Activities of the Friends

Winter Reception. The exhibition, "The Double Lives of Ellery
Queen," which opened with a Friends reception on Wednesday
afternoon, March 2, features manuscripts, letters, first editions,
photographs, and memorabilia relating to the most important pair
of American mystery writers of the century, Frederic Dannay and
Manfred Lee, who published a series of popular and influential nov¬
els under the pseudonym of Ellery Queen. The sons of Frederic
Dannay, Richard and Douglas, have presented to the Libraries an
extensive collection of manuscripts, outlines, and drafts of the
Ellery Queen novels and stories, along with first editions, files of
Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, and correspondence with virtu¬
ally all the important mystery writers from the late 1920s to the
1970s. The exhibition includes selections from the gifts made by
the Dannay sons; individual manuscripts purchased on the Friends,
Charles W. Mixer, and Aaron W. Berg funds; and loans from Stan¬
ley and Mary Wertheim, Eleanor Goetz, Otto Penzler, and Carter
Burden. The exhibition will remain on view to the public through
July 6.

Bancroft Awards Dinner. Held in the Rotunda of Low Memorial
Library on Wednesday evening, April 6, the Bancroft Awards Din¬
ner was presided over by Elizabeth M. Cain, Chair ofthe Friends.
President Michael 1. Sovern announced the winners ofthe 1988
awards for distinguished books in American history and diplomacy
published in 1987, and presented to the author of each book a
$4,000 award from funds provided by the Edgar A. and Frederic
Bancroft Foundation; Mrs. Cain presented citations to the
publishers.

Future Meetings. The fall exhibition reception wifl be held on
Wednesday afternoon, December 7; the winter exhibition recep¬
tion will be held on March 1, 1989; and the Bancroft Awards Din¬
ner is scheduled for April 5, 1989.
 

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