Dobie (Charles Caldwell) Papers, approximately 1905-1943

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Summary

Title:
Charles Caldwell Dobie Papers
Dates:
approximately 1905-1943
Creators:
Dobie, Charles Caldwell, 1881-1943
Abstract:
Correspondence; manuscripts of books, short stories, plays and articles; notes; clippings; biographical material and personalia; royalty statements; collected theater and opera programs, 1869-1941; announcements and invitations; Christmas and greeting cards. Correspondents include George Arliss, Gertrude Atherton, Robert Ernest Cowan, George Creel, Ina Coolbrith, Lion Feuchtwanger, Herbert Hoover, Fannie Hurst, Owen Lattimore, Benjamin H. Lehman, W. Somerset Maugham, Carey McWilliams, H.L. Mencken, Ruth Comfort Mitchell, Kathleen Thompson Norris, Fremont Older, James D. Phelan, H.G. Wells, Harr Wagner, and Stefan Zweig.
Extent:
20 linear feet (12 boxes, 12 cartons, 2 volumes)
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Charles Caldwell Dobie papers, BANC MSS C-H 31, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley

Background

Scope and content:

Charles Caldwell Dobie's papers were presented to the University in July 1944 by his brother Clarence W. Dobie, as a memorial to their mother, Mrs. Mary Slocumb Dobie. Covering the period 1905-1943, they consist of correspondence (both incoming letters and copies of his replies); manuscripts of his books, short stories, plays, articles, etc.; notes on Chinatown and California history; biographical and autobiographical material and personalia; some royalty statements; theater and opera programs; announcements, programs and invitations; and Christmas cards. Letters written to Dobie have been arranged alphabetically; single letters filed in appropriate alphabetical miscellanies. See PDF titled Partial List of Correspondents for names of correspondents. Dobie's outgoing letters (typed copies and a few originals addressed to his brother, Clarence) have been arranged chronologically. A photograph of Dobie, dated August 1918, has been placed in the portrait file and assigned the call number BANC PIC 1945.009--E.

Biographical / historical:

Charles Caldwell Dobie was born in San Francisco March 15, 1881, and unlike many California writers who went East after their first success, he continued to live in his native city. He attended local schools and, because of the death of his father and the necessity of contributing to family support, he never went beyond grammar school in formal education. He went into insurance work, starting as an errand boy and eventually becoming office manager. When he was nineteen he joined a class in short story writing inaugurated by W. C. Morrow, the noted journalist and writer. Under his direction, Dobie learned the short story craft. Writing in his spare time, he worked for ten years without selling a line. In October 1910 his first story was published in the San Francisco Argonaut. In 1916 he resigned his insurance position to devote full time to writing. Thereafter he became a regular contributor to leading magazines, including Smart Set, Harper's, Scribner's and Pictorial Review. Many of his stories were selected for inclusion in "best short story" anthologies, notably the Edward J. O'Brien and O. Henry memorial collections. His first novel, The Blood Red Dawn, was published in 1920. Other novels include Broken to the Plow (ca. 1921), Less than Kin (1926) and Portrait of a Courtesan (1934). In addition, he wrote from time to time, a number of newspaper columns, the most famous of which was "The Caliph in San Francisco," appearing in the San Francisco Bulletin, 1925-1926. The books which permanently identified him in the public mind with San Francisco were San Francisco: A Pageant (1933) and San Francisco's Chinatown (1936). Dobie died in his home in San Francisco on January 11, 1943.

Physical location:
Many Bancroft Library collections are stored off-site and advance notice may be required for use. For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
DACS

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Processed by The Bancroft Library staff
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-10-17 17:02:17 +0000 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Charles Caldwell Dobie papers, BANC MSS C-H 31, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley

Location of this collection:
University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
Contact:
510-642-6481
bancref-library@berkeley.edu
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