Finding aid to the Mary Austin Collection MS.605
Library and Archives at the Autry
210 South Victory Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91502
rroom@theautry.org
Contributing Institution:
Library and Archives at the Autry
Title: Mary Hunter Austin Collection
Creator:
Austin, Mary Hunter
Identifier/Call Number: MS.605
Physical Description:
0.5 Linear Feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1868 - 1954
Language of Material:
English
.
Conditions Governing Access
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of published articles and biographies by Austin; reviews and interviews about Austin or her work;
correspondence with Charles Fletcher Lummis and Frederick Webb Hodge; a book prospectus; and advertisements promoting her
publications.
Biographical Note
Mary Hunter Austin (born 1868 September 9 in Carlinville, Illinois; died 1934 August 13 in Santa Fe, New Mexico) was the fourth
of six children born to George and Susannah (Graham) Hunter. Austin graduated from Blackburn College in 1888. Her family moved
to California in the same year and established a homestead in the San Joaquin Valley. She married Stafford Wallace Austin
on 1891 May 18 in Bakersfield, California. He was from Hawaii and a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley.
For 17 years Austin made a special study of Indian life in the Mojave Desert, and her publications set forth the intimate
knowledge she thus acquired. She was a prolific novelist, poet, critic, and playwright, as well as an early feminist, suffragist,
and defender of Native American and Spanish-American rights. She is best known for her tribute to the deserts of California,
The Land of Little Rain (1903). Her play,
The Arrow Maker, dealing with Indian life, was produced at the New Theatre (New York), in 1911, the same year she published a rhapsodic tribute
to her acquaintance H.G. Wells as a producer of "informing, vitalizing, indispensable books" in the
American Magazine.
Mary Hunter Austin wrote about her Independence, California home in
The Land of Little Rain.
Austin and her husband were involved in the local California Water Wars, in which the water of Owens Valley was eventually
drained to supply Los Angeles. When their battle was lost, he moved to Death Valley, California, and she moved to Carmel,
California. There, she was part of a social circle that included Jack London, Ambrose Bierce, and George Sterling and was
one of the founders of the Forest Theater.
In 1929, while living in New Mexico, Austin co-authored a book with photographer Ansel Adams. Published a year later, the
book,
Taos Pueblo, was printed in a limited edition of only 108 copies. It is now quite rare because it included actual photographs made by
Adams rather than reproductions.
Mount Mary Austin, in the Sierra Nevada, was named in her honor. It is located 8.5 miles west of her longtime home in Independence,
California. A biography of Austin by Helen McKnight Doyle was published in 1939.
References:
Hammond, Ann (2002).
Ansel Adams: Devine Performance. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
"Mount Mary Austin".
Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved from http://geonames.usgs.gov
McKnight Doyle, H. (1939).
Mary Austin: Woman of genius. New York, NY: Gotham House.
Preferred Citation
Mary Hunter Austin Collection, 1868-1954, Braun Research Library Collection, Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles; MS.605; [folder number] [folder
title] [date].
Processing Information
Processed by Glenna Schroeder, circa 1977-1981. Revised by Sarah Buchanan, 2007. Finding aid updated by Anna Liza Posas 2012
July. Final processing of collection and publication of finding aid made possible by a grant from the National Historical
Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright has not been assigned to the Autry Museum of the American West. All requests for permission to publish or quote
from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Research Services and Archives. Permission for publication is
given on behalf of the Autry Museum of the American West as the custodian 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.
Acquisition Information
Assembled by Southwest Museum Library staff, circa 1977.
Custodial History
Several of the articles were originally from MS. 7
Frederick Webb Hodge Collection. Per a 1923 index for the Hodge Collection, the are articles were originally part of folder 622. Other parts of the Mary
Austin Collection also comes from MS.4
George Wharton James Collection and the Southwest Museum Library general acquisition fund. The
Mary Austin Collection was assembled by Southwest Museum Library staff circa 1977.
- Biographical information, 1908-1954
- Correspondence and ephemera, 1899-1933
- Published writings by Austin, 1899-1934
- Reviews of Austin's work, 1931, 1934
Related Materials
Related archival materials:
Papers of Mary Hunter Austin, 1845-1950 (bulk 1920-1934) (mssAU 1-5456). The Henry E. Huntington Library, Art Collections,
and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, California.
Carey McWilliams Collection of Material About Mary Hunter Austin (Collection 278). Department of Special Collections, Charles
E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Advertisements
Poetry
Biography
Correspondence
Clippings
Reviews
Hodge, Frederick Webb
Lummis, Charles Fletcher
Biographical information
1908-1954
Language of Material: English.
folder 1
Interview of Austin by Helen Zimmern
1908
Scope and Contents
Interview is about Mary Austin's first trip to Europe in 1908. Zimern sent a transcript of the interview to Lummis with hopes
for publication.
folder 2
Articles about Austin
1916-1933
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
Articles include, in order of date:
- "Mary Austin Divorced in Spirit Clash"
San Francisco Examiner, 1916 March 19.
- "The American Rhythm"
El Palacio, volume 14, number 7, 1923 April 2.
- "Mary Austin's Autobiography..." by Wilbur Needham,
Touring Topics 1933 January.
- "Mary Austin: One of America's Distinguished Women", flyer printed by World Celebrities from Portland, Oregon in association
with the National Recovery Administration (NRA). Flyer includes biographical information and a list of lecture subjects to
be given by Austin, 1933 October.
