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

UCLA Catalog Record ID: 2221413 

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.
 

[Scrapbooks], v.d.

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.
 

13. Proof Sheets

Box 8

Snookums and Bringing up Father, 1948.

Physical Description: 2 pieces, 19 × 23.5. Glossy paper.
 

Bound Proof Sheets

Box 10

14. Rosie's Beau, 1930.

 

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.
 

17. Comic Strips....

Box 12

Bringing up Father.

Box 12

No Brains But.

Box 12

Good Morning Boss!

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.
 

Comic Books

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.]
 

Ephemera

 

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.]