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Brief Overview
T.C.H. (Thomas Curtis Hicks) Jacobs, was a prolific English pulp fiction author of Westerns, romances, true crime stories, and spy and detective fiction.
The T.C.H. Jacobs Literary Papers, dating from 1907 to 1974, document the writing life of a twentieth-century pulp fiction writer. The collection includes Jacobs' childhood writings, authorial commonplace books, research clippings, typescripts, publications, an authorial record book, and correspondence.
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Collection Series
Series
Series I is Biography
1
Series II is Correspondence
1
Series III is Journals - Common Books
4
Series III is Journals - Record Books
1
Series IV is Research
22
Series V is Writings - Juvenilia
1
Series V is Writings - Published
6
Series V is Writings - Published with Materials
15
Series V is Writings - Typescripts
6
Creator
Jacobs, T. C. H.
Title
T.C.H. Jacobs Literary Papers, 1907-1974
Accession
2006-0067R
Extent
2.64 cubic feet
Repository
Pennsylvania State University, University Libraries, Special Collections Library
T.C.H. (Thomas Curtis Hicks) Jacobs, was a prolific English pulp fiction author of Westerns, romances, true crime stories, and spy and detective fiction. He was born in, Plymouth, Devonshire, England , on 30 December 1899, to Mary and Robert Jacobs, a printer and paper merchant, and educated in a local Plymouth grammar school. Jacobs wrote his first published work for the Western Weekly News at age sixteen.
For much of his life, Jacobs apparently made his home in Bexley, Kent, England . He died in London in 1976; his obituary was listed under the pseudonym Jacques Pendower.
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The Biography series includes a 1961 interview with T.C.H. Jacobs (under the pseudonym T.C.H. Pendower), from the Rotary News No. 112 (District Rotary International, Kent and East Sussex, England). In it Jacobs discusses his approach to writing. The series also contains a 1950 clipping from the Berleyheath Observer & Kentish Times including Jacobs' assessment of the current audience for written works.
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Biographical materials, 1950, 1961
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The correspondence is arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent.
Lord Dennings's Report on the Profumo Affair, 1963
1
14
The Ward case / Russian defector, 1963-1964
1
15
The Great Train Robbery, 1963-1964
1
16
Spy materials (Philby), 1963-1964
1
17
Spy carton (Criminology), 1963-1964
1
18
Master Detective and True Detective, 1963-1964
1
19
Moors murders, 1965-1966
1
20
Moors murders / Blake case / mystery trawler, 1966
1
21
Crime Writers' Association, 1968
1
22
Television Writing School Limited, undated
3
1
Great Train Robbery, 1963
3
2
Espionage / Criminology, 1966-1967
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This sub-series includes three undated commonplace books, each approximately one hundred pages, used by T.C.H. Jacobs to develop technical contexts and fictional plots, settings, and characters. Among the entries are lists of names, French vocabulary, and Western phrases; descriptions of places, characters, and motives; plot synopses; set-pieces for openings and endings; and research notes about subjects as varied as World War I poisonous gases, courtroom layout, and metropolitan police procedures. Inserted clippings from newspapers and magazines from 1932 to 1963 suggest that Jacobs likely used these commonplace books over much of his writing career. Richly detailed, they offer insight into Jacobs' creative process.
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Commonplace book, 1947, 1952, 1963, and undated
1
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Commonplace book, 1955, and undated
1
25
Commonplace book, 1959-1967, and undated
3
3
Commonplace book, 1930-1964, and undated
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The subseries Record books consists of a record book of about 100 pages, including the data on his typescripts T.C.H. Jacobs kept from 1949 to 1972. Sets of records document authorial pseudonyms, typescript titles, dates sent, acceptance status, date paid, amount paid, and number printed. As well as providing an overview of the disposition of Jacobs' titles, his record book also offers a view of an author's relationships with the publishers of his day, among them the three publishing houses of Gibson, Hale, and Bookman.
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Record book, 1949-1972
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The sub-series consists of childhood writings by T.C.H. Jacobs. Written in 1907 and 1910, when Jacobs was eight and eleven years old, "The Children's Book of Stories" includes illustrated stories, puzzles, and stories without words (visual narratives). Also present is a separate, undated, eight-page adventure story, "The wreck off Martin's point and how three scouts came to the rescue." Both items offer evidence of Jacobs' early interest in writing and suggest approaches used in teaching children's art and writing in England during the early 20th century.
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The Children's Book of Stories and The Wreck off the Martin's Point ..., 1907, 1910, and undated
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Typescript fragments include an excerpt of "Killer in the House," the preface and title page of "Monsters of Murder," as well as several synopses, including "Synopsis: Tongues of Scandal," written under the pseudonym Kathleen Carstairs.
