Max Henrici was a long time columnist for the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph and other regional newspapers during his fifty year career in journalism. Henrici's papers include diaries, publications and scrapbooks of photographs, newsclipings, correspondence and other sundry items.
Language
The material in this collection is in English.
Author
This guide to the collection was originally prepared by Stephanie Riccardi on March 15, 1999. Revisions occurred to the finding aid as a part of the encoding process on June 22, 1999.
Sponsor
This finding aid has been encoded as a part of the Historic Pittsburgh project a joint effort of the University of Pittsburgh and the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Funding for this portion of the project has been donated by the Hillman Foundation.
Max Henrici was a long time columnist for the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph and other regional newspapers. Henrici was born in 1884 in Economy (Beaver County), Pennsylvania, in the community founded by the Harmonists, a German religious society. Henrici's great uncle, Jacob Henrici, was the leader of the Harmonist Society. Max was the third of five children born to Joseph H. and Viola (Irons) Henrici. His family lived in Economy until 1890 when they moved to Pittsburgh. Henrici attended school at the Lincoln (21st Ward) Public School and the Pittsburgh Central High School, where he graduated in 1901, third in a class of seventy students. At Pittsburgh Central High School, he received his first exposure to professional writing by editing the school's literary journal. In the summer before his final year of high school, Henrici was awarded an internship at the Carnegie Library, due in large part to the high score he received on an general knowledge examination. At his high school graduation, he delivered a speech entitled "The Value of Poetry." Henrici received numerous scholarships to colleges and universities and chose the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a freshman, he studied Latin and Greek, before school, Henrici met law student Houston Eagle, who had a tremendous influence on his college and professional career. During Christmas break, Henrici and Eagle decided to concentrate on enjoying themselves rather than studying. They paid off all debts and went to Puerto Rico, where they parted company. Henrici moved to a remote mountain community called Barranquatas where he taught English. During his years in Puerto Rico, Henrici served two terms of military service, with his first term as a peacetime private in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1903. In May 1904, Henrici paid $120.00 for a discharge and returned to the United States.
Upon his return to Pittsburgh in 1904, Max began his career in journalism. He quickly obtained a job as a reporter for the Pittsburgh Press. During the next ten years gained experience by working at the Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph, United Press, Brooklyn Citizen, New York Herald, Spartanburg Herald, and The Pittsburgh Leader. In 1915, Henrici returned to the Pittsburgh area as financial editor of the Pittsburgh Sun. After moving around for several years, Henrici lived in the Pittsburgh area for the rest of his life. Henrici became the paper's editorial writer in 1919 and occupied that position through the 1927 merger of the Pittsburgh Sun with the Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph to form the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. After the merger, Henrici began concentrating his efforts on lighter feature pieces in the newspaper. He traveled extensively throughout the world and wrote numerous articles while traveling through South America, Mexico, and Europe. He co-wrote a weekly travel log for the Sun-Telegraph with Cy Hungerford, a cartoonist for the newspaper. In these columns, Henrici wrote stories about the places they visited, the people they met, and the situations they encountered. After over fifty years in journalism, Henrici retired in 1958.
Max Henrici and his wife Hilda lived at Hildesheim, located in McAllister's cross roads in Findley Township (Allegheny County), Pennsylvania. The couple had no children. An avid naturalist, Henrici spent considerable time in the country. He hiked through the nearby woods and photographed the plant life in Allegheny County. After retiring from the Sun-Telegraph, Henrici continued writing articles with a nature series, written for his local newspaper, The Herald (Sewickley, Pa.) Henrici died at the age of 88 in 1972.
Scope and Content Notes
Series have been designated for Henrici's Journals and Scrapbooks. These papers include diaries, publications and scrapbooks of photographs, newsclippings, correspondence and other sundry items. These papers document, in detail, Henrici's personal life and his professional career in journalism. His journals and scrapbooks document his daily activities including editorial and column writing, his travel writing, and exploring local and national nature areas.
These two resources should be used in tandem given the wide variety of material that Henrici placed in both his diaries and scrapbooks including photographs, copies of his newspaper columns, letters, ephemeral items and others. The bulk of his scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings of his work as a nature and editorial columnist for the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph and The Herald (Sewickley, Pa.). Recorded with fellow columnist Cy Hungerford, Henrici's travel scrapbooks document his trips to the Caribbean, Europe, and the West Indies through the use of articles, photographs and other materials. His published and unpublished materials relate to a variety of topics important to Max, including articles printed in publications for his peers. The miscellaneous materials include a diary of accounts and miscellaneous family and work related correspondence.
Arrangement
The Max Henrici Papers are housed in eleven archival boxes and twenty six oversize scrapbooks. They are arranged in two series.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These materials were received in one accession.
Acc# 1978x -- Gift of the Carnegie Institute, (Papers), 1978
Preferred Citation
Papers of Max Henrici, 1904-1971, MSS# 54, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania
Previously cited: Henrici,Max, Papers, 1904-1971, MSS# 54, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania
General
Previously cited: Henrici,Max, Papers, 1904-1971, MSS# 54, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Stephanie Riccardi in March 15, 1999.
Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Kate Colligan on June 22, 1999.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or publish, please contact the curator of the Archives.
