Alice B. Toklas Collection, 1950-1965

Contents and Arrangement

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Collection Overview

Creator:

Toklas, Alice B.

Collector:

Princeton University. Library. Special Collections

Title:

Alice B. Toklas Collection

Repository:

Manuscripts Division

Permanent URL:

http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/1c18df81v

Dates:

1950-1965

Size:

1 box, 0.2 linear feet

Storage Note:

Firestone Library (scamss): Box 1

Language:

English

Abstract: Consists primarily of letters (1952-1965) Alice B. Toklas wrote to her friends Lloyd Frankenberg and his wife, the painter Loren MacIver. Toklas is best known as the life partner of writer Gertude Stein.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

Consists chiefly of twenty-three autograph letters and cards (1952-1965) by Toklas to her poet friend Lloyd Frankenberg and his wife, the painter Loren MacIver, sent from Paris, where Toklas was living. In her letters, she writes about her long-time companion Gertrude Stein, mutual friends, her meetings with actor Donald Southerland, Frankenberg's poems and books, reviews of MacIver's artwork, other poets and authors such as Rousseau and Walt Whitman, and about her arthritis, doctors' bills, the bitter cold winters in Paris, her travels to Italy, and her editors. There are two letters written to Frankenberg and his wife on behalf of Toklas by Joseph A. Barry of the New York Post. Also included are two letters (1950) by Toklas to W. C. Clifford, thanking him for a book he sent and declining an invitation.

Arrangement

The letters are arranged in chronological order.

Collection Creator Biography:

Toklas, Alice B.

Alice Babette Toklas was born in San Francisco, California. She was the life partner of writer Gertrude Stein until Stein's death in 1946. Stein published her memoirs in 1933 under the teasing ns2:title The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, which, ironically, became Stein's bestselling book. In 1954, Toklas published her own literary memoir, a book that mixed reminiscences and recipes under the ns2:title The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook, in which the most famous recipe was called "Hashisch Fudge", a mixture of fruit, nuts, spices, and "cannabis". The cookbook has not been out of print since it was published.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Letters to Frankenberg and MacIver were purchased on September 9, 1939 .

Letters to C. W. Clifford were transferred from the Division of Rare Books, where they were laid in a copy of Chicago Inscriptions by Gertrude Stein, on May 2, 2004. . AM1994-31.

Custodial History

The collection was formed as a result of a Departmental practice of combining into one collection material of various accessions relating to a particular person, family, or subject.

Appraisal

No appraisal information is available.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Dina Britain on October 12, 2007. Finding aid written by Lauren Kustner on November 9, 2007. Folder Inventory added by Hilde Creager (2015) in 2012.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

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