Guide to the Clark Ashton Smith papers, 1911-1961

John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148
Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Published in 2024

Collection Overview

Title:	Clark Ashton Smith papers
Date range:	1911-1961
Creator:	Smith, Clark Ashton, 1893-1961
Extent:	25 linear feet
Abstract:	Clark Ashton Smith (1893-1961) was a fantasy writer, a poet, translator, sculptor, and painter. His papers, which reflect his wide-ranging interests, consist of approximately 8000 items and include, among other items, his correspondence; many working manuscripts of his writings, some of which remain unpublished; financial and legal documents; published material consisting of periodicals of his own work; and other published matter which concerns Smith or which he himself collected. As with most personal manuscript collections, the Smith Papers contain a large amount of personal letters from friends and acquaintances, transactions. between book and magazine publishers concerning the publication or rejection of his work, purchases by fans of books and artwork by Smith (most of which he marketed himself), and other correspondence.
Repository:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Collection number:	Ms.79.3

Scope & content

Among the more valuable items found in this collection are Smith's working manuscripts. Consisting of over 200 items of fiction--mostly in the form of carbon copies--these manuscripts include some of his most famous tales of fantasy. Included also are a number of original manuscripts (hand written and typewritten) of his juvenalia, prose poems (some of which are unpublished or never collected into his volume Poems in Prose), and other fiction. Some of the fantasy tales bear the date of writing, and others bear annotations and revisions by Smith and others to whom he sent the manuscripts before publication.

The poetry manuscripts (nearly 1000 items) are largely handwritten rough drafts, some scribbled on envelopes and other odd scraps of paper. A few, unfortunately, were partly damaged by the fire which struck Smith's home in 1957. The poems are in English, French, Spanish and Latin. Many drafts of Smith's translations of French and Spanish poetry exist; of particular note are his translations of Baudelaire, which run the gamut from literal prose translations to rough drafts to final drafts.

Few non-fiction manuscripts exist, but included among them are several drafts of Smith's memoir of the eminent American poet Geroge Sterling (with whom he had engaged in lengthy correspondence) and essays on the aesthetics of poetry and fantasy fiction.

Book-length manuscripts include original typescripts or carbon copies of several of his published books--The Hill of Dionysus, Selected Poems, etc.--and other colelctions of unpublished tales or poems. Most of these latter were prepared by Smith, Mrs. Clark Ashton after her husband's death.

There are numerous letters from noted figures in modern fantasy and science fiction, including Derleth, August, Wandrei, Donald, Lovecraft, H.P., Wollheim, Donald A., Howard, Robert E., Barlow, R.H., Bradbury, Ray, Sprague de Camp, L., Cockcroft, T.G.L., Kuttner, Henry, Carter, Lin, Crawford, William L., Miller, William Jr. and others as well. In addition, the colelction includes correspondence from personal friends (Sully, Genevieve K., Heiple, Ethel, Novack, Marilyn, Mihan, Leo, Bender, Albert M. and others) and correspondence from various publishers (Farrar, Straus & Co.
, Weird Tales, Wonder Stories, Poetry, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Esquire and others). Much of the correspondence discusses Lovecraft, H.P., Sterling, George and other important literary figures. Much light is also shed on the writing and publication of Smith's own work.

Appended to the correspondence by or to Smith is correspondence received by Smith's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Timeus Smith. This small series consists largely of greeting cards received over the years from friends and acquaintances.

The printed material within the collection consists of periodicals or tearsheets of periodicals containing Smith's work; newspaper clippings of Smith's poetry; whole issues of newspapers (particularly the Auburn Journal, San Francisco Examiner, and other San Francisco Chronicle); and many book catalogs, some from France, others from Germany, Spain and Holland. Finally, there are a great number of photographs of Smith, his family, and his artwork, and old photographs apparently collected by Smith's parents.

