The Elizabeth Jenks Clark Collection of Margaret Anderson contains correspondence, writings, photographs, sound recordings, and other papers of writer and editor Margaret Anderson. The material documents Anderson's life, work, and personal relationships with many noted writers, poets, artists, photographers and performers of the twentieth century, in particular her romantic relationships with co-editor and writer Jane Heap, writer Solita Solano and close friendship with sculptor Elizabeth Jenks Clark. The papers span the entirety of Anderson's life, though the bulk of them document her personal and professional life after the Little Review. The papers are a unique resource on Anderson's personal life in France, including her friendship and studies with George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff and participation in The Rope. A portion of the papers also document publishing the Little Review and provide context for Anderson's role as founder and editor of the magazine.
Correspondence, writings and photographs comprise the bulk of the papers. Personal correspondence illuminates Anderson's close friendships, romantic relationships and professional pursuits. Letters between Anderson and her friends, namely Clark, Solano, Jane Heap, Dorothy Caruso, Georgette Leblanc, Janet Flanner, and Kathryn Hulme, reveal not only the deep love and friendship among the women but also capture the experience of their lesbian relationships through the middle of the twentieth century. Correspondence regarding Anderson's writings reveal her creative process and the criticism that she sought and rejected from her friends, including publisher Coburn Britton. Correspondence is throughout the first and second series.
Anderson's writings include drafts for books and other writings and are heavily annotated, often including notes by Anderson and Solano, who acted as editor for much of her work. Photographs include portraits that appeared in the Little Review and snapshots of friends and family. Writings by others include poems by Solita Solano and Georgette Leblanc and a collection of humorous drawings by Leblanc. Also included is a draft of Anderson and Solano's English translation of Leblanc's memoir Souvenirs: My Life with Maeterlinck . Sound recordings include interviews with Anderson's family and friends. Anderson's personal papers and Mathilda Hill's research material on Anderson make up the smallest portion of the papers. Mathilda Hills's holograph notes describing Anderson's papers can be found throughout the collection.