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Archival Description
Dalhousie University Archives Thomas Head Raddall fonds Series
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Thomas Head Raddall's screenplays and playscripts

In addition to his fictional and poetical writing, Raddall also wrote screenplays on historical subjects for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the National Film Board. This series contains records (including research materials and notes, cardboard models, correspondence, discussion notes, and expense receipts) relating to five productions: one television film about Admiralty House in Halifax, radio and television productions for the CBC on the Halifax Explosion and Halifax history, and one film about Nova Scotia privateers.

Radio and television broadcast scripts

Series contains more than two dozen typescripts (unless otherwise noted) of Thomas Head Raddall's radio and television broadcasts. The bulk of these are his own scripts, not others' adaptations of his work.

Thomas Head Raddall's periodical publications : non-fiction

This series includes the published copies, and in many cases the manuscript versions, of the majority of Raddall's non-fiction articles appearing in periodicals. Also included are reviews by Raddall, mostly of books on Nova Scotia historical subjects. In some instances additional records such as correspondence or research materials are also available.

Unpublished writings : memoirs and autobiography

The memoir material consists of thirty-three essays, ranging in length from two to twenty-two pages; these are about people, places, and trips taken. The autobiographical material consists of a 552-page typescript "autobiography" which contains notes about his family history and typed excerpts from his diaries.

Lectures and addresses

This series contains manuscript versions of speeches made by Raddall and, in a few cases, research material, correspondence, and/or a published version.

Thomas Head Raddall's published books and pamphlets : fiction and poetry

This series contains records relating to the research, publication, and reception of THR's fictional works. Typical materials include publishing contracts and correspondence; copyright certificates; research materials, notes, and research-related correspondence; manuscripts and in some cases printer's proofs; notices and reviews. Most of the correspondence regarding film options and rights to Raddall's books is also identified here.

Miscellaneous biographical materials and artifacts of Thomas Head Raddall

Series contains collected clippings about and tributes to Raddall and his work as well information pertaining to the library (1989) and provincial park (1997) named in his honour. Series also includes convocation programs and a variety of medals awarded to Raddall over his career, including his Governor General's, University of Alberta National Award in Letters, Award of Merit Literary Excellence, and Order of Canada medals.

Thomas Head Raddall's financial records

Income tax returns spanning fifty years and account books covering approximately forty years comprise the bulk of the financial records. House-related expenditures as well as income from publishing and investments are also well-documented in this series.

Thomas Head Raddall's periodical publications : fiction

This series contains published copies, and in some case manuscript versions and copies of reprints, of more than 70 of Raddall's fictional works appearing in periodical publications. As well, the series includes a tiny amount of publisher correspondence as well as dramatic adaptations by others of two short stories, "Swan Dance" and "Blind MacNair."

Some contracts and copyright notices appear in the Correspondence Series files (cross-references are noted below).

Thomas Head Raddall's diaries

The majority of the diaries were regularly kept, usually with several entries per week. There are infrequently gaps of a month or more. In his early diaries, Raddall records observations about daily events aboard ship, the weather, and places visited. After he settled in Milton and Liverpool, he comments on the weather, local interest issues, the pulp and paper business in Nova Scotia, recreational activities, personal matters, and financial issues (both personal and business-related). When Raddall turned to writing full-time, his diaries continued to note observations about the weather, local politics, family matters, and personal finances, but he also wrote more frequently about international affairs (including World War II and the Korean War), about his dealings with publishers, and his attendance of (or invitations to attend) various literary and historical gatherings. The diaries do not usually refer to his current writing projects.

Thomas Head Raddall's notebooks

One of the notebooks, a military notebook with a bullet hole through it, belonged to THR's father. The other twenty-four contain information recorded by THR and pertain to a variety of subjects, including the Mackay-Bennett, pulp mill shipments, people, places, folklore, financial accounts, and recreational interests.

Correspondence of Thomas Head Raddall

Series contains most of Raddall's correspondence, arranged alphabetically by correspondent; however, some correspondence relating to particular works or research topics can be found scattered throughout the collection. (All such instances are clearly labelled "correspondence" in the Series in which they occur.) Also included in the Correspondence Series are some publishers contracts and "Assignments of Copyright" when included as enclosures to letters, otherwise they appear along with the manuscripts and/or published versions of the works to which they pertain.

Correspondence with Margaret Martin appears in her collection (Dalhousie University Archives MS-2-227).

Letters sent to Raddall after his death have been collected together in a file called "Posthumously received letters," which appears at the end of this series.

For more information about the contents of the Correspondence Series, consult the detailed description available in hard copy in the Dalhousie Archives.

Memorabilia of Thomas Head Raddall

This series contains souvenirs, clippings, invitations, programs, certificates, correspondence and other printed materials pertaining to a variety of THR's interests, including his father's military career. Literary topics, travel, speaking engagements, World War I, World War II, general military topics, the Mersey Paper Company, and Liverpool and Queens County history are all represented here.

Thomas Head Raddall's published non-fiction books and pamphlets

Series contains records relating to the research, publication, and reception of Thomas Head Raddall's non-fiction works. Typical materials include publishing contracts; originals, proofs, and/or plates of book illustrations; research materials, notes, and correspondence; manuscripts and in some cases printer's proofs; notices and reviews.

Thomas Head Raddall's scrapbooks

Two of the scrapbooks--those relating to his publications--were compiled in the offices of McClelland and Stewart; three others were compiled by Raddall himself; and the sixth was presented to Raddall after the opening of a public library branch in Halifax named in his honour. The scrapbooks include clippings, correspondence, memorabilia, and photographs.

Thomas Head Raddall's research notes

This series contains notes, memoirs, obituaries, and reminiscences by Raddall about many individuals; some excerpts make their way into his novels as anecdotes. Also included here are correspondence, sketches, photographs, notes, and research materials on a wide variety of topics of interest to THR including Sable Island, shipping, pulp operations, gold mining, Queen's County local history, Mi'kmaq culture, Nova Scotia aviation history, telegraph systems, trials, and Nova Scotia humour.