Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center

 

The University of Texas at Austin

 

　

　

　

　

L. Sprague (Lyon Sprague) De Camp, 1907-2000

and Catherine Crook De Camp, 1907-2000

 

Papers, ca. 1929-1995

 

Preliminary Inventory

 

　

260 boxes, 24 galley folders, 3 oversize folders

(109 linear feet)

　

Note:

This brief collection description is an accession record. The collection is not fully processed or cataloged; no biographical sketch, descriptions of series, or indexes are available.

Acquisition:

Purchase and gifts, 1989-1995 (R11653, G2180, G8227, G8709, G8827, G8961, G9171, G10221, G10312)

Access:

Open for research

Processed by:

Erin Baudo, 2004

RLIN Record ID:

None

URL:

None

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of the papers of noted science-fiction writer L. Sprague de Camp and his wife, Catherine Crook de Camp from the years 1929 to 1995. While this material is uncataloged and remains physically as accessioned, this preliminary inventory arranges the collection contents into four series: I. Works; II. Correspondence and Documents; III. Business and Legal Files; and IV. Works by Others.

The manuscripts of L. Sprague de Camp and his wife Catherine comprise the bulk of this collection. Ranging from about 1940 to 1995, the files in the Works series include research, notes, drafts, and proofs of the many de Camp works. These works are ordered alphabetically by title in the following box list. Included are manuscripts for the numerous science fiction novels and short stories written by Sprague de Camp, many of which belong to the popular Conan series. While the majority of files in this series contain the work of Sprague de Camp, also present are works jointly authored with his wife or with other writers such as Lin Carter and Fletcher Pratt, as well as several boxes of Catherine Crook de Camp's own works. Sprague de Camp’s work in several other genres is also well represented, including historical fiction, biography, non-fiction works, articles and essays, poetry, and speeches.

The Correspondence and Documents series is arranged chronologically, starting around 1929 and going up to 1987. Within each year, the correspondence is organized alphabetically by correspondent. Letters from several major science fiction writers, co-writers, editors, and publishers, such as Poul Anderson, Isaac Asimov, James Blish, Ray Bradbury, John W. Campbell, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, Fritz Leiber, Willy Ley, Michael Moorcock, Fletcher Pratt, Theodore Sturgeon, Jack Williamson, and Donald Wollheim may be found in this series. Both personal and professional correspondences are included.

The third series comprises the de Camp business and legal files. Personal and professional business files are organized by date, spanning the years 1950 to 1985. These include account and check registers, tax information, and other miscellaneous business data. Legal documents, such as various Conan business files and lawsuit papers are also included in this series, along with some family records and personal business items such as house plans and land surveys.

The final series includes works by other authors. Some of these essays, articles, scripts, and manuscripts may have been written with the assistance or collaboration of de Camp, or were possibly used in research for de Camp’s own works. Isaac Asimov, Robert E. Howard, and Robert Jordan are among the authors whose work is present in this segment of the collection.

L. Sprague & Catherine Crook De Camp Papers--Box List

　

　

Box Description

　

I. Works, ca. 1940-1995

　

206 Adventures in Biography

Alphabetical files

105 Ancient - Catapult

106 Algy - Conan

107 Chariot – Decline

108 Conan - Galton

109 Design - Evolution

110 Exegesis - Great

111 Great - Learning

112 Gavagan - Hostage

113 Howard - Isles

114 Intro to - Nothing

115 Life - Lovecraft

116 Lovecraft - Of Kipling

117 Oldest - Science

118 Owl - Star

119 Steamboat - Treasure

120 Story - Table

121 Technology - To Quebec

122 Treaty - Yellow

123 Tower - Young Man

221 "American English from Central Texas"

136 The Ancient Engineers

244 "Ancient War Machines"

173; 256 The Ape-Man Within

145 The Arrows of Hercules

252 [Article on Conan]

253 Article on Isaac Asimov

205 "The Bats of Florence"

168 The Best of L. Sprague de Camp

252 "The Big Splash"

253 Afterword

196 "The Black Sphinx of Nebthu" [Conan series]

132; 180 The Blade of Conan; manuscript photocopies (in oversize box 180)

