Finding Aid for the William Targ letters from Lawrence Clark Powell, 1949-1982

Processed by Susanne Mari Sakai, June 2012; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575
Email: spec-coll@library.ucla.edu
URL: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/
© 2012
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.


Descriptive Summary

Title: William Targ letters from Lawrence Clark Powell
Date (inclusive): 1949-1982
Collection number: 1968
Creator: Targ, William, 1907-
Extent: 1 half document box (.25 linear ft.)
Abstract: William Targ (1907-1999) was a successful publisher and editor who published several books by Lawrence Clark Powell (1906-2001). Powell was a librarian, bibliographer, and collector of books and avidly wrote on these subjects. After being appointed University Librarian of the UCLA Library and director of the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library in 1944, Powell became the first Dean of the UCLA School of Library Service in 1960. The Targ letters from Lawrence Clark Powell, which span almost twenty five years, document their professional relationship and the development of friendship.
Language: Finding aid is written in English.
Language of the Material: Materials are in English.
Repository: University of California, Los Angeles. Library Special Collections.
Los Angeles, California 90095-1575
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library Special Collections for paging information.

Administrative Information

Restrictions on Access

Open for research. STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library Special Collections for paging information.

Restrictions on Use and Reproduction

Property rights to the physical object belong to the UC Regents. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

Provenance/Source of Acquisition

Purchase, 2003.

Processing Note

Processed by Susanne Mari Sakai in June 2012 the Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT), with assistance from Jillian Cuellar. Updated by Gloria Gonzalez in October, 2012.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], William Targ letters from Lawrence Clark Powell (Collection 1968). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.

UCLA Catalog Record ID

UCLA Catalog Record ID: 7060323 

Biography/History

William Targ (1907-1999) was a well-known editor and publisher based in New York. He was also a bookseller, collector, and writer. He is perhaps most famous for agreeing to publish Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather when he served as editor-in-chief of G. P. Putnam's Sons. Targ became acquainted with Lawrence Clark Powell through publishing several of Powell’s books including Bookman's Progress and Southwest: Three Definitions.
Lawrence Clark Powell was born September 3, 1906 in Washington, D.C. His family soon moved to South Pasadena, California in 1910, where he attended public schools. He received his B.A. from Occidental College in 1928, and Ph.D. from the University of Dijon, France in 1932. During the mid-1930s, he worked at Jake Zeitlin's bookstore in Los Angeles, where he gained experience in the art of book-trading. He received his professional training in librarianship from the library school at the University of California at Berkeley, where he graduated from in 1937. He worked briefly for the Los Angeles Public Library before joining the UCLA Library staff in 1938. He served as UCLA's University Librarian from 1944 to 1961, director of the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library from 1944 to 1966, and became the first Dean of the UCLA School of Library Service in 1960. The campus's main library was named in his honor upon his retirement from UCLA in 1966. A prolific writer, he authored over 300 books, magazine articles, essays, book reviews, forewords and introductions to books, and bibliographies. He wrote on a variety of topics including literature, history, librarianship, the book trade, rare books, book collecting, California history, the American Southwest, and travel. He married Fay Ellen Shoemaker, with whom he had two sons. He died in March 2001.

Scope and Content

The collection consists primarily of letters and postcards addressed to Targ from Powell, with a few replies from Targ. Letters regard a variety of topic such as writing, book reviews, traveling, their careers and personal lives.

Organization and Arrangement

Letters are arranged chronologically.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects

Targ, William, 1907- --Archives.
Powell, Lawrence Clark, 1906-2001.
Publishers and publishing --New York --New York --Archival resources.


Box 1, Folder 1

Correspondence. 1949 February 19-1958 September 10

Scope and Content

Regards thanks for a inscribed copy of the Bibliophile in the Nursery, a luncheon date, a suggestion for another title for A Passion for Books, the use of Powell's book for a Christmas presentation, the possibility of writing a book on librarianship, and the planned opening of the new library school. Includes a letter from Powell to Charlie regarding a Melville piece and reference to Ben Johnson and Shakespeare.
Box 1, Folder 2

Correspondence. 1959 February 26-1959 October 9

Scope and Content

Regards correcting errors in A Passion for Books, an outline for Books in My Baggage, book galleys and their correction. Includes letters to Mr. Fried.
Box 1, Folder 3

