Collections : [Rare Book & Manuscript Library]

Correspondence, documents, and financial records relating almost entirely to the last ten years of Cora Crane's life, dealing largely with the operation of her brothel, The Court, and touching on her last marriage to Hammond P. McNeil and to her work on the invention of a new army canteen. Much of the collection consists of bills, receipts, insurance policies, cancelled checks, and other fairly routine financial papers. Also, a Harold Frederic manuscript and the last known signature of Stephen Crane.

Letters, manuscript, photographs, art work, and printed materials concerning Frederic. There are two letters, 1892-1896, from Frederic while he was in London as correspondent for the New York Times, to W. Sheaming of the National Liberal Club and to a London book publisher. A manuscript genealogy of early English families, primarily of the 13th century, probably deals with his ancestors. There is also a photograph of his common-law wife, Kate Lyon Forman, and biographical material on their daughter, Helen Forman.

Letters addressed to the Cranes from various members of the Crane and Howorth families, and from prominent literary figures such as Joseph Conrad, Henry James, H.G. Wells, George Bernard Shaw, Hamlin Garland, Elbert Hubbard, and Rider Haggard. A number of these letters relate to Cora Crane's activities after Stephen Crane's death, but the majority have to do with life at Brede Place in Sussex. Also present are a number of holograph manuscripts of Stephen Crane's literary works and manuscripts and typescripts of other material which he dictated. There is a group of stories and articles by Cora Crane, some pictures, photographs, art, and memorabilia. Also, seventy-four books from Crane's library, many of them signed.