Finding Aid to the Collection of Joaquin Miller Papers, 1871-1967, bulk 1871-1913
Finding aid written by Alison E. Bridger
The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California, 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-6481
Fax: (510) 642-7589
Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu
URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/
© 2006
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Finding Aid to the Collection of Joaquin Miller Papers, 1871-1967, bulk 1871-1913
Collection Number: BANC MSS C-H 58
The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
- Finding Aid Written By:
- Alison E. Bridger
- Date Completed:
-
March 2006
© 2006 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Collection Summary
Collection Title: Collection of Joaquin Miller Papers
Date (inclusive): 1871-1967,
Date (bulk): , bulk 1871-1913
Collection Number: BANC MSS C-H 58
Creator :
Miller, Joaquin, 1837-1913
Extent:
Number of containers: 5 boxes and 2 cartons
Linear feet: 4.5
Repository: The Bancroft Library
Berkeley, California 94720-6000
Abstract: Contains correspondence, to and from Miller; manuscripts of writings, including poetry; clippings by and about Miller, many
about his death. Also includes a small amount of legal and financial records, tributes, programs and souvenirs, and other
miscellaneous items. Some correspondents include Andrew Carnegie, Ina D. Coolbrith, Jack London, James D. Phelan, George Sterling
and Charles Warren Stoddard.
Languages Represented: Collection materials are in English
Physical Location: Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information
on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
Information for Researchers
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to The Bancroft Library. All requests for permission to publish or reproduce must be submitted
in writing to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-6000. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of The Bancroft Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include
or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
Copyright restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted
to research and educational purposes.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Collection of Joaquin Miller Papers, BANC MSS C-H 58, The Bancroft Library, University of California,
Berkeley.
Alternate Forms Available
There are no alternate forms of this collection.
Related Collections
Joaquin Miller papers: to various individuals, (BANC MSS 88/36 c)
Joaquin Miller letters and manuscripts, (BANC MSS 2005/250 c)
Ina Donna Coolbrith Collection of Letters and Papers, (BANC MSS C-H 23)
Ina Donna Coolbrith Papers: Additions, (BANC MSS 70/117 c)
Yone Noguchi Papers: Additions, (BANC MSS 71/39 c)
Charles Warren Stoddard Collection of Papers, (BANC MSS C-H 53)
Partington Family Papers (BANC MSS C-H 84)
Partington Family Papers: Additions (BANC MSS 81/143 c)
Juanita Joaquina Miller Papers (BANC MSS C-H 147)
Separated Material
Photographs have been transferred to the Pictorial Collections of The Bancroft Library. (BANC PIC 1963.014-.015)
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Miller, Joaquin, 1837-1913--Archives
Cook, Ina Peterson--Correspondence
Wagner, Harr, 1857-1936--Correspondence
Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919--Correspondence
Coolbrith, Ina D. (Ina Donna), 1842?-1928--Correspondence
London, Jack, 1876-1916--Correspondence
Phelan, James D. (James Duval), 1861-1930--Correspondence
Sterling, George, 1869-1926--Correspondence
Stoddard, Charles Warren, 1843-1909--Correspondence
Rossetti, Dante Gabriel, 1828-1882--Correspondence
Boughton, George Henry, 1834-1905--Correspondence
Poets, American--19th century
American poetry--California
Authors, American--19th century
Poems
Manuscripts for publication
Honeyman, Robert B.--Robert B. Honeyman, Jr. collection
Norris, Thomas W. (Thomas Wayne).--Thomas W. Norris collection
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
The Collection of Joaquin Miller Papers were given to and/or purchased by The Bancroft Library at various times. Some folders
are annotated with information with respect to provenance. Most of the original materials were acquired in the T.W. Norris
Collection and the Robert B. Honeyman Collection. Additions were made in October 1962, a gift of his daughter, Juanita Miller.
Additions in the form of purchases were made in February 2006.
Accruals
No additions are expected.
Processing Information
Processed by Alison E. Bridger and Brian Plimley in 2006.
Biographical Information
Born Cincinnatus Heine (or Hiner) Miller on September 8, 1837, near Liberty, Indiana. In 1852, his family moved to the Oregon
Territory and two years later at the age of 17 he went to the California gold fields. At the urging of Ina D. Coolbrith, he
changed his name to Joaquin Miller sometime around 1870.
Best know as a poet, Miller also worked as a mining camp cook, a lawyer and a judge, a newspaper writer, a conservationist,
and a Pony Express rider. Miller proclaimed himself the "Poet of the Sierras," and the "Byron of the Rockies."
Miller took poetic license to heart and stretched many of the facts of his life, sometimes even claiming to be younger than
he was. He found fame in England with many of his "tall truths."
In 1886, Joaquin began buying land above Oakland, using poetic license and naming it "The Hights." The land was later sold
by his family in 1919 to the City of Oakland and named Joaquin Miller Park.
Joaquin Miller died February 17, 1913.
Scope and Content of Collection
Contains correspondence, to and from Miller; manuscripts of writings, including poetry; clippings by and about Miller, many
about his death. Also includes a small amount of legal and financial records, tributes, programs and souvenirs, and other
miscellaneous items. Some correspondents include Andrew Carnegie, Ina D. Coolbrith, Jack London, James D. Phelan, George Sterling
and Charles Warren Stoddard.
