Guide to the Kate Rennie Archer Papers MS.066
Processed by UCSC OAC Unit
University of California, Santa Cruz
2003
1156 High Street
Santa Cruz 95064
speccoll@library.ucsc.edu
Contributing Institution:
University of California, Santa Cruz
Title: Kate Rennie Archer papers
Creator:
Archer, Kate Rennie, 1863-1960?
Identifier/Call Number: MS.066
Physical Description:
2.5 Linear Feet
6 boxes.
Date (inclusive): 1907-1970
Date (bulk): 1930-1960
Abstract: Archive contains correspondence,
manuscripts of published and unpublished poems and stories, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings,
photographs and miscellaneous items documenting the literary activity of a San Francisco Bay
area poet and a poetry teacher Kate Rennie Archer.
Physical Location: Stored offsite at NRLF: Advance notice
is required for access to the papers.
Language of Material:
English .
Access
Collection is open for research.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Kate Rennie Archer, 1966.
Outgoing correspondence to Gita Lewis Specker
donated by Specker, 1971.
Biography
Scottish poetess, Kate Rennie Archer (given name Catherine), was born in Glasgow to a
traveling shipping family. She spent most of her childhood moving around the Europe, as well
as lived both in Malta and Algiers. She married a Scottish Royal Horse Artillery Captain,
Douglas Archer in 1912. She was not only a trained teacher specializing in literature, folk
lore and music, but she served in the Red Cross as a qualified nurse during the World War I.
Her husband's unstable health forced the couple and their young son Douglas Jr. to move from
Edinburgh, in search of a milder weather, to California in 1927. Always known for her active
spirit, she and her 10-year-old son made history by traveling on a 'shoestring budget from
San Francisco to Glasgow' in the 1930's, a voyage which received wide press coverage in the
US. At the outbreak of the World War II the Archer's supported the war efforts in the Bay
Area while their son Douglas Jr. Archer joined the military serving under the Royal Canadian
Air-Force in Great-Britain. Deeply effected by the sights and aftermath of the two wars,
many of her writings are about war and portrayals of the psychological effects of these
events.
Kate Rennie Archer's lifelong passion for writing poetry started at a very early age. Her
first poem was published in "Glasgow Weekly" at 12 years of age. In the Bay Area she devoted
over a decade to teaching creative writing at Dominican College in San Rafael, and
established a Poetry Workshop at 1515 Gough Street in San Francisco in the 1950's. Never
forgetting her roots, she was passionate interpreter and advocate of Scottish poetry through
lectures, readings, and radio programs. Authoring either under a name of Kate Rennie Archer
or K.R.A., she steadily contributed poetry through
out her life to newspapers and journals, such as
New York Times,
Oakland Tribune,
San Francisco Chronicle,
Maple
Leaf
,
The Carmel Pine Cone-Cymbal. Her main body of work remains
the following published collections of poetry:
-
Jock Tamson's Bairns: and other poems, Glasgow, Gowans,
1934.
-
Tumbleweed Trail, San Francisco, Ca, Canterbury Press,
1936.
-
Petals of the Quelder-Rose. Mills College, Oakland, ca,
Eucalyptus Press, 1940.
-
Recurrent Vigil, Berkeley, Ca, Gillick Press, 1943.
-
Coffee Shop, Berkeley, Ca, Gillick Press, 1947.
-
Persimmon Harvest, San Francisco, Ca, The Abbey Press,
1955.
-
Night Clerk, Western Union: of time and communications,
Glenwood Edition, 1960's
Kate Rennie Archer on the vocation of a poet:
"We are not
spectacular because poetry as an art has no pictures to show, no music to soothe and
charm, it is a reserved and solitary process, and only comes to notice as protest or
prophecy, as encouragement or condemnation in emergency".
Preferred Citation
Kate Rennie Archer Papers. MS 66. Special Collections and Archives, University Library,
University of California, Santa Cruz.
