rascoe, was literary editor. From 1924 until his death, he was a staff reviewer at the New York Herald Tribune.
Cuppy despised the noise and hectic pace of life in Manhattan, blaming it for his lack of success as a serious writer. He retreated to a shack made of clapboard, tarpaper, and tin sheeting on Jones Island off the coast of Long Island's South Shore in 1921. He later named his 'estate' "Tottering-on-the-brink". Though he continued to publish, he led a hermit-like existence there for the next eight years. He noted occasional encounters with the crew of the Zachs Inlet Coast Guard Station, who provided food and assistance to the writer, even rowing him ashore for his meetings in the city. Cuppy was eventually forced to give up permanent residence on the island with the expansion of the Jones Beach State Park near the end of the decade, but he received a special dispensation from the chairman of the New York state council of parks, which allowed him to keep the shack. Cuppy's second book, How to be a Hermit, published in 1929, was a humorous look at home economics and the life of a confirmed bachelor, based on his experiences. The book was a best-seller.
Though he became a well-known figure in the New York literary scene and also enjoyed popular success, Cuppy was a self-proclaimed curmudgeon, who often avoided social interaction. After being forced back to the city in 1929, he became an urban hermit in his apartment in Greenwich Village, sleeping during the day and working until the early hours of the morning. Though it was now in the middle of a state park, he continued to periodically retreat to his shack in search of solitude.
In the early 1930s, Cuppy tried his hand at radio and the lecture circuit, but was unsuccessful, due in part to his nervous manner of speaking. He briefly had a 15-minute long radio program with the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in 1933, in which he and an actress discussed being a hermit, historical figures, food, animals and Cuppy's pet peeves. It was cancelled within six months due to its lack of broad appeal.
Many of the essays that would form his next three books, How to Tell Your Friends from the Apes (1931), How to Become Extinct (1941), and How to Attract the Wombat (1949), were first published as articles in the Saturday Evening Post, The New Yorker, the magazine For Men, and other publications. A compilation, The Great Bustard and Other People, containing How to Tell Your Friends from the Apes and How to Become Extinct, was published in 1944.
Cuppy's steadiest source of income was reviewing mystery and crime fiction for the weekly column "Mystery and Adventure" in the New York Herald Tribune. Cuppy reportedly read and reviewed more than 4,000 novels over the course of his career. He claimed to have an alter ego, "Oswald Terwilliger," whom he put to work reviewing murder mysteries while Cuppy pursued more dignified literary projects. Cuppy also edited several collections of murder mysteries, including World's Great Mystery Stories: American and English Masterpieces (1943), World's Great Detective Stories: American and English Masterpieces (1943) and Murder Without Tears: An Anthology of Crime (1946).
Near the end of his life, Cuppy suffered from depression and chronic poor health. Threatened with eviction from his apartment, he committed suicide by a fatal dose of sleeping pills on September 19, 1949. His cremated remains were buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Auburn, Indiana in an unmarked grave until 1985, when local donors erected a granite headstone with the inscription, "American Humorist".
Cuppy's last book, The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody, was published posthumously in 1950. It was based on Cuppy's notes and drafts, sorted and assembled by Cuppy's long-time editor and literary executor, Fred Feldkamp, and Feldkamp's wife, Phyllis. Cuppy had been researching the book for more than sixteen years and was close to completing it. The book spent four months on the New York Times bestseller list, and went through several reprints. Feldkamp also arranged for another unfinished project to be published in 1951: the satirical almanac How to Get from January to December, featuring a humorous essay for every day of the year.
The Will Cuppy Papers consist largely of index card files containing story leads, jokes, factoids, trivia, and personal reminders. The collection also contains correspondence, drafts and manuscripts of his writings, clippings, magazines, books, photographs, illustrations, scrapbooks, artifacts and journals. The collection spans the 1880s-1949, though most materials are undated.
Cuppy's writing method involved jotting ideas down on index cards, filed according to categories of his own devising. He collected a variety of research material related to the topic, primarily clippings. Cuppy continually reorganized the material as he added to his research on a given topic. The original organization of the collection has been preserved as much as possible, retaining the original labels and Cuppy's hierarchy of categories.
The collections is organized into ten series:
Series I: Books, consists of index card files and clippings related to Cuppy's published books How to be a Hermit (1929), How to Attract the Wombat (1949), The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody (1950) and How to Get from January to December (1951).
Series II: Topical, consists of index card files and clippings on a variety of topics that Cuppy wrote about, including the animal kingdom, world history, and food. As a reviewer of crime fiction, Cuppy also kept notes related to this genre.
Series III: Correspondence, contains incoming and outgoing correspondence between Will Cuppy and his family, friends, and professional connections. Material spans the 1920s-1940s. It is organized alphabetically by correspondent.
Series IV: Manuscripts, Notes and Clippings, contains manuscripts, notes, and clippings related to Cuppy’s books. Material is organized alphabetically by subject and title.
Series V: University of Chicago, contains materials from Cuppy’s time as a student at the University of Chicago, 1902-1914. These include convocation programs and course work, including a manuscript for his thesis, “The Elizabethan Conception of Prose Style.” It also contains clippings related to Maroon Tales, his first book. Material is undated unless otherwise specified, and organized alphabetically by subject.
Series VI: Scrapbooks, contains Cuppy’s bound scrapbooks, dating from the 1920s through 1940s. They document publicity for Cuppy’s books, arranged chronologically. Publicity scrapbooks are followed by his “Thought for the Day!” scrapbooks from the 1930s.
Series VII: Photographs and Illustrations, contains photographs documenting Cuppy’s childhood, student days, and life as a hermit. It also contains illustrations by William Steig.
Series VIII: Publications, contains magazines and pamphlets collected by Cuppy. They are arranged alphabetically by title.
