Robert A. W. Lowndes Papers
A description of his papers at Syracuse University
Finding aid created by: MRC
Date: 19 Apr 2010
|
|
|
Finding aid created by: MRC
Date: 19 Apr 2010
|
|
|
Overview of the Collection |
|
| Creator: | Lowndes, Robert W. |
| Title: | Robert A. W. Lowndes Papers |
| Dates: | 1923-1996 |
| Quantity: | 2.75 linear ft. |
| Abstract: | Correspondence, printed material and memorabilia of the American science fiction author, editor and fan. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: | Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center |
Robert Augustine Ward "Doc" Lowndes (1916-1998), also known by the nicknames "Rawl," was an American science fiction and horror author, editor and fan. He was a notable member of the Futurians, a group influential in the development and recognition of science fiction, and received the First Fandom Hall of Fame award in 1991.
The Robert A. W. Lowndes Papers consists of biographical material, correspondence, financial material, memorabilia, printed material and writings.
Biographical material consists of the Spring 2000 issue of Fantasy Commentator; published shortly after Lowndes' death, it contains numerous tributes to Lowndes by science fiction authors and colleagues, as well as one of Lowndes' poems.
Correspondence spans nearly forty years and includes both incoming and outgoing letters. Represented are some of the best-known names in science fiction, including Isaac Asimov, John Brunner, Lin Carter, Stanton Coblentz, L. Sprague de Camp, Lester del Rey, Damon Knight, Frederik Pohl, Donald Wollheim and others. Also present is correspondence with Lowndes' agent Virginia Kiddl; a few from noted Neopagan Leo Martello, and a copious (though short-lived) correspondence with astrologer Jerryl Keane.
Financial material consist of a few years of tax information.
Memorabilia includes Lowndes' baptism and confirmation records, a genealogy of the Lowndes family, a horoscope prepared for Lowndes by Jerryl Keane, report cards, and a scrapbook of Walt Kelly's Pogo cartoons.
Printed material consists of issues of various publications, for some of which Lowndes was the editor. Most relate to science fiction but there are also submissions and issues of The Scandal Sheet, a zine published by the Scandalous Bohemians of New Jersey who appear to have been a Sherlock Holmes fan club.
Writings includes typescripts, carbons, notes and other material relating to articles, books, short stories, zines and other assorted genres. Of particular interest is the relatively complete draft of a book on Hugo Gernsback and typescripts of two of Lowndes' novels. The miscellaneous material includes a summary of a sermon and the rules for a game called "Seven Seas" based around the idea of insurance for ships on the high seas.
Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by name of correspondence; material within each folder is arranged chronologically with the exception of the miscellaneous letter files, which are arranged A-Z by surname, and the unidentified items, which are arranged A-Z by first name. Writings are subdivided by type and then alphabetical by title. All other series are arranged alphabetically by type or title.
Access Restrictions:
The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.
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.
Special Collections Research Center has the papers of a numner of important authors, editors and publishers of early science fiction, including Mercury Press, Spiral Press, Street and Smith, Hugo Gernsback, Forrest Ackerman, and more. For a complete listing, please refer to our the SCRC Subject Index .
Persons
Ashley, Michael.
Asimov, Isaac, 1920-1992.
Bergeron, Richard.
Blish, James.
Coblentz, Stanton A. (Stanton Arthur), 1896-1982.
De Camp, L. Sprague (Lyon Sprague), 1907-2000.
Del Rey, Lester, 1915-1993.
Dziemianowicz, Stefan R.
Geis, Richard.
Gernsback, Hugo, 1884-1967.
Keane, Jerryl L.
Knight, Damon, 1922-2002.
Lowndes, Robert W.
Martello, Leo Louis.
Moskovitz, Sam.
Payes, Rachel Cosgrove.
Pohl, Frederik.
Searles, A. Langley.
Weinberg, Robert E.
Wollheim, Donald A.
Associated Titles
Believer's worlds.
Fantasy Commentator.
Mystery of the third mine.
Warhoon.
Subjects
Holmes, Sherlock (Fictitious character) -- Societies, etc.
Science fiction fans.
Science fiction, American -- History and criticism.
Science fiction, American.
Zines.
Genres and Forms
Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence.
Essays.
Manuscripts for publication.
Memorabilia.
Photographs.
Scrapbooks.
Zines.
Occupations
Authors.
Editors.
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Robert A. W. Lowndes Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
Gift of Ruth Lowndes, 2000.
