Main content

Sherwood Anderson Collection

Notifications

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Anderson, Sherwood, 1876-1941.

Sherwood Anderson was an American fiction writer, best known for his short story cycle Winesburg, Ohio (1919). That work had a profound influence on American fiction, and its literary voice can be heard in Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, Thomas Wolfe, John Steinbeck, and others. Anderson also wrote novels including Windy McPherson's Son and Marching Men. He married three times. Eleanor Anderson was his third wife.

James Boyd was an American historical novelist. His first book, Drums (1925), is considered by some scholars to be the best novel written about the American Revolution.

The collection consists of selected correspondence and manuscripts of Sherwood Anderson. The bulk of his correspondence is addressed to his friend, historical novelist James Boyd. In these letters Anderson writes about friendly matters, his work, and about other authors. Also included are three autograph letters by Anderson to Elmer Adler, one of which contains some biographical information.There is a letter from Mrs. Eleanor Anderson to Elmer Adler, dated August 20, 1943, requesting the return of a page of her husband's poem "The Mink." In addition, there is a photocopy of a letter by Anderson to Irving Dillard, dated April 28, 1922.

Included are an autograph manuscript page of "The Mink" and an autograph manuscript copy (8 pp.) of "Being Published," which was printed in The Colophon in February 1930. (A printed copy accompanies the manuscript.)

The collection was formed as a result of a Departmental practice of combining into one collection material of various accessions relating to a particular person, family, or subject.

Letters to James Boyd were a gift of Mrs. James Boyd in November 1947 (AM15128, 22084, 1999-108).

This collection was processed by Dina Britain on April 24, 2009. Finding aid written by Lauren Kustner on April 28, 2009. Folder Inventory added by Hilde Creager (2015) in 2012.

No appraisal information is available.

Publisher
Manuscripts Division
Finding Aid Date
2009
Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. No further photoduplication of copies of material in the collection can be made when Princeton University Library does not own the original. Inquiries regarding publishing material from the collection should be directed to RBSC Public Services staff through the Ask Us! form. The library has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.

Collection Inventory

Manuscripts of "Being Published", "On Being Published", "The Mink (1st leaf only), 3 Letters to Elmer Adler, Letter from Mrs. Anderson to Adler, 1929-1943. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

14 Letters from Sherwood Anderson to James Boyd, 1937-1940. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Letter from Sherwood Anderson to Irving Dillard (photocopy), 1 photograph from Sherwood Anderson to Dillard, 1922. 1 folder.
Physical Description

1 folder

Print, Suggest