Scope and Contents: The Franklin J. Meine Collection contains books, pamphlets, periodicals, correspondence, newspaper clippings, photos, and ephemera that document the work of notable American humorists—particularly Mark Twain—and life on the Mississippi River during the 19th and early 20th centuries. This collection was accumulated over a thirty-year period by Franklin J. Meine (1896-1968), a Chicago publisher, editor, and author.
The materials that make up this collection were acquired through three major accessions, which took place in 1955, 1962, and 1969. The initial accession (1955) contained some 8,500 volumes of work by notable American humorists, such as Irvin S. Cobb (1876-1944), John Kendrick Bangs (1862-1922), and Eugene Field (1850-1895). Included are various editions and translations of single works, as well as anthologies and periodicals. The second accession (1962), known also as the River Collection, contained approx. 300 items documenting life on the Mississippi River, including photos, bills of lading, business correspondence, and a scrapbook of clippings. The third accession (1969), known also as the Mark Twain Collection, contained some 350 North American and English editions of Twain’s works, as well as pamphlets, tear sheets, and comic books, among other materials. Aside from these major additions, a small number of periodicals and cartoons were also purchased to augment particular areas of the collection in the mid-1970s.
The University’s Chicago Circle campus, now the University of Illinois Chicago, purchased a collection of materials central to Meine’s research, as well as volumes from his personal library. View the finding aid for the Franklin J. Meine Collection (University of Illinois Chicago. Special Collections) at this link.
This collection is partially processed. Please contact the library for more information about particular materials.
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