Gilbert A. Harrison collection of material by and relating to Gertrude Stein, 1922-1984

Summary

Creators:

Harrison, Gilbert A.

Abstract:

Gilbert Harrison was a UCLA alumnus and former editor-in-chief of The New Republic magazine. He began corresponding with Gertrude Stein in 1933, and continued to correspond with Stein until her death in 1947. The collection contains galley and page proofs for books by and about Stein, documents regarding the Stein estate, correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, objects, tape recordings, film, graphics, theatre programs, and exhibition catalogs. Correspondence from Alice B. Toklas, and articles about her, are also included.

Extent:

3.5 Linear Feet (7 boxes, 2 oversize boxes)

Language:

Materials are in English.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Gilbert A. Harrison collection of material by and relating to Gertrude Stein (Collection 2108). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Background

Scope and content:

Collection contains galley and page proofs for books by and about Stein, and documents regarding the Stein estate. Also includes correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, objects, tape recordings, film, graphics, theatre programs, and exhibition catalogs. Correspondence from Alic B. Toklas and articles about her are included. Original works of art, including an original oil painting of Alice B. Toklas by Pavel Tchelitchev, are cataloged separately.

Gilbert Harrison, UCLA alumnus and former editor-in-chief of the New Republic, first met Gertrude Stein in 1934, in Pasadena, California. Harrison, who had corresponded with Stein since 1933, and fellow UCLA students Hal Levy and Bill Okie, attended Stein's lecture at the Women's Club in Pasadena. The three students were so fascinated by Stein and her approach to literature and art that they followed her after the lecture to the Huntington Hotel where she was staying. After introducing themselves to her, Stein prevailed upon them to share a few moments conversation which lasted until early morning.

The acquaintance was renewed in 1937 when Harrison visited Stein and Alice B. Toklas at Bilignin. It was at this time that Stein presented the typescript for The autobiography of Alice B. Toklas to him. Their friendship and correspondence continued until her death in 1946. Harrison continued to correspond with Alice and maintained a warm, affectionate friendship with her until her death in 1967.

The Gilbert Harrison collection of Steiniana is a rich source of information for one of the most unique and controversial literary figures of the 20th century. It includes books by and about Stein, original works of art, correspondence from Stein and Toklas and others, manuscripts, galley and page proofs for books by and about Stein, photographs, documents concerning the Stein estate, objects, tape recordings, film, graphics, articles by and about Stein, theatre programs and exhibition catalogs. Harrison's collection of books by and about Stein have been, cataloged individually and are listed in the Rare Book Catalog, Department of Special Collections. Original works of art are listed in the Numbered Collections Catalog, Department of Special Collections.

Biographical / historical:

Gilbert Harrison, UCLA alumnus and former editor-in-chief of The new republic magazine, began corresponding with Gertrude Stein in 1933, and met her at a lecture in Pasadena, California, in 1934; Harrison visited Stein and Alice B. Toklas at their home in France in 1937, when Stein presented him with the typescript of The autobiography of Alice B. Toklas; Harrison continued to correspond with Stein until her death in 1947, and maintained a friendship with Toklas until her death in 1967.

Acquisition information:

Gift of Gilbert A. Harrison, 1973-88.

Bulk of collection was received from Harrison; consult finding aid for additional information.

Processing information:

Processed by: Lilace Hatayama, January 1982. Encoding supervision and revision by: Caroline Cubé, 2004. Edited by: Josh Fiala, April 2004.

Collections are processed to a variety of levels depending on the work necessary to make them usable, their perceived user interest and research value, availability of staff and resources, and competing priorities. Library Special Collections provides a standard level of preservation and access for all collections and, when time and resources permit, conducts more intensive processing. These materials have been arranged and described according to national and local standards and best practices.

We are committed to providing ethical, inclusive, and anti-racist description of the materials we steward, and to remediating existing description of our materials that contains language that may be offensive or cause harm. We invite you to submit feedback about how our collections are described, and how they could be described more accurately, by filling out the form located on our website: Report Potentially Offensive Description in Library Special Collections.

Arrangement:

Arranged in the following series:

• Correspondence (Box 1).
• Manuscripts (Box 2).
• Documents, ephemera, tape recordings, film (Box 3).
• Photographs, graphics, published articles by Stein (Box 4).
• Articles about Stein and/or Toklas (Box 5).
• Letters and typecripts (Box 6).
• Letters from Stein and Toklas (Box 7).
• Scrapbooks (Box 8).
• Photograph of plaque, typescripts of Identity and related correspondence (Box 9).

Physical location:

Stored off-site. All requests to access special collections material must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.

Related resources

Separated material:

• Portrait of Alice B. Toklas (55 × 40cm. Ink drawing, Framed, 73 × 58 cm.) [oversize]. Picture Collection (Collection 99). Department of Special Collections, University Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Gertrude Stein (20cm. Bronze sculpture) [oversize]. Picture Collection (Collection 99). Department of Special Collections, University Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Gertrude Stein (102.5 × 82cm. Oil portrait, Framed, 115.5 × 100cm.). Picture Collection (Collection 99). Department of Special Collections, University Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Alice B. Toklas (30cm. Pencil sketch profile portrait, Framed, 57.5 × 45cm.). Picture Collection (Collection 99). Department of Special Collections, University Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
• The house at Bilignin (27.5 × 42.5cm. Oil painting). Picture Collection (Collection 99). Department of Special Collections, University Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Alice B. Toklas (75 × 40cm. Oil portrait, Framed, 87 × 52cm.) ORIG. 99
• The making of Americans. Gertrude Stein read by Marian Seldes (2 s. 12in. 33 1/3 rpm record). Collection of Miscellaneous Phonograph Records (Collection 249, Box 12). Department of Special Collections, University Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
• Gertrude Stein read by Gertrude Stein (2 s. 12 in. 33 1/3 rpm record). Collection of Miscellaneous Phonograph Records (Collection 249, Box 12). Department of Special Collections, University Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Alternative form available:

Portions of this collection have been digitized and are available online: Gilbert A. Harrison Collection of Material by and Relating to Gertrude Stein (18 items).

