A. C. H. Smith: A Preliminary Inventory of His Papers in the Manuscript Collection at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center

TARO > Finding Aid

Repository Browse List

Print Version | Raw XML File (48k)

Accessing Materials Described Here

Scope and Contents

Restrictions

Administrative Information

Description of Series

Series I. Works, 1959-2005, undated

Series II. Correspondence and Career-Related, 1958-2005, undated

A. C. H. Smith:

A Preliminary Inventory of His Papers in the Manuscript Collection at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center



	Creator:	Smith, A. C. H., 1935-
	Title:	A. C. H. Smith Papers
	Dates:	1958-2005, undated
	Abstract:	Correspondence, typescript and handwritten drafts, notes, programs, photographs, research, film stills, drawings, and publicity materials document the work of A. C. H. Smith from the late 1950s through the mid-2000s.
	Extent:	26 document boxes, 2 oversize boxes, 1 galley folder, 1 oversize folder (21.92 linear feet)
	Language:	English
	Repository:	The University of Texas at Austin, Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center

Scope and Contents

Correspondence, typescript and handwritten drafts, notes, programs, photographs, research, film stills, drawings, and publicity materials document the work of A. C. H. Smith from the late 1950s through the mid-2000s. The papers are arranged into two series: I. Works, 1959-2005, undated; and II. Correspondence and Career-Related, 1958-2005, undated.

Series I., Works, is divided into two subseries: A. Books, consisting of materials related to his original and novelized works of fiction, and B. Plays and Screenplays, containing his writings for stage and screen. Both subseries are arranged alphabetically by title of work. Most of the manuscripts in this series show the progress of his writing, especially the early, heavily-edited manuscripts which are well represented. Also contained here is correspondence directly related to the publication and production of Smith's novels, plays, and screenplays, as well as letters from fans. Notable are his collaborations with playwright Tom Stoppard, with whom Smith co-wrote the play Albert's Bridge, and with Jim Henson, with whom he novelized the film The Dark Crystal. The series is rounded-out by research notes for his historically-based works such as Wagner, Sebastian the Navigator, and Up the Feeder, Down the Mouth, as well as a small number of play posters.

Series II., Correspondence and Career-Related, consists of the majority of Smith's correspondence from friends and collaborators and is arranged alphabetically by the name of the correspondent. (Correspondence related to specific works and productions is interfiled in Series I.) Smith's correspondence includes letters from a variety of notable artists such as Stoppard, Jim Henson, John Boorman, Malcolm Bradbury, John Cleese, E. M. Forster, Allen Ginsberg, Michael Frayn, Patricia Highsmith, Ted Hughes, Terry Jones, John Le Carré, and others. Copies of interviews and reviews of Smith's works are also contained in this series, as well as two talks he delivered at the Ransom Center in 1994 and 2005.

Return to the Table of Contents

Restrictions

Access:

