Henry G. Alsberg and Dora Thea Hettwer Collection, Circa 1935-1968
Collection context
Summary
- Extent:
- 1.5 Linear Feet (4 Hollinger boxes)
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
Henry G. Alsberg and Dora Thea Hettwer Collection, Bienes Museum of the Modern Book, Broward County Library.
Background
- Scope and content:
The Henry G. Alsberg and Dora Thea Hettwer Collection includes letters sent from 1935 to 1968 between Federal Writers' Project Director Henry G. Alsberg and his secretary, Dora Thea Hettwer. Also included are original telephone transcripts from 1935-1936 of conversations between Federal Writers' Project staff and administration.
The correspondence reveals the intimate workings, stress and tension of the WPA Federal Writers' Project. During the 1950s the two worked together at Hastings House (former publisher of many of the Writers' Project books); hence there are few letters during this period. The correspondence was revived in 1960 when Alsberg retired and moved to Palo Alto, CA, where he died in November of 1970. The correspondence captures the drama and atmosphere of the Project, contains insightful comments about Alsberg's personality and illuminates aspects of his life beyond the Project.
- Biographical / historical:
During the Great Depression, over 11 million American workers were unable to earn a living. Under difficult economic and social conditions, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was elected President and assumed office on March 4, 1933. The controversial relief programs and new regulatory financial agencies his administration created to manage the economic crisis were known as the New Deal with the WPA as one of its components.
Begun under the leadership of Henry G. Alsberg (1881 – 1970) in 1935, the WPA Federal Writers' Project was also part of Federal One. It was designed to put not only professional writers and newspapermen to work, but lawyers, teachers, librarians, minister and other white collar workers who were on relief.
Dora Thea [Dorothea] Hettwer (1901 – 1990) was Alsberg's executive secretary through most of his directorship. She held degrees from Radcliffe and Harvard and spoke several languages. Ms. Hettwer accepted the job with Alsberg because of his knowledge of German, a language that she spoke fluently.
- Acquisition information:
- The Broward County Library purchased the materials from Schoyer's Antiquarian Books on August 11, 1997 (Accession BIENES-1997.3).
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
- Subjects:
- Correspondence
Access and use
- Restrictions:
The Henry G. Alsberg and Dora Thea Hettwer Collection is open for research.
- Preferred citation:
Henry G. Alsberg and Dora Thea Hettwer Collection, Bienes Museum of the Modern Book, Broward County Library.
- Location of this collection:
-
Bienes Museum of the Modern Book, Broward County Library100 S. Andrews AvenueFort LauderdaleFL33301USA