153; 230; 236; The Bones of Zora

238; 244

145; 223 The Bronze God of Rhodes

221 The Business of Science Fiction

176 The Captivating Countess

159 The Carnelian Cube

200 Civilization

143; 175; 195 The Clocks of Iraz

172 The Compleat Enchanter

137; 165; 194; Conan

197; 206

200 Conan book

141-142 Conan books, early history

172 Conan in Stygia

165 Conan movie publicity

133 Conan of Aquilonia

129 Conan of Cimmeria

169 Conan of the Isles

147 The Conan Reader

165 Conan the Adventurer

133 Conan the Avenger

155 Conan the Barbarian, movie

129; 196 Conan the Buccaneer

132; 196 Conan the Conqueror

155 Conan and the Eater of Souls

133 Conan the Freebooter

146 Conan the Liberator

129; 131; 172 Conan and the Spider God

205; 222

223; 237; Conan the Swordsman

3 galley folders

244 Conan the Unforgettable

168 Conan the Usurper

135 Conan the Wanderer

169 Conan the Warrior

198 The Continent Makers

143; 147; 152; Dark Valley Destiny

156-157;

215-216;

218; 225;

250

222 Discarded pages

245 Discarded pages, superceded pages

219 Maps

251 Notes & photocopies

244 Research

190; 228; 246 Rough drafts

192 Superceded pages

143; 196-197; Darwin and His Great Discovery

201; 217;

3 galley folders

199 Index proofs

252 Darwinian Man

185 The Day of the Dinosaur

158; 173; 197 The Day of the Dragon

De Camp, Catherine Crook

174-175 Creatures of the Cosmos

142 Files

156 Stories

177; 187; 189 The Money Tree

203-204; 234

243 Teach Your Child to Manage Money

185 "Death Comes to the Megafauna"

157 Desperate Deeds and Peculiar Places

158; 160; 176 Divide and Rule

160 The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate

193; 197 The Dragon’s Teeth

185 Dream of Blood

224 "Eldorado"

145; 158; 186 Elephant

136 An Elephant for Aristotle

252 The Erse Curse

256 The Exotic Enchanter

253 The Fall and Rise of Fantasy

224 The Fallible Fiend

144 The Fatuous Fay

159; 186; 198; 201 The Feckless Fiend

135 The Flying Bathtub

205 Synopsis

156 Footprints on Sand

224 "Francis Carsac"

244 The Fringe of the Unknown

130-131 "Gavagan’s Bar"

149; 159; 176 Genus Homo

224 "The Ghost Problem"

159 The Glory That Was

253 "Goat Island"

193; 201; 208 The Goblin Tower

135 The Golden Wind

134; 193; 208; 242 Great Cities of the Ancient World

9 galley folders

209 Rough draft

199 Second draft

158; 161; 176 The Great Fetish

205-206; 214;

2 galley folders

206 Discards

134; 153; 185; The Great Monkey Trial

201; 241

1 oversize folder Photostats of Baltimore Evening Sun articles on

Scopes Monkey Trial

252 Gunboats and Goblins

196 "H. P. Lovecraft and H. S. Chamberlain"

168; 222 The Hand of Zei

153 Harold Shea in "The Tempest"

172-173 "Heretic in a Balloon"

149; 158; 237, 244 Heroes and Hobgoblins

158 The Heroic Age of American Invention

205 The Heroic Barbarian

144 The Honorable Barbarians

175 The Hostage of Zir

231 Draft & superceded pages

244 The I.Q. War

138 The Incomplete Enchanter

150; 177 The Incorporated Knight

206 Intro to Lord Dunsany’s work

137; 208; 217 Inventions, Patents, and Their Management

244 "The Iron Pajama"

196 "The Ivory Goddess" [Conan series]

197 "The Jewel in the Tower" [Conan series]

197 "The King in the Dungeon" [Conan series]

253 Notes

148; 150; 154; 220 The Knights of Zinjaban [The Swords of Zinjabor?]

