Manuscripts & Personal Papers

Letter and envelope, Edgar Allan Poe to Neilson Poe, August 8, 1845

The Special Collections Department is home to many unique collections of manuscripts and personal papers. Use these PDF guides to browse the collections:

• Cranwell and Crane Collection: The research collected by the authors for Men of Marque: a history of private armed vessels out of Baltimore during the War of 1812, including lists of vessels and their owners, First Lieutenants, and the prize lists of English and American ships.
• Reuben Kramer Collection (1925–1991): The collection includes mounted photographs, clippings, letters, mementos and some original works of the Baltimore sculptor, who donated his personal archive in 1975.
• Marion Buchman Collection (1914–2000): This collection of the native Baltimorean poet features a small selection of poetry from periodicals.
• Cynthia Gault Smith Letters (1942–1948): A collection of letters, postcards, and greeting cards between Cynthia Gault Smith and different servicemen serving during World War II.
• Edgar Allan Poe Collection (1770–1949): This collection is a glimpse into Poe's life through personal and family letters, and other writings. It includes several important letters regarding Poe's mysterious death. It also records the movement to erect a monument to the poet, later commemorations and illustrations of Poe and his work.
• James Egan Collection of John Waters Interviews: 120 articles about John Waters from a variety of different sources that were gathered by James Egan in preparation for his book, John Waters: Interviews, published by the University of Mississippi Press in 2011. The articles cover the period from 1965–2012.
• Hilde P. Holme Illustrated Book Collection: Consists of 16 boxes of prints from the 15th through the 19th centuries and 172 illustrated books. The book collection is considered a chronological record of illustrated books and can be searched in the library catalog under the Hilda Holme collection.
• Isabel Shipley Cunningham Papers (1884-1950): This collection consist of composition books, report cards, certificates, account books, and several large scrapbooks detailing  Cunningham’s life through her childhood, education, and time spent as a high school teacher and writer of Maryland history.
• Edward Lucie-Smith Collection (1975): This collection consists of poems by Lucie-Smith entitled "Inscriptions" as well as its translation into Spanish and intaglio prints by Feliciano Bejar.
• Kenneth Rede Papers (1843–1934): Kenneth Rede was a nationally known authority on the writings and life of Edgar Allan Poe. The collection includes manuscripts, correspondence, and scrapbooks of Rede’s work as a reviewer, writer and collector of Edgar Allan Poe material.
• Lizette Woodworth Reese Collection (1848–1930): A collection of manuscripts, correspondence, ephemera, and published works of Lizette Woodworth Reese, who was a Maryland teacher, prize winning poet, and Poet Laureate of Maryland in 1931. Includes some signed works and handwritten verses by the author.
• Margot and Diane Dippold Collection (1988–2006): This collection consists mainly of publicity surrounding the establishment of the Margot and Diane Dippold Women’s Collection at the Enoch Pratt Free Library and the production of Sweet Charity, a play presented in April 1994.
• Mary Owings Miller Collection (1941–1972): Correspondence and a small collection of books autographed to Ms. Miller, who was editor and publisher of Contemporary Poetry, a bi-annual collection of poetry.
• Nettie B. Taylor Papers: The Nettie B. Taylor Papers document her life as a librarian to improve library services to the citizens of Maryland as well as develop one of the best networks of public libraries in the state of Maryland. The collection consists largely of term papers and notes as a student at Johns Hopkins University as well as reports, maps, and correspondence related to Maryland libraries and the American Library Association.
• Norman T. A. Munder Collection (1911–1941): This collection includes a selection of works from the Baltimore printer, personal papers, a company history, and his scholarly work on the history and techniques of printing and paper.
• Richard Malcolm Johnston Papers (1841–1935): This collection has manuscripts by the author and educator, as well as drafts of speeches, ephemera, and correspondence with family and friends, including Samuel Clemens and Sidney Lanier.
• Sally B. Kinsolving Collection (1899–1965): The bulk of the collection is correspondence with family friends and colleagues of Ms. Kinsolving, who was a member of the Poetry Society of America. She founded the Poetry Society of Maryland in 1923 and served as its president from 1929–38.
• Theodore C. H. Schneider Collection (1848–1930): This collection contains the financial papers, photographs, negatives and glass plate negatives of Baltimore photographer, Theodore Schneider, including historical sites throughout Baltimore City, Harford County and the East Coast.
• Ted Shawn Papers (1923–1964): This small collection holds photographs, ephemera, and writings of modern dance pioneer, Ted Shawn. His work to legitimize dance as a career for men, and his marriage to dancer Ruth St. Denis are documented in photos taken over a 40 year period.
• H. P. Lovecraft Collection (1952–1953; 1955): Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) published horror stories in American pulp magazines, which focused on Gothic and science fiction in between the War years. The collection consists of several volumes of selected materials, which include essays, poetry, commentaries, and bibliographies.
• Vivien Thomas - The Jessica Gladden Papers (1967–2007): The collection contains correspondence associated with Jessie Gladden’s research on Vivien Thomas, who played a key role in devising the famous 1944 “Blue Baby” operation at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Included is an audio interview between Mrs. Gladden and Vivien Thomas.
• William Force Stead Papers (1934–1967): This collection contains manuscripts, clippings of published works, ephemera, and the correspondence of William Force Stead, a poet, literary critic, and teacher. Stead was a friend to many of the influential poets and writers of his time.
• DeWayne Wickham Collection (1960s–2010s): This collection reflects Wickham's career as a national journalist, author, educator, and public figure. Included in the collection are research files, interviews, working drafts, correspondence, ephemera, pamphlets, and A/V materials.