Series IX: Journals, contains Cuppy’s journals and personal index file cards. The journals begin in 1916 and are numbered but undated. The journals are followed by index files on various topics, listed with Cuppy’s headings and arranged in the order in which he bundled them.
Series X: Oversize and Artifacts, contains advertisements, clippings, and typescripts from Series IV. It includes a framed certificate from the Guild of Former Pipe Organ Pumpers. They are arranged alphabetically by topic.
Series I: Books |
This series is primarily comprised of index card files and clippings related to Cuppy's published books How to be a Hermit (1929), How to Attract the Wombat (1949), The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody (1950) and How to Get from January to December (1951).
Materials are organized into four subseries:
Subseries 1: How to Be a Hermit (1929), consists of material relating to How to be a Hermit (1929) and a later reprint.
Subseries 2: How to Attract the Wombat (1949), consists of material about the animals represented in How to Attract the Wombat (1949). This series is organized roughly according to the original chapter order of the book; however, some animals represented in the notes did not receive an essay in the final publication, and not all of the animals in the book are represented in the notes.
Subseries 3: The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody (1950), consists of material on the historical figures represented in Cuppy's posthumously published book The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody (1950). Though Cuppy collected notes on Betsy Ross, the seamstress credited with making the first American flag, she also was not included in the published book. This series is organized according to the chapter order of the book, with the notes on Betsy Ross at the end of the subseries.
Subseries 4: How to Get from January to December (1951), consists of material relating to Cuppy's almanac project, posthumously published as How to Get from January to December (1951).
Manuscripts, drafts, large clippings, and other material related to Cuppy's books are found in Series IV: Manuscripts, Notes and Clippings.
Subseries 1: How to be a Hermit (1929) |
| Box 1 | Hermit, introduction to reprint |
| Box 1 | Old house décor, hermiting |
| Box 2 | Old hermit memoirs |
Subseries 2: How to Attract the Wombat (1949) |
| Box 3 | Mouse, rat, squirrel |
| Box 4 | Rabbit, armadillo, porcupine |
| Box 5 | Tapir, llama and alpaca, anteater, yak |
| Box 6 | Warthog, opossum, kangaroo, koala |
| Box 7 | Koala, Tasmanian wolf, bandicoot, wombat |
| Box 8 | "The Poet and the Nautilus," frog |
| Box 9 | Toad |
| Box 10 | Salamander, newt |
| Box 11 | Oyster, clam |
| Box 12 | Snail, octopus |
| Box 13 | Squid, sea serpent |
| Box 14 | Ant |
| Box 15 | Bee |
| Box 16 | Cricket, mosquito |
| Box 17 | Gnat, butterfly |
| Box 18 | Beetle, firefly, ladybug |
| Box 19 | Flea, fly |
| Box 20 | Ostrich, emu, kiwi |
| Box 21 | Moa, pelican |
| Box 22 | Duck, goose |
| Box 23 | Swan, scorpion |
| Box 24 | Earthworm |
Subseries 3: The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody (1950) |
| Box 25 | Cheops |
| Box 26 | Cheops, Hatshepsut |
| Box 27 | Hatshepsut, Pericles |
| Box 28 | Pericles |
| Box 29 | Alexander the Great |
| Box 30 | Hannibal |
| Box 31 | Hannibal, Cleopatra |
| Box 32 | Nero |
| Box 33 | Attila the Hun |
| Box 34 | Charlemagne |
| Box 35 | Charlemagne, Lady Godiva, Lucrezia Borgia |
| Box 36 | Lucrezia Borgia, Philip the Sap, Louis XIV |
| Box 37 | Louis XIV |
| Box 38 | Madame DuBarry |
| Box 39 | Peter the Great |
| Box 40 | Catherine the Great |
| Box 41 | Frederick the Great |
| Box 42 | William the Conqueror |
| Box 43 | William the Conqueror, Henry VIII |
| Box 44 | Henry VIII, Elizabeth |
| Box 45 | George III, Leif the Lucky |
| Box 46 | Columbus |
| Box 47 | Montezuma |
| Box 48 | John Smith, Miles Standish |
| Box 49 | Miles Standish, Betsy Ross |
Subseries 4: How to Get from January to December (1951) |
| Box 50 | Months by dates |
| Box 50 | Months with dates |
| Box 51 | Months, dates |
| Box 51 | Months |
| Box 52 | Months - subjects, sorted but no dates |
Series II: Topical |
This series consists mainly of index card files and clippings on a variety of topics that Cuppy wrote about, including the animal kingdom, world history, and food. As a reviewer of crime fiction, Cuppy also kept notes related to this genre.
Materials are organized into seven subseries, each organized alphabetically: Subseries 1: Animals; Subseries 2: History; Subseries 3: Humor and Quotes; Subseries 4: Lectures and Speeches; Subseries 5: Food; Subseries 6: Crime Fiction; and Subseries 7: General.
Manuscripts, drafts, large clippings, and other material related to Cuppy's books are found in Series IV: Manuscripts, Notes and Clippings; and in Series X: Oversize.