140 The Land of Unreason

160 Lands Beyond

206 "Legions of the Dead," with Lin Carter [Conan series]

139 Lest Darkness Fall

126; 196; 213-214 Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers

194 Long Ago and Far Away

161 Lost Continents

220-221 Love and Sex in 2083

174; 191; 202; Lovecraft: A Biography

232-233; 239;

5 galley folders

240 Draft

226 First draft

222 Manuscript & discarded pages

H. P. Lovecraft

43-49 Letters (photocopies)

50 Index I

51 Index II

251 Notes & photocopies

219; 229; 240 Research

227 The Mainsprings of Civilization

160 Man and Cities

162 Man and Life

161 Man and Power

234 Man the Engineer

221 Scripts

124-125; 167 Manuscript files

179 Maps, drawings, illustrations (in oversize box)

Miscellaneous

172 Addresses, notes, chapters

208 Notes

198 Notes and discarded papers

209; 247-249 Notes and documents

207 Notes and drafts

217 Notes, short works, and articles

200 Papers

185 Poems

252 "The Mislaid Mastodon"

194 "Moon of Blood," with Lin Carter [Conan series]

235 Notes & drafts toward various speeches, articles, books

205 Notes on Howard & Conan

212 Notes & research

194 Notes & speeches on Robert E. Howard

206 Notes [The Great Fetish?]

130; 145 The Occult Adventures of Willy Newbury [The Purple Pterodactyls]

161; 198 The Origin of Cities

194 "Our Biological Future," notes, discards, article

179 Phonetics article, photostat (in oversize box)

177 The Pixilated Peeress

252 "Pliocene Romance"

196 Poetry

210 "Priapus"

221 A Princess of Mars

149; 231; 237 The Prisoner of Zhamanak

210 The Purple Pterodactyls

138; 200 The Queen of Zamba

241 Races book

127 Radio scripts

224 The Ragged Edge of Science, script for unproduced television show

197 "Red Moon of Zembabwei" [Conan series]

153 The Reluctant Swordsman

161 Rescue in the Sungar

189 Retreat

140 The Return of Conan, with Nyborg [Conan series]

127 Reviews, German

200 Riot in Westchester

138 "The Roaring Trumpet"

160 Rockets, Robots and Romance

152; 230 The Rock and the Maiden

139; 208 Rogue Queen

159; 162 Round About the Cauldron [Spirits, Stars and Spells?]

253 "Round-Eyed Barbarians"

189 Royal Jelly

185 "The Rug and the Bull"

170 Sci fi convention brochures

164 Sci fi convention files

196 Sci fi anthology

189 Science Fiction Handbook

188 Revised edition

138 Scribblings

128 Scripts

168 The Search for Zei

197 "Shadows in the Skull" [Conan series]

188 Shadows out of Time

196 Short non-fiction

185; 196; 241 Short stories

211 Short works

194 Shorthand notes

194 "The Snout in the Dark" [Conan series]

221 Silent Spectres, Spiders, and Sauropods

138 Solomon’s Stone

221 Sorcerers, Symbols, and Spells

223 Speeches

244 Speeches, drafts

131 The Spell of Conan [Conan series]

162; 188 Spirits, Stars, and Spells

197 "The Star of Khorala" [Conan series]

147 "The Stolen Dormouse"

140; 144; 149-150; The Stones of Nomuru

244

136; 154; 186-187; The Story of Science in America

200

185 "The Street of the Dead: Teotihuacan"

197 "The Stronghold of Doom" [Conan series]

227; 260 The Swords of Zinjabor

195; 242-243; Tales Beyond Time

1 galley folder

139 Tales from Gavagan’s Bar

223 Talks on Robert Howard

196; 253 "Three Thirds of a Hero"

242; 1 galley folder 3000 Years

146; 183-184; Time and Chance

220; 218

241 TMOC [?]

140 A Treaty with Hannibal

138; 206 The Tritonian Ring

234 [Trust article]

224; 237-238 The Unbeheaded King

139 The Undesired Princess

205 Unidentified story

179 University of Cincinnati Lectures, 1975, poster (in oversize box)

252 The Venom Trees of Sunga

168; 222 The Virgin of Zesh

219 To Quebec and the Stars, by H. P. Lovecraft, edited by de Camp

186 Warlocks and Warriors

194 What It Takes to Be a Writer

185 "What Itches the Young?"