Open for research

Return to the Table of Contents



Series I. Works, 1959-2005, undated
		Subseries A. Books, 1959-1998, undated
Box	Folder
1			The Crowd (novel, 1965)
	1			Typed and handwritten manuscript with emendations
	2			Handwritten and typed additons and notes
	3			Typescript
	4			Variant typescript
	5			Variant typescript with handwritten notes
	6			Correspondence re: Australian film, 1973-1979
			The Dangerous Memoir of Citizen Sade (novel, 2000)
	7-8			Handwritten and typed notes
Box	Folder
2	1			Handwritten and typed notes, continued
	2			First handwritten draft, circa 1990-1991
	3-4			First typescript
	5-6			Second typescript
	7			Third typescript, 1998
Box	Folder
3	1-2			Proofs with editorial comments, letter from Tom Stoppard
			The Dark Crystal (movie novelization, 1982)
	3			Screenplay with fragments by David Odell and Jim Henson, 1981
	4			Screenplay fragments
	5-7			Research materials
Box	Folder
4	1			Slides from movie
	2			Novelization manuscript
	3-4			Typescript and notes from Jim Henson
	5			Proofs, "NY Edition," photocopy
	6			Correspondence, 1981-1982
	*			NY typescript with editorial queries and amendments (*removed to oversize box 27)
			Dickens of London (biography, ghosted for Wolf Mankowitz, 1976)
	7			Handwritten draft
	8			Typescript carbon
	9			Correspondence, 1975-1976
Box	Folder
5			Edward and Mrs. Simpson (television novelization, 1978)
	1-7			Teleplays by Simon Raven, episodes 1-7
	8			Notes, television show-related material
	9			Handwritten manuscript
Box	Folder
6	1			Typescript
	2			Correspondence, 1977-1982
	3			Uncorrected proof
	*			Galleys (*galleys removed to galley file)
			Extra Cover (novel, 1981)
	4			Handwritten manuscript
	5			Uncorrected proof
	6			Correspondence, 1977-1981
	7		Gavotte (unfinished novel, 1959), typescript and correspondence
			The Jericho Gun (novel, 1977)
	8			Notes and research
Box	Folder
7	1			Handwritten manuscript
	2			Typescript
	3			Correspondence and royalty statements, 1976-1979
			Labyrinth (movie novelization, 1986)
	4-6			Storyboards, photocopies
	7			Screenplay, first draft (not by ACHS)
Box	Folder
8	1			Screenplay, second draft, 1984
	2			Screenplay, third draft
	3			Handwritten manuscript and notes (incomplete per ACHS)
	4-5			Typescript 2
	6-7			Typescript 3
	*			First typescript with editorial notes (*removed to oversize box 28)
Box	Folder
9	1			Page proofs
			Lady Jane (movie novelization, 1985)
	2			Screenplay
	3			Film stills, Tower of London guide
	4			Transcript
	5			Proofs
	6			Correspondence, 1985
			Orghast at Persepolis (nonfiction, 1972)
	7			Typescript with notes
	8			Bound proof with handwritten corrections
Box	Folder
10	1			Photographs with book jacket
	2			Photographs
	3-4			Correspondence, 1972-1980
	5			Pencil drawing by Jean Monod
	*			Set design by Jean Monod (*removed to galley file)
			Paper Voices: The Popular Press and Social Change, 1935-1965 (nonfiction, 1975)
				Bound typescript
	6				Chapters 1-3
	7				Chapters 4-5
Box	Folder
11	1				Chapters 6-9
	2				Chapters 10-12, appendix, bibliography
	3			Proofs
	4-5			Correspondence, 1969-1977, and royalty statements
			Sebastian the Navigator (novel, 1985)
	6-7			Research notes
Box	Folder
12	1-2			Research notes, continued
	3			Handwritten draft
	4			Typescript with handwritten corrections
	5			Typescript photocopy
	6			Typesetting proofs
	7			Correspondence, 1982-1985
Box	Folder
13			Treatment (novel, 1976)
	1			Handwritten manuscript and typed notes
	2			Proofs, photocopy
	3			Correspondence
			Wagner (movie novelization, 1983)
	4-6			Screenplay
	7			Notes and film stills
	8			Handwritten draft
Box	Folder
14	1			Typescript
	2			Correspondence, 1982-1984
			Zero Summer (novel, 1971)
	3			Notes and fragments
	4-5			Handwritten draft
	6			Typescript
	7			Correspondence 1969-1972
Box	Folder
		Subseries B. Plays and Screenplays, 1965-2005
Box	Folder
15			Albert's Bridge (play, 1978)
	1			Radio script by Tom Stoppard, 1967
	2			Screenplay working papers
	3			Extended outline screen treatment
	4			First draft screenplay with handwritten notes
	5			Second draft stage version
	6			Third stage version
			Albert's Bridge: The Musical (play, 1998)
