Collection Title: Laura Nelson Baker Papers

Collection Number: DG0055

Inclusive Dates:1961-1966

Volume: .60 cu. ft. (2 boxes)

Provenance : Donated by Laura Nelson Baker between 1966 and 1972.

Copyright: The collection is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. Code).  Reproductions can be made only if they are to be used for "private study, scholarship, or research."  It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials, other than that noted above.

Biographical Sketch:

Laura Nelson Baker was born January 7, 1911 in Humboldt, Iowa. The eighth child in a family of ten, she grew up on a farm outside of Lake Mills, Iowa. Much of her children's fiction is built around memories of her childhood shared with family and friends at this farm.

Baker attended the University of Minnesota and became an avid reader. Her reading interests ranged from autobiographies to political articles. A mother of one and grandmother of four, Baker focuses her writing mainly on children because they are her favorite people. Baker loved nature and spent time reading, hiking, and studying wildflowers. Many of her books exhibit her interest in and love for the outdoors.

Baker was editor of the Minneapolis suburban weekly newspaper, the Richfield News. Her books have received a number of awards including the first prize for fiction from the National Press Women in 1953 and 1954. Snowshoe Thompson, co-authored by Baker was selected for publication by the Junior Literary Guild.

Source:

Contents of the collection.

Scope and Content:

The collection contains typescripts, galleys, and folded and gathered sheets for three titles. The materials are arranged alphabetically by title. Within each title the materials are arranged in the probable order in which they were created.

All three titles in this collection were written by Laura Nelson Baker. For Cousin Tryg, holdings include a typescript with corrections and corrected galleys. The collection has a typescript and galleys for Go Away Ruthie , and for Torkel's Winter Friend there are folded and gathered sheets.

Series and Subseries:

A. Correspondence (1964-1966)

B. Books (1961-1966)

• COUSIN TRYG (1966)

• GO AWAY RUTHIE (1966)

• TORKEL'S WINTER FRIEND (1961)

Box Inventory

Box/Folder

A. Correspondence (1964-1966)

1/1	To the de Grummond Collection (2 items)
1/2	To and from agents and publishers

Cousin Tryg by Laura Nelson Baker, illustrated by Paul E. Kennedy (Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1966).

1/3	Typescript with corrections, dated 8/27/65, pp. 1-50,
1/4	Typescript with corrections dated 9/13/65, pp. 51-110; 1 page about the author
1/5	Galley with corrections (10/11/65) 123 pp.
1/6	Galley with corrections (11/9/65) 125 pp.

 

Go Away Ruthie by Laura Nelson Baker (New York: Knopf, 1966).

1/7	Typescript with corrections, pp. 1-87, chps. 1-6,
1/8	Typescript with corrections, pp. 88-179, chps. 7-12.
1/9	Galley without corrections (12/16/65) pp. 3-178, chps. 1-12.
1/10	Galley with handwritten corrections (12/16/65) pp. 3-178, chps. 1-12.
1/11	Galley with handwritten corrections, no date, chps. 1-12.
1/12	Galleys, undated, chps. 1-12 (3 copies).

 

Torkel's Winter Friend by Laura Nelson Baker, illustrated by Juliette Palmer (New York: Abelard-Schuman, 1961).

1/13	Folded and gathered sheets

 

Processed: January 1999

This finding aid is a product of a grant funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Created by: Dee Jones
Prepared and maintained by
University of Southern Mississippi Libraries de Grummond Children's Literature Collection
http://www.lib.usm.edu/degrummond
118 College Drive #5148   Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001

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Revised: May 7, 2015