Bierce, (Ambrose) Collection of Papers, 1875-1925,, bulk bulk 1890-1913

Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Title:
Collection of Ambrose Bierce papers
Dates:
1875-1925,, bulk bulk 1890-1913
Creators:
Bierce, Ambrose, 1842-1914?
Abstract:
Contains outgoing correspondence, including letters to his daughter Helen D. Cowden, a young friend Amy L. Wells, fellow writers William Chambers Morrow and James Tufts, and publisher Walter Neale. See container list for a complete listing of correspondents. Also includes a sketch of Bierce by Wells, clippings about and by Bierce, writings by Amy L. Wells, a letter to Wells asking for information pertaining to Bierce's disappearance, and poems by brother Albert Sherwood Bierce. The album of letters to Helen D. Cowden includes two photographs of Ambrose Bierce, a copy of a poem, and transcriptions of Bierce's letters to his daughter.
Extent:
Number of containers: 2 boxes, 1 volume, and 1 oversize folder Linear feet: 0.75
Language:
Collection materials are in English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Collection of Ambrose Bierce Papers, BANC MSS C-H 62, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Background

Scope and content:

Contains outgoing correspondence, including letters to his daughter Helen D. Cowden, a young friend Amy L. Wells, fellow writers William Chambers Morrow and James Tufts, and publisher Walter Neale. See container list for a complete listing of correspondents. Also includes a sketch of Bierce by Wells, clippings about and by Bierce, writings by Amy L. Wells, a letter to Wells asking for information pertaining to Bierce's disappearance, and poems by brother Albert Sherwood Bierce. The album of letters to Helen D. Cowden includes two photographs of Ambrose Bierce, a copy of a poem, and transcriptions of Bierce's letters to his daughter.

Biographical / historical:

Ambrose Bierce, born June 24, 1842 in Meigs County, Ohio, was an American author best known for his satire and supernatural stories. Many of his stories also came from his experiences serving in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

After the war, Bierce moved to San Francisco, where he worked on several publications including Overland Monthly, the San Francisco Argonaut, the Wasp, and the San Francisco Examiner. In 1896, he moved to Washington, D.C. where he lobbied for William Randolph Hearst while still contributing to many newspapers and magazines.

Bierce married Mollie Day, a wealthy miner's daughter, in 1871, and they had two sons, Day and Leigh, and a daughter, Helen. The couple separated in 1888, then divorced in 1905.

Late in 1913, Ambrose Bierce joined Pancho Villa in the Mexican Revolution, where all trace of Bierce was lost. It is believed that Bierce probably died in the battle of Ojinaya on January 11, 1914.

Acquisition information:
The Collection of Ambrose Bierce Papers were given to and purchased by The Bancroft Library from various sources over many years. Items in the collection are identified with respect to provenance on folders.
Processing information:

Re-Processed by Alison E. Bridger in 2007.

Arrangement:

Arranged to the folder level.

Accruals:

No additions are expected.

Physical location:
Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding Aid written by Alison E. Bridger
Date Prepared:
© 2007
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid generated by Finding Aid author(s) via EAD XPress; markup validated by The Bancroft Library staff using OAC validation tools; Date of source: April 2007

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, 94270-6000. Consent is given on behalf of The Bancroft Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner. See: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html.

Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Collection of Ambrose Bierce Papers, BANC MSS C-H 62, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Location of this collection:
University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
Contact:
510-642-6481
bancref-library@berkeley.edu
Website