00863.xml CHARLIE BROWN: An Inventory of His Autobiography Files at the Minnesota Historical Society National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Minnesota Historical Society
St. Paul, MN.

Manuscripts Collection

 Finding aid encoded by J. HuebscherApril 2011 Finding aid written in English. OVERVIEW Minnesota Historical Society Brown, Charlie, 1926-1983. Charlie Brown autobiography files. 1910-1989. Materials in English. Includes manuscript paste-ups for Me and Charlie Brown, an autobiography of Charlie Brown that chronicles his family, childhood, coming of age, religious quest, and his acquaintance with Charles M. Schulz and its subsequent effect on his life. Miscellaneous art, clippings, photographs, and other items, many of which were used to illustrate the book, are also included with the collection. 1.5 cubic feet (2 boxes). See Detailed Description for shelf locations. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Charlie Brown was born in 1926 to Mattie Laughnan and Harry Joseph Brown. In 1947 he began working as an instructor of commercial art at the Minneapolis Arts Instruction School. It was there that Charlie Brown met Charles M. "Sparky" Schulz and others who would inspire characters in Schulz's Peanuts comic strip, such as Frieda Mae Rich and Linus Maurer. He later worked for the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center where he eventually became the director. Charlie Brown died of cancer on December 5, 1983. The book Me and Charlie Brown was intended to be the first third of an autobiography by Charlie Brown, although subsequent volumes were never completed.

 CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics: Autobiography. Persons: Brown, Charlie, 1926-1983. Brown family. Schulz, Charles M. (Charles Monroe), 1922-2000. Document Types: Photographs. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Brown, Charlie. Charlie Brown autobiography files. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

 Accession Information:

Accession number: 16,161

 Processing Information:

Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Processed by: C. Smith-Dowling, 2007, and J. Huebscher, 2011.

Catalog ID number: 007339284

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION 123.G.8.8F-1 Me and Charlie Brown manuscript paste-ups, 1985. 10 folders: Introduction. Chapter 1: All aboard. Chapter 2: In the club car. Chapter 3: Ducky.

Character is based on Brown's cousin, Alice Laughnan.

 Chapter 4: Mom and Dad. Chapter 5: Growing up in the basement. 123.G.8.8F-2 Chapter 6: Hitting the road. Chapter 7: Near Peosta. Chapter 8: Friendship house. Chapter 9 and Epilogue: Rainbows and dreams. Art and clippings.

Materials were used to illustrate the published book.

 Photographs, undated and circa 1910-1985.

Includes photographs of Charlie Brown throughout his life, as well as views of his family, and cartoonist Charles Schulz. Some photographs were used to illustrate the published book.

 Miscellaneous items, undated, and circa 1940-1983.

Includes correspondence and homemade valentine from Charles Schulz, newspaper clippings, advertisements for Me and Charlie Brown, and various reproductions of a childhood painting. Some materials were used to illustrate the published book.