Subseries 1: Animals |
| Box 52 | Animal talk (Our Dumb Friends) |
| Box 53 | Animal talk, monkeys, Argosy article |
| Box 53 | Apes, for Times article |
| Box 54 | Apes, for Times article |
| Box 54 | Bat, whale, beaver, bear, platypus, aardvark |
| Box 55 | Birds used in apes book |
| Box 55 | Buffalo, cat, dog, cow, etc., camel, hog, goat |
| Box 56 | Buffalo, cat, dog, wow, etc., camel, hog, goat |
| Box 56 | Carlton Brown, Mom, Strange Pets |
| Box 57 | Elephant, giraffe, sloth, hyena, lion, tiger, rhino, hippo, zebra |
| Box 57 | Extinct - 6 Animals |
| Box 58 | Extinct - 6 Animals |
| Box 58 | Fish, out of water |
| Box 59 | Fish, blenny, s. mackerel, perch, salmon, pike, silurus |
| Box 59 | Fish, carp, minnow, goldfish, herring, cod, stickleback |
| Box 60 | Fish, carp, minnow, goldfish, herring, cod, stickleback |
| Box 60 | Fish, sex, seahorses |
| Box 61 | Fur |
| Box 61 | Garters, boas, viper, rattler, cobra, hog-nosed |
| Box 62 | Gibbon & I |
| Box 62 | Glen snake, chameleon, crocodile, alligator, tortoise, turtle |
| Box 63 | Groundhog, woodchuck, antelopes (funny ones), bear, eras, ages of earth |
| Box 63 | Horse |
| Box 63 | I ought to know, vanishing birds, whooping crane |
| Box 64 | In the water |
| Box 64 | Insect article - spider |
| Box 64 | Insect - pests |
| Box 65 | Insect - pests |
| Box 65 | Language of fish, noisy fish, intelligence of brain, experiments |
| Box 66 | New snake article, own your own |
| Box 66 | Pets |
| Box 67 | Pets |
| Box 67 | Pets, tasmanian devil, Miss Hobley's slow-worm |
| Box 68 | Robin, display, peacock, spring - magnolias |
| Box 68 | Skink, marsupial stuff, display bird, mating-sex |
| Box 69 | Skink, marsupial stuff, display bird, mating-sex |
| Box 69 | Steller's sea cow, fossils |
| Box 70 | Wren, penguin, hen and rooster |
Subseries 2: History |
| Box 70 | Dauphin, eccentrics, humor, sayings, art |
| Box 71 | Foreword, why write the past?, history, before the Greeks |
| Box 71 | Individuals - forces, twerp theory, great men |
| Box 72 | Man of feeling - Faust, fur hat cossack piece |
| Box 72 | Names |
| Box 73 | Names |
| Box 73 | Thais III |
| Box 74 | Thais III |
| Box 74 | Thais IV |
| Box 75 | Thinkers - Arist., Socrates, Greeks, Diogenes |
| Box 76 | Thinkers - more slant on murderers and some suspects, some ancients |
| Box 76 | Thinkers - Egypt, wisdom - wise men, science - religion, calendar |
| Box 77 | Thinkers - Egypt, wisdom - wise men, science - religion, calendar |
| Box 77 | Wilberforce |
| Box 78 | Wilberforce |
Subseries 3: Humor and Quotes |
| Box 78 | Art of conversation |
| Box 79 | Art of conversation |
| Box 79 | For an article on humor |
| Box 79 | Humor comments |
| Box 80 | Humor of great |
| Box 80 | Royal romps |
| Box 80 | Sayings |
| Box 81 | Sayings |
| Box 81 | Theory of humor, books - serious, comedy, farce |
Subseries 4: Lectures and Speeches |
| Box 81 | Earlier lecture |
| Box 82 | Lecture, career |
Subseries 5: Food |
| Box 83 | Favorite foods, aversions to |
| Box 84 | Food |
| Box 84 | Food of the great |
| Box 85 | Food of the great |
| Box 85 | More food of great, coffee |
Subseries 6: Crime Fiction |
| Box 86 | Caledonia |
| Box 86 | MBM articles, murders in good taste, ("We are all talented killers!"), the ideal murder (no Chinaman), college |
| Box 86 | Reviewing |
| Box 86 | Unidentified files |
| Box 87 | Suspense, psychological novel, love life of detectives, play fair |
Subseries 7: General |
| Box 87 | Allergies |
| Box 88 | Am I Musical |
| Box 88 | Blanket, alphabet |
| Box 89 | Budget, memoirs |
| Box 89 | OED, garden book |
| Box 89 | Unidentified files |
| Box 90 | Unidentified files |
| Box 91 | Radio program, mystery man |
| Box 91 | Science |
| Box 91 | Unidentified files |
| Box 93 | Science |
| Box 93 | Unidentified files |
| Box 94 | Food |
| Box 94 | Noise |
| Box 94 | Unidentified files |
| Box 95 | Unidentified files |
Series III: Correspondence |
| Box 96 Folder 1 | Correspondence, A-B |
| Box 96 Folder 2-3 | Correspondence, Chambrun, Jacques |
| Box 96 Folder 4 | Correspondence, Christmas cards |
| Box 96 Folder 5 | Correspondence, C-D |
| Box 96 Folder 6 | Correspondence, Editors |
| Box 96 Folder 7 | Correspondence, E-F |
| Box 96 Folder 8-9 | Correspondence, Family |
| Box 96 Folder 10 | Correspondence, General, 1929 |
| Box 96 Folder 11 | Correspondence, General, 1940s |
| Box 96 Folder 12 | Correspondence, G-H |
| Box 96 Folder 13 | Correspondence, "IMP" |
| Box 96 Folder 14 | Correspondence, I-J |
| Box 96 Folder 15 | Correspondence, K-L |
| Box 96 Folder 16 | Correspondence, "Murder Without Tears" |
| Box 96 Folder 17 | Correspondence, M-N |
| Box 96 Folder 18 | Correspondence, M-P |
| Box 96 Folder 19 | Correspondence, NBC |
| Box 96 Folder 20 | Correspondence, New Yorker |
| Box 96 Folder 21 | Correspondence, "New Yorker readers" |
| Box 96 Folder 22 | Correspondence, O-Q |
| Box 96 Folder 23 | Correspondence, R-S |
| Box 96 Folder 24 | Correspondence, Steig, William |
| Box 96 Folder 25 | Correspondence, Sullivan, Frank |
| Box 96 Folder 26 | Correspondence, T-U |
| Box 96 Folder 27 | Correspondence, V-W |
| Box 96 Folder 28 | Correspondence, X-Z |
Series IV: Manuscripts, Notes and Clippings |
This series contains manuscripts, notes, and clippings related to Cuppy’s books. Material is organized alphabetically by subject and title. It is divided into 9 subseries:
Subseries 1: How to Attract the Wombat, contains notes and manuscripts for the book, as well as clippings on various animals.