Other descriptive data:

UCLA Catalog Record ID: 9917203653606533

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Women authors, American -- France -- Paris -- Archives.

Names:

Stein, Gertrude, 1874-1946--Archives.
Toklas, Alice, B.--Archives.

Indexes:

Index to Manuscripts, Photographs, Recordings

Alsop, Joseph Wright, 1910-	Box 1, folder 21
Balmain, Pierre, 1914-	Box 4, folder 5
Beach, Sylvia, 1887-1962	Box 1, folder 10
Beaton, Cecil Walter Hardy, 1904-	Box 4, folder 3
Bowles, Paul Frederic, 1911-	Box 1, folder 22
Breon, John	Box 4, folder 8
Brown, Robert Carlton, 1886-1959	Box 6, folder 16
Burns, Edward	Box 2, folder 6
Davidson, Jo, 1883-1952	Box 4, folder 13
Delar, Sophie	Box 4, folder 1
Gorey, Edward St. John	Box 4, folder 18
Haas, Robert Bartlett	Box 2, folder 8; Box 8
Harrison, Gilbert A	Box 1, folders 1, 3-19; Box 2, folder 9; Box 4, folder 19; Box 5, folder 27-28
Kapton, Constantinoff	Box 1, folder 23
Katz, Leon, 1919-	Box 2, folders 6, 10
Kazin, Alfred, 1915-	Box 8
Knapik, Harold	Box 1, folder 20
Knapik, Virginia	Box 1, folder 20; Box 3, folder 5
Moore, Honor, 1915-	Box 2, folder 11
Picabia, Francis, 1878-1946	Box 6, folder 29
Rea, Joy	Box 6, folders 18-27.
Rogers, William Garland, 1896-	Box 4, folder 2
Rose, Sir Francis Cyril, Bart., 1909-	Box 1, folders 24-25; Box 6, folder 5-6, 10
Seldes, Marian	Box 3, folder 1
Stein, Gertrude, 1874-1946	Box 1, folders 1-2, 27; Box 2, folder 1-5; Box 3, folder 7-8, 10; Box 4, folder 1-2, 9-13, 16-30; Box 5, folder 29; Box 6, folder 6-12, 15-16
Stein family	Box 3, folder 10
Sutherland, Donald	Box 6, folder 14
Tchelitchew, Pavel, 1898-1957	Box 6, folder 15
Thomson, Virgil, 1896-	Box 6, folder 28
Toklas, Alice Babette, 1877-1967	Box 1, folders 3-19; Box 2, folder 7; Box 3, folder 2,4; Box 4, folder 3-11, 15-17; Box 6, folder 6, 13-14, 18-26
Toklas family	Box 4, folder 12
Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964	Box 1, folder 27; Box 4, folder 8-9; Box 5, folder 29; Box 6, folder 7
Wilder, Thornton Niven, 1897-1975	Box 4, folder 7

Added Entries

Alsop, Joseph Wright, 1910-
Beaton, Cecil Walter Hardy, 1904-
Bowles, Paul Frederic, 1911-
Breon, John
Brown, Robert Carlton, 1886-1959
Burns, Edward
Delar, Sophie
Gorey, Edward St. John
Haas, Robert Bartlett
Katz, Leon, 1919-
Kazin, Alfred, 1915-
Knapik, Harold
Knapik, Virginia
Moore, Honor, 1915-
Rose, Sir Francis Cyril, Bart., 1909-
Stein, Gertrude, 1874-1946
Tchelitchew, Pavel, 1898-1957
Toklas, Alice Babette
Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964
Thomson, Virgil, 1896-
Rea, Joy
Picabia, Francis, 1878-1946

Subject Entries

American literature - 20th century.
Authors, American - Correspondence, reminiscences, etc.
Balmain, Pierre, 1914 -- Portrait.
Beach, Sylvia, 1867-1962.
Book-plates - Specimens.
Davidson, Jo, 1883-1952.
Rogers, Willia, Garland, 1896-
Stein, Gertrude, 1874-1946.
Stein, Gertrude, 1874-1946 - Portrait.
Sutherland, Donald, 1915-
Toklas, Alice Babette
Toklas, Alice Babette - Portrait.
Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964 - Portrait
Wilder Thornton Niven, 1897-1975 - Portrait.
Americans in Paris.

Restrictions:

Open for research. All requests to access special collections materials must be made in advance using the request button located on this page.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the objects belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. All other rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Gilbert A. Harrison collection of material by and relating to Gertrude Stein (Collection 2108). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

Location of this collection:

UCLA, Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library

A1713 Charles E. Young Research Library

Box 951575

Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US

Contact:

(310) 825-4988

AskLSC@library.ucla.edu

Website