Items from the Larry McMurtry collection of H. G. Wells, 1880-1965
| Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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Arrangement
The collection is arranged in the following series and subseries:
Series I: H. G. Wells Correspondence
Series II: Visual Materials
Series III: Things to Come Production and Advertising Materials
Series IV: Publishers' Correspondence, Contracts, and Financial Records
 Subseries I: Marjorie Wells, 1901-1947
 Subseries II: Publishers' Correspondence (1), 1901-1941
 Subseries III: Publishers' Correspondence (2), 1922-1934
 Subseries IV: Duffield & Company (1), 1907-1934
 Subseries V: Duffield & Company (2), 1924-1931
 Subseries VI: Publishers' Correspondence and Ephemera, 1918-1941
 Subseries VII: Paget Literary Agency, 1919-1922
 Subseries VIII: Tono-Bungay (1), 1928-1965
 Subseries IX: Tono-Bungay (2), 1934-1960
 Subseries X: Seven Famous Novels, 1934
 Subseries XI: Dodd, Mead & Company (1), 1934
 Subseries XII: Dodd, Mead & Company (2), 1934-1939
 Subseries XIII: Collins' edition of Tono-Bungay and Marriage, 1947
 Subseries XIV: The Island of Dr. Moreau, 1950-1951
Series V: Books, 1897-1943
The H. G. Wells Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by correspondents' surnames, with items addressed to unknown recipients placed at the end. Each subseries in the Publishers' Correspondence, Contracts, and Financial Records series is arranged chronologically, with undated items placed at the end; original groups are maintained. The Books, housed separately, are individually cataloged.
Abstract
Administrative/Biographical History
Herbert George Wells (1866-1946) was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, screenwriter, and political figure. A prolific author, he wrote from 1893 to his death in 1946. He is considered to be the father of modern science fiction and is best known for novels such as The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and The War of the Worlds. Wells wrote several additional novels, as well as nonfiction books and essays concerning the improvement of society.
After divorcing his first wife, Isabel Mary Wells (1866?-1930), in 1895, Wells married Amy Catherine Robbins (1872-1927), commonly referred to as "Jane." H. G. and Jane Wells had two sons: George Philip Wells and Frank Richard Wells. George Philip Wells married Marjorie Craig, who acted as H. G.'s secretary in the later years of his life.
Larry McMurtry (b. June 3, 1936) is an award-winning author, screenwriter, and essayist; he is the former president of the PEN American Center (1989-1991) and co-owner of the Booked Up bookstore in Archer City, Texas. McMurtry is best known for his western novels and screenplays. His novels include The Last Picture Show (1966), Terms of Endearment (1975), and Lonesome Dove (1985), for which he won a Pulitzer Prize. McMurtry was nominated for an Academy Award for the screenplay for The Last Picture Show (1971) and won an Academy Award for his screenplay for Brokeback Mountain (2005).
The items in this collection formed a part of Larry McMurtry's personal collection of H. G. Wells materials. Nina Matheson may have collected an initial group of items that later became the core of McMurtry's collection. McMurtry has stated that he purchased the collection from acquaintances.
Sources
"Larry McMurtry." Contemporary Authors Online. Gale, 2014. doi: GALE|H1000067099
Parrinder, Patrick. "Wells, Herbert George (1866-1946)." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Online edition. 2011. doi: 10.1093/ref:odnb/36831
Spurgeon, Sara L. "Talking with Larry McMurtry." Southwestern American Literature 40.1 (Fall 2014): 47.
Stacy, Zachary. "The Larry McMurtry Collection of H. G. Wells." Historical News. Heritage Auctions, March 12, 2015. http://historical.ha.com/heritage-auctions-newsletter/historical-news-the-larry-mcmurtry-collection-of-h.-g.-wells.s?id=4620
Author: Lisa Vallen Subjects (links to similar collections) Administrative InformationThis collection is the physical property of the Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Intellectual property rights, including copyright, may reside with the materials' creator(s) or their heirs.
The Rare Book & Manuscript Library's reproduction and publication policies are available here. The library welcomes requests for reproductions made from works in our collections, though restrictions may apply to certain materials. Please contact the library with any questions.
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Email UsThis collection consists of personal correspondence, publishers' correspondence and records, items related to the film Things to Come, and other items written by and related to H. G. Wells. The items in this collection formed a part of Larry McMurtry's personal collection of H. G. Wells artifacts. See the Box and Folder Listing for an item-level description of the collection's contents.
The H. G. Wells Correspondence consists of personal correspondence between H. G. Wells and acquaintances such as authors, editors, publishers, and friends. Wells discussed others' work, the publication of his own work, his political ideas and beliefs, and personal matters.
The Visual Materials series consists of drawings, a photograph, and advertisements.
The Things to Come Production and Advertising Materials relate to the production and marketing of the 1936 film Things to Come, based on Wells's novel of the same name.
The Publishers' Correspondence, Contracts, and Financial Records series consists of items relating to the publication of various works by Wells, including letters between publishers, H. G. Wells, and Marjorie Wells; contracts; and invoices, royalty reports, and other financial records.
The Books series consists of 16 books and galleys by H. G. Wells, Catherine Wells, and George Bernard Shaw. Some of the books include inscriptions, letters, notes and drawings by H. G. Wells, Marjorie Wells, and Catherine Wells.