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Collection Data
- Description
- The May Sarton Papers at the Berg Collection cover the years 1846-1995 (bulk dates 1920-1995) and are housed in 188 boxes (47 linear feet), plus oversized material. They include manuscripts, correspondence, personal notebooks, artwork, handmade collections, anthologies and commonplace books as well as family papers and photographs. They also include professional papers, theater-related materials, translations, and work inspired by May Sarton.
- Names
- Sarton, May, 1912-1995 (Creator)
- Dominique, Jean François (Contributor)
- Le Gallienne, Eva, 1899-1991 (Contributor)
- Sarton, Eleanor Mabel, 1878-1950 (Contributor)
- Sarton, George, 1884-1956 (Contributor)
- Sarton, May, 1912-1995 (Author)
- Apprentice Theatre (Contributor)
- Associated Actors Theatre, Inc. (Contributor)
- Civic Repertory Theatre, Inc. (Contributor)
- Dates / Origin
- Date Created: 1846 - 1995
- Library locations
- Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature
- Shelf locator: Berg Coll MSS Sarton
- Genres
- writings (documents)
- Notebooks
- Lectures
- Interviews
- Clippings
- Correspondence
- Art
- Photographs
- Notes
- Biographical/historical: Eleanor May Sarton was born May 2, 1912 in Wondelgem, Belgium and raised in Cambridge, MA. She was the daughter of George Sarton, the historian of science, and Eleanor Mabel Elwes Sarton, an artist and designer.
May Sarton began her career in theater, first as an apprentice in Eva Le Gallienne's Civic Repertory Theatre in New York (1929-34) and then as the founder and director of the Associated Actors Theatre (1934-37). She published her first book, a volume of poetry entitled Encounter in April, in 1937 and her first novel, The Single House, in 1938. Her works also include journals and film scripts.
Throughout her career Sarton taught, read and lectured extensively across the United States. She received awards and grants from the Poetry Society of America, The Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation. In addition, she received the American Book Award and honorary doctorates from Bates College, Colby College, the University of New Hampshire, the University of Maine, Bowdoin College, Union College and Bucknell University among others.
She died on July 16, 1995.
- Content: The May Sarton Papers at the Berg Collection cover the years 1846 - 1995 (bulk dates 1920 - 1995) and are housed in 188 boxes (47 linear feet). They include manuscripts, correspondence, personal notebooks, artwork, handmade collections, anthologies and commonplace books as well as family papers and photographs. They also include professional papers, theater-related materials, translations, and work inspired by May Sarton.
For additional Sarton material, including manuscripts, journals, correspondence, and portraits, see the Berg Collection card catalog (Room 320), or the Dictionary Catalog of the Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1969, 5 vols., plus 2 supplements published in 1975 and 1983, available in many research libraries. Most of the material described in the card catalog was puchased in 1972 from May Sarton and complements the material described in this guide.
- Physical Description
- Extent: 188 boxes 47 linear feet
- Type of Resource
- Text
- Identifiers
- Other local Identifier: Berg Coll MSS Sarton
- NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b15562950
- MSS Unit ID: 19101
- Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): c6aaec70-fa3e-013e-d01b-0242ac110004
