Descriptive Summary
	Creator:	Rychtarik, Richard, 1894-1982.
	Title:	The Richard W. Rychtarik/Hart Crane Papers
	Dates:	1923-1935
	Abstract:	Harold Hart Crane was born in 1899 and became a significant voice within modernist American poetry of the first half of the twentieth century. Crane moved to New York City and mixed with other prominent writers of the time and was influenced by both the contemporary currents in poetry, and his early affinity for nineteenth-century French poets. He struggled with drinking and problems that arose from being gay in a culture that rejected homosexuality. In 1930, Crane received some acclaim from the publication of "The Bridge" which is his book-length poem that vivaciously depicts New York City and his outlook on America in general. In 1932, upon completing a Guggenheim fellowship in Mexico, he setoff by ship back to New York, but committed suicide by jumping from the deck during his passage.
	Quantity:	.5 linear feet (1 box)
	Call Phrase:	The Richard W. Rychtarik/Hart Crane Papers

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Historical/Biographical Note:

Harold Hart Crane was born in 1899 in Garrettsville, Ohio and became a significant voice within modernist American poetry of the first half of the twentieth century. Though without a college education and dissuaded from a career in poetry, Crane moved to New York City to write where he met other prominent writers of the time, such as: E. E. Cummings, Jean Toomer and Katherine Anne Porter. He was influenced by both the contemporary currents in poetry, such as: T.S. Elliot, and his early affinity for nineteenth-century French poets, such as: Rimbaud. Most of his published material was written between 1924 and 1926 due in some part to his bouts with drinking and problems that arose from being gay in a culture that rejected homosexuality. In 1930, Crane received acclaim and distinction from the publication of "The Bridge" which is his book-length poem that vivaciously depicts New York City and his outlook on America in general. Crane had struggled to complete "The Bridge," and when he found himself particularly at a loss, he sought inspiration by traveling to an island near Cuba and Europe. Once awarded a Guggenheim fellowship in 1931, he temporarily settled in Mexico. In 1932, upon completing the fellowship, he setoff back to New York from Mexico, and at the age of thirty-three, Crane committed suicide by jumping into the Gulf of Mexico from the deck of the S. S. Orizaba during his passage.

Sources:

"Hart Crane." The Academy of American Poets. 2001. [http://www.poets.org/poets].

Nelson, Cary. (Ed). "Hart Crane: Biographical Sketch." An Online Journal and Multimedia Companion to the 'Anthology of Modern American Poetry. Oxford University Press, 2000.' Department of English, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 2002. [http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/a_f/crane/bio.htm]

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Scope and Content Note

The Papers consist of letters, postcards, photographs, drawings, tearsheets, and clippings about Crane. Most of the items are typed letters signed by Crane to Charlotte and/or Richard Rychtarik. (Richard Rychtarik was an American set and costume designer of major productions at the Metropolitan Opera and other companies.) There are two letters from Waldo Frank to Crane, a handful of letters from Grace Hart Crane, and correspondence with Philip Horton. Among the photos are images of Crane in Brooklyn with the Bridge in the background, images of his rooms, of his visit to Woodstock, NY, and signed portraits, including one signed portrait by Walker Evans.

The collection had been kept in a very acidic scrapbook which was disbound when the Fales Library received the materials. Many of the letters had been stapled to the acidic backing. These have been removed. When the backings contained information about the letters, they were retained. The scrapbook had its own numbering system, which is preserved on the folders and, often written on the letters themselves.

SERIES DESCRIPTION

The Papers are in one series, which corresponds to the arrangement of the scrapbook in which they had been housed. It is roughly chronological, though there are some photos and materials not in that order and other materials that were not a part of the original scrapbook. These follow the scrapbook order. Printed materials and related correspondence are listed at the end of the collection.

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Arrangement
	Folders are arranged chronologically.
	The files are grouped into one series.

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Related Material at the Fales Library and Special Collections

The Samuel Greenberg Papers in the Fales Manuscript Collection.

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Separated Material

There is no information about materials that are associated by provenance to the described materials that have been physically separated or removed.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Open to researchers. Appointments are necessary for use of manuscript and archival materials.

Use Restrictions

Collection use is subject to all copyright laws. Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the Director of Fales Library and Special Collections. For further information, contact:
Fales Library and Special Collections
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012

Phone: (212) 998-2596
Fax: (212) 995-3835
Email: fales.library@nyu.edu

URL: http://www.nyu.edu/library/bobst/research/fales/cdfa.htm

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Access Points
	Subject Names:
		Crane, Hart, 1899-1932.
		Evans, Walker, 1903-1975
		Frank, Waldo David, 1889-1967.
		Horton, Philip
		Rychtarik, Richard, 1894-1982.
	Subject Topics:
		American poetry--20th century.
		Authors--United States.
		Poetry, Modern--20th century.
		Poets, American--20th century--Correspondence.
		Poets, American.
		Poets--United States.
	Document Types:
		Clippings
		Drawings
		Letters (correspondence)
		Photographs
		Postcards
		Tear sheets

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Administrative Information

Provenance

The Richard W. Rychtarik Hart Crane Papers were the gift of the Richard W. Rychtarik Estate by Mrs. Gertrude Rychtarik. The papers were donated in September, 2000. The collection consists of letters, postcards and photographs, as well as some supplemental materials, that were kept by Mr. Rychtarik, a close personal friend of Crane.

Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form:

Identification of item, date (if known); Richard W. Rychtarik/Hart Crane Papers; MSS 103; box number; folder number; Fales Library and Special Collections , New York University Libraries.

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Container List

[The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.]

Series I:
Box	Folder	Title	Date
1	1	Scrapbook title page	undated
1	2	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, [March 1923]	1923
1	3	Photo of Hart Crane [1923].	1923
1	4	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, March 30, 1923	1923
1	5	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, [April 4, 1923]	1923
1	6	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte, April 13, 1923	1923
1	7	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte, [April 23, 1923]	1923
1	8	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte, Wednesday [1923]; Correspondence, Waldo Frank to Hart Crane	1923
1	9	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Richard, [May 1923]	1923
1	10	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, May 30, 1923	1923
1	11	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, June 5, 1923	1923
1	12	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Richard, June 21, 1923	1923
1	13	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte, July 9, 1923	1923
1	14	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte, July 21, 1923	1923
1	15	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, [August 19, 1923]	1923
1	16	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, [August 26, 1923]	1923
1	17	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte, [August 28, 1923]	1923
1	18	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte, September 23, 1923	1923
1	19	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, October 2, 1923	1923
1	20	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, Friday evening [1923]	1923
1	21	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte, December 10, 1923	1923
1	22	Photos of Woodstock, NY Dec-23	1923
1	23	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte, January 6, 1924	1924
1	24	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, March 5, 1924	1924
1	25	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte, April 15, [1924]	1924
1	26	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte, July 30, 1924	1924
1	27	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, November 18, 1924	1924
1	28	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, January 29, 1925	1925
1	29	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, February 28, 1925	1925
1	30	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, April 9, 1925	1925
1	31	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, May 18, [1925]	1925
1	32	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, June 2, [1925]	1925
1	33	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, September 15, 1925	1925
1	34	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, [1925]	1925
1	35	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, September 26, 1925	1925
1	36	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, October 14, 1925	1925
1	37	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, October 22, 1925	1925
1	38	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, December 1, 1925	1925
1	39	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, December 14, 1925	1925
1	40	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, March 2, [1926]	1926
1	41	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, March 23, 1926	1926
1	42	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, April 11, 1926	1926
1	43	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, April 25, 1926	1926
1	44	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, April 30, 1926	1926
1	45	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Richard, May 4, 1926	1926
1	46	Photo of Hart Crane, inscribed "To Lotte and Richard with love, Hart" and text on back [August 14, 1926]	1926
1	47	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte, November 1, [1926]	1926
1	48	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, December 31, 1926	1926
1	49	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, July 9, 1927	1927
1	50	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, November 29, 1927	1927
1	51	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, March 28, 1928	1928
1	52	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, September 16, 1928	1928
1	53	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte, October 6, 1928	1928
1	54	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte, October 23, 1928	1928
1	55	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, December 28, 1928	1928
1	56	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard,, February 26, 1929	1929
1	57	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte photo, February 11, 1930	1930
1	58	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, March 30, 1931	1931
1	59	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Richard, April 3, 1931	1931
1	60	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte, [ca. 1931]	ca. 1931
1	61	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, two postcards, May 14, 1931	1931
1	62	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, May 14, 1931	1931
1	63	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Richard, September 24, 1931	1931
1	64	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, September 6, 1931	1931
1	65	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard with photos, November 4, 1931	1931
1	66	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, Christmas 1928	1928
1	67	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, February 8, 1932	1932
1	68	Photos of Hart Crane, [1932]	1932
1	69	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard with photo with letter on back, [March 1, 1932]	1932
1	70	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, March 20, 1932	1932
1	71	Correspondence, Hart Crane to Charlotte and Richard, April 20, 1932	1932
1	72	Drawings	undated
1	73	Photo of Hart Crane on rooftop with bridge in background, inscribed to Charlotte and Richard; Photo of unknown man	undated
1	74	Photos of Hart Crane's apartment (not numbered), inscribed to Charlotte and Richard, upstate, etc.	undated
1	75	Clippings (xeroxed)	undated
1	76	Tear Sheets (xeroxed)	undated
1	77	Correspondence, Grace Hart Crane	undated
1	78	Correspondence, Philip Horton and related correspondence	undated
1	79	Printed materials and fascimile of a letter	undated

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