Subseries 2: The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody, contains notes and manuscripts for the book, as well as clippings on various historical figures.
Subseries 3: Animals, contains animal clippings and typescripts for short pieces by Cuppy.
Subseries 4: History, contains typescripts for short pieces written by Cuppy on historical topics.
Subseries 5: Lectures and Speeches, contains drafts of speeches given by Cuppy. These are arranged by title and by the place in which the lecture was given.
Subseries 6: Food, contains menus from restaurants and cafes, as well as short pieces by Cuppy.
Subseries 7: Crime Fiction, contains notes and essays by Cuppy on crime fiction.
Subseries 8: Radio Scripts, contains transcripts of interviews Cuppy gave on the radio.
Subseries 9: General, contains general and unidentified manuscripts, notes, and clippings.
Subseries 1: How to Attract the Wombat |
| Box 97 Folder 1 | Anteater, clippings |
| Box 97 Folder 2 | Armadillo, clippings |
| Box 97 Folder 3 | Bandicoot, clippings |
| Box 97 Folder 4 | Beetle, clippings |
| Box 97 Folder 5 | Chambered nautilus, manuscript |
| Box 97 Folder 6 | Chapter outline, typescript |
| Box 97 Folder 7 | Earthworm, clippings and letter |
| Box 97 Folder 8 | Flea, clippings |
| Box 97 Folder 9 | Ladybug, clippings |
| Box 97 Folder 10 | Llama and alpaca, clippings |
| Box 97 Folder 11 | Moa, clippings |
| Box 97 Folder 12 | Mouse, clippings |
| Box 97 Folder 13 | Opossum, clippings and note |
| Box 97 Folder 14 | Porcupine, clippings |
| Box 97 Folder 15 | Rabbit, clippings, |
| Box 97 Folder 16 | Scorpion, letter |
| Box 97 Folder 17 | Sea-serpent, clippings |
| Box 97 Folder 18 | Snake, clippings |
| Box 97 Folder 19 | Squid, clippings |
| Box 97 Folder 20 | Squirrel, clippings |
| Box 97 Folder 21 | "Swan-upping," clippings and typescript |
| Box 97 Folder 22 | Tasmanian wolf, clippings |
| Box 97 Folder 23 | Toad, clippings and book order |
| Box 97 Folder 24 | Warthog, clippings, |
| Box 97 Folder 25 | Wombat, clippings and letter |
| Box 97 Folder 26 | "More about Wombats," manuscript |
Subseries 2: The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody |
| Box 97 Folder 27-30 | Decline and Fall, manuscript and notes |
| Box 97 Folder 31 | Attila the Hun, clippings and typescript |
| Box 97 Folder 32 | Borgia, Lucrezia |
| Box 97 Folder 33-34 | Catherine the Great, clippings, notes, and typescript |
| Box 97 Folder 35-36 | Charlemagne, clippings and typescript |
| Box 97 Folder 37 | Cleopatra, clippings |
| Box 98 Folder 1-2 | Columbus, Christopher, clippings and typescript |
| Box 98 Folder 3-4 | Elizabeth, clippings and typescript |
| Box 98 Folder 5 | Fredrick the Great, clippings |
| Box 98 Folder 6-7 | George III, clippings |
| Box 98 Folder 8 | Hannibal, clippings |
| Box 98 Folder 9 | Henry VIII, clippings |
| Box 98 Folder 10 | Lady Godiva, clippings and typescript |
| Box 98 Folder 11 | "Leif the Lucky," clippings |
| Box 98 Folder 12 | Leif and Columbus, clippings |
| Box 98 Folder 13 | Louis XIV, index cards and manuscript |
| Box 98 Folder 14 | Madame du Barry, typescripts |
| Box 99 Folder 1-3 | Montezuma, clippings |
| Box 99 Folder 4 | Peter the Great, clippings |
| Box 99 Folder 5 | Philip the Sap, clippings |
| Box 99 Folder 6 | Ross, Betsy, clippings |
| Box 99 Folder 7-8 | Smith, John, clippings |
| Box 99 Folder 9-10 | Standish, Miles, clippings and typescript |
| Box 99 Folder 11 | William the Conqueror, clippings and manuscript |
Subseries 3: Animals |
| Box 99 Folder 12 | Aardvark, typescript |
| Box 99 Folder 13 | "Animal talk," clippings, notes, and typescript |
| Box 99 Folder 14 | Bats, clippings |
| Box 99 Folder 15 | "Birds used in apes book," manuscript |
| Box 99 Folder 16 | Camel, clippings and typescript |
| Box 99 Folder 17 | Carp, script |
| Box 99 Folder 18 | Cat, clippings |
| Box 99 Folder 19 | Cuckoo, script |
| Box 99 Folder 20 | Dodo, manuscript |
| Box 99 Folder 21 | Elephant, typescripts |
| Box 99 Folder 22 | Ermine, typescript |
| Box 99 Folder 23 | Fish, clipping and typescript |
| Box 99 Folder 24 | Fur, clippings |
| Box 100 Folder 1 | Guppy, clippings and typescript |
| Box 100 Folder 2 | Horse, clippings, |
| Box 100 Folder 3 | "In the water," clippings and typescript |
| Box 100 Folder 4 | Insects, clippings and manuscript |
| Box 100 Folder 5 | Language, clippings |
| Box 100 Folder 6 | Mink, clippings |