Biographical material
Correspondence
Financial material
Memorabilia
Printed material
Writings
| Biographical material | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Memorials 2000 - Spring 2000 issue of Fantasy Commentator, with numerous tributes to Lowndes by science fiction authors and colleagues, also includes one of Lowndes' poems | ||||||||||
| Correspondence | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | —, Spike and Peggy 1961-1962 - includes "Criticism and the community theatre" by Lowndes | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Abe, Masaki 1983 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Asimov, Isaac 1987 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Ashley, Mike 1976-1983, 1990-1993 - includes draft of Ashley's bibliography of Lowndes | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | A, miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Bergeron, Richard 1961-1964, 1968-1971, 1980 - includes issues of Warhoon and other zines; photostats of letters to Bergeron from other authors, e.g. Larry Pournelle | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Bowers, Bill 1974, 1984-1987 - includes two short articles by Lowndes (part of a series called "Understandings") and a list of the full series | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Brunkhurst, Donna and Scott 1974-1979 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Brunner, John 1992 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Budrys, Algis 1982 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Busby, F. M. 1984 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | B, miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | C. S. Lewis Society 1971 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Cannon, Peter Hughes 1990, 1994 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Carr, Terry 1977 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Carter, Lin 1980 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Chauvin, Cy 1981 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Coblentz, Stanton 1964 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Cook, Michael 1981 - includes two articles by Lowndes | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Cox, Arthur Jean 1985 - includes photocopy of 1967 article by Cox, "If I hide my watch..." | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | C, miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Danner, Bill 1975-1987 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | de Camp, L. Sprague 1961-1962, 1975, 1980 - includes reprint of de Camp's "Master Gunner Appollonius" | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | de la Ree, Gerry 1974 | ||||||||||
| Del Rey, Judy-Lynn | |||||||||||
| See Del Rey, Lester. | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Del Rey, Lester 1967, 1978-1980 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Dziemianowicz, Stefan 1992 - includes typescript of article, "The Horror Pulpit" | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | D, miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Elliot, Jeffrey M. 1979-1980 - includes transcript of interview with Lowndes, photocopies of photographs | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Eschbach, Lloyd Arthur 1983 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | E, miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine 1971 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Feeley, Gregory 1983-1986 - includes essay on James Blish by Feeley | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Folsom, Henry T. 1970 - includes typescript, "Through the Years at Baker Street: A Sherlock Holmes Chronology" by Folsom | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Geis, Richard 1970-1975, 1986, 1996 - includes several issues of "The Geis Letter" and an essay on James Blish by Geis | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Gould, William (Bill) 1978-1979, 1982 | ||||||||||
| See also Writings : Miscellaneous : Historical pageant. | |||||||||||
| Box 2 | G, miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Hoch, Edward D. 1971-1975, 1983 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Hubin, Allen 1971-1972, 1976, 1979 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | H, miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | I, miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Jacks, Herman R. 1983-1984 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Keane, Jerryl 1963-1964, 1983-1987 (4 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Ketterer, David 1983-1984, 1987 - includes two articles by Ketterer on James Blish | ||||||||||
| See also Memorabilia : Horoscope. | |||||||||||
| Box 3 | Kidd, Virginia 1966-1967, 1971-1973, 1976-1986 - Lowndes' agent | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Knight, Damon 1975-1977 - includes typescript of Knight's short story "Resilience" | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Kyle, Richard 1959-1960 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Lupoff, Richard 1973, 1977 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | L, miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Madle, Robert 1971, 1977, 1979-1981 - includes "apprecation" piece on Stanton Coblentz by Madle | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Martello, Leo 1971 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Michel, Johnny 1960-1963 - includes some of Lowndes' poetry | ||||||||||
| Morrow, Dan | |||||||||||
| See Scandalous Bohemians of New Jersey | |||||||||||
| Box 3 | Moskovitz, Sam 1967, 1984-1985 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Muller, Marya 1985-1987 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | M, miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Nevins, Francis 1969-1971 - includes typescript and reprint of Nevins' "The wild and woolly world of Harry Stephen Keeler" | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | New England Science Fiction Association (NESFA) 1972-1973, 1977 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | N, miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Payes, Rachel Cosgrove 1971, 1980 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Pohl, Frederik 1969, 1974, 1978, 1981, 1993 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Porianda, Alex (Alexei) 1976-1978, 1993, undated | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Pugmire, William 1974-1976 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | P, miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Quinn, Margaret (Mrs. Seabury Quinn) 1975, undated | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Ramsey, Shawn 1987 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | R, miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Scandalous Bohemians of New Jersey 1971-1978, 1993 - see also