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Act of Providence and others, undated
1
29
Blackmail, undated
1
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Blackmail, undated
1
31
Blackmail, undated
1
32
Blackmail, undated
1
33
Dance Hall Girl and others, undated
2
1
Footsteps in the Dark and others, undated
2
2
Number One Suspect (Ashes in the Cellar), undated
2
3
Number One Suspect (Ashes in the Cellar), undated
2
4
Phantom Marshal, undated
2
5
Phantom Marshal, undated
2
6
A Question of Identity and others, undated
2
7
The Secret Places, undated
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The collection also includes typescripts with accompanying correspondence for "The Double Trail," a detective Dixon Hawke story, and "Death of a Scoundrel," a Temple Fortune story. Correspondence between Jacobs and Mr. Gilchrist of Adventure magazine, dating between January 1929 and January 1930, documents the development of a Dixon Hawke serial detective story that was not published. A letter from Patricia M. Templeton of Robert Hale Ltd. documents approval of "Death of a Scoundrel" for publication.
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8
Travelogue of California, 1937
2
9
Death of a Scoundrel, 1966-1967, and undated
2
10
Death of a Scoundrel, 1966-1967, and undated
2
11
Death of a Scoundrel, 1966-1967, and undated
2
12
Death of a Scoundrel, 1966-1967, and undated
2
13
Dixon Hawke, 1929, and undated
2
14
Espionage, 1964-1966, and undated
2
15
Espionage, 1964-1966, and undated
2
16
Espionage, 1964-1966, and undated
2
17
The Grensen Murder Case, 1943, 1946, and undated
2
18
The Grensen Murder Case, 1943, 1946, and undated
2
19
Monsters of Murder, 1956, 1959, and undated
2
20
Murder by the Sea (by Grierson Dickson), 1967, and undated
The thirty-three publications by T.C.H. Jacobs include descriptions of the landscapes and traditions of Dartmoor and surrounding areas, published in the Western Weekly News, 1928-1929; the paperback, Texas Stranger, published by Western Library; newspaper stories from Jacobs' true-crime works, Aspects of Murder and Cavalcade of Murder; and several "Western Short Stories," from Evening News and Evening News and Star. Also present is a published plot synopsis advertising Jacobs' story "The Moineau" for serialization. Among the publications is a complete serialization, "Sinister Quest," written by Jacobs under his pseudonym Marilyn Pender for the magazine Miracle. Also seven short stories by Jacques Pendower range from romance to supernatural to detective fiction and appear in such publications as Parade, Escort, and Master Detective.
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The Aftermath of Scandal and others, 1931, 1938-1940, 1955-1964
2
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Blue Fire Blackmail and others, 1930, 1958-1964, and undated
2
25
Dartmoor Hermits and others, 1928-1929
2
26
Sinister Quest, 1957
2
27
Texas Stranger and other, undated and 1931
3
4
Traitor Spy-related trade magazines, 1939
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AB Bookman's Weekly, January 10, 1977. Nothing found in the New York Times.
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Additional Related Materials / Information / Bibliography
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Primary Materials related to T.C.H. Jacobs
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Secondary Information related to T.C.H. Jacobs
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Bibliography of Works by T.C.H. Jacobs
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Descriptive Summary
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Creator: Jacobs, T. C. H. Title: T.C.H. Jacobs Literary Papers, 1907-1974 Accession: 2006-0067R Extent: 2.64 cubic feet Repository: Pennsylvania State University, University Libraries, Special Collections Library
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Administrative Information
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Access
Unrestricted
Preferred Citation
T.C.H. Jacobs Literary Papers, 1907-1974, Accession 2006-0067R, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Special Collections Library, University Libraries, Pennsylvania State University.
Source of Acquisition
Purchased from Richard Ford, 2005.
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Arrangement
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The collection is physically arranged in five series: Biography, Correspondence, Research, Journals, and Writings.
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Index Terms in Pennsylvania State Library Catalog
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These materials are indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Pennsylvania State University. Researchers wishing to find related materials should search the catalog under these index terms.
Personal Name Subjects
Jacobs, T. C. H. (Thomas Curtis Hicks), 1899-1976
Topical Subjects
Child authors – Great Britain – 20th century. Male authors, English – 20th century Pulp literature
Form / Genre Terms
Correspondence Manuscripts for publication
Correspondents
Cooper, Dorothy Hinchley, Vernon
Pseudonyms
Carstairs, Kathleen Curtis, Tom Dower, Penn Howard, Helen Pender, Marilyn Pendower, T. C. H. Penn, Anne Pendower, Jacques, 1899-1976
Names Jacobs Used as a Child
Jacobs, C. Jacobs, Curtis Jacobs, T. C. H.
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Credits
Note
The original guide for the T.C.H. Jacobs Literary Papers is hosted at the Pennsylvania State University, Special Collections Library, Rare Book and Manuscripts.