206 The Wings of Imagination

197 "The Witch of the Mists" [Conan series]

173 The Witch of Zir

181 Working files

210 Works

182 Works in progress

　

II. Correspondence & Documents, ca. 1929-1987

　

1 ?-1929

1 1930-1932

2 1933-1935

2 1936-1937

3 1938-1939

4 1940-1941

5 1942

6 1942-1945

5 1942-1955, records of military service

7 1944-1945

8 1946-1947

9 1946-1949

10 1949-1951

11 1951-1952

12 1952-1953

11 1953

13 1954-1956

14 1957-1959

15 1960-1961

16 1962-1963

17 1962-1963

18 1964 M-Z

19 1964-1965

18 1965

20 1966

21 1966-1967, professional

21 1967, personal

22 1968, personal

23 1968-1969, professional

22 1969, personal A-K

23 1969, personal L-Z

24 1970, personal

25 1970-1971, personal

26 1970-1971, professional

28 1972, personal

27 1972, professional

29 1973, personal

30 1973, professional

30 1974, personal A-O

31 1974, personal P-Z

31 1974, professional

32 1975, personal

33 1975-1976, professional

34 1976, personal A-R

35 1976, personal S-Z

36 1977, personal

35 1977, professional

37 1978, personal & professional

38 1979, personal & professional

39 1980, personal

254 1981, personal A-Z

255 1981-1982, professional

254 1982, personal A-R

255 1982, personal S-Z

257 1983-1984, professional

258 1984, personal

259 1985-1987, professional

40-42 Miscellaneous

172 Price, E. H., correspondence

181 Russell, W. S., TMS photocopies to

　

III. Business & Legal Files, ca. 1950-1985

　

52-53 Account registers

Banking

171 1972-1986, check registers

58 1979, checking and savings accounts

Business files

80 1950

81 1951-1952

82 1953-1954

83 1955-1956

84 1957

85 1958

73 1959

61 1960-1961

59 1962

60 1963

68 1964

86 1965

87 1966

88 1967

89 1968

90 1969

91 1970

76 1970-1980

92 1971

94 1971-1972 supporting data for taxes

93 1972

95 1973

96 1974

98 1974-1975 overflow

97 1975

99 1976

100 1977

79 1978

101 1979-1980

103 1979-1980 overflow supporting documents

102 1980

103 1981 overflow supporting documents

77 1982-1985

103 1983 overflow supporting documents

Conan

55 Conan Productions, Inc. (copyrights/Lancer case)

Conan Properties, Inc.

54 1978-1985

63; 74 Correspondence & contracts, 1977-1982

78 R.A. Everts vs. Brown U. files

71 Correspondence w/ Glenn Lord

72 Financial & legal records

69-70 Lancer Books, lawsuit files

71 Lawsuit files

57 Crook estate, 1956-1959

171 Day books, 1972-1980

67 De Camp, Catherine Crook, account book I, ?-1974

De Camp, L. Sprague

64 2nd account book, 1932-1942

65 3rd account book, 1948-1968

66 4th account book, 1968-1982

55; 62 De Camp, Lyon, estate

1 oversize folder House plans and elevations

56 Lancer bankruptcy case

58; 1 oversize Land survey

folder

75 Perry, Steve. Conan the Fearless, personal checking account registers, 1973-1976

104 "Pizza Case" papers (re lawsuit with Conan’s Pizza)

　

Series IV. Works by Others

　

198 [Asimov, Isaac]. Introduction by Asimov

223 Hayko, Michael. Conan the Scholar, photocopy articles

137 Howard, Robert E. Post Oaks and Sand Roughs

221 Lord, Glenn. The Howard Collector

Mann, Stanley. Conan the Destroyer, film

151 Conan II, movie script

223 Conan II, screenplay

Milius, John. Conan the Barbarian, film

218 Conan, screenplay (photocopy)

163 Conan the Barbarian, 2nd & 3rd drafts

151 Moore, Roger E. Conan and the Prophecy

174 Offutt, Andrew. Conan: The Sword of Skelos

Rigney, J. O. (pseudonym Robert Jordan)

166 Conan the Defender

166 Conan the Destroyer

221 Conan the Magnificent

166 Conan the Unconquered

Schweitzer, Darrell

151 Conan the Deliverer

151 Conan the Victorious

221 Service, Robert. Ballads of a Bohemian

218 Thomas, Roy and Conway, Gerry. [Conan the Destroyer, film], Conan II, screenplay (photocopy)

175 Wagner, K. E. Conan: The Road of Kings