	7-9			Working papers
Box	Folder
16	1			Partial draft, May-June 1998
	2			Typescript draft, July 1998
	3			Typescript draft, October 1998
	4			Extended correspondence, 1969-1971, 1978; Edinburgh Festival program
	5			Correspondence, 1992-1999
			Battle of Britain (play, 1977)
	6			Research notes and script fragments
	7			Script photocopy; programs
	8		The Black Man (play, 1965), program
			Breathless Hush (screenplay, 1999)
	9			Correspondence and treatment
	10			Drafts and shooting scripts
			Doctor of Love (play, 2001)
	11			First draft, working papers, correspondence with composer
	12			Typescript drafts, February/March/May, 2001
	13			Typescript draft, 2001
Box	Folder
17	1			Typescript drafts, 2003
			Don Quixote (unfinished screenplay, 1968)
	2			Research
	3			Script by Denis Cannan, photocopy, 1968
	4			Correspondence, 1968-1970
	5		Face Value (play, 1977), scenario; drafts; correspondence
			God's Wonderful Railway (play, 1985)
	6-8			Research
Box	Folder
18	1-5			Research, continued
	6			Scenario notes
	7			"Drafts & revisions," fragments
Box	Folder
19	1			Partial original draft
	2			Script copy
	3			Script, revised as performed, 1985
	4			Correspondence and publicity material, 1985-1986
			The Hellfire Club (screenplay, 1995)
	5			Treatment, notes, research
	6			Typescript
	7			Script, second draft
	8			Bound script with corrections
Box	Folder
20	1-3			Notes, scenario, draft script
	4			Correspondence, 1995-1996
	5		Masters of Letters (play, 1976), working papers, typescript
			Pericles (adapted play, 1987)
	6			Research notes, production notes, partial drafts
	7			Manuscript of first draft
	8			Typescript with handwritten changes
	9			Script photocopy with highlighting changes
Box	Folder
21	1			Script photocopy
	2			"SOS production"
	3			Correspondence and publicity materials, 1985-1992
	4			"Rewriting Shakespeare" talk, Cheltenham Festival, 1988
	*			Play posters, Theatre Emory and The Hen and Chicken (*removed to oversize folder)
	5		Prostitutes (play, 1976), handwritten and typed drafts
			The Redcliffe Hermit (play, 2005)
	6-9			Notes, draft fragments
Box	Folder
22	1			Notes, draft fragments, continued
	2			"First draft," typescript, 2003
	3			"Second draft," typescript, 2003
	4			Typescript draft
				Typescripts
	5				November 2003
	6				February 2004
	7				July 2004
	8				November 2004
	9				April 2005, corrected typescript
	10				July 2005
	11				Rehearsal draft, August 2005
	12				Rehearsal script, August 2005, notes
Box	Folder
23			Up The Feeder, Down the Mouth (play, 2007, 2001)
	1-4			Source material
	5-7			Research, interviews
Box	Folder
24	1			Research, interviews, continued
	2			Scenario notes
	3-8			Working papers, "1997 chaos"
Box	Folder
25	1-4			Working papers, "1997 chaos" continued
	5			Fifth draft, partial typescript, March 1997
	6-7			"Seventh draft plus," typescript with handwritten changes, April 1997
	8			Typescript, "as performed May 1997"
Box	Folder
26	1			Typescript, 1999 version
	2-3			"Typescript chaos"
	4			Typescript draft, September 2001
	5			Correspondence, administration, and planning, 1992-1996
	6			Correspondence, publicity, miscellaneous, 1997-2001
	7			Fan mail and press, 1997-2001
	*			Play poster, Bristol Old Vic (*removed to oversize folder)

Return to the Table of Contents

Series II. Correspondence and Career-Related, 1958-2005, undated

Subseries A. Correspondence, 1958-2005

Box

Folder

A-H, 1958-2000

J-W, 1958-2000

Stoppard, Tom, 1986-2005

Subseries B. Career-Related, 1971-2005, undated

Typescript of talk, February 16, 1994, Ransom Center, on Stoppard, Ghose, and Johnson

Typescript of talk, "The Better Maker," February 25, 2005, Ransom Center

Reviews and interviews, clippings, 1971-1997, undated

Box

27-28

Oversize materials

Return to the Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A. C. H. Smith:

A Preliminary Inventory of His Papers in the Manuscript Collection at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center

Scope and Contents

Restrictions

Access:

Administrative Information

Acquisition:

Processed by:

Folder List

Series I. Works, 1959-2005, undated

Series II. Correspondence and Career-Related, 1958-2005, undated