| Box 100 Folder 7 | "Mom is here," clippings and typescript |
| Box 100 Folder 8 | "O is for Ornithorhynchus," typescript |
| Box 100 Folder 9 | Pets, clippings and typescript |
| Box 100 Folder 10 | Robin, clippings |
| Box 100 Folder 11 | Seahorse, clippings |
| Box 100 Folder 12 | Skink, clippings |
| Box 100 Folder 13 | Snake, clippings |
| Box 100 Folder 14 | Wren, script |
| Box 100 Folder 15 | Reptiles, proof |
| Box 100 Folder 16 | "Meet the Aardvark," manuscript |
| Box 100 Folder 17 | "The Sloth," manuscript |
| Box 100 Folder 18 | "Thar She Blows!" manuscript |
| Box 100 Folder 19 | "Ring in the Gnu," manuscript |
| Box 100 Folder 20 | "Swan-upping, indeed!" manuscript |
| Box 100 Folder 21 | "The Sea Serpent," manuscript |
| Box 100 Folder 22 | "The Squid," manuscript |
| Box 100 Folder 23 | "Reptiles I’m Always Meeting," manuscript |
Subseries 4: History |
| Box 100 Folder 24 | "Aspasia," typescript |
| Box 100 Folder s 25-30 | "History at a Glance," manuscript |
| Box 101 Folder 1 | Schlitz advertisement, typescript |
| Box 101 Folder 2 | "Well Dressed Queens," typescript |
| Box 101 Folder 3 | "Who Said That?" typescript |
Subseries 5: Lectures and Speeches |
| Box 101 Folder 4 | "About the Berne Lecture" |
| Box 101 Folder 5 | Barbizon |
| Box 101 Folder 6 | Fort Wayne |
| Box 101 Folder 7 | "From Demosthenes to Me" |
| Box 101 Folder 8 | "How Dante Became the World’s Most Famous Bookend" |
| Box 101 Folder 9 | "Humor: Its Cause and Cure" |
| Box 101 Folder 10 | Massachusetts |
| Box 101 Folder 11 | Rochester |
| Box 101 Folder 12-13 | Trenton |
| Box 101 Folder 14 | Unidentified |
Subseries 6: Food |
| Box 101 Folder 15 | "All-American Menu" |
| Box 101 Folder 16 | Child’s, menu |
| Box 101 Folder 17 | Crackers, chart |
| Box 101 Folder 18 | Calorie chart |
| Box 101 Folder 19 | "Cantaloupe scraping," manuscript |
| Box 101 Folder 20 | Charles, menu |
| Box 101 Folder 21 | Coffee, manuscript |
| Box 101 Folder 22 | Epicure club, catalogue |
| Box 101 Folder 23 | Food, clippings |
| Box 101 Folder 24 | "Food of the Stars," clipping
|
| Box 101 Folder 26 | Louis XIV’s gluttony, clipping |
| Box 101 Folder 27 | Navy Day menu |
| Box 101 Folder 28 | New York Herald Tribune Home Institute, typescripts |
| Box 101 Folder 29 | New York Times Magazine, "It’s Thanksgiving," clipping |
| Box 101 Folder 30 | Oyster stuffing, manuscript |
| Box 101 Folder 31 | Russian Bear, menu |
| Box 101 Folder 32 | Ye White Horse Tavern, menu |
| Box 101 Folder 33 | White House dinner, memorandum |
Subseries 7: Crime Fiction |
| Box 102 Folder 1 | Essays |
| Box 102 Folder 2 | Outlines |
| Box 102 Folder 3 | Reviews |
Subseries 8: Radio Scripts |
| Box 102 Folder 4 | "How to Become Extinct," interview |
| Box 102 Folder 5-29 | "Just Relax Program #1-25," scripts |
| Box 102 Folder 30 | "Mystery Stories," interview |
| Box 102 Folder 31-33 | Unidentified radio scripts |
Subseries 9: General |
| Box 103 Folder 1 | "After Aunt Ella" |
| Box 103 Folder 2-3 | "Am I Musical?" |
| Box 103 Folder 4 | "Ambergris" |
| Box 103 Folder 5 | "Arguments With My Friends" |
| Box 103 Folder 6 | "Aren’t Crackers Wonderful" |
| Box 103 Folder 7 | "Aristotle" |
| Box 103 Folder 8 | "Baby Mammoth" |
| Box 103 Folder 9 | "Bergson" |
| Box 103 Folder 10 | "Blondes Prefer Gentlemen" |
| Box 103 Folder 11 | "Breathing" |
| Box 103 Folder 12 | Brown, Anne, memorandum |
| Box 103 Folder 13 | Budget, clippings |
| Box 103 Folder 14 | Cardigans, clippings |
| Box 103 Folder 15 | "Certainly, I Play the Piano" |
| Box 103 Folder 16 | "Chintz Isn’t Everything" |
| Box 103 Folder 17 | "Cicero" |
| Box 103 Folder 18 | "College Professors" |
| Box 103 Folder 19 | "Conversation Clinic" |
| Box 103 Folder 20 | "Demosthenes" |
| Box 103 Folder 21 | "Do Beadles Exist" |
| Box 103 Folder 22 | "Drama" |
| Box 103 Folder 23 | "Editors" |
| Box 103 Folder 24 | "Emerson" |
| Box 103 Folder 25 | "Epiglottis" |
| Box 103 Folder 26 | "Faithful Ponto" |
| Box 103 Folder 27 | "Featherbeds and Lightening" |
| Box 103 Folder 28 | Fireworks, catalogue |
| Box 103 Folder 29 | "Free Love" |
| Box 103 Folder 30 | "Freud" |
| Box 103 Folder 31 | "George Bellairs" |
| Box 103 Folder 32 | "Hay Fever" |
| Box 103 Folder 33 | "He Couldn’t It" |
| Box 103 Folder 34 | "Health" |
| Box 103 Folder 35 | "Hermiting" |
| Box 103 Folder 36 | "Hobbies" |
| Box 103 Folder 37 | "House" |
| Box 103 Folder 38 | "How I Broke Into Pictures" |
