George Wharton James Papers mssJamesgw
Gayle Richardson
The Huntington Library
February 2021
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: George Wharton James papers
Creator:
James, George Wharton,
1858-1923
Identifier/Call Number: mssJamesgw
Physical Description:
6.92 Linear Feet
(11 boxes, 1 folder)
Date (inclusive): 1871-1921
Abstract: A collection of personal and
professional material related to the life and work of George Wharton James, British-American
lecturer and author on the American Southwest.
Language of Material: Materials are in
English.
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
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.
[Identification of item]. George Wharton James papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino,
California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased from N. Kovach, 1943-1944. Addenda purchased from Charles Yale, 1968.
George Wharton James (1858-1923), was an author and lecturer on the American Southwest.
James preached on the Methodist circuit until 1889, when he left the church and turned to
the desert to recover his health. He explored the Grand Canyon, studied the Native
Americans, and was made a member of several tribes. In his later years James lectured on the
Chautauqua circuit, and wrote many books and articles on the Southwest. He also edited The
craftsman (1904-1905) and Out west, formerly called Land of sunshine (1912-1914).
A collection of 266 items which consists of personal and professional papers of George
Wharton James; the collection includes correspondence, lectures, sermons, articles, 2
scrapbooks, and photographs (1871-1921). The manuscripts cover such topics as the Grand
Canyon, Arizona, New Mexico, California, Native Americans, American literature and humor,
religion, overseas travels, and biographical pieces on Jesse Benton Frémont, William Ewart
Gladstone, Lilla Leighton Lindley, William McKinley, Queen Victoria, and others. The
correspondence includes letters and other material relating to the Robert Browning Centenary
and letters from applicants for summer school at Echo Mountain, near Pasadena, California.
The Addenda consists of letters and poems sent to James; the poems were probably intended
for publication in Land of sunshine or Out west magazine and included are pieces by, among
others, Thomas Bracken, Frona Eunice Wait, and Helen Hunt Jackson. The ephemera includes
programs, lecture announcements, clippings and other printed material.
Processed by Huntington Library Staff, circa 1970. In 2021, Gayle Richardson created the
finding aid derived from a legacy in-house summary report.
Organized in the following series: 1. Correspondence, scrapbook and account books; 2.
Lectures and sermons; 3. Articles; 4. Addenda; 5. Ephemera.
Former call number: mssJames collection.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Authors, American -- 19th century
Authors, American -- 20th century
Indians of North America -- New
Mexico
Periodical editors -- California
Summer schools -- California -- Pasadena
California -- Description and travel
Southwest, New -- Description and travel
Ephemera
Letters (correspondence) -- Southwest, New
Manuscripts (documents) -- Southwest, New
Photographs -- Southwest, New
Poems -- Southwest, New
Sermons -- Southwest, New
Bracken, Thomas,
1841-1898
Browning, Robert, 1812-1889
Frémont, Jessie Benton, 1824-1902
Gladstone, W. E. (William Ewart),
1809-1898
Jackson, Helen Hunt,
1830-1885
Lindley, Lilla Leighton, 1859-1893
McKinley, William, 1843-1901
Victoria, Queen of Great
Britain, 1819-1901
Wait, Frona Eunice,
1859-1946
Box 1
Box 2
Box 4
Lectures and sermons 1885-1889
Box 5
Box 6
California missions and mission style of architecture
Box 7
Articles on California and the West, California literature, and American humor
Box 8
Articles on religion and travel
Box 9
Box 10
Box 11
Ephemera 1880-1919
The ephemera consists of programs, lecture announcements, pamphlets, magazines,
publicity, clippings and other printed material. This material was originally removed
from the collection and placed in the Rare Book Department, Ephemeral File; it was
returned to the collection in 2021.