Scope and arrangement
The Bertha Case papers document the literary agent's career in New York City, mostly from 1963 through her death in December 1984. The vast majority of the collection consists of client files, which contain correspondence with clients, publishers, and producers demonstrating the agent's fondness for, and championing of, the individuals with whom she worked. The client files remain as they were organized by Case; in addition to correspondence, the files may also contain contracts, screenplays, royalty statements, photographs, press clippings, reviews, drafted writings, and poems, including works by Clarissa Aikens, María Irene Fornés, and Melba Thomas. Other notable clients include Lotte Lenya, Anthony Quinn, James Schevill, and Ira Wallach.
As the American literary representative for the Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill estates, many of the client files in this collection concern their works and royalties, specifically regarding Brecht. Not all correspondence relating to Brecht's estate is filed under his name. Researchers interested in the Brecht and Weill literary estates should review files of known collaborators and translators, as well as files containing titles of their works.
Separate from the client files, the Bertha Case papers include three folders of professional correspondence, royalty statements, and a telephone message book relating to Case's clientele. Correspondence consists of one folder of letters received after Case's death in December 1984 while the other two, titled by correspondent, concern inquiries into the Brecht estate.
Arrangement
Alphabetical by document type.