| Box 103 Folder 39 | "How to Become Rich" |
| Box 104 Folder 1 | "How to Budget" |
| Box 104 Folder 2 | "How to Eat in One Lesson" |
| Box 104 Folder 3 | "How to Eat the Worst Way" |
| Box 104 Folder 4 | "How to Talk" |
| Box 104 Folder 5 | "Humor of the Great" |
| Box 104 Folder 6 | "The Ideal House" |
| Box 104 Folder 7 | Joke books |
| Box 104 Folder 8 | "Journal of Calendar Reform" |
| Box 104 Folder 9 | "Kant" |
| Box 104 Folder 10 | Money, correspondence |
| Box 104 Folder 11 | "My Methods of Writing," clipping |
| Box 104 Folder 12 | "Names" |
| Box 104 Folder 13 | "Nero" |
| Box 104 Folder 14-15 | New Yorker, clippings |
| Box 104 Folder 16 | "Octavus Roy Cohen" |
| Box 104 Folder 17 | "The Old Farmer’s Almanac," booklet |
| Box 104 Folder 18 | "Outgoing Fan Mail" |
| Box 104 Folder 19 | "The Pleasures of Hermiting" |
| Box 104 Folder 20 | "Reincarnation" |
| Box 104 Folder 21 | Saturday Review, clipping |
| Box 104 Folder 22 | "Sayings" |
| Box 104 Folder 23 | "Schopenhauer" |
| Box 104 Folder 24 | "Seven Ages of Cuppy" |
| Box 104 Folder 25 | "Sir P. Sidney" |
| Box 104 Folder 26 | "So You’re Going to Decorate!" |
| Box 104 Folder 27 | "Some Royal Romps" |
| Box 104 Folder 28 | "Speaking of Fun" |
| Box 104 Folder 29 | "Speaking of the Weather" |
| Box 104 Folder 30 | "Staring" |
| Box 104 Folder 31 | "A Table for Two" |
| Box 104 Folder 32 | "Theory of Humor" |
| Box 104 Folder 33 | "They Don’t Seem to Care" |
| Box 104 Folder 34 | "Tips For Lazy Husbands" |
| Box 104 Folder 35 | "The Truth About Thomas Blanket" |
| Box 104 Folder 36 | Weather forecasting, booklets and clippings |
| Box 104 Folder 37 | "Why I Never Concentrate" |
| Box 104 Folder 38 | "World’s Great Thinkers" |
| Box 104 Folder 39 | "Yours Truly" |
| Box 104 Folder 40 | "Zeising" |
| Box 104 Folder 41-43 | Unidentified manuscripts and clippings |
| Box 105 Folder 1-11 | Unidentified manuscripts and clippings |
| Box 106 Folder 1-2 | Unidentified manuscripts and clippings |
Series V: University of Chicago |
This series contains materials from Cuppy’s time as a student at the University of Chicago, 1902-1914. These include convocation programs and course work, including a manuscript for his thesis, "The Elizabethan Conception of Prose Style." It also contains clippings related to Maroon Tales, his first book. Material is undated unless otherwise specified, and organized alphabetically by subject.
| Box 107 Folder 1 | Convocation programs, 1912, 1914 |
| Box 107 Folder 2-5 | "The Elizabethan Conception of Prose Style," manuscript |
| Box 107 Folder 6-8 | English papers |
| Box 107 Folder 9 | Maroon Tales, clippings and copies |
Series VI: Scrapbooks |
This series contains Cuppy’s bound scrapbooks, dating from the 1920s through 1940s. They document publicity for Cuppy’s books, arranged chronologically. Publicity scrapbooks are followed by his "Thought for the Day!" scrapbooks from the 1930s. "IMP" refers to Isabel Paterson, (1886-1961), journalist, novelist, and libertarian.
| Box 108 | "How to Be a Hermit Publicity," 2 volumes, 1920s |
| Box 108 | "IMP Comments," 1920s-1930s |
| Box 109 | "Apes," 1930s |
| Box 109 | "Biographies for Decline and Fall," 2 volumes, 1930s |
| Box 109 | "Comic Pieces, Some Historical," 2 volumes, 1930s |
| Box 110 | "Fish in The New Yorker (Swan-Upping)," 2 volumes, 1930s |
| Box 110 | "The Housewife’s Almanac," 1930s |
| Box 111 | "Cuppy Animals," 2 volumes, 1940s |
| Box 112 | "The Great Bustard," 1940s |
| Box 112 | "How to Become Extinct," 3 volumes, 1940s |
| Box 113 Folder 1-3 | "Thought for the Day!" 1934 |
| Box 113 Folder 4-6 | "Thought for the Day!" 1935 |
| Box 114 Folder 1-3 | "Thought for the Day!" 1935 |
| Box 114 Folder 4-5 | General scrapbooks, 1933-1935 |
Series VII: Photographs and Illustrations |
This series contains photographs, illustrations, and artifacts. It is divided into three subseries:
Subseries 1: Photographs, documents Cuppy’s childhood, his student days at University of Chicago, and his later hermitage on Long Island. Photographs are undated unless otherwise specified. They are organized alphabetically by subject.
Subseries 2: Illustrations, contains drawings by William Steig. It includes illustrations Cuppy sent Steig as models for the illustration of How to Become Extinct. It begins with Steig’s drawings, followed by model illustrations organized by animal. "IMP" refers to Isabel Paterson (1886-1961), journalist, novelist, and libertarian.