Finding aid revision statement
This finding aid was revised in the Reparative Archival Redescription Project in 2021-2022.
Previous versions of this finding aid are available upon request.
Collection of Personal Papers
Kate Rennie Archer. Huntington Library and Art Gallery. Manuscript Division (Papers,
1931-1969).
Scope and Content of Collection
The archive covers Kate Rennie Archer's literary and teaching activities between 1930-1960.
The bulk of the material consists of manuscripts of poems and stories that portray her
observation on regional and world events, especially the Great Wars, and captures various
California scenary and locals during her time. The archive also consists of correspondence,
personal papers, realia, photographs, scrapbooks and miscellany publications.
Material Cataloged Separately
Books authored by Kate Rennie Archer have been cataloged and physically separately from the
archive:
Missing Title
-
Call frae the heather; Published Mills College, Oakland, Calif., The
Eucalyptus press, 1940. [PS3501.R335C3]
-
Night clerk western union (of time and communications). [N.p.] Glenwood
editions [n. d.] [PS3501.R335N5 ]
-
Persimmon harvest. San Francisco, The Abbey Press, 1955.
[PS3501.R335P4]
-
Petals of the guelder rose. Berkeley, Calif., Gillick Press [c1941].
[PS3501.R335P44]
-
Tumbleweed trail. San Francisco, the Canterbury Press, [c1936].
[PS3501.R335T8]
Publication Rights
Copyright for the items in this collection is owned by the creators and their heirs.
Reproduction or distribution of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair
use requires permission from the copyright owner. It is the responsibility of the user to
determine whether a use is fair use, and to obtain any necessary permissions. For more
information see UCSC Special Collections and Archives policy on Reproduction and Use.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Poets, American -- California -- 20th century
Poets, American -- California -- 20th century
Women poets, American -- 20th
century
box-folder 1:1-5
I. Correspondence,
1915-1970,
Physical Description: 5
folders
Scope and Contents note
Consists of outgoing, and incoming correspondence. Correspondents included are Julia
Altrocchi, Helen Faulkner, Florence R. Keene, Frona Lane, Arthur L. Price, and Jennette
Yeatman. Majority of the outgoing correspondence consists of letters written to Mrs.
(Gita) Lewis Specker, a friend from a San Francisco Browning Society.
Arrangement note
Incoming letters are arranged alphabetically by a corporate or last name.
box-folder 1:1
Outgoing,
1932, 1953, 1963-1970
box-folder 1:2
Letters in regards to publishing & other literary activity,
A-Z,
1915,1939-1963
box-folder 1:3
Letters from friends and fans, A-Z,
1915-1968
box-folder 1:4
Fan mail redirected from radio KFRC after reading of "The Constant
Heart",
Feb 1932
box-folder 1:6-9
II. Biographical,
1914-1962,
Physical Description: 4
folders
Scope and Contents note
Contains biographical notes, legal documents, articles written about Kate Rennie
Archer, and her business card.
Scope and Contents note
Chronological arrangement.
box-folder 1:6
Biographical notes by Mrs. Archer
box-folder 1:7
Finance, contracts & other legal documents,
1914-1955
box-folder 1:8
Newspaper Articles about K.R.A.,
1931-1962
box-folder 1:10-11
III. Family Papers,
1907-1963,
Physical Description: 2
folders
Scope and Contents note
Contains material relating to Douglas Archer Sr.'s music activity in Edinburgh, as well
as correspondence from the son Douglas Archer Jr. and his family.
Arrangement note
Chronological arrangement.
box-folder 1:10
Douglas Archer Sr., Opera programs and clippings,
1907, 1910, 1922
box-folder 1:11
Douglas Archer Jr. and his family, Correspondence to his parents,
1942-1963
box-folder 2:1-6
IV. Activity,
1936-1963,
Physical Description: 6
folders
Scope and Contents note
Correspondence and various printed material regarding to Kate Rennie Archer's literary
and teaching activity.
