MenuInventory of the Edwin Peacock Papers, 1915-1997 and undated, bulk 1940s-1997
Abstract
Co-owner (with John Zeigler) of the Book Basement in Charleston, S.C.
Letters (some copies) to Edwin Peacock and John Zeigler, chiefly regarding their friend, author Carson McCullers. Many letters are from translators and biographers of McCullers (Virginia Carr, Jacques Tournier, and Robert Duparc). Includes letters from both Carson and Reeves McCullers to Peacock and Zeigler as well as copies of the McCullers letters to each other while Reeves served in the armed forces in France during World War II. Some letters were written by Carson McCullers to Peacock during her stays at Yaddo. Contains playbills of McCullers' plays, reviews of her books and plays, and other printed material concerning her as well as 56 photographs of the McCullers, their family, and their friends.
Descriptive Summary
- Repository
- David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University
- Creator
- Peacock, Edwin Davis, 1910-1989.
- Title
- Edwin Peacock Papers, 1915-1997 and undated, bulk 1940s-1997
- Language of Material
- English
- Extent
- 0.8 Linear Feet, 630 Items
- Location
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Collection Overview
The Edwin Peacock Papers span the dates 1915 to 1997, with the majority of the items dating from the 1940s to 1997, and provide many insights into the life and work of Carson McCullers through materials in three series: Correspondence, Photographs, and Printed Materials. The Correspondence Series, largest in the collection, is comprised primarily of letters to Edwin Peacock and John Zeigler. Many are from translators and biographers of McCullers (Virginia Carr, Jacques Tournier, and Robert Duparc). There is also significant correspondence by the author's husband, Reeves McCullers, and copies of letters to each other while Reeves served in the armed forces in France during World War II.
The bulk of the Photographs Series consists of black and white snapshots primarily from the 1940s and 1950s. The majority of them represent Carson McCullers, her friends and family, including Edwin Peacock, John Zeigler, Mary Mercer, her sister, and her mother.
The Printed Materials and Clippings Series consists of documents related to the work of Carson McCullers. Formats include playbills, critical articles, reviews, and clippings. There is also a high-school essay on McCullers by the niece of John Zeigler, and materials related to various conferences and symposiums about the author.
Administrative Information
Collections are on the move for the renovation of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Contact Rubenstein Library staff before visiting. Read More »
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
However, collection may contain materials to which the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibilities and Privacy Rights form applies. Patrons must sign this form before using this collection.
Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.
Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.
Use Restrictions
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
Contents of the Collection
Browse List of Series
Collapse All
Expand AllThe bulk of the series consists of correspondence written to the bookstore owners Edwin Peacock and John Zeigler, although there are a few letters addressed to Zeigler's neighbor, Robert Holmes. Prominent correspondents are Carson McCullers and her husband Reeves, who wrote to each other nearly every day while Reeves served in the army during World War II. There is also significant correspondence from the biographers of McCullers, especially Virginia Carr, as well as Jacques Tournier and Robert Duparc. Other correspondence includes letters McCullers wrote to Peacock during her stay at Yadoo, letters from Reeves's friend, John Vincent Adams, and letters from the sister of McCullers, Margarita Smith. Topics relate primarily to McCullers's work and to personal matters. Folders in the series are arranged alphabetically; items within folders are in chronological order.
The correspondence and photographs of Dawn Pepita Langley Hall Simmons and the newspaper clippings and magazine articles about her from the Edwin Peacock Papers have been transferred to the Dawn Pepita Langley Hall Simmons Papers at the request of both donors. See the reference archivist on duty regarding the restrictions of the Simmons Papers. (Transferred materials are housed in Simmons Papers Oversized Box 4 and with a Simmons addition.)
Contains 62 photographs (7 color, 55 black and white), one negative and two postcards. Several photographs come from the mid-1930s, but the bulk is from the late 1940s, after Reeves returned from the war, and from the McCullers' stay in Bachivillers, France during the early 1950s. There are also some snapshots from the 1960s. Apart from McCullers herself, the people represented are primarily family members (her mother and sister) and friends, including Mary Mercer, Edwin Peacock, John Zeigler, and the Italian writer Alberto Moravia. The series is arranged in roughly chronological order, accompanied by a partial itemized inventory.
The materials in this series relate primarily to the work of Carson McCullers, and include playbills, critical articles, and reviews of her books and plays. Particularly well documented is The Member of the Wedding. There are also a few ephemeral items, including newspaper clippings, obituaries, a high-school essay on McCullers written by John Zeigler's niece, and information about various conferences and symposiums about the writer. Folders are arranged alphabetically; items within are arranged in chronological order.
Historical Note
Born in 1910; died in 1989. A bookstore owner in Charleston, S.C., and a childhood friend of Carson McCullers. Introduced her to a number of other writers, including Reeves McCullers. Throughout his life, he provided the author with spiritual guidance and support for her writing.
Subject Headings
- Peacock, Edwin Davis, 1910-1989.
- Carr, Virginia Spencer.
- McCullers, Carson, 1917-1967.
- Tournier, Jacques.
- Duparc, Robert Fouques.
- McCullers, Reeves, 1913-1953.
- Women authors, American--Georgia.
- Women authors--Relations with men.
- Authors, American--Correspondence.
- Yaddo (Artist's colony)
- Clippings.
- Photographs.
Related Material
Related materials include the Carson McCullers Papers, the Virginia Spencer Carr Papers, the Mary E. Mercer Collection of Carson McCullers-Mary Tucker Correspondence, and the Mary Sames Tucker Papers, all housed at Duke University's David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Duke also houses the papers of John Zeigler, Peacock's friend and bookstore co-owner.
In addition, the Edwin Peacock Papers previously contained letters from Dawn Langley Simmons, who was a friend of Peacock and Zeigler, as well as photographs and printed materials relating to Simmons and McCullers. At the request of both donors, the Simmons material was transferred to the Dawn Pepita Langley Hall Simmons Papers held by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Duke University. Please see the note below, at Box 2.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Edwin Peacock Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Provenance
The Edwin Peacock Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library as a gift in 1989, 1991, and 1998.
Processing Information
Processed by Pavla Vesela and other staff, May 15, 2004
Encoded by Pavla Vesela, Brittany E. Wilson, Paula Jeannet Mangiafico, Michael Shumate, February 2006
Accessions 1989-0115, 1990-0005, 1993-0124, 1998-0200 were merged into one collection, described in this finding aid.
Encoding updated by Meghan Lyon, February 2010
The Edwin Peacock Papers were formerly part of the Collections on Carson McCullers.
Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS, EAD, NCEAD guidelines, and local Style Guide.
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.