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Finding Aid for the Margaret A. Porter papers, 1900-1989
1906
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Title: Margaret A. Porter papers
Date (inclusive): 1900-1989
Collection number: 1906
Creator:
Porter, Margaret A.
Extent:
37 boxes (21 linear ft.)
Abstract: Margaret A. Porter was a distinguished poet and translator of French poetry, best known for her work under the pen name, Gabrielle
L'Autre. The Margaret A. Porter Papers contain drafts of her published and unpublished original poetry from 1928 to1989, with
the majority produced from the 1950s to the 1970s. Porter avidly researched and translated the work of Renée Vivien (1877-1909),
Natalie Clifford Barney (1876-1972), and other women from their expatriate literary circle in Paris. The collection includes
drafts of Porter's translations of French poetry as well as Porter's most acclaimed published works,
White Heron: a collection of poems (1974) and
Muse of the Violets (1977). Also among the papers are photographs, correspondence, research files, materials related to Porter's participation
in lesbian and feminist organizations in the San Diego area, over six decades of personal diaries, and an extensive collection
of rare books related to Porter's interests, including 19th and 20th century French literature and poetry, lesbian history,
feminism, and women in France.
Language: Finding aid is written in
English.
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library Special Collections.
Los Angeles, California 90095-1575
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library Special Collections
for paging information.
Open for research. STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library
Special Collections for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UC Regents. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the
creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright
owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gift of Dr. William Moritz to June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives, 1998.
Processed by Gloria Gonzalez in the Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT), with assistance from Kelley Wolfe Bachli,
2011-2012.
The processing of this collection was generously supported by
Arcadia
funds.
The
June L. Mazer Lesbian Archive
at UCLA is an outreach and collection-building partnership between the
June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives , the
UCLA Center for the Study of Women (CSW) and the
UCLA Library . These collections expand the pool of primary source materials available to researchers and to the community at large.
[Identification of item], Margaret A. Porter papers (Collection 1906). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young
Research Library, UCLA.
UCLA Catalog Record ID:
6942283
Margaret A. Porter (1911-1989), distinguished poet, dedicated her life to writing and translating verse and prose. She began
writing poetry at the age of 12. At the same age, Porter observed that she was different, but did not yet know words to describe
herself as a lesbian. Born on April 11, 1911 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Porter was raised in the Midwest and attended Marquette
University. While in college, Porter first published under the nom de plume, Pierre E. Renet. Porter used the name Pierre
to write poetry from the perspective of a man writing to his female muse, Alys. After receiving a B.A. in Journalism in 1934,
Porter travelled out west to California as a vagabond. She began to write about her experiences in personal diaries, a practice
she maintained throughout her adult life.
In 1945 before the end of World War II, Porter joined the Women's Army Corps and served stateside for five years. During her
first trip to France in 1951, Porter discovered the poetry of Renée Vivien (1877-1909), and began using the nom de plume Gabrielle
L'Autre to write lesbian poetry. Porter's time in France also inspired her to become an avid researcher and translator of
Vivien's poetry, along with that of Natalie Clifford Barney (1976-1972) and other literary members of expatriate France.
Although the majority of Porter's written work remains unpublished, throughout the 1960s and 1970s she often contributed to
small press publications including
The Archer,
New Athenaeum,
South and West,
Tres Femme, and
The Ladder. During the same period of time Porter settled down in Oceanside, California, and became active in lesbian and feminist groups.
Porter served as editor for the local Daughters of Bilitis Chapter, and later as co-founder of the groups Search and Tres
Femme, for which she also wrote and edited newsletters and serial publications. In 1974, Porter published
White Heron: a collection of poems. Along with Catherine Kroger, Porter was the first to publish English translations of Renée Vivien's poetry in the book,
Muse of the Violets (1977). Porter died on May 30, 1989 in Oceanside, California.
The Margaret A. Porter Papers document the personal and professional life of the distinguished poet and translator of French
poetry. Materials are dated from 1900-1989, and range in type from unpublished manuscripts of original and translated poetry
to correspondence, research files, and photographs. The collection includes Porter's journal collection, which contains six
decades of poetry drafts and frequent diary entries. Other material includes Porter's Women's Army Corps uniform, personal
photographs and newspaper clippings from Southern California news sources.
The correspondence in the collection spans over four decades. Included are letters from researchers of lesbian history, including
J.R. Roberts, and Lillian Faderman; Simone Burgues, Renée Vivien historian and daughter-in-law of Renee Vivien's tutor and
confidant, Jean Charles-Brun in addition to Renée Vivien biographers Paul Lorenz, and Jean-Paul Goujot. Also among the papers
are materials from lesbian and feminist organizations including newsletters, periodicals, meeting minutes, and event announcements
of various lesbian, gay and women's organizations and groups in San Diego County, including Search, Très Femmes, and the local
chapter of Daughters of Bilitis.
Porter's original poetry includes manuscripts written over a period of almost six decades, including material written under
the pseudonyms "Gabrielle L'Autre" and "Pierre E. Renet" and drafts from Porter's book,
White Heron: a collection of poems (1974), as well as unpublished collections of poetry including Dog Days and
Dark Particular Rose. Porter's poetry translations are from the French poetry of Natalie Clifford Barney (1876-1972), Renée Vivien (1877-1909),
and other women who once considered forming an "Academy of Women Writers" in Paris (ca. 1900-1910).
Porter extensively researched the poets whose work she translated, and the collection includes research files with material
related to Renée Vivien (1877-1909), Natalie Clifford Barney (1876-1972), and expatriate women who lived in France around
the turn of the 20th century. The last part of the collection contains representative sample of books from Porter's library,
including books about 19th and 20th century French literature and poetry, 20th century English poetry, lesbian history, feminism,
and women in France.
Arranged in the following series:
- Personal Materials, 1933-1987
- Correspondence, 1943-1989
- Lesbian Organizations, 1972-1977
- Original Poetry, 1928-1989
- Translated Poetry, 1900-1980s
- Research Files, 1910-1985
- Porter Library, 1871-1988
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Porter, Margaret A., 1911-1989 --Archives.
Lesbian authors --United States --Archival resources.
Other Index Terms Related to this Collection
Margaret A. Porter papersMoritz, William, 1941-2004, collector.
June L. Mazer Lesbian Archive at UCLA.
June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives.
University of California, Los Angeles. Library.