Subseries 1: Photographs |
| Box 114 Folder 6 | Beach, 1948 |
| Box 114 Folder 7 | Cuppy, Frances Stahl |
| Box 114 Folder 8 | Cuppy, Thomas Jefferson |
| Box 114 Folder 9 | Cuppy, 1947 |
| Box 114 Folder 10 | Cuppy |
| Box 115 Folder 1-3 | Cuppy |
| Box 115 Folder 4 | Cuppy, adolescent |
| Box 115 Folder 5 | Cuppy, child |
| Box 115 Folder 6 | Cuppy, infant |
| Box 115 Folder 7-8 | Cuppy, University of Chicago, circa 1902-1914 |
| Box 115 Folder 9 | Cuppy, WHN, 1946 |
| Box 115 Folder 10 | Cuppy, World War I |
| Box 115 Folder 11-12 | Cuppy and Anna Cuppy as children |
| Box 115 Folder 13-16 | Cuppy, Coast Guard, and Tottering-on-the-brink |
| Box 115 Folder 17 | Cuppy and dog |
| Box 115 Folder 18 | Cuppy and Finnegan the cat |
| Box 115 Folder 19 | Cuppy and friends at Tottering-on-the-brink |
| Box 115 Folder 20 | Cuppy and IMP at the New York Herald Tribune office |
| Box 115 Folder 21 | Cuppy and Portuguese Pete at Jones Beach/High Hill Beach |
| Box 115 Folder 22 | Cuppy and siblings |
| Box 115 Folder 23 | Cuppy and stuffed apes, publicity for How to Tell Your Friends from the Apes, circa 1931 |
| Box 115 Folder 24 | Cuppy and Taylor, Ruth, and Fred Feldkamp |
| Box 115 Folder 25 | Family Christmas |
| Box 115 Folder 26 | How to Become Extinct in a Washington Square bookshop, circa 1941 |
| Box 115 Folder 27 | Peggy |
| Box 115 Folder 28 | "Pix at the Beach by Allan" |
| Box 115 Folder 29 | Powers, Tom |
| Box 115 Folder 30 | The Staggs |
| Box 115 Folder 31 | Tottering-on-the-brink |
| Box 115 Folder 32 | University of Chicago, postcards, circa 1904 |
| Box 115 Folder 33 | University of Chicago, with Christmas card from the Steigs |
| Box 116 Folder 1 | Cuppy, adolescent |
| Box 116 Folder 2 | Cuppy, older |
| Box 116 Folder 3 | Cuppy and Frankie |
| Box 116 Folder 4 | Cuppy, University of Chicago, circa 1902-1914 |
| Box 116 Folder 5 | Cuppy, World War I |
Subseries 2: Illustrations |
| Box 117 Folder 1 | J. C. Bennett, birthday card |
| Box 117 Folder 2 | William Steig, Decline and Fall |
| Box 117 Folder 3 | William Steig, How to Become Extinct |
| Box 117 Folder 4 | William Steig, "The Salmon" |
| Box 117 Folder 5 | Ant and termite |
| Box 117 Folder 6 | Anteater |
| Box 117 Folder 7 | Bee |
| Box 117 Folder 8 | Blenny |
| Box 117 Folder 9 | Carp |
| Box 117 Folder 10 | Clam |
| Box 117 Folder 11 | Codfish |
| Box 117 Folder 12 | Cricket and cicada |
| Box 117 Folder 13 | Dinosaur |
| Box 117 Folder 14 | Dodo |
| Box 117 Folder 15 | Duck |
| Box 117 Folder 16 | Emu |
| Box 117 Folder 17 | Fish |
| Box 117 Folder 18 | Fish out of water |
| Box 117 Folder 19 | Fossil reptiles of New Jersey, and Aristotle |
| Box 117 Folder 20 | Frog |
| Box 117 Folder 21 | Goldfish |
| Box 117 Folder 22 | Goose |
| Box 117 Folder 23 | Great auk |
| Box 117 Folder 24 | Herring |
| Box 117 Folder 25 | Horse |
| Box 117 Folder 26 | Kangaroo |
| Box 117 Folder 27 | Kiwi |
| Box 117 Folder 28 | Koala |
| Box 117 Folder 29 | Llama |
| Box 117 Folder 30 | Minnow and trout |
| Box 117 Folder 31 | Moa |
| Box 117 Folder 32 | Nautilus |
| Box 117 Folder 33 | Newt |
| Box 117 Folder 34 | Octopus |
| Box 117 Folder 35 | Opossum |
| Box 117 Folder 36 | Ostrich |
| Box 117 Folder 37 | Pelican |
| Box 117 Folder 38 | Perch |
| Box 117 Folder 39 | Pike |
| Box 117 Folder 40 | Porcupine |
| Box 118 Folder 1 | Reptile |
| Box 118 Folder 2 | Salamander |
| Box 118 Folder 3 | Salmon |
| Box 118 Folder 4 | Sea cow |
| Box 118 Folder 5 | "Sly silurius" |
| Box 118 Folder 6 | Snail |
| Box 118 Folder 7 | Snake |
| Box 118 Folder 8 | Snakes and reptiles |
| Box 118 Folder 9 | Spanish mackerel |
| Box 118 Folder 10 | Squid |
| Box 118 Folder 11 | Stickleback |
| Box 118 Folder 12 | Swan |
| Box 118 Folder 13 | Tapir |
| Box 118 Folder 14 | "These fish do not make noises" |
| Box 118 Folder 15 | Toad |
| Box 118 Folder 16 | Warthog |
| Box 118 Folder 17 | Yak |
Series VIII: Publications |
This series contains magazines and pamphlets collected by Cuppy. They are arranged alphabetically by title.
