- from James Findlay's introduction to the exhibition of Carol Fitgerald's reknowned collection at the Bienes Center for the Literary Arts in Ft. Lauderdale.
The sixty-five books in the series were published from 1937-1974, by Farrar and Rinehart (1937-1946) and its successors: Rinehart & Company (1946-1960); Holt, Rinehart and Winston (1960-1974). Constance Lindsay Skinner [1877-1939] was the general editor from 1937-1939. The series editors who succeeded her were Stephen Vincent Benét [1898-1943], Carl Carmer [1893-1976], and Hervey Allen [1889-1949]. During the life of the series, there were also two associate editors: Elizabeth L. Gilman and Jean Crawford; and four art editors: Ruth E. Anderson, Faith Ball, Benjamin Feder, and Philip Fiorello.
Assembled over the past eleven years and gleaned from Carol Fitzgerald's large and encyclopedic collection, the exhibition highlights 103 books, drawings, and other printed materials. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the publication of The Everglades: river of grass by Marjory Stoneman Douglas, the display showcases it, along with three otherFlorida rivers: Suwannee River
Constance Lindsay Skinner originated the idea for the series, and in a bid to make it special, recommended that the authors be "novelists and poets" and the illustrators be "professional artists". She and her heirs achieved their goal with great success with such titles as: The Everglades: river of grass, by Marjory Stoneman Douglas, illustrated by Robert Fink; The Brandywine, by Henry Seidel Canby, illustrated by Andrew Wyeth; and The Sangamon, by Edgar Lee Masters, illustrated by Lynd Ward. The sixty-five original titles were published by Farrar and Rinehart and its successors from 1937-1974, but the collection also contains almost all known variant, special, commemorative, foreign, and Armed Services editions.
In her quest to gather the materials of the series, Carol Fitzgerald has demonstrated an extraordinary degree of perseverance and determination. For her, it has been an exhausting yet richly satisfying venture. Her interest in collecting the titles began casually in 1986, but soon developed into a near-obsession. Quickly she discovered a small network of book dealers with a special interest in the series, cultivated contacts with publishers, and wrote numerous letters to authors, illustrators, and editors. In the end, her efforts to document for posterity the making of the 65-volume series have been herculean.
Shortly, the results of Carol Fitzgerald's carefully detailed and scholarly research will be presented in the publication of a bibliography and history of the series. We will all be enriched by her endeavor.
Assembled over the past eleven years and gleaned from Carol Fitzgerald's large and encyclopedic collection, the exhibition highlights 103 books, drawings, and other printed materials. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the publication of The Everglades: river of grass by Marjory Stoneman Douglas, the display showcases it, along with three other
Constance Lindsay Skinner originated the idea for the series, and in a bid to make it special, recommended that the authors be "novelists and poets" and the illustrators be "professional artists". She and her heirs achieved their goal with great success with such titles as: The Everglades: river of grass, by Marjory Stoneman Douglas, illustrated by Robert Fink; The Brandywine, by Henry Seidel Canby, illustrated by Andrew Wyeth; and The Sangamon, by Edgar Lee Masters, illustrated by Lynd Ward. The sixty-five original titles were published by Farrar and Rinehart and its successors from 1937-1974, but the collection also contains almost all known variant, special, commemorative, foreign, and Armed Services editions.
In her quest to gather the materials of the series, Carol Fitzgerald has demonstrated an extraordinary degree of perseverance and determination. For her, it has been an exhausting yet richly satisfying venture. Her interest in collecting the titles began casually in 1986, but soon developed into a near-obsession. Quickly she discovered a small network of book dealers with a special interest in the series, cultivated contacts with publishers, and wrote numerous letters to authors, illustrators, and editors. In the end, her efforts to document for posterity the making of the 65-volume series have been herculean.
Shortly, the results of Carol Fitzgerald's carefully detailed and scholarly research will be presented in the publication of a bibliography and history of the series. We will all be enriched by her endeavor.
- Carol Fitzgerald's American Rivers, A Descriptive Bibliography was released in 2001.
Blog title links to publisher's blog post on the author. Comprehensive title roster can be found here
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