- "Mary Austin is Guest in Pasadena"
Pasadena Star News, 1933 October 24.
- "The Lee Side O' L.A.", by Lee Shippey,
Los Angeles Times, 1933 November 1. Article was part of regular newspaper series.
folder 3
Articles about Austin
1934
Scope and Contents
Articles include, in order of date:
- "A Californian of Some Importance: Mary Austin"
Westways, volume 26, number 2, 1934 February.
- "Mary Austin: Genius of the West",
Saturday Night , Los Angeles, California, 1934 August 25.
- "Mary Hunter Austin: 1868-1934" by Carl Van Doren,
New York Herald Tribune Books , 1934 August 26.
- "Mary Austin: A Portrait" by Elizabeth Shepley published in
Sergeant Saturday Review , 1934 September 8. Folder include 2 copies of this article.
- "Mary Austin" by Carey McWilliams,
Los Angeles Times, 1934 September 14.
- "To Mary Austin" poem by Elsie Long,
Saturday Night , 1934 September 15.
- "Mary Austin: Literary Mystic" by George Richmond Grose,
Pasadena Star News , 1934 September 22.
- "Farewell to an Artist" by Phil Townsend Hanna,
Westways, volume 26, number 10, 1934 October.
folder 4
Articles about Austin
1939-1954
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
Articles include, in order of date:
- "Mary Austin's Casa Querida" by Ina Sizer Cassidy,
New Mexico Daily Examiner, 1939 June 12.
- "California's Stately Hall of Fame" by Rockwell D. Hunt,
Los Angeles Times, 1941 January 19.
- "Genius Mary Austin's Beloved House" by Perry Worden,
Pasadena Star News, 1940 June 15.
- "State Marker Prepared for Writer's Home"
Los Angeles Times , 1954 February 14.
- Clippings in scrapbook, unknown publications, undated.
Correspondence and ephemera
1899-1933
Language of Material: English.
folder 5
Prospectus for limited edition book on Taos by Ansel Adams and Mary Austin
circa 1930
folders 6-14
Frederick Webb Hodge correspondence
1899-1933
folder 15
Charles Fletcher Lummis correspondence
1901-1908, 1924
folder 16
Letter to Eve Lummis from Austin
1908 September 7
Scope and Contents
Written during Austin's first visit to Italy and Paris.
folder 17
Partial letter from Austin to unknown person
undated
Published writings by Austin
1899-1934
folder 18
Fiction
1902-1903
1920
Scope and Contents
Works include, in order of title:
- "The Crooked Fir",
El Palacio, volume 8, number 7-8, 1920 July.
- "The Last Antelope",
Atlantic Monthly, volume 92, number 549, 1903 July.
- "The Little Coyote",
Atlantic Monthly , volume 89, number 532, 1902 February.
- "The Search for Jean Baptiste",
St. Nicholas, volume 30, number 11, 1903 September.
folder 19
Nonfiction, articles
1914
1931
Scope and Contents
Works include, in order of title:
- "Points of View: New Mexican Spanish",
Saturday Review, 1931 June 27.
-
Suffrage and Government:the Modern Idea of Government by Consent and Woman's place in it, with special reference to Nevada
and other Western States
. Published for the Nevada Equal Franchise Society by the National American Woman Suffrage Association, 1914.
folder 20
Nonfiction, book reviews by Austin
1931-1934
Scope and Contents
Works include, in order of title:
- "Aboriginal Fiction: Review of Tales of the North American Indian", by Stith Thompson,
Saturday Review, volume 6, number 23, 1929 December 28.
- "Woman Sees Steel",
El Palacio, volume 10, number 9,1921 April 1.
- "Fighting Men of the West",
Saturday Review, 1932 June 25.
folder 21
Nonfiction, editorials
1911
1929
Scope and Contents
Works include, in order of title:
- "An Appreciation of H G Wells, Novelist",
American Magazine, volume 72, number 6, 1911 October.
- "How I Found the Thing Worth Waiting For",
Survey Graphic, volume 14, number 4, 1929 January. 3 copies.
folder 22
Nonfiction, Native American arts
1928-1934
Scope and Contents
Works include, in order of title:
- "American Indian Dance Drama",
Yale Review, volume 19, number 4, June 30
- "Indian Arts for lndians",
Survey Graphic, volume 8, number 4, 1928 July.
- "Indian Poetry",
Exposition of Indian Tribal Arts, 1931.
- "Indian Pottery of the Rio Grande",
Enjoy your museum series booklet, 1934.
folder 23
Poetry
1899-1936
Scope and Contents
Works include, in order of title:
- "The Burgher's Wife", before 1934.
- "Litany for New Mexico", before 1936.
- "Little Light Moccasin",
Southern Workman, volume 29, number 4, 1900 April.
- "Little Light Moccasin",
Sunday Herald Baltimore, 1899 September 24.
- "The Rocky Mountain Sheep",
St. Nicholas, volume 27, number, 1900 September 11.
- "When I am Dead" posthumous publication by estate, circa 1934.
folder 24
Reviews of Austin's work
1931
1934
Scope and Contents
Reviews include, in order of title:
- "Can A Prayer be Answered",
New York Times Book Review, 1934 July 29.
- "Starry Adventure" reviews, 1931. Includes reviews from by Oliver La Farge,
Saturday Review, 1931 June 6; Mary Ross,
New York Herald Tribune Books, 1931 May 17; and Margaret Wallace,
New York Times, 1931 May 31.