Subgroup 02: John Vance Cheney papers, 1894-1911
Scope and Contents
Mostly correspondence relating to Newberry Library acquisitions. Includes gift acknowledgements, job applications, acquisition and reference letters (requests for family histories and institutional annual reports). Also included are a few papers relating to library administration and one piece of printed sheet music (Boston, 1914) with words and music by Cheney, entitled "Come Along Deary."
Dates
- Creation: 1894-1911
Creator
- Cheney, John Vance, 1848-1922 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The Newberry Library Archives are open for research in the Special Collections Reading Room; 1 box at a time (Priority III).
Unprocessed records are available by appointment only. Advance notice is necessary, particularly for administrative files, so that files may be screened for personnel records that are removed when records are processed.
Files containing personal or confidential information about individuals (including individual files on members of the Board of Trustees, individual donor files and records reporting the donations of an individual, personnel records, payroll records, and individual accepted fellows files) are closed for 30 years.
Biography of John Vance Cheney
Poet, essayist, and second librarian of the Newberry Library, 1894-1909. After serving from 1887 to 1894 as Librarian of the San Francisco Public Library, Cheney (1848-1922) assumed the Newberry Librarian's position left vacant by the death of William Frederick Poole in 1894. Cheney's San Francisco assistant, Alexander J. Rudolph, came with Cheney to the Newberry, where he introduced Rudolph binders and Rudolph indexer catalogues. While in Chicago, Cheney was active in literary affairs, publishing two volumes of poetry and serving as a newspaper literary critic. Resigning in 1909, Cheney retired to California where he wrote poetry and manufactured hair tonic.
Extent
1.3 Linear Feet (3 boxes)
Arrangement
Organized in one series: Papers, 1894-1911 (03/02/01).
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