Mary Norton Kratt papers

Collection

Identifier: MS0113

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Mary Norton Kratt Papers concern her career as a writer, newspaper journalist, biographer, and poet. She wrote on a range of topics, although her primary interest was in Southern culture in the twentieth century. Photographs from two of Kratt's books, Charlotte: Spirit of the South and Legacy: the Myers Park Story, are included in the collection. The Photographic Materials" series of the Kratt collection itemizes the photographs and indicates which book it came from as well as the page number. Additionally, there are photographs in the Research Materials" series from "Legacy: The Myers Park Story," "New South Women" and "Spirit of the New South." Included are an atlas of real estate holdings in Mecklenburg County [undated] and a 1929 Official lot & block atlas for Charlotte. There are 4 rolled maps.

Dates

Creation: 1886 - 2000

Creator

Kratt, Mary Norton (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Original audiovisual materials are closed to patron use. Please contact Special Collections to request the creation of use copies for particular items; requests will be accommodated when possible. The remaining materials are open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the patron's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections.

Biographical Note

Mary Norton Kratt is an author whose chief interests centered on traditional Southern culture, which is evidenced in her writing--documentary, essays, and poetry. According to a promotional flier for one of her poetry books (On the Steep Side) she grew up in West Virginia, and was born there around 1937. She attended Charlotte Central High School, and worked on the school newspaper. Kratt matriculated through Agnes Scott College and the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, receiving degrees in English literature from both schools. She married Emil Kratt, a lawyer, and had three children: Bill, Laura and Mary Hunter.

Kratt won the Blumenthal Writers and Readers Series twice, and the Fortner Writer-in-Community Award from St. Andrews College in 1994. She has also won the Brockman/Campbell Poetry Book Award. She has at least sixteen published books to her credit--on poetry, history and biography, all of which are centered around Southern life and culture.

Extent

4 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection consists of manuscripts and other material relating to Mary Norton Kratt's writing: including books, articles, and poetry (published and unpublished). The collection also includes photographs that she used in the development of Legacy: The Myers Park Story, and Charlotte: Spirit of the New South. There is also a large amount of research material that Kratt used in writing "Legacy: The Myers Park Story," "New South Women" and "Spirit of the New South."

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into the following order:

I. Writing i. Articles in manuscript form ii. Articles published in magazines (arranged chronologically), 1976-1996 iii. Books a. Marney iv. Poetry v. Reviews and Correspondence II. Authors III. Subject Files i. Mill Culture IV. Photographic Materials V. Research Materials i. Legacy: The Myers Park Story ii. New South Women: Twentieth Century Women of Charlotte, North Carolina iii. Charlotte: Spirit of the New South a. Photographs VI. Local History

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gifts of Mary Norton Kratt, 1985-2001.

Separated Materials

First Reader / Harriette Taylor Treadwell and Margaret Free (Rare LU PE1119 .T743 1911)

Official lot & block atlas of Charlotte, N.C., 1929 (Rare Folio--10th Floor G1304.C5 O34 1929)