AdmiralAkbar1 t1_jedptev wrote on March 31, 2023 at 7:29 AM

In terms of copyright, you should be fine. I assume that all these letters were written in the 1940s and never formally published before. If so, then by virtue of being works that were created before 1978 and never published before 2003, the copyright on them in the US has expired. Even if they were, you could likely claim protection from the Fair Use doctrine, since it's for a historical and educational purpose.

That being said, it would be in good taste to try and get the blessing of the authors or (more likely) their surviving descendants.

Ambartenen t1_jees1p1 wrote on March 31, 2023 at 2:17 PM

>That being said, it would be in good taste to try and get the blessing of the authors or (more likely) their surviving descendants.

More than just good taste- OP you could get thier permission AND interview them, to provide context around the letters. It would go from a coffee table book to an actual work with transformative properties and add signifgant weight to the publication.

Heartfeltzero t1_jeeujix wrote on March 31, 2023 at 2:34 PM

I’ve actually thought about doing that! It would certainly be awesome

Heartfeltzero t1_jeeu8k4 wrote on March 31, 2023 at 2:32 PM

Thank you for the information! And yes when possible I would definitely try to contact any possible relatives.