SERIES 1
CORRESPONDENCE
1871-1913
Physical Description:
Boxes 1-2
Arrangement
Arranged into 3 subseries.
Scope and Content Note
Contains incoming, outgoing letters as well as letters about Joaquin Miller.
SUBSERIES 1.1
INCOMING
1884-1913
Physical Description:
Box 1; Box 2, folders 1-4
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically, some alphabetically by author.
Scope and Content Note
Contains incoming letters, see Partial List of Correspondents.
Box 1, Folders 1-21
General
1884-1913,
undated
Box 2, Folder 1
Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919
1911,
undated
Box 2, Folder 2
California Adjutant General's Office
1883
Box 2, Folder 3
Whitaker & Ray Wiggin Co. (publishers)
1908-1912
Box 2, Folder 4
Alphabetical by author
1890-1913
SUBSERIES 1.2
OUTGOING
1871-1913
Physical Description:
Box 2, folders 5-13
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Scope and Content Note
Contains outgoing letters, see Partial List of Correspondents.
Box 2, Folders 5-17
General
1871-1913,
undated
SUBSERIES 1.3
ABOUT JOAQUIN MILLER
1903,
1913
Physical Description:
Box 2, folder 14
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by author.
Scope and Content Note
Contains letters discussing Miller, see Partial List of Correspondents.
Box 2, Folder 19
Rossetti, Dante Gabriel to George H. Boughton
1871
SERIES 2
WRITINGS
1872-1936
Physical Description:
Boxes 3-5
Arrangement
Arranged into 2 subseries.
Scope and Content Note
Contains poetry and other manuscripts.
SUBSERIES 2.1
POETRY
1872-1936
Physical Description:
Box 3
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by title, with untitled works at the end.
Scope and Content Note
Contains manuscript poems, many untitled or fragments. Also includes preface, footnotes and appendix of Miller's complete
poetical works.
Box 3, Folders 1-29
Poems by title
circa 1880-1900
Box 3, Folders 30-38
Untitled and fragments
circa 1872-1897
Box 4, Folder 1
Preface, footnotes and appendix of complete poetical works
1897,
1936
SUBSERIES 2.2
OTHER MANUSCRIPTS
undated
Physical Description:
Boxes 4-5
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by title, then by original order.
Scope and Content Note
Contains manuscripts of other Miller writings, many of the manuscripts did not have a discernable title and are fragments
of larger works.
Box 4, Folder 20-39
Untitled and fragments
undated
Box 5, Folder 1-20
Untitled and fragments, continued
undated
SERIES 3
CLIPPINGS
1879-1967
Physical Description:
Cartons 1-2
Arrangement
Arranged into 2 subseries.
Scope and Content Note
Contains works by and about Miller and his obituaries.
SUBSERIES 3.1
WORKS BY AND ABOUT JOAQUIN MILLER
1879-1967
Physical Description:
Carton 1, folders 9-16; Carton 2, folders 1-4, 21-32
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
Scope and Content Note
Contains clippings of some of Miller's works and about Miller.
SUBSERIES 3.2
OBITUARIES
1913-1914
Physical Description:
Carton 2, folders 5-20
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
Scope and Content Note
Contains obituaries in a wide variety of newspapers, collected by his daughter.
SERIES 4
LEGAL AND FINANCIAL RECORDS
1888-1919
Physical Description:
Carton 1, folders 4-5
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
Scope and Content Note
Contains a small amount of legal and financial records.
Carton 1, Folder 5
Financial files
1888-1912
SERIES 5
MISCELLANEOUS
[circa 1888-1913]
Physical Description:
Carton 1, folders 1-3, 6-8
Arrangement
Arranged as received.
Scope and Content Note
Contains tributes, programs and souvenirs, other authors works with annotations and other miscellaneous items.
Carton 1, Folders 2-3
Programs and Souvenirs
1885,
undated
Carton 1, Folders 8
Other authors published works with annotations
undated
Cawein, Madison Julius, 1865-1914
Letter(s) to Harr Wagner, Mar. 13, 1913. Typed copy.
Coolbrith, Ina Donna, 1842-1928
Hardy, Iza Duffus, d. 1922
Hubbard, Elbert, 1856-1915
Letter(s) to George Wharton James, Aug. 4, 1903. With forwarding note from James to Harr Wagner.
Leslie, Miriam Florence (Folline), ca. 1836-1914
Markham, Edwin, 1852-1940
Telegram to Harr Wagner, May 11, 1903. Includes signed draft of Wagner's answer.
Phelan, James Duval, 1861-1930
Letter(s), July 9, 1903. Among letter sent by Miller is one addressed to Mr. Phelan.
Riley, James Whitcomb, 1849-1916
Letter(s), 1903 & 1913 (2). Includes copy of a letter addressed to Harr Wagner, written by Edmund H. Eitel for Riley.
Sterling, George, 1869-1926
Stoddard, Charles Warren, 1843-1909
Wagner, Madge (Morris) d. 1924