Robinson Jeffers family photograph collection, approximately 1919-1944, bulk 1919-1940

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Summary

Creators:
Matthias, Blanche
Abstract:
A collection of family photographs of American poet Robinson Jeffers, his wife Una Jeffers, and their twin sons Donnan and Garth, approximately 1919-1944. Photographs include the family home called Tor House, built by Jeffers in Carmel, California.
Extent:
1.17 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Robinson Jeffers family photograph collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

A collection of photographs of American poet Robinson Jeffers, his family and friends, and his home he called Tor House, in Carmel, California. The bulk of the images date from approximately 1919 to 1940 and are chiefly black-and-white prints, 8 x 10 inches and smaller, of Jeffers, his wife, Una, their twin sons Donnan and Garth, and a few friends: George Sterling, C.E.S. Wood, and Blanche Matthias. The photographs belonged to Matthias, and are mostly personal, informal images taken at or around Tor House, the distinctive stone house Jeffers built on an open stretch of coast. Other items in the collection are: four color snapshots of Jeffers' grandchildren, the latest dated 1969; two copies of sketched portraits of Jeffers by M. A. Werboff; and a keepsake folder about Tor House from the series "Homes of California Authors" (Book Club of California, 1967), with an essay by Theodore M. Lilienthal.

Biographical / historical:

Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962) was an American poet best known for his works focusing on the California coast. In 1913 he married Una Call Kuster and a year later they settled in Carmel, California, where Jeffers eventually built the stone cottage and tower he called Tor House. In 1916, the couple had twin sons, Donnan Call and Garth Sherwood.

Blanche C. Matthias (1887-1983), donor of this collection, was a personal friend of the Jeffers, and presumably took many of the photographs. Matthias was a Chicago art critic and poet, and moved to Carmel, California with her husband in the 1920s.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Blanche C. Matthias, 1983.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library staff, circa late-20th century. In 2020, Suzanne Oatey created a finding aid derived from a collection file.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Robinson Jeffers family photograph collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2129
reference@huntington.org
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