Guide to the George Sterling Papers M0021
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
1999, revised 2017, 2023
Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford 94305-6064
Fax Number: (650) 723-8690
specialcollections@stanford.edu
Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: George Sterling papers
Identifier/Call Number: M0021
Physical Description:
1 Linear Feet
(3 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1909-1942
Date (bulk): 1920-1926
Abstract: George Sterling (1869–1926) was an American writer, poet and playwright based in the San Francisco, California Bay Area.
Language of Material:
English
.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The majority of the Sterling papers came to Stanford as a gift of Rudolf Blaettler, collector. The Bynner-Sterling correspondence
is a gift of Witter Bynner. (Oct 1960)
Biographical / Historical
American poet and playwright George Sterling was born in Sag Harbor, N.Y. on December 1, 1869. He was educated on the East
Coast and attended St. Charles College in Maryland. In 1896 he married Carrie Rand of Oakland, California, and from 1898 to
1908 he was private secretary to Frank C. Havens of that city.
Sterling's first volume of poems,
Testimony of the Suns and Other Poems, was published in 1903. After that time, there were nine other volumes and a number of separate poems published. From 1908
to 1915, Sterling was one of the leaders of the artist colony at Carmel, California. He died on November 18, 1926, by his
own hands.
Scope and Contents
The Sterling Papers date from 1909 to 1942 with the bulk of material falling between 1920 and 1926. Those dated 1946 are memorial
items marking the twentieth anniversary of his death. The collection includes correspondence, literary typescripts and manuscripts,
printed poems and songs, a galley proof, photographs and clippings. Some of the material is in photostat form from originals
in the University of Pennsylvania Library. Correspondents include: Edwin Markham, Theodore Dreiser, Robinson and Una Jeffers
and Witter Bynner.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item] George Sterling collection, M0021, Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Rudolph Blaettler, Witter Bynner, and Albert M. Bender.
Conditions Governing Use
While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not
an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission
or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns.
Conditions Governing Access
Open for research. Note that material must be requested at least 36 hours in advance of intended use.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
American literature -- 20th century
Authors, American.
Series 1. Correspondence, Outgoing
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, folder 1
1. Mrs. Breeze
1909, Aug 29
Language of Material: English.
2. Witter Bynner
1912, Jul 21
Language of Material: English.
12. Ave (Sterling)
1912, Oct 26 -
Language of Material: English.
13. Witter Bynner
1912, Oct 30 -
16. Albert (Bender)
1913, Nov 24 -
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, folder 2
1. Theodore Dreiser
1920, Feb 10 -
Container Summary: photostat.
Language of Material: English.
5. Mrs. Margaret Cobb
1923, Jun 20 -
8.
1923, Sept 5 -
Container Summary: photostat & dup.
15. Theodore Dreiser
1924, Jun 27 -
Container Summary: photostat.
Language of Material: English.
16. Mrs. Margaret Cobb
1924, Jul 5 -
18. Theodore Dresier
1924, Sept 14 -
Container Summary: photostat.
Language of Material: English.
19. Mrs. Margaret Cobb
1924, Oct 6 -
Box 1, folder 3
1. Mrs. Margaret Cobb
1925, Jan 21 -
3. Hal
1925, Jun 5 -
Language of Material: English.
4. Margaret Cobb
1925, Jun 24 -
5. Hal
1925, Jul 2 -
Language of Material: English.
6. Margaret Cobb
1925, Jul 14 -
General note
5 ltrs to Hal discurd missing 3/7/77
7. Margaret Cobb
1925, Jul 15 -
8. Hal
1925, Jul 27 -
Language of Material: English.
10. Margaret Cobb
1925, Jul 29 -
13. Albert (Bender)
1925, Nov 30 -
14. Margaret Cobb
1926, Jan 22 -
15. Theodore Dreiser
1926, Jan 24 -
Container Summary: photostat.
Language of Material: English.
17. Margaret Cobb
1926, Feb 16 -
18. Theodore Dreiser
1926, Feb 17 -
Container Summary: photostat.
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, folder 4
1. Theodore Dreiser
1926, Mar 23 -
Container Summary: photostat.
Language of Material: English.
2. Margaret Cobb, misdated
1926, Mar 29-1929
3. Margaret Cobb
1926, Apr 9 -
6. Theodore Dreiser,
1926, May 24 -
Container Summary: photostat.
7. Margaret Cobb
1926, Jun 1 -
8. Theodore Dreiser,
1926, Jul 26 -
Container Summary: photostat.
9. Margaret Cobb
1926, Aug 9 -
12. Hal
undated
Container Summary: 2 slips of paper & photostats.
Language of Material: English.
Series 2. Correspondence, Incoming
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, folder 5
1. Witter Bynner - Brotherhood of Man
Aug 9
Language of Material: English.
2. notes on Sterling's poems
Oct 31, 1960
Language of Material: English.
2a. Ina Coolbrith
undated
Container Summary: A.N.S.
Language of Material: English.
3. Theodore Dreiser
2-Oct-20
Language of Material: English.
7. frag., unsigned.
21-Dec-20
Box 1, folder 5a
1. Harriet Monroe
18-Mar-16
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, folder 6
1. Edwin Markham
18-May-11
Language of Material: English.
4. Edwin Markham
9-Aug-11
Language of Material: English.
15. by sec., Morgan.
undated
16. Poems signed M.
undated
17. Edwin Markham
Sept 29, 1926
Container Summary: A.L.S.