Correspondence. 1964 January 5-1964 March 30

Scope and Content

Regards a paperback possibility for A Passion for Books, a Jeffers book in the works, and the popularity of The Little Package. Targ has moved to Putnam at this point.
Box 1, Folder 4

Correspondence. 1964 May 10- 1964 May 21

Scope and Content

Regards retirement and Bennett Jeffers. Includes a letter from Jean asking for five signed copies of The Little Package and commenting on the first memorial book collecting contest (presumably at UCLA).
Box 1, Folder 5

Correspondence. 1964 July 6-1964 October 26

Scope and Content

Regarding thanks for a copy of Wagenkecht's review, a couple of Jeffers leads, Powell's eagerness toward retirement and intention of donating all of his personal papers to UCLA.
Box 1, Folder 6

Correspondence. 1964 November 6-1964 December 4

Scope and Content

Regards future writing plans, Trevor Roper, and the Sade project.
Box 1, Folder 7

Correspondence. 1965 February 3-1965 April 22

Scope and Content

Regards a the possibility of doing a Henry Miller feature and the loss of Targ's wife. Includes a condolence letter from Fay Powell to Targ. Also includes a letter from Dick Zumwinkle to Powell regarding a Japanese translation of the review for The Little Package.
Box 1, Folder 8

Correspondence. 1965 August 12-1965 December 24

Scope and Content

Regards Targ's remarriage, more talks of retirement, Powell's son's illness, and forgotten projects.
Box 1, Folder 9

Correspondence. 1966 January 4-1966 March 30

Scope and Content

Regards a Mozart book and requests for reprints of Powell's books. Includes a postcard from Japan.
Box 1, Folder 10

Correspondence. 1966 June 3-1966 June 30

Scope and Content

Regards Ward Richie Press, Powell's younger son's illness, and new book contracts.
Box 1, Folder 11

Correspondence. 1966 July 7-1966 July 29

Scope and Content

Regards progress on writing, a garden picnic held in Powell's honor, and teaching his last class at UCLA.
Box 1, Folder 12

Correspondence. 1966 August 3-1966 August 29

Scope and Content

Regards works to be included in the Powell reader, talks of a novella, and a trip to London.
Box 1, Folder 13

Correspondence. 1966 September 2-1966 September 29

Scope and Content

Regards Frank Dobies and Henry Miller.
Box 1, Folder 14

Correspondence. 1966 October 3-1966 December 5

Scope and Content

Regards the typing of Fortune and Friendship, a Richie anthology, Paul Horgan, and Wesleyan University. Includes postcards sent from Paris and Lisbon.
Box 1, Folder 15

Correspondence. 1967 January 3-1967 January 19

Scope and Content

Regards Ward Richie deadline, Betty Rosenberg, and marketing problem with Fortune and Friendship.
Box 1, Folder 16

Correspondence. 1967 February 4-1967 February 15

Scope and Content

Regards his foreward to the Chandler Omnibus, manuscript of the Bookman's Progress, and thoughts on The Art of Librarianship.
Box 1, Folder 17

Correspondence. 1967 March 23-1967 December 21

Scope and Content

Regards a Bowker contract for an autobiography and the jacket design for Bookman's Progress. Includes several postcards.
Box 1, Folder 18

Correspondence. 1968 January 5-1968 April 26

Scope and Content

Regards the publication of his Phillips piece and wanting to feature Millicent Sowerby's Rare People and Rare Books.
Box 1, Folder 19

Correspondence. 1968 June 2-1968 December 14

Scope and Content

Regards the sale and review of the Bookman's Progress, referred to as the Targ-Powell book.
Box 1, Folder 20

Correspondence. 1969 January 9-1969 September 18

Scope and Content

Regards meeting with Brownie and working on a new California book.
Box 1, Folder 21

Correspondence. 1970 April 10-1972 December 14

Scope and Content

Regards traveling and progress on his California book.
Box 1, Folder 22

Correspondence. 1974 July 12-1975 December 15

Scope and Content

Regards the Southwest book.
Box 1, Folder 23

Correspondence. 1977 January 6-1982 September 23

Scope and Content

Regards reviews of The Blue Train and being through with writing about books, book collecting, and the Southwest.