Arrangement note
Arrangement chronologically where possible.
box-folder 2:1
Poets of the Pacific, programs, journal, certificate of merit,
1941, 1943
box-folder 2:1
California Writer's Club, roster,
1951
box-folder 2:1
California Federation of Chaparral Poets, certificate
box-folder 2:1
The Poetry Society of America,
Bulletin,
Dec 1944, Feb-Mar, May 1953, Dec 1956, May
1963
box-folder 2:2
Technical Adult School, Oakland, printed copy of "Original Poems by Class
in Poetry and Verse,
1948-1949
box-folder 2:3
Dominican Grammar School, Collection of student poems,
1949,1951-1952
box-folder 2:4
Incoming & outgoing correspondence,
1955
box-folder 2:5
Notes, publicity drafts, newspaper clippings, blank contest entry
form
box-folder 2:6
Programs and announcements for lectures and readings,
1936, 1953,n.d.
box-folder 3:1-5:7
V. Manuscripts,
[1927]-1967,
Scope and Contents note
Contains typed and hand written manuscripts of published and unpublished poems,
stories, as well as broadcast scripts and speeches, a score, a notebook, miscellany
draft fragments, notes, and writing source material.
Arrangement note
Arranged alphabetically by title, where possible. Untitled groups of poems, which were
found attached as a set, were kept intact.
box-folder 3:1
Source material; newspaper clippings of stories & publisher
information,
1934-1966
box-folder 3:2
"Afternoon in a park, Bad Sassendorff, Germany, and other works",
1967
box-folder 3:3
"Broadcast script", KYA, corrected & annotated typescript,
Jun 1949
box-folder 3:4
"Bus Trip", set of 3 poems, typescript,
n.d.
box-folder 3:5-6
Corrected typescript (poems were broadcasted over KYA),
n.d.
box-folder 3:7
Corrected and edited scripts for a dramatic reading,
1936
box-folder 3:8-9
"Coffee Shop", corrected typescripts,
Oct 1946, n.d.
box-folder 3:10
"Epicure Evening", Handmade pamphlet of poems and sketches in a
menu,
n.d.
box-folder 3:11
"For One Who Stayed", poems, typescript,
n.d.
box-folder 3:12
"Frae the Heather" broadcast outlines of Scottish songs,
typescripts,
Nov 1949
box-folder 3:13
"The Gipsy in Me", collection of stories, corrected typescript,
[1927]
box-folder 3:14
"Growth", poem which received a Browning Society Award,
1962
box-folder 3:15
"Harvest of War", corrected typescript,
n.d.
box-folder 3:16
"Make Straight the Way", corrected typescripts,
n.d.
box-folder 3:17
"My Son Enlist", a poem, corrected typescript,
n.d.
box-folder 3:18
"Night Clerk Western Union", corrected typescript,
n.d.
box-folder 3:19
"Persimmon Harvest", incomplete set of poems, and receipts,
1954
box-folder 3:20
"Personality", writing of nine different human personalities [by K.R.A
?],
n.d.
box-folder 3:21
"Return Freight", narrative picture poem, corrected typescript,
1934
box-folder 3:22
"Roses and Fire: Lyrics", corrected typescript,
n.d.
box-folder 4:1
"Saga of Service: For City Hospitals Everywhere", 3 corrected
typescripts
box-folder 4:2
"Seeing the World at One and Three Fifty Cents per Mile: 8000 miles for 1.22
dollars", article sent to N.Y. Post, typescript,
1931
box-folder 4:3
"Tumbleweed Trail", 2 corrected typescripts and notes,
1936
box-folder 4:4
"Song of a Little Brother", complete and incomplete typescript sets,
corrected
box-folder 4:5-7
Single poems by title, A-Z, typed and hand written versions
box-folder 4:8-9
Untitled groups of poems, corrected and uncorrected typescripts
box-folder 5:1-2
Short stories and essays by title, B-W
box-folder 5:3
Story and essay fragments, outlines
box-folder 5:4
Speeches; "Child Poetry Lines and Laughter", "Old Songs and New", "Poetry Day
1953", "Shakespeare and Stratford Today", "These are Scots"
box-folder 5:5
Score for "The Gray Ship", music and words by K.R.A, scripted by
hand,
n.d.
box-folder 5:6
Notebook, contains drafts for poems, addresses, and misc. notes
box-folder 2:7-15
VI. Printed Material,
1934-1960,
Physical Description: 9
folders
Scope and Contents note
Contains galley proofs, a collection of periodicals and newspaper clippings of K.R.A.'s poems and articles, as well as clippings of
miscellany publicity and bookreviews.
