John M. Maxwell Papers
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No requestable containers
Scope and Contents
The John M. Maxwell Papers consist primarily of drafts and revisions of Maxwell's book, The Man Behind the Mask, which ascribes authorship of William Shakespeare's plays and sonnets to Sir Robert Cecil or George Somers. Maxwell failed in his attempts to get his book published, even though Theodore Dreiser interceded with publishers on his behalf. The five bound volumes of typescript (1916-1919) circulated to publishers. Loose pages (box 2) are from an undated later revision by Maxwell. The material donated by Mrs. Audrey Ellingsworth (box 3) is most likely an earlier revision by him. Photocopies of letters from Theodore Dreiser, James Whitcomb Riley, and John Maxwell (the origials are retained by the family), and photocopies of published articles written by Maxwell, are included in the collection.
Dates
- 1916-1924
Creator
- Maxwell, John Milo, 1865-1929 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on use of the materials in the department for research; all patrons must comply with federal copyright regulations.
Extent
3.00 Boxes
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The John M. Maxwell Papers consist primarily of drafts and revisions of Maxwell's book, The Man Behind the Mask, which ascribes authorship of William Shakespeare's plays and sonnets to Sir Robert Cecil or George Somers. Maxwell failed in his attempts to get his book published, even though Theodore Dreiser interceded with publishers on his behalf.
Arrangement
The John M. Maxwell papers are organized into: manuscripts of and revisions to The Man Behind the Mask; articles; and a group of miscellaneous materials.
Method of Acquisition
Most of the materials in this collection were donated in July 1953 to the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University by Waldo P. Maxwell, the son of John M. Maxwell. These papers were transferred to the McCormick Library of Special Collections before 1969. All additional materials in box 3 were donated to the McCormick Library in August 2008 by Maxwell's granddaughter, Mrs. Audrey Ellingsworth, or researcher John Niemeyer.
Processing Information
Sigrid Pohl Perry processed the collection in April 2009.
- Title
- Guide to the John M. Maxwell Papers
- Author
- Sigrid Pohl Perry
- Date
- 01/04/2009
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- eng
Library Details
Part of the Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections Repository
Deering Library, Level 3
1970 Campus Drive
Evanston IL 60208-2300 US
847-491-3635
specialcollections@northwestern.edu