John Zeigler papers, 1927-2013 (bulk 1942-1946)

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Summary

Creator:
Zeigler, John
Abstract:
Poet and book store owner in Charleston, SC. Collection predominantly contains World War II-era correspondence between lovers/partners John Zeigler and Edwin Peacock and their close friend George Scheirer, along with Zeigler's correspondence with his family. After the war, Zeigler and Peacock co-founded of a bookstore in Charleston, S.C., while Scheirer lived most of his adult life in Washington, DC. Recipients of Zeigler's correspondence and names mentioned in letters throughout the collection include family members of all three men, as well as friends, including Carson McCullers. Other materials include some documentation of Scheirer's work as a bookbinder; selected copies of Zeigler's writing and publications; photographs of all three individuals; and official military documents relating to Zeigler's and Peacock's service during WWII.
Extent:
2.2 Linear Feet
1010 Items
Language:
Material in English
Collection ID:
RL.01429

Background

Scope and content:

The John Ziegler correspondence spans the dates 1927-2013, with the bulk of the material consisting of World War II-era correspondence between lovers/partners John Zeigler and Edwin Peacock and their close friend George Scheirer, although there is also extensive correspondence between Zeigler and his family present. After the war, Zeigler and Peacock co-founded of a bookstore in Charleston, S.C., while Scheirer lived most of his adult life in Washington, DC. Recipients and names mentioned in letters throughout the collection include family members of all three men, as well as friends, including Carson McCullers. Other materials include documentation of Scheirer's work as a bookbinder; selected copies of Zeigler's writings and publications; photographs of all three individuals; and official military documents relating to Zeigler's and Peacock's service during WWII.

Biographical / historical:
Chronology for John Asbury Zeigler, Jr.
Date Event
1912 Feb. 5
Born in Manning, South Carolina
1931
Founded and was editor of The Shako , The Citadel school newspaper.
1932
Graduated with a B.A. in English from The Citadel.
1942 Apr. 7
Enlisted in Naval Reserve
1943
Stationed at Yakutat, Alaska
1943
Naval correspondent for the army newspaper Glacier Gazette
1944-1945
Toured with the U.S.S. Dickens
1945 Nov. 1
Honorably discharged
1946 Feb. 19
Co-founded The Book Basement in Charleston, South Carolina
1984
Published Alaska and Beyond , a collection of poems
1993
Publication of Jeb and Dash: A Gay Life, 1918-1945 , taken from diaries narrating a gay relationship, originally written by Carter Bealer, and edited by his niece Ina Russell. The names were fictionalized in the published version; John Zeigler appears as "Nicky," a major character in the diaries.
2007
Publication of The Edwin Poems
Chronology for Edwin Davis Peacock
Date Event
1910 Jan. 2
Born in Thomasville, Georgia
1942 Apr. 7
Enlisted in Naval Reserve
1943
Stationed at Cape Chiniak (Naval Air Station), Kodiak, Alaska
1945 June 1
Honorably discharged
1946 Feb. 19
Co-founded The Book Basement in Charleston, S.C.
1989
Passed away
Chronology for George Albert Scheirer
Date Event
1895 June 14
Born in Elmira, New York
1898
Suffered from spinal affliction
1916 Sept.
Graduated from Elmira Business Institute
1916 Dec. 14
Accepted a Civil Service appointment in the Surgeon General's office
1930
Opened "Rabbit Hutch" bindery in Washington
1938 June
Elected chairman of the Commitee on Industrial Arts of the Arts Club of Washington
1940
Declined an invitation to be Master Binder for Folger Shakespeare Library
1945 Mar.
Joined the Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers Society in Washington
1948 Dec. 31
Retired from Surgeon General's office as Managing Editor of The Army Medical Bulletin
1950
Moved to Bethesda, Maryland with his sister Nellian
1959 June 30
Suffered a fatal heart attack in Bethesda, Maryland
1979 Apr. 22
Nellian Scheirer passed away
Acquisition information:
The John Zeigler Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library in 2008-2013.
Processing information:

Processed by Ted Holt, June 2008

Encoded by Ted Holt and Paula Jeannet, June 2008

Updated by Meghan Lyon to include Acc. 2009-0002, January 2009; 2009-0087, March 2009

Accessions 2008-0097, 2008-0177, 2009-0002, 2009-0087, 2009-0182, 2011-0060, 2012-0085, 2013-0019 and 2013-0082 are described in this finding aid.

Updated by Alice Poffinberger to include Accession 2009-0182, September 12 and 17, 2009

Updated by Alice Poffinberger to include Accession 2011-0060, June 2011

Updated by Alice Poffinberger to include Accessions 2012-0085 and 2013-0019, February 2014

Reprocessed by Alice Poffinberger, to include all unprocessed additions and Accession 2013-0082, September 2014

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

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Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

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], John Zeigler Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University

Permalink:
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m11t64