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Ruth Mendenhall papers, 1937-2004

1823

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Table of contents

Container List

Letters. 1937-1987.

Scope and Content

The series consists of carbon copies of letters written by Mendenhall to her parents and other family members detailing her mountain climbing explorations. There are occasional annotations, copied transcripts, Post-it® notes and/or photocopies of letters produced by Valerie Mendenhall Cohen; the majority of Post-it® notes were removed. The letters may have been used by Valerie Cohen for her book Woman on the Rocks: The Mountaineering Letters of Ruth Dyar Mendenhall. The files are arranged in loose chronological order.

Box 2, Folder 1

Letters about first season. 1937-1939.

Box 2, Folders 2-3

Letters about Base Camp. 1939-1942.

Box 2, Folders 4-6

Letters about Base Camp-summer. 1939-1942.

Box 2, Folders 7-8

Letters about war years. 1941-1945.

Box 2, Folder 9

Letters about Expedition years. 1946-1957.

Box 2, Folders 10-11

Letters about Family ascents. 1958-1966.

Box 2, Folder 12

Letters about later ascents. 1967-1976, 1978, 1985, 1987.

Box 3, Folder 7

Photocopies of Ruth Mendenhall's letters. 1934-1939, 1965.

Scope and Content

May have been used for Valerie Cohen's book, Woman on the Rocks: The Mountaineering Letters of Ruth Dyar Mendenhall. Some items annotated.

Writings by Ruth Mendenhall and John Mendenhall. 1940s-1980s.

Scope and Content

The series consists of one folder of typescript and published writings by Ruth Mendenhall. Included are typed manuscript drafts for The Saga of Snow Creek written for Desert Magazine, First Ascents in the Canadian Rockies, and Woman on the rocks, The Early Years of the SMS and RCS (republished by the Sierra Club for the Internet) written by Ruth Mendenhall, among other items. Additionally, there are a small number of items authored by Mendenhall’s husband, John Mendenhall such as The First Ascent of Mt. Confederation. There is no specific arrangement to the series.

Box 2, Folder 13

Writings by Ruth Mendenhall and John Mendenhall. 1940s-1980s.

Scope and Content

With typed manuscript drafts for The Saga of Snow Creek written for Desert Magazine, First Ascents in the Canadian Rockies, and Woman on the rocks, The Early Years of the SMS and RCS (republished by the Sierra Club for the Internet) written by Ruth Mendenhall and a small number of items authored by Mendenhall’s husband, John Mendenhall.

Box 3, Folder 1

First Ascent of Mount Confederation. 1947-1948.

Scope and Content

Article, notes, photographs and clippings.

Writings about Ruth Mendenhall. 1950s-1980s.

Scope and Content

The series consists of writings about Ruth Mendenhall. The bulk of the items were created after Mendenhall’s death in 1989. Included are memorials and a tribute by Vivian Mendenhall and a small number of items written about the Mendenhall family. There is no specific arrangement to the series.

Box 3, Folder 2

Writings about Ruth Dyar Mendenhall. 1950s-1980s.

Scope and Content

Many pieces written by Vivian Mendenhall after Ruth Mendenhall's death in 1989. Small number of items about or mentions of John Mendenhall.

Box 1, Folder 1

News clippings. 1959, 1962, 1964, 1967.

Photographs and ephemera. 1930s-2004.

Scope and Content

The series includes a scrapbook documenting the Mendenhall family mountain climbing trips, a small number of photographs of mountains, some of which are identified, clippings about mountaineering, and a Sierra Club Angeles Chapter informational booklet. There is no specific arrangement to the series.

Box 1, Folder 2

Ruth Mendenhall scrapbook (about mountaineering). ca. late-1930s-ca. 1940s.

Box 3, Folder 4

Mountain photographs. undated.

Box 3, Folder 3

Clippings regarding mountaineering. 1959, 1963.

Box 3, Folder 5

Articles and information regarding Sierra Club mountaineering and California highways. 1946, 1952, 1955-1956, 1992, 2004.

Scope and Content

Photocopies or internet reprints. Possible research for Valerie Cohen's book Woman on the Rocks: The Mountaineering Letters of Ruth Dyar Mendenhall.

Box 3, Folder 6

Sierra Club Angeles Chapter informational booklet. 1959 Oct-Jan 1960.

Container List

Letters.

Writings by Ruth Mendenhall and John Mendenhall.

Writings about Ruth Mendenhall.

Photographs and ephemera.