Walter B. Gibson papers, 1943-1980

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Summary

Creator:
Gibson, Walter B. (Walter Brown), 1897-1985
Abstract:
Walter B. Gibson (1897-1985) was a professional magician and author, who often wrote under the name Maxwell Grant, and is credited with defining and popularizing the pulp hero, The Shadow. The collection includes: Two Shadow story outlines, one from 1943 and another from 1980, which was Gibson's last Shadow story; 97 radio scripts from Strange, a seemingly lost 15-minute program that Gibson hosted in 1955; an unproduced television proposal, Mike Regan, Confidential Investigator, circa the mid 1950s; and two bookplates featuring a black and white image of The Shadow.
Extent:
0.6 Linear Feet
450 Items
Language:
Material in English
Collection ID:
RL.00448

Background

Scope and content:

The collection includes: Two Shadow story outlines, one from 1943 and another from 1980, which was Gibson's last Shadow story; 97 radio scripts from Strange, a seemingly lost 15-minute program that Gibson hosted in 1955; an unproduced television proposal, Mike Regan, Confidential Investigator, circa the mid 1950s; and two bookplates featuring a black and white image of The Shadow.

Biographical / historical:

Walter B. Gibson (1897-1985) was a professional magician and author, who often wrote under the name Maxwell Grant, and is credited with defining and popularizing the pulp hero, The Shadow. The character started as the narrator for the radio show, Detective Story Hour, but became so popular that he inspired his own magazine. Gibson was hired to write the pulp which he did with staggering frequency, producing 282 of the 325 Shadow pulp novels, starting with the character's debut in 1931 and ending in the late 1940s. Years later Gibson published three final Shadow novels, including what would be his last story, The Blackmail Bay, in 1980. Gibson wrote for a wide variety of publications and other mediums including television and film, but often as a ghost writer. Today he is primarily know for The Shadow, which spawned numerous imitators, Batman being the most notable.

Acquisition information:
The Walter B. Gibson Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a purchase in 2010.
Processing information:

Processed by Meghan Lyon, February 2011

Encoded by Meghan Lyon, February 2011

Accession 2010-0224 is described in this finding aid.

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Subjects

Click on terms below to find related finding aids on this site. For other related materials in the Duke University Libraries, search for these terms in the Catalog.

Subjects:
Mass media -- History -- 20th century
Television -- Proposals
Radio broadcasting -- United States -- History
Shadow (Fictitious character)
Format:
Radio scripts
Outlines (documents)
Names:
Gibson, Walter B. (Walter Brown), 1897-1985
Gibson, Walter B. (Walter Brown), 1897-1985
Grant, Maxwell, 1897-1985

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. The library may require up to 48 hours to retrieve these materials for research use.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Walter B. Gibson Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.