Finding Aid for the George McManus papers, 1912-1954
Processed by UCLA Library Special Collections staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé, online finding
aid edited by Josh Fiala, August 2002.
UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections
Manuscripts Division
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/
© 2000
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: George McManus papers
Date (inclusive): 1912-1954
Collection number: 322
Creator:
McManus, George, 1884-1954
Extent:
3 boxes (1.5 linear ft.)
12 oversize boxes
Abstract: George McManus (1884-1954) was a cartoonist and created the comic strips
Rosie's Beau and his most famous strip,
Bringing up Father.
Bringing up Father became internationally known, appearing in 750 newspapers throughout the world and a play based on the strip toured the country
in the 1920s. The collection contains 16 folio volumes of proof sheets of McManus' comic strip
Bringing up Father (1918-39) and one folio volume of proof sheets of his comic strip
Rosie's Beau (1917-18).
Language: Finding aid is written in
English.
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of 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 the UCLA Library, Department
of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Administrative Information
Restrictions on Access
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library, Department
of Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library,
Department of Special Collections. 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
Gift of Leo McManus, 1957.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], George McManus papers (Collection 322). Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research
Library, UCLA.
UCLA Catalog Record ID
Biography
McManus was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 23, 1884; at the age of 15 he became a cartoonist first for the
St. Louis Republic, and then for the
Post-Dispatch; moved to the
New York World in 1904, and the
New York American in 1912, where he created the comic strips
Rosie's Beau and his most famous strip,
Bringing up Father, which began in 1913; it became internationally known, appearing in 750 newspapers throughout the world; a play based on
Bringing up Father toured the country in the 1920s, and radio programs were based on the strip; 11 films based on the strip were made, with
McManus appearing in four of them; the first of 28 annual editions of Bringing up father in book form sold more than 1.5 million
copies in 1915; McManus made his home in Southern California after 1929; appeared on radio and television programs and was
in demand as an after-dinner speaker; received many honors, including the American Red Cross meritorious service award; died
in Santa Monica, California, on October 22, 1954.
Scope and Content
Collection contains 16 folio volumes of proof sheets of McManus' comic strip
Bringing up Father (1918-39), one folio volume of proof sheets of his comic strip
Rosie's Beau (1917-18). Includes an original drawing of the March 22, 1925 issue of
Bringing up Father and 2 framed proof sheets (1948). Also includes cartoon books and 15 numbers of the periodical titled, Circulation, as well
as scrapbooks, photographs, and ephemera relating to McManus' life and travels.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
McManus, George, 1884-1954--Archives.
Cartoonists--United States--Archival resources.
Genres and Forms of Material
Comic strips.
Items Removed from Collection
- Photographs of Mr. and Mrs. McManus with various notables and celebrities have been removed to
Collection 99 . Available at the Department of Special Collections, UCLA.
- A few association publications have been removed to
United States Ephemera collection (Collection 609)
. Available at the Department of Special Collections, UCLA.
Box 1
Maggie and Jiggs. Motion picture.
Physical Description: 1 reel 16 mm. print. 2 reels 35 mm. print (safety) 2 reels 35 mm. duplicate negative (safety).
Box 4
1. Photograph Album.
Scope and Content Note
Photos of tour of Europe and Canada, approximately 1912-1920.
Box 5
2. 1910-1941.
Scope and Content Note
Christmas cards, promotion papers and posters, menus, programs, theatre Magazines, sheet music, news clippings, post cards,
etc.
Box 6
3. 1910-1935.
Scope and Content Note
Circulation magazines, promotion posters and circulars, sheet music, menus, membership cards, programs, etc.
Box 7
4. 1917-1940.
Scope and Content Note
Promotion posters, news articles, programs, lessons on How to draw comics like mine, etc.
Box 7
5. 1920-1951.
Scope and Content Note
Clippings, sheet music, programs, promotion stunts, christmas cards, etc.
Box 8
6. 1921-1935.
Scope and Content Note
news clippings, promotion posters, clippings, posters for stage production,
Bringing up Father, promotion clippings on How to draw Maggie and Jiggs, news articles on personal appearance tour through U.S.
Box 4
7. 1945-1946.
Scope and Content Note
A third of a century with George McManus In behalf of Mr. and Mrs. (Maggie) Jiggs,
The Banshees cordially invite......... Scrapbook made by the
Banshees for one third of a century celebration. Clippings, photos, letters and telegrams, many of them by noted public figures, newspapermen,
state governors, mayors of major Eastern cities, theatre personalities, movie celebraties, etc.
8. Picture
Physical Description: Cover drawing, 12.5 × 14. Gouache india ink lettering.
Note
(Missing April 1990)
Scope and Content Note
Published June 17, 1951,
The Pictorial Review, by Campagna.
Box 8
9. Photograph of McManus.
Physical Description: 16 × 20.
Scope and Content Note
Character study, cigar, tam, polo shirt, by Fred Herrington, San Francisco.
Box 9
10. Portrait of McManus. By Bettina Steinke.
Scope and Content Note
Surrounded by autographs of the members of the Saints and Sinners Club.
Box 9
Fall Guy--Circus Saints and Sinners.
Box 9
Hotel Astor, February 14, 1940.
Physical Description: 37 × 23.
Box 8
11. Happy Birthday greeting to Georgie.
Physical Description: 23 × 13. Original gouache.
Scope and Content Note
George the First King of the Comics from his loving son Frank Willard and Marie.
Box 8
12. Pen and ink drawing,
Bringing up Father. March 22, 1925.
Physical Description: 21 × 17.5.
Box 8
Snookums and
Bringing up Father, 1948.
Physical Description: 2 pieces, 19 × 23.5. Glossy paper.
Bringing up Father. mixed years 1918,1919,1921,1923,1925 and 1930.
Physical Description: 1 piece.
Box 10
15.
Rosie's Beau, 1916-1918.
Physical Description: 1 piece.
Box 10
16.
Bringing up Father, 1918-1924.
Physical Description: 4 pieces in 2 packages.
Note
1918-1919: Box 10.
1919-1924: Box 11.
Box 12
Rosie's Beau, 1924-1926.
Physical Description: 2 pieces.
Boxes 13-15
18.
Bringing up Father and
Rosie's Beau, 1927-1939.
Physical Description: 9 pieces in 3 packages.
Box 2
19.
Bringing up Father, 1919-1933.
Physical Description: 24 items.
Scope and Content Note
Series 1 - 23.
Box 2
20. Japanese Comic Book version, 1924.
Scope and Content Note
Bringing up Father.
Box 2
Scandinavian version, 1949.
Physical Description: 2 pieces.
Scope and Content Note
Bringing up Father.
Box 3
21. Circulation, March 1921-May 1926.
Physical Description: Scattered holdings, 15 numbers.
Scope and Content Note
Magazine for Newspaper Makers.........
Note
[Missing, April 1990.]
Box 3
22. The Lambs.
Physical Description: 3 pieces.
Scope and Content Note
Program for Lambs Gambol,
- 1917.
- 1918 (2).
- 1919 (2).
Note
[Missing, April 1990.]
23.
Maggie and Jiggs playing cards.
Physical Description: Two decks in a single box.
Note
[Missing, April 1990.]
24.
Bringing up Father. Cartoons. [n.p.] Star, c. 1917.
Note
[Missing, April 1990.]