Kimes John Muir Literary Collection

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The New Home for the Kimes John Muir Collection
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The John Muir Association has acquired the
2000-item Kimes John Muir Literary Collection.
The Collection is ideal for local and regional
educational use. A home is needed for the books,
magazine articles, newspaper clippings, posters,
letters, and photographs. Some items are
inscribed by Muir. Can you help us achieve this
goal?
The present building at the John Muir National
Historic Site, Martinez, Calif., is a former
veterinary clinic with very limited space for
display, study, interpretation and administration.
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The Collection Includes
40 Posters
11 Maps
112 Books by John Muir
79 Pamphlets booklets
Textbooks
353 Books by other authors
422 Original copies of letters
587 Magazines articles
Miniature books
54 Clippings flyers
13 Anthologies
1,985Total
17 Postcards
1 Outline of Muirs feet
Photographs
40 Books from Muirs library
237 Sierra Club publications
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• Imagine A Day in the Life of the New Education
  Center
• A local high school student is at a table in the
  multi-purpose room studying material for a term
  paper on Muirs refusal to use insecticides at
  the fruit ranch.
• The part-time librarian/curator comes in Tuesday,
  Thursday, and Saturday for a half day to inspect
  and catalog new materials and for appointments
  with students.
•  Wall posters show scenes around Dunbar,
  Scotland, a contemporary photo exhibit donated by
  the Dunbar John Muir Association.
•  A secure case in the interpretation/reception
  room exhibits geology texts owned by Muir and
  loaned by the Muir-Hanna Trust.
•  Several unique examples of Muirs literary work
  are out on loan from the Site to institutions
  such as the University of Wisconsin and the
  University of the Pacific, and items on loan to
  the Site are shown in the secure display cases.
•  A visiting scholar, sponsored by a foundations
  annual gift, studies revisions Muir made in
  successive editions of one of his books.

• Someone, anywhere, accesses the Education Center
  inventory through the Site Web page and leaves a
  message on the bulletin board.
•  The California Historical Society and the
  Commonwealth Club have scheduled evening meetings
  at the Site this week.

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Inscriptions by Muir in first editions can be
used to study his relationship with friends,
editors, scientists, and colleagues
To my friend David Douglas with kind regards of
the author. John Muir Martinez,
California Oct. 30, 1894
David Douglas was a publisher in Edinburgh. The
JMA Kimes Collection contains 24 editions of
Mountains of California, Muirs first book.
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More Inscriptions
This book is the dedication copy, inscribed by
Muir to Robert Underwood Johnson, to whom Muir
dedicated the book. Johnson has noted The
corrections in pencil throughout the volume were
made by Muir. About 50 annotations were made.
R. U. J. was associate editor of Century
magazine, which published many of Muir's
articles. Johnson is credited with encouraging
Muir to write the articles which led to the
creation of Yosemite National Park. While Muir
inspired the nation with his writing, Johnson
published Muirs articles, and his influential
eastern friends lobbied Congress to establish the
park.
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Manuscript Edition - The Writings of John Muir
Just 750 copies of each volume were published
between 1916 and 1924 and sold by subscription
only. A portion of a leaf of Muir manuscript is
tipped on each front flyleaf. Each volume also
includes a map tipped in. The manuscript shown
is tipped in Volume 7.
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Muirs 36 volume Shakespeare Set
Muirs notes in the endpapers refer to a page in
each book. Muir likely intended these as
references to re-read the passage and for his
future writings.
The inscriptions could be used to study the
impact of Shakespeare on Muirs writing.
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Books in the Collection
William F. Bade, literary executor of the Muir
estate, published the two-volume Life and
Letters of John Muir in 1924. This set was
signed by Katharine Hooker. While in Southern
California, Muir stayed and wrote at the Hooker
home in Los Angeles. My First Summer in the
Sierra, 1911, describes Muirs summer of 1868 as
a sheepherder and explorer.
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On John Muirs second trip to Alaska, in 1880,
(he made a total of seven trips there) he had a
memorable adventure with a glacier and a dog.
The small, short-legged and bunchy-bodied dog
was named for the local Stickeen Indian tribe.
Muir told the Stickeen story often and
eventually produced this, his third book.
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This journal records the University of California
1870 summer excursion to Yosemite. Presumably
120 copies were printed. This copy has the
inscription of Leander L. Hawkins, possibly the
Hawkins pictured on the frontispiece.
Journal of Ramblings by Joseph Le Conte
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A photo of John Muir in his Scribble Den,
Martinez, circa 1914. This may be one of the
last photos of Muir. The picture was taken by S.
L. Willard, his personal friend, per the
inscription on the reverse.
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An Original Letter
In this 1909 letter, Muir writes to his friend,
A. C. Vroman, owner of Vromans Bookstore in
Pasadena, California. This is one of many
letters Muir wrote urging people to help us if
you can to oppose the Hetch Hetchy reservoir
project. Muir had roomed with Charles E. Vroman
in 1862 at Wisconsin State University (later
Univ. of Wisconsin).
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Please help us build the new Education Center
at the John Muir National
Historic Site, Martinez, California
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Please consider one of these gift ideas for the
new Education Center

• A gift of appreciated stock, cash, or property.
  Stock can be transferred easily to the JMMA
  Schwab account you will receive a tax credit for
  the current value less acquisition cost.
• Memorial Gifts For a Loved One. A memorial
  Contribution is a thoughtful tribute to the
  memory of deceased relatives and friends. The
  Association will send an acknowledgement letter
  to the donor and appropriate family members as
  directed.
• Addition of the John Muir Memorial Association
  to your will or Living Trust.
• Thank you!

John Muir Association P.O. Box 2433 Martinez, CA
94553 925-229-3857