Access Points

Subject Topics

• Science fiction, American -- 20th century
• Fantasy fiction, American
• Language and Literature

Arrangement

Series I. Correspondence

• Series I. Subseries A. Correspondence to or from Clark Ashton Smith and Carol Jones (Dorman) Smith
• Series I. Subseries B. Correspondence to or from Mr. and Mrs. Timeus Smith

Series II. Fiction Manuscripts

Series III. Poetry

Series IV. Non-Fiction Manuscripts

Series V. Translations

• Series V. Subseries A. Translations from Baudelaire
• Series V. Subseries B. Translations from Other Authors

Series VI. Manuscripts: Monographs and Collections

Series VII. Miscellaneous Manuscripts

• Series VII. Subseries A. Lists and notes by C. A. Smith
• Series VII. Subseries B. Lists and notes by Mrs. Clark Ashton Smith and others
• Series VII. Subseries C. Documents

Series VIII. Visual Material

• Series VIII. Subseries A. Photographs and negatives
• Series VIII. Subseries B. Drawings, sketches and other illustrations
• Series VIII. Subseries C. Printed illustrations

Series IX. Printed Material

• Series IX. Subseries A. Newspaper clippings concerning Smith
• Series IX. Subseries B. Periodicals or periodical clippings concerning Smith
• Series IX. Subseries C. Newspapers or clippings not concerning Smith
• Series IX. Subseries D. Periodicals not concerning Smith
• Series IX. Subseries E. Broadsides and catalogs
• Series IX. Subseries F. Books or Portions of Books

Series X. Material by Others

• Series X. Subseries A. Correspondence
• Series X. Subseries B. Manuscripts

Series XI. Appendix

• Series XI. Subseries A. C. A. Smith-George Sterling correspondence
• Series XI. Subseries B. Other transcripts and photocopies

Series XII. Supplement (Materials Received in 1981)

Biographical/Historical Note

Clark Ashton Smith was born in
Auburn, California and spent most of his life there. Wholly self-educated, he earned his living not by writing, but primarily as an unskilled laborer, working as a fruit picker or at whatever other odd jobs he could secure. Except for his writing, his life was uneventful. He died in his sleep at the age of 68.

• 1893 - Born in Auburn, California, on January 13.
• 1904 - Begins the writing of poetry.
• 1905 - Begins the writing of fiction.
• 1911 - Begins correspondence with George Sterling.
• 1912 - The Star-Treader and Other Poems, published this year, throws Smith into immediate fame.
• 1918 - Published Odes and Sonnets. Introduction by George Sterling.
• 1922 - Ebony and Crystal: Poems in Verse and Prose. H.P. Lovecraft begins corresponding with Smith after receipt of this volume from Samuel Loveman.
• 1925 - Sandalwood (poems).
• 1929 - Begins writing fiction extensively for Weird Tales, Wonder Stories and other pulp magazines.
• 1931 - Begins correspondence with August Derleth and is later published by Derleth's firm, Arkham House.
• 1933 - The Double Shadow and Other Fantasies. First collection of fiction.
• 1935 - Death of Smith's mother.
• 1936 - Death of Smith's father.
• 1937 - Nero and Other Poems, poems selected and revised from The Star-Treader.
• 1942 - Out of Space and Time (fiction).
• 1944 - Lost Worlds (fiction).
• 1948 - Genius Loci and Other Tales.
• 1951 - The Dark Chateau and Other Poems.
• 1954 - Marries Carol Jones Dorman after a brief romance.
• 1957 - Fire in Smith's cabin burns many manuscripts.
• 1958 - Spells and Philtres (poems).
• 1960 - The Abomination of Yondo (fiction).
• 1961 - Death of Smith in August.
• 1962 - The Hill of Dionysus (poems).
• 1964 - Poems in Prose. Edited by Donald Sydney Fryer.
• 1965 - Tales of Science and Sorcery.
• 1970 - Other Dimensions (fiction).
• 1971 - Selected Poems.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Use of the materials:	Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them
Preferred citation:	Clark Ashton Smith papers, Ms. 79.3, Brown University Library
Contact information:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148 Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	The Clark Ashton Smith Papers were donated to the Brown University Library by the Estate of Clark Ashton Smith (administrator, Richard Kuhn) in December 1977.
Processing information:	The descriptive comments about individual documents appearing in the inventory reflect only those items and topics appearing within the collection that two processors feel to be of research importance. It is quite likely that other items and topics of historical or literary importance are in the collection but are not described. Researchers, therefore, should search the manuscripts themselves for topics or items not covered below. As such, we encourage researchers to examine carefully the actual manuscripts to insure that all items of potential research significance are identified.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Mark Brown
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-06-06.
Descriptive rules:	Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Related material:

Related Materials Howard P. Lovecraft Collection, Manuscript Collection Ms.Lovecraft, Brown University Library Alfred Galpin Papers, Manuscript Collection Ms.2016.003, Brown University Library Kenneth W. Faig, Jr. archive on Robert H. Barlow, Manuscript Collection Ms.2018.019, Brown University Library

Inventory

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