Skip to main content

August Mencken letters to James H. Bready

 Collection — Box: 1
Identifier: MS-0700

Scope and Contents

Copied from dealer description: Eleven Typed Letters Signed from August Mencken to James Bready, a columnist at The Baltimore Sun. Old folds from mailing, near fine; one letter has a clipping stapled on the rear. Each letter is on his Hollins Street, Baltimore letterhead. The letters date from 1952-1961. Most are relatively brief, the first couple invite Bready over for drinks with himself and H.L.: “...night around 7:30 P.M. The bar opens at that time or shortly therafter and we usually sit until 9:30.” Also discussing the possibility of an honorary degree for H.L.: “I am quite sure if that if it were offered to him he would refuse it... He greatly appreciates the kind and generous thought but in such matters his prejudices are powerful.” Also “Go a little easy with Richard Hart at the Pratt Library ... I believe he is under considerable strain at present but he will probably dig out of it.” Also: “Nothing yet has been decided about the National Trust taking over this house.” Other topics include books by both August and Bready, meetings of the Charcoal Club, various locations in and around Baltimore’s neighborhoods, and an altercation: “This lead to words and as his identification card was obviously phony I called the cops but he ran off before they arrived. In this neighborhood it is considered extremely bad manners to call the cops.” Mencken was the younger brother of H.L. Mencken, and an author in his own right. An interesting and chatty correspondence.

Dates

  • Creation: 1952-1961

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is housed off-site and requires 48-hours' notice for retrieval. Please contact Special Collections for more information.

Collection is open for use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions. It is not necessary to seek our permission as the owner of the physical work to publish or otherwise use public domain materials that we have made available for use, unless Johns Hopkins University holds the copyright.

Biographical / Historical

August Mencken was an American civil engineer and author. He was the younger brother of Henry Louis Mencken, and the son of cigar magnate August Mencken, Sr. James Hall Bready was a Baltimore Evening Sun editorial writer for more than three decades and originator of the "Books and Authors" column that was published in The Baltimore Sun for nearly 50 years.

Extent

0.167 Cubic Feet (11 items)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

August Mencken was an American civil engineer and author. He was the younger brother of Henry Louis Mencken, and the son of cigar magnate August Mencken, Sr. James Hall Bready was a Baltimore Evening Sun editorial writer for more than three decades and originator of the "Books and Authors" column that was published in The Baltimore Sun for nearly 50 years. This collection consists of 11 letters from August Mencken to James Bready, a columnist at The Baltimore Sun.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased from Between the Covers Rare Books, July 2015.

Related Materials

H.L. Mencken Collection, MS.0476.

Processing Information

Processed by Jordon Steele, July 2015.

Title
August Mencken letters to James H. Bready, 1952-1961
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Repository

Contact:
The Sheridan Libraries
Special Collections
3400 N Charles St
Baltimore MD 21218 USA