Special Collections, Literary Manuscripts Collection

Elizabeth S. Austin
Oliver L. Austin, Jr.
Papers, 1933-1967
6 linear feet
Manuscript Group 51
Series A and B


Arrangement: In two series, A, Elizabeth S. Austin, and B, Oliver L. Austin

Biographical notes: Elizabeth S. Austin, wife of Oliver L. Austin, author and ornithologist, was a Research Associate of the Florida State Museum. She authored several birding books, all represented here, including The Birds That Stopped Flying, Penguins, and The Random House Book of Birds, co-authored by Oliver Austin. She was the editor of Frank Chapman in Florida, and wrote a weekly newspaper column on birds.

Oliver L. Austin, Jr., born 1903, and educated at Wesleyan University and Harvard (Ph.D.), was the author of numerous books including Birds of the World (1961). His positions included Curator of Ornithology at the Florida State Museum of the University of Florida. Previously he was director of the Austin Ornithological Research Station on Cape Cod. He was the editor of Auk, the Journal of the American Ornithologists Union and of the Bulletin of the Florida State Museum.

Scope and Contents: Manuscripts of several of Elizabeth Austin's published works, correspondence, largely relating to the the publication of Frank Chapman in Florida, and a scrapbook of her nature columns in the Florida Times-Union.

Several drafts of the manuscript of Birds of the World by Oliver Austin, including an unbound printed copy, and a microfilmed scrapbook, primarily of his column, "Birds & Such," from the Cape Cod Colonial, 1936-1937.

Provenance: The Elizabeth Austin manuscripts and correspondence were donated by Oliver Austin, ca. 1961. The manuscripts of Birds of the World were received from his office in the Florida State Museum.


MS 51A: Elizabeth Austin (Boxes 1-3; Scrapbook)

Box 1:

Folder 1: Article for the Junior Encyclopedia of Natural History.

Folder 2: "The Birds That Stopped Flying", Ts.with corrections.

Folder 3: "The Birds That Stopped Flying", final mss. with corrections.

Folder 4: "The Birds That Stopped Flying", galleys.

Folder 5: "The Birds That Stopped Flying", quires.

Folder 6: "The Birds That Stopped Flying", dust jacket.

Folder 7: "The Birds That Stopped Flying", miscellaneous material.

Folder 8: "The Penguins", Ts. with corrections.

Folder 9: "Penguins: the Birds with Flippers", dust jackets.

Folder 10: "The Penguins", Chapter  III, Ts. with corrections.

Folder 11: "Random House Book of Birds", Ts. with corrections, pt.1.

Folder 12: "Random House Book of Birds", Ts. With corrections, pt. 2.

Folder 13: "Random House Book of Birds", Ts. with corrections, pt.3.

Folder 14: "Random House Book of Birds", final Ts., pt.1.

Folder 15: "Random House Book of Birds", final Ts., pt.2.

Folder 16: "Random House Book of Birds", Outline of the birds to appear in the book.


Box 2:

Folder 17: "Random House Book of Birds", galley proofs with author's corrections.

Folder 18: "Random House Book of Birds", photographs.

Folder 19: "Random House Book of Birds", galley with editor’s marks.

Folder 20: "Random House Book of Birds", page proofs.

Folder 21: "Random House Book of Birds", original ms., returned from publisher with letter, August 6, 1971. 

 

Box 3:

Folders 22-27: "Wild Adventure", carbon copy of the columns published by Elizabeth Austin in the Florida Times-Union of Jacksonville, No.1, Sept 3, 1961 - No.238 Oct 23, 1966; with Index:
(22) nos. 1-39; 1961 Sept. 3-1962 May 27  (23) 40-79; 1962 June 3-1973 March 3 (24) 71-120; 1963 Jan. 6-1964 March 15 (25) 121-160; 1964 March 22- 1965 Jan. 20 (26) 161-200; 1965 Jan. 27-1966 Jan. 9 (27) 201-237; 1966 Jan. 16-Oct. 23.

Folder 28: "Frank Chapman Writes of Florida," by Elizabeth Austin published in The Florida Naturalist, V.29, pp. 43-44.

Folder 29: "Florida and the AOU Founders," by Elizabeth Austin, mimeograph copy, 5 pp.

Folder 30: Frank Chapman in Florida, by Elizabeth Austin, reviews.


Correspondence:

Folder 31: 

Bryan, H. C. to Ernest Coe, 1936 (copy)
Bryan, H. C. to T. S. Palmer, 1936.
Both letters re to illegal of killing of birds for plumage in the Everglades.

Folder 32: 1937

Austin, Elizabeth. TL (copy) to G. J. Broekhuysen; 7 Dec. 1967.

Austin, Jr., Oliver L. TL (carbon) to Les Line, Audubon Magazine, 10 May 1967

Letters to Elizabeth, or Oliver Austin. Most are in regard to Frank Chapman in Florida:
Amadon, Dean (2)

Belle, Jessie

Barker, Elizabeth

Broekhuysen, G. J.

Chavchavadze, Paul

Derringer, Betty

Dickinson's, The

Enwall, Jean

Germaine, Loraine

Hack, Joyce

Holland, Mary (2)

Lowery, Jr., George

Mautz, Robert, B.

Mayr, Ernst

Murphy, Grace

Pettingill, Eleanor

Ranson, Marion B.

Reitz, J. Wayne

Robertson, Bill

Schling, Max

Walters, John S.

Folder 33: 1968: Letters to Elizabeth Austin

Cotrell, Annette

Graham, Henry H.

Warner, Dorothy M. (with carbon of reply by Elizabeth Austin. 19 March 1968)

Folder 34: 1970-1975

         Austin, Elizabeth to V. P. Wystrack (carbon) re us of the word mistress.

                   University of Florida Press (Kishel, Mary J.; Summer, Bob; Nell, Paul C.)

Wystrack, V.P.

Folder 35: Miscellaneous: advertising, drawings, etc.

     Scrapbook

Scrapbook of  the published columns: "Wild Adventures," Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville); 
#1, Sept. 1961 - #238, Oct. 23, 1966.


 

  • MS 51B: Oliver Austin  (7 Boxes of Birds of the World; 1 scrapbook on microfilm)

  • Box 1: First draft (3 folders)

    Box 2:  2nd draft (carbon) with revisions (5 folders)

    Box 3:  Author's working carbon of the final draft, as edited and retyped, 1960-1961 (4 folders)

    Box 4: "Final copy, as edited, copy styled and set into galley, March 1961" (5 folders)

    Box 5: Galley Proofs.

    Box 6: 

    1    Biographical sketch of Oliver Austin.

     2    Birds of the World, in quires.

    Box 7: Birds of the World, illustrations in pencil, and page proofs, 22x15 inches.

    Scrapbook (on microfilm) of Oliver Austin, 1933-1937. Primarily includes copies of his column "Birds & Such," Cape Cod Colonial, 1937-1937. Shelved in manuscripts microfilm cabinet.

    revised Frank Orser 11 June 2003

     


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