Robert Montgomery Bird Papers
Series Description

A. General Correspondence. 2 boxes.
Incoming letters and drafts or copies of outgoing letters. Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by correspondent. Incoming and outgoing letters are then interfiled in chronological order. Letters of introduction written for Bird are filed among the general correspondence, under the name of the writer.

B. Correspondence between Robert Montgomery Bird and Mary E. Bird (i.e. Mary E. Mayer). 18 folders.
Correspondence between Bird and his wife Mary, spanning the days of their early acquaintance and courtship, to the later days of their married life.
Arranged chronologically.

C. Miscellaneous Correspondence 13 folders.
Letters between individuals other than Bird, related to or concerning Bird. These letters are arranged alphabetically by correspondent, with a note identifying the addressee. Unidentified letters, invitations, and envelopes fall at the end of this section.

II. Writings of Robert Montgomery Bird. 24 boxes
Arranged by genre and then alphabetically by title. Notes on literature and lists of works are in the series "Research Notes and Non-fiction."

A. Plays. 4 boxes.
Bound volumes of drafts of plays; notes and fragments of published and unpublished works. Volumes and folders of loose papers are interfiled and arranged alphabetically by title, with unidentified plays and fragments at the end.

B. Poetry. 2 boxes.
Volumes of poetry; multiple drafts; fragments; a folder containing a discrete volume of poetry will be followed by a folder of loose drafts of the poems included in the volume. Volumes of poetry are arranged alphabetically; Miscellaneous loose poems are organized into the following categories: titled poems, arranged alphabetically by title; untitled poetry; and songs, both arranged alphabetically by the first significant word.

C. Prose Fiction. 18 boxes.
Drafts, fragments, and notes of published and unpublished works. The section begins with two boxes of folders containing loose papers and is followed by individually boxed volumes, arranged alphabetically by title.

III. Compositions. 2 boxes.
Sketchbook; published music; books of musical compositions; notes on drawing; miscellaneous theatrical and architectural drawings and watercolors.

IV. Research Notes & Non-Fiction Fragments. 2 boxes.
Notes on the history of Mexico, South America, and the United States; notes on nitrates and chemistry; notes on agriculture; notes on politics; fragments of articles and speeches.

V. Periodicals. 10 folders.
Papers related to the North American and U. S. Gazette; letters to the editor; subscription receipts; ideas for new journals.

VI. Financial and Legal Papers. 8 folders.
Bills, receipts, and checks; legal contracts.

VII. Memorabilia. 2 boxes and 8 folders.
Juvenilia; quotebooks; abstracts; passes to medical lectures; maps; genealogical papers.

VIII. Frederic Mayer Bird Papers. 1 box.
Correspondence; published articles; drafts of sermons; University of Pennsylvania memorabilia.

IX. Mary E. Bird Papers. 1 box.
Correspondence; book of writings; notes and drafts of The Life of Bird; correspondence of C. Seymour Thompson concerning The Life of Bird; memorabilia.

X. Clement Edgar Foust's Research Notes for Bird Biography. 2 boxes.
Transcripts of Bird letters; related correspondence; note cards.

XI. Oversize. 1 box.
Lithograph portraits of Bird; miscellaneous oversize material.