Printed material : Scandal Sheet | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Searles, A. Langley 1986, 1993 - includes two issues of Fantasy Commentator with a note from Searles to Lowndes | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Slawson, Winifred (Winnie) 1985-1987, 1992-1993 | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Smith, Curtis 1979-1980, 1985 - St. James (publisher) | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Spencer, Paul 1971, 1975, 1978, 1984 | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Stone, Graham 1987 | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Stone, Leslie 1965-1966 | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | S, miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | T, miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Waller, Gabrielle 1964-1965 - includes detailed critique by Lowndes of unnamed novel by Waller | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Weinberg, Robert and Phyllis 1960, 1968-1983, undated - includes photocopy of article by Will Murray on John Nanovic, "The man who almost edited Astounding" | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Wellman, Manly Wade 1960 | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Wollheim, Donald 1987 | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | W, miscellaneous | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Unidentified, A-Z by first name | ||||||||||
| Financial material | |||||||||||
| Box 4 | Taxes 1977-1979 | ||||||||||
| Memorabilia | |||||||||||
| Box 4 | Confirmation and baptism 1956-1957 | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Genealogy of the Lowndes family undated | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Horoscope 1965 - "for Rawl on his 1965 birthday with affection and best wishes from Jupiter, Nefertiti, Bouncing Besty, Funny Face, and Jerryl" | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | School days 1923-1933 - grade cards; diploma and class photo from Darien High School, Darien, Connecticut | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Scrapbook of "Pogo" cartoons undated - newspaper clippings of Walt Kelly's "Pogo" cartoon | ||||||||||
| Printed material | |||||||||||
| Fantasy Commentator - see | |||||||||||
| See Correspondence : Searles, Langley; Biographical material : Memorials | |||||||||||
| Box 4 | Renascence, volumes 1 and 2 1945-1946 | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | The Scandal Sheet, volumes 1 and 2 1971-1976 | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | The Scandal Sheet submissions 1971-1976 - assorted articles, essays, puzzles, etc. submitted to the zine, many be Dan Morrow; some have notes or letters attached | ||||||||||
| Warhoon | |||||||||||
| See Correspondence : Bergeron, Richard. | |||||||||||
| Box 4 | Miscellaneous clippings 1965, 1979, undated - originals and photocopies, includes several by Arnold Lieberman, M.D. | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Miscellaneous 1944, 1971 - issue of "True Confessions," issue of "Luna Monthly" with cover piece on August Derleth | ||||||||||
| Writings | |||||||||||
| Articles | |||||||||||
| Box 5 | Aufgeknopft undated - typescript carbon with corrections | ||||||||||
| Criticism and the community theater - see | |||||||||||
| See Correspondence : —, Spike and Peggy. | |||||||||||
| Box 5 | Damon Knight 1978 - galleys of column about Knight, written for Noreascon | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | G. K. Chesterton's Father Brown undated - photocopy of 1970 printing with corrections | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | The horror out of print undated - typescript photocopy | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Hugo Gernsback: A man with a vision undated - photocopy of galleys | ||||||||||
| Profile of Detective Science Monthly | |||||||||||
| See Correspondence : Cook, Michael. | |||||||||||
| Profile of Weird Terror Tales | |||||||||||
| See Correspondence : Cook, Michael. | |||||||||||
| Box 5 | Scientific Detective Monthly undated | ||||||||||
| Understandings [series of articles] | |||||||||||
| See Correspondence : Bowers, Bill. | |||||||||||
| Box 5 | Weird fiction, horror fiction -- what's the difference? undated | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | You know my methods, Watson undated | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | [untitled, on horror] undated - missing page 1 | ||||||||||
| Books | |||||||||||
| Box 5 | Believer's Worlds - typescript carbon, with corrections | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Mystery of the Third Mine - typescript carbon, with corrections; original title appears to have been "Bonanza in the Sky" (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Hugo Gernsback, Prophet of Science - typescripts (multiple of each chapter), some with corrections, plus research material (3 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | The Puzzle Planet - typescript carbon, minor corrections | ||||||||||
| Stories | |||||||||||
| Box 6 | Immortal Sleuths - drafts, notes | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | [short story collection] 1970 - includes letter to Forrest Ackerman | ||||||||||
| Zines | |||||||||||
| See also Printed material : Renascence; Printed material : The Scandal Sheet, for both of which Lowndes was editor. | |||||||||||
| Box 6 | Afterthoughts - issue #1 | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | Agenbite of Inwit 1945-1949 - no actual issues, but correspondence with S. I. Hayakawa, Hayden Carruth, Jules Kolodny, and other regarding permission to reprint articles; also copyright certificates | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | New Annals of Arkya 1944-1945 - 1944 issue is a photocopy, 1945 issue is original | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | Venal 1946 - issue #1 and #2 | ||||||||||
| Miscellaneous | |||||||||||
| Box 6 | Catechism for "A matter of faith" undated - background notes on the religions of the world of Ein | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | Historical pageant (with William Gould) 1960 | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | Index to James Blish's contributions to the mailings of the Vanguard Amateur Press Association 1979 - also includes research material (copies of some articles by Blish an a clipping about him) | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | Sermon summary 1969 - summary of a sermon by Rev. Leland Stark and a letter from Stark complimenting him on it | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | Seven Seas undated - outline of and rules for a game | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | Fragments undated | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | Author undetermined undated - three items, author unknown | ||||||||||