Roark Bradford papers, 1887-1949 | Louisiana Research Collection

By Eira Tansey

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Collection Overview

Title: Roark Bradford papers, 1887-1949

ID: LaRC/Manuscripts Collection 20

Primary Creator: Bradford, Roark, 1896-1948.

Extent: 5.0 Boxes. More info below.

Arrangement: Box 1 includes personal papers; boxes 2 through 5 contain Bradford’s manuscripts of short stories and articles, and other papers. Several of the manuscripts include marginalia and extensive editing marks. The collection consists of 5 boxes.

Date Acquired: 06/00/1949. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: African Americans -- Southern States -- History -- 20th century., African Americans in literature and art., American literature -- 20th century., Authors, American -- 20th century., Bradford, Roark, 1896-1948., Journalists -- Louisiana -- New Orleans., New Orleans (La.) -- History -- 20th century.

Forms of Material: Clippings (information artifacts), Correspondence., Manuscripts for publication., Photographs., Typescripts.

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

This collection consists of correpondence, clippings, photographs, drawings, typescripts, manuscripts, and publications of writer and journalist Roark Bradford (1896-1948). Bradford worked the night shift at the Times-Picayune and contributed numerous short stories to magazines, including Collier's, the New York Herald Tribune, Esquire, and the Saturday Evening Post.

Biographical Note

Roark Bradford was born in 1896 in Tennessee. He moved to New Orleans in 1923, and worked as an editor at the Times-Picayune newspaper from 1924 to 1926. He was a prolific writer of short stories, and widely published in magazines. Many of the stories he wrote used an exaggerated African-American dialect popular at the time; some of his works were dramatized for stage and film, including "Ol' Man Adam and His Chillun'", which became the basis for the 1936 film, The Green Pastures. He served as a consultant to Tulane University's English Department, 1947-1948. Roark Bradford died in New Orleans on November 13, 1948.

Subject/Index Terms

African Americans -- Southern States -- History -- 20th century.
African Americans in literature and art.
American literature -- 20th century.
Authors, American -- 20th century.
Bradford, Roark, 1896-1948.
Journalists -- Louisiana -- New Orleans.
New Orleans (La.) -- History -- 20th century.

Administrative Information

Repository: Louisiana Research Collection

Accruals: No further accruals expected

Alternate Extent Statement: 2.5 linear feet

Access Restrictions: Collection is open to the public. No known restrictions.

Use Restrictions: Physical rights are retained by the Louisiana Research Collection. Copyright is retained in accordance with U.S. copyright laws.

Acquisition Source: Mary Rose Bradford

Acquisition Method: Gift

Preferred Citation: Roark Bradford papers, Manuscripts Collection 20, Louisiana Research Collection, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118.

Finding Aid Revision History: The collection was rehoused by student worker Elizabeth Chambers in 2009. LAC Group entered information in Archon January 2011. Revised by LAC Group 1/24/11.

Other Note: OCLC Number: 317411922

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

[Box 1: Correspondence, clippings, photographs, drawings and other papers],
[Box 2: Typescripts and publications],
[Box 3: Typescripts and publications],
[Box 4: Manuscripts and publications],
[Box 5: Manuscripts and publications],
[Volume 1: "John Henry" by Roark Bradford and Jacques Wolfe, script and score],
[Oversize folder 1: "Satirical Song", undated],
[All]

Box 4: Manuscripts and publications

Folder 1: "Boils and Bildads of Job," Esquire, 1942 January
Folder 2: "Hypocrite Bait," Collier's, 1942 January 3
Folder 3: "Cooter Blues," Collier's, 1942 August 8
Folder 4: "Conversion Job," also entitled "Ordeal of Big Mag Purdy," Collier's, 1942 October 31
Folder 5: "The Sternwheel Spy Case," Collier's, 1942 December 5
Folder 6: "Black Bullets for Hitler," Collier's, 1942 December 12
Folder 7: "Pirate-in-Law," Collier's, 1942 December 9
Folder 8: "Old Sergeant Somebody", 1942 December 26
Folder 9: "Miracle Come to Pass," Collier's, 1943 January 9
Folder 10: "Some Changes Made," Collier's, 1943 May 8
Folder 11: "The Sin-Splitter's Split," Collier's, 1943 August 3
Folder 12: "Oh, Eagles They Flew Low," American Legion Magazine, 1946 January 6
Folder 13: "William Faulkner's Next Novel," Magazine '47, 1947
Folder 14: "Cupid up the Bayou," Collier's, 1948 February 28
Folder 15: "The Pearl Handled Hum Bug," Collier's, 1948 May 1
Folder 16: "Sugar My Timbers," also entitled "Smuggler's Girl," Saturday Evening Post, 1948 June 5
Folder 17: "The High Hip Rider," Collier's, 1948 June 21
Folder 18: "Rich Man, Rich Man,"Collier's, 1948 November 13
Folder 19: "Low Down Cotton," Collier's, 1949 February 26
Folder 20: "The Green Roller," a short story by Roark Bradford; letter from Harper and Brothers Publishers to Fred Wolfe regarding copyright page of book entitled The Green Roller; preliminary jacket copy of The Green Roller; a collection of stories and poems by Roark Bradford
Folder 21: The Green Roller, another copy with the author's corrections, 1949 April
Folder 22: "Daniel's Three-Way Gig: A War Sermon" by Roark Bradford, part of The Green Roller, Harper Brothers Publishers, 1949 April

Tulane University Special Collections