| Box 118 Folder 18 | The Atlantic Bookshelf, December 1929 |
| Box 118 Folder 19 | Encore Magazine, November 1946 |
| Box 118 Folder 20 | English as She is Taught |
| Box 118 Folder 21 | Everybody’s Digest, May-July 1943 |
| Box 118 Folder 22 | For Men, September 1937 |
| Box 118 Folder 23 | For Men, January, March, May, 1938 |
| Box 119 Folder 1 | For Men, June, November-December, 1938 |
| Box 119 Folder 2 | For Men, February, April, June, 1939 |
| Box 119 Folder 3 | Forum and Century, October 1933 |
| Box 119 Folder 4 | Home Magazine, Volume 1, Number 6 |
| Box 119 Folder 5-6 | Mystery Book Magazine, Numbers 10-19 |
| Box 119 Folder 7 | Mystery Book Magazine, July-December 1945 |
| Box 120 Folder 1 | Mystery Book Magazine, January-February 1946 |
| Box 120 Folder 2 | Mystery Book Magazine, Fall 1947 |
| Box 120 Folder 3 | New Books, December 1942-June 1943 |
| Box 120 Folder 4 | Publishers’ Weekly supplement, 30 September 1939 |
| Box 120 Folder 5 | Reader’s Digest, May 1943 |
| Box 120 Folder 6 | Saturday Evening Post, 4 and 11 June, 1949 (see Box 116, Folder 6) |
| Box 120 Folder 7 | Strand Magazine, November-December 1942 |
| Box 120 Folder 8 | Strand Magazine, January-February, April, June, 1943 |
| Box 120 Folder 9 | Strand Magazine, October-November 1943 |
| Box 120 Folder 10 | Strand Magazine, March, August, November, 1944 |
| Box 120 Folder 11 | Strand Magazine, March 1945 |
| Box 120 Folder 12 | This Month, July 1945 |
| Box 120 Folder 13 | Transatlantic, 1945 |
Series IX: Journals |
This series contains Cuppy’s journals and personal index file cards. The journals begin in 1916 and are numbered but undated. The journals are followed by index files on various topics, listed with Cuppy’s headings and arranged in the order in which he bundled them.
| Box 121 Folder 1 | N51, N55-65 |
| Box 121 Folder 2 | T1-10 |
| Box 121 Folder 3 | T12-20 |
| Box 121 Folder 4 | T21-31 |
| Box 121 Folder 5 | T32-40 |
| Box 121 Folder 6 | T41-50 |
| Box 122 Folder 1 | T51-61 |
| Box 122 Folder 2 | T61-75 |
| Box 122 Folder 3 | T76-100 |
| Box 122 Folder 4 | T101-112 |
| Box 122 Folder 5 | T113-125 |
| Box 123 Folder 1 | T126-146 |
| Box 123 Folder 2 | T148-163 |
| Box 123 Folder 3 | T164-181 |
| Box 123 Folder 4 | Astronomy, clippings |
| Box 123 Folder 5 | Cat cartoon |
| Box 123 Folder 6 | Drinking |
| Box 123 Folder 7 | Liquor Life and Questionnaires |
| Box 123 Folder 8 | Working Notes From Various Books on Women |
| Box 124 | Bumblebee Buzz |
| Box 124 | Blurb |
| Box 124 | Gunfounder |
| Box 124 | Safety fun |
| Box 124 | Quarto |
| Box 124 | Polynomials |
| Box 124 | Celsius to Fahrenheit |
| Box 124 | Thumb |
| Box 124 | Rutherford B. Hayes |
| Box 124 | Science- Mars |
| Box 124 | Mausolus |
| Box 124 | Faded Harness |
| Box 124 | 60 degrees below |
| Box 124 | Odd |
| Box 124 | Lecture |
| Box 124 | Eg. Limes |
| Box 124 | Speech |
| Box 124 | Earth motions |
| Box 124 | Cosmic? |
| Box 124 | Threshing machine |
| Box 124 | A penny saved... |
| Box 124 | ? |
| Box 124 | Aristotle |
| Box 124 | Has done it again! |
| Box 124 | Memory |
| Box 124 | Drinking |
| Box 124 | Just saved! |
| Box 124 | 3 minute speech |
| Box 124 | A Will |
| Box 124 | SEP DUMB Column |
| Box 124 | Various |
| Box 124 | Royal Albert |
| Box 124 | Moon Rose |
| Box 124 | Dionne Quintuplets? |
| Box 124 | Fell on a Friday |
| Box 124 | Recipes to make |
| Box 124 | Earth |
| Box 124 | Publisher’s blurb |
| Box 124 | Cuppy stuff |
| Box 124 | Booksellers |
| Box 124 | 21 |
| Box 124 | Unidentified files |
| Box 124 | M.E. |
| Box 124 | La Rochefoucauld |
| Box 124 | Stendhal |
| Box 124 | Photostats |
| Box 124 | Science? |
| Box 124 | Goldfish bowl |
| Box 124 | Bee stung me |
| Box 124 | Taught Anna to read |
| Box 124 | High school |
| Box 124 | Pictures |
| Box 124 | Our Books |
| Box 124 | Childhood candy |
| Box 124 | The Farm! |
| Box 124 | Church |
| Box 124 | T-Books |
| Box 124 | Unidentified files |
| Box 124 | Get in humor? |
| Box 124 | Contents |
| Box 124 | More on Ponto |
| Box 124 | Intelligence of day |
| Box 124 | Add? |
| Box 124 | Animal Crax |
| Box 124 | Pat |
| Box 124 | Unidentified files |
| Box 124 | Use? |
| Box 124 | Hormones |
| Box 124 | Science |
Series X: Oversize and Artifacts |
This series contains advertisements, clippings, and typescripts from Series IV. They are arranged alphabetically by topic. It includes a framed certificate from the Guild of Former Pipe Organ Pumpers.
| Box 125 Folder 1 | Dog clothes, clippings |
| Box 125 Folder 2 | Jokes, clippings |
| Box 125 Folder 3 | Inner sanctum mysteries, clippings |
| Box 125 Folder 4 | Missing confessions, clippings |
| Box 125 Folder 5 | Modern Priscilla, clippings |
| Box 125 Folder 6 | Pie, clippings |
| Box 125 Folder 7 | Schlitz advertisement |
| Box 125 Folder 8 | Thinkers, clipping |
| Box 125 Folder 9 | Untitled typescript |
| Box 125 Folder 10 | Weight reduction, clipping |
| Box 125 Folder 11 | Witches, clipping |
| Box 126 | The Guild of Former Pipe Organ Pumpers, framed certificate, 1929 |