Alvah Posen Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Posen, Alvah, d. 1960.
Title:	Alvah Posen Papers
Inclusive Dates:	1919-1959
Quantity:	2.5 linear ft.
Abstract:	Papers of the American comic strip cartoonist. Correspondence (1919-1959), his idea file for comic strips (1922-1951), newpaper clippings and original drawings of Sweeney and Son (1935-1959) and Them Days Are Gone Forever (1921-1935), scrapbooks, awards (1942-1958), clippings (1922-1951), and photographs. Correspondents include Milton Canniff, Al Capp, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Rube Goldberg, Vernon Greene, Fred Harman, W. Averell Harriman, National Cartoonists Society, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., Charles M. Schulz, and Fred Waring.
Language:	English
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Library 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 http://scrc.syr.edu

Biographical History

Alvah "Al" Posen was born in New York. After serving in the Army during World War I, he travelled in the Orient as a member of a geological and mining expedition. Although he had no formal training in art, Posen sold his first comic strip, "Them Days Is Gone Forever," to United Features Syndicate in 1921. Within a year the strip was running daily in one hundred newspapers. Posen discontinued it in 1927.

His second comic strip, "Ella and Her Fella," while employing the same limerick format, ran only a short time. In 1933 Posen began "Sweeney and Son" for the Chicago Tribune - New York News syndicate, which ran for 25 years. In 1949 he revived the schema of "Them Days Is Gone Forever" and called it "Rhymin' Time." While engagin in political and social satire in his comic art, Posen was most interested in portraying the humanly amusing side of life.

"Al" Posen was a co-producer of the first Marx Brothers motion picture, a silent short which was a financial flop. As a memner of the National Cartoonists' Society, he originated the idea of cartoonists' shows for American servicemen overseas. Posen died June 10, 1960.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Alvah Posen Papers are divided into three series: Correspondence, Comic strips and associated material, and Memorabilia.

Correspondence, 1919-1959 (Box 1), consists of letters from newspaper and advertising clients, the Treasury Department, admirers requesting original drawings, and fellow cartoonists, among them Rube Goldberg, Al Capp, and Milton Caniff. A large part of the correspondence from 1955-1959 concerns Posen's role as Director of Overseas Shows for the National Cartoonists Society. Also included are a number of Posen's carbons of replies to letters received.

Comic strips and associated material, 1925-1949 (Box 2), includes both Posen's and his fans' ideas for comic strips, along with originals, proofs, and newspaper clippings of the strips. A number of the drawings are oversized.

Memorabilia, 1922-1959 (Box 2), includes a report and test of a commercial strip for "Wheaties" and National Cartoonists Society materials.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Correspondence is arranged in chronological order, while Comic strips and associated material and Memorabilia are in alphabetical order according to the type of material.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on this material

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

Special Collections Research Center has collections of over eighty cartoonists. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete listing.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Genres and Forms

Occupations

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Alvah Posen Papers
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Library

Finding Aid Information

Created by: [Summit record]
Date: 2001-01-01
Revision history: 12 Mar 2007 - converted to EAD (MRC)

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Inventory

	Correspondence
Box 1		undated (2 folders)
Box 1		May 1919 - Dec 1959 (18 folders)

	Comic strips and associated material
		Miscellaneous
Box 1			undated
Package 1-6			"Nature's Awakening"
		Commercial art
Box 1			undated
Package 1-6			Ingram's Shaving Cream
Package 1-6			Wheaties
		Ideas for comics
Box 2			"Jinglets" 1926-1935
Box 2			"Mr. Bingo" 1925
Package 1-6			"Mr. Garz, the Man from Mars"
Box 2			"Rhymes of Second Childhood"
Box 2			"Rhymin' Time" 1922-1951 (3 folders)
		Syndicated comics
Box 2			"Jinglets" 1935 - pr. mat.
Box 2			Scrapbooks - pr. mat. (Pkgs 1-2)
			"Sweeney and Son" - pr. mat.
Box 2				1935
Package 1-6				1934-1955
Package 1-6				1958-1959
Box ?			"Them Days Are Gone Forever" - pr. mat.
Package 1-6				1921-1925
Box 2				1921-1935 (3 folders)

	Memorabilia
Box 2		American Theatre Wing 1946-1948
Box 2		Awards 1942-1958
Box 2		Biographical material 1949
Box 2		Clippings 1922-1951
Box 2		Comic strip promotional materials 1942-1949
Box 2		Development and test of advertising strip 1945
Box 2		National Cartoonists Society 1948-1954 (2 folders)
Box 2		Photographs
Box 2		Programs and invitations 1927-1959

	Selected index to correspondenc
		Caniff, Milton 1949 Mar 22 1956 Jun 22 1956 Sep 20 1956 Oct 22 1956 Nov 5 1957 Jan 16 1957 Mar 11 1958 Jan 28 Capp, Al 1957 Oct 2 1958 Jun 20 Eisenhower, Dwight D. 1955 Jan 2 Goldberg, Rube 1946 Dec 15 1956 Nov 23 1956 Dec 9 1957 Apr 11 Greene, Vernon undated Harman, Fred 1957 Feb 21 1957 Mar 7 1957 Apr 2 1957 Apr 12 Harriman, W. Averell 1959 Aug 26 Roosevelt, Franklin D. 1949 Jun 30 Schulz, Charles M. 1956 Jul 10 Waring, Fred 1949 Jul 21 1955 Oct 12

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