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Anais Nin Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MS14

  • Staff Only
  • No requestable containers

Scope and Contents

The Anaïs Nin Collection contains manuscripts, proofs and galleys for much of Nin's writing from 1925-1964. Included are early unpublished works, short stories, unfinished novels and plays, and various stages of major works, namely, Under a Glass Bell, House of Incest, Winter of Artifice, Children of the Albatross, Ladders to Fire, Spy in the House of Love, Collages and Seduction of the Minotaur. Her first critical book, D.H. Lawrence: An Unprofessional Study, is also here. Much of the material has been proof-read by Henry Miller and has his notes.

Dates

  • 1925-1964

Creator

Language of Materials

English

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on use of the materials in the department for research; all patrons must comply with federal copyright regulations.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright for materials resides with the literary executors of Anaïs Nin. All users must comply with federal copyright regulations.

Biographical Information

Anaïs Nin (February 21, 1903-January 14, 1977) was born in Neuilly, France, but moved to New York City with her mother and brothers after her parents separated. She abandoned formal education to work as a model. In 1923 she married Hugh Parker Guiler, moved to Paris with him, and embarked on her writing career. Her first published work was a critical study of D.H. Lawrence, D.H. Lawrence: An Unprofessional Study. Nin began writing erotica in the 1940s, the most famous of which was Delta of Venus. She wrote explicitly about her fantasies as well as her sexual experiences in extensive diaries which spanned nearly six decades, including details about intimate friendships and passionate relationships with leading literary figures including Henry Miller, Edmund Wilson, Gore Vidal, James Agee, and Lawrence Durrell. After her death, her second husband, Rupert Pole, arranged for the unexpurgated publication of her diaries which became more acclaimed than any of her other writing.

Extent

11 Boxes

Abstract

The Anaïs Nin Collection contains manuscripts, proofs and galleys for much of Nin's writing from 1925-1964. Included are early unpublished works, short stories, unfinished novels and plays, and various stages of major works, namely, Under a Glass Bell, House of Incest, Winter of Artifice, Children of the Albatross, Ladders to Fire, Spy in the House of Love, Collages and Seduction of the Minotaur. Her first critical book, D.H. Lawrence: An Unprofessional Study, is also here. Much of the material has been proof-read by Henry Miller and has his notes.

Arrangement

The Anais Nin Collection is organized into: early unpublished material; Under a Glass Bell; House of Incest; Winter of Artifice; Children of the Albatross; Ladders to Fire, Four Chambered Heart; Spy in the House of Love, Solar Barque, Seduction of the Minotaur; and D.H. Lawrence: An Unprofessional Study. Realism and reality.

An addition contains additional correspondence of Nin and others.

Acquisition Information

The materials in the Nin Collection were acquired from Anaïs Nin between 1952 and 1964. The series of correspondence between her and Northwestern University Library staff from 1951-1974 has also been processed as part of the collection. The contents of folders 1-8 in the Series 9 addition, Box 11, which includes all correspondence by Nin and Ian Hugo to Myron Wood, Edward Titus, and "Marcia" were purchased October 1969. The letter found in folder 9 from Nin to Robert Kirsch, ca. 1966, was purchased May 2011. Ian Hugo's 1946 letter to Oscar Baradinsky in folder 10 was purchased in 2010.

Related Materials

The McCormick Library holds additional Anaïs Nin correspondence which is not a part of this collection.

Processing Information

Processed by Nancy Zee in 1973 and revised by Ellen V. Howe in 1976. Holograph corrections and comments in the original finding aide were made by Anaïs Nin's biographer Noel Riley Fitch in 1991. Revisions to the encoded finding aid were made by Sigrid Pohl Perry in February 2006.

The entire collection has been microfilmed and a copy of the master may be ordered.

Addition processed by Benn P. Joseph, 2011.

Title
Guide to the Anais Nin Collection
Author
Finding Aid Authors: Benn P. Joseph.
Date
1973-01-01
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
The collection description/finding aid is written in English

Library Details

Part of the Charles Deering McCormick Library of Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Deering Library, Level 3
1970 Campus Drive
Evanston IL 60208-2300 US
847-491-3635