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, folder 7a
Ina Coolbrith A. N. S.
undated
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, folder 7a
Thomas R. Marshall T. N. S.,
27-Dec-15
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, folder 7a
Upton Sinclair A.N.S. & cover
7-Feb-15
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, folder 7
1. Robinson Jeffers
5-Jul-24
Container Summary: Photostats.
Language of Material: English.
2. Aug 10, 1924.
Container Summary: Photostats.
3. Nov 22, 1924.
Container Summary: Photostats.
4. Jan 21, 1925.
Container Summary: Photostats.
5. Feb 13, 1925.
Container Summary: Photostats.
6. Apr 8, 1925.
Container Summary: Photostats.
7. Jun 17, 1925.
Container Summary: Photostats.
8. Aug 8, 1925.
Container Summary: Photostats.
9. Nov 3, 1925.
Container Summary: Photostats.
10. Nov 12, 1925.
Container Summary: Photostats.
11. & Una
Dec 1, 1925
Container Summary: Photostats.
12. Dec 11, 1925.
Container Summary: Photostats.
13. Dec 31, 1925.
Container Summary: Photostats.
14. & Una
16-Jan-26
Container Summary: Photostats.
15. Feb 5, 1926.
Container Summary: Photostats.
16. Una Jeffers
16-Mar-26
Container Summary: Photostats.
Language of Material: English.
17. Robinson Jeffers
13-Apr-26
Container Summary: Photostats.
Language of Material: English.
18. Apr 30, 1926.
Container Summary: envelope.
19. Oct 9, 1926.
Container Summary: envelope.
Box 1, folder 8
MacMillan Co. to Margaret Cobb, and postcard, self-addressed.
May, 1926
Box 1, folder 9
Overland Monthly to Margaret Cobb, signed: B. Virginia Lee.
Jan 12, 1927 and Apr 11, 1927
Series 3. Miscellaneous Manuscripts
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, folder 10
STERLING POEMS - Manuscripts and printed. "At Morning", orig. draft.
Box 1, folder 11
"The House of Orchids", orig. draft.
Box 1, folder 12
"Strange Waters", orig. draft, explanation by Rudolph Blaettler.
Box 1, folder 13
"The Sailing of Keats", orig. draft; and fragment of poem.
Box 1, folder 14
"Ode to Shelley", orig. draft.
Box 1, folder 16
"Spontaneity 37", orig. draft; and cartoon.
Box 1, folder 17
"Balland of the Swabs", orig. draft, explanation by Rudolph Blaettler.
Box 1, folder 18
"The Testimony of the Suns", orig. drafts
Box 1, folder 19
"Truth", draft to Act III.
Box 1, folder 19
"Hesperian".
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, folder 20
"City of Sunset", gift of Albert M. Bender.
Box 1, folder 21
"Norman Bayer", orig. draft.
Box 1, folder 22
"The Rabbit Hutch", orig draft.
Box 1, folder 23
"Yerba Buena", "We're a-Going", "Ballad of the Grapes", "Raphael Weill".
Box 2, folder 27
"The Iris Hill", "Return of Faith", and "Sleep" from "The Triumph of Bohemia".
Box 2, folder 28
"Wet Beaches", "To Ruth Chatterton."
Box 2, folder 29
"Lilith", and promotion folder.
Box 2, folder 30
"Sails and Mirage", galley proof, gift of A.M. Bender.
Box 2, folder 31
"The Sailing of Keats", "Lilies of Stone", "Remembrances of G.S.", "In Memorium" - Bret Harte, "George Sterling - 1st Anniv.",
Abalone Song" - printed for G.S. friends, "George Sterling - 72nd Anniversary". All printed.
Box 2, folder 32
Dickson, Samuel - radio script.
Language of Material: English.
Box 2, folder 33
"A Dream of the World," Sterling typescript, last 5 stanzas, marginalia, Bierce.
Box 2, folder 33
"A White Rose", Sterling typescript, marginalia by Ambrose Bierce.
Box 2, folder 33a
CHITS OF GEORGE STERLING, AUTHOR UNKNOWN,
Box 2, folder 33a
"GEORGE STERLING" facsimile of poem written in 1926 and copied in by Robinson Jeffers for Cyril Clemens
Sep-41
Box 2, folder 34
PERIODICALS -
Book Bulletin, Overland Monthly -
Nov, Dec, 1927
Series 4. Artwork & Photographs
Language of Material: English.
Box 3
Oil painting of Sterling in profile by his friend Xavier Martinez. "1906 Before Earthquake" written in pencil on back along
with cleaning instructions
Language of Material: English.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Source unknown.
Box 4
Original art for "Thirty Four Sonnets by George Sterling, Published by The Book Club of California"
Language of Material: English.
Box 2, folder 35-37
Photographs
Language of Material: English.
Box 4
Group photograph - "Gypsy Party Given by Mr. & Mrs. Chas. Sutro Feb. 14, 1913 at the Gianduia [i.e. Gianduja] Cafe" (Eastern
Art Co. 34 Ellis St.)
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
Inscribed "for Alice - Jack With Love [illegible, not
Lillian] - Charles." Sterling is seated towards the rear of the group in the upper right corner.
Box 2, folder 38
Series 5. Clippings
Language of Material: English.
Box 2, folder 39
Series 6. Miscellaneous Poems and Songs
Language of Material: English.
1. "We're a-Going" - ptd. song.
2. "You're So Beautiful", - ptd. song,
Container Summary: two copies.
3. "Three Men That Knew Helen" - poem.
4. "The Pathfinder" - original (?) & revised (?).
