The Elegant Elephant - publicity, 1944-1948
Scope and Contents note
Correspondence, office memos, publicity, and other materials related to Bennet B. Harvey's long career with Rand McNally, including work with authors Mary Alice Jones, Marguerite Henry (Misty of Chincoteague), and particularly Thor Heyerdahl. Harvey convinced Rand McNally to publish Heyerdah's Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific By Raft, which was an early best seller for the company and brought Heyerdahl international attention and acclaim. Documents and correspondence detail Bennet Harvey's first meeting with Heyerdahl, as well as the publishing history of Kon-Tiki and the book's commercial impact. Thor Heyerdahl and Bennet Harvey's working relationship developed into a lifelong friendship, and many personal letters are mixed with business correspondence.
Other notable items include career biographies, awards, letters from customers, publicity materials for the children's book The Elegant Elephant, which involved bringing a live elephant to the book department of Marshall Field's, and Bennet Harvey's "Dope Sheets," designed as in-house news bulletins for Rand McNally employees.
Dates
- Creation: 1944-1948
Creator
- From the Collection: Harvey family (Family)
Conditions Governing Access
The Harvey family papers are open for research in the Special Collections Reading Room; 1 box at a time (Priority III).
Repository Details
Part of the The Newberry Library - Modern Manuscripts and Archives Repository
60 West Walton Street
Chicago Illinois 60610 United States
312-255-3512
reference@newberry.org