Arrangement note
Newspaper clippings are devided into groups by a periodical title.
box-folder 2:7
"Frae the Heather", 2 corrected copies
box-folder 2:8
"Petals of the Guelred-Rose", 3 corrected copies
box-folder 2:9
"Night Clerk Western Union", Glenwood ed. [pamphlet],
1960's
box-folder 2:11
Poems in journals; "Daphne in Change",
Envoi, and "Wild
Halcyons",
The Navy, v.61:10,
Oct 1956
box-folder 2:12
Poems; newspaper clippings from:
box-folder 2:12
The Albany Herald, featured in "The Red Kite",
1937-1942
box-folder 2:12
The Carmel Pine Cone-Cymbal, featured in
"Poetry",
1942-1952
box-folder 2:12
The Courier, featured in "The Poetic View",
1933-1934
box-folder 2:12
The Oakland Tribune, featured in "Other
Fellows",
1928-1958
box-folder 2:12
The San Francisco Examiner,
1939, 1941-1942
box-folder 2:13
Poems; newspaper clippings from misc. publications,
1935-1958, n.d.
box-folder 2:14
Articles in journals and newspapers,
1934, 1954, n.d
box-folder 2:15
Book publicity and book reviews, flyers & clippings,
1935, 1937, 1941, 1943, 1955
box-folder 6:1-2
VII. Scrapbooks,
1933-1937, 1951-1952,
Scope and Contents note
Contains two scrapbooks of newspaper clippings documenting Mrs. Archer's and her son's
budget travel across the Atlantic in 1930's, and miscellany publicity in regards to her
literary activity in early 1950.
Scope and Contents note
Chronological arrangement.
box-folder 5:8
VIII. Photographs,
[1890-1960],
Physical Description: 1
folders
Scope and Contents note
Contains 30 photographs, including individual and group portraits of Kate Rennie Archer
(1910's, 1960's), Douglas Archer Sr. ([1890], 1930's, 1960's), and Douglas Archer Jr.
(1930-1960).
Arrangement note
Arranged by size; 8x11, 5x7, and 4x5
box-folder 2:16
IX. Realia,
1912, n.d.,
Physical Description: 1
folders
Scope and Contents note
Contains a framed drawing of Kate Rennie Archer and a package of wedding rice.
Arrangement note
No arrangement.
box-folder 5:10-12
X. Miscellany,
1928, 1944-1956,
Physical Description: 3
folders
Scope and Contents note
Collection of writings by other than K.R.A. and other miscellany publications.
Arrangement note
No arrangement.
box-folder 5:10
Poetry by other than K.R.A., booklets and copies:
box-folder 5:10
A Dozen New Poems, by Gavin Arthur, [inscribed by
author],
1954
box-folder 5:10
Tropic Earth, by Clifford Gessler, [inscribed by
author],
1944
box-folder 5:10
Typed and hand written copies of Nora May French's poems
box-folder 5:11
Writings by other than Kate Archer:
box-folder 5:11
"Yada Lecture", unknown author,
Feb 1956
box-folder 5:11
"Fire & Ice: The Two Satan's", by Jennette Yeatman, carbon
copy
box-folder 5:12
The West Minster Magazine, v.35:3,
Autumn 1946
box-folder 5:12
"The Truth About the War", Major George A. Drew, reprint of MacLean's,
Canada's National Magazine,
Jul 1928
