The William and Maymie Kimes Collection

at the John Muir National Historic Site

The John Muir Association purchased, then donated the William and Maymie Kimes Collection of literary Muiriana to the National

Park Service. The Collection is now curated at the John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, California.

The Collection includes books, magazine articles, newspaper clippings, posters, letters, and photographs. Some items are

inscribed by Muir. This presentation highlights some of the books and letters in the nearly 2,000-item Collection.

Selected items from the Collection are periodically featured in special displays at the Muir Home.

The Collection Includes:

112 books by John Muir

353 books by other authors

587 magazines and articles

54 clippings and flyers

17 postcards

Numerous photographs

40 posters

79 pamphlets & booklets

422 original and copies of letters

Miniature books

13 anthologies

1 outline of Muir's feet

40 books from Muir's library

237 Sierra Cub publications

11 Maps

Textbooks

1,985 Total Items

Inscriptions by Muir in first editions illustrate his relationship with friends, editors, scientists, and colleagues

To my friend David Douglas with kind regards of the author. John Muir

Martinez, CaliforniaOct. 30, 1894

David Douglas was a publisher in Edinburgh.The William and Maymie Kimes Collection contains 24 editions of The Mountains of California, Muir’s first book.

More Inscriptions:This book is the dedication copy, inscribed by Muir to Robert Underwood Johnson, to whom Muir dedicated the book. Johnson has noted “The corrections in pencil throughout the volume were made by Muir.” About 50 annotations were made. R.U.J. was associate editor of Century magazine, which published many of Muir's articles.

Johnson is credited with encouraging Muir to write the articles that led to the creation of Yosemite National Park. While Muir inspired the nation with his writing, Johnson published Muir’s articles, and his influential eastern friends lobbied Congress to establish the park.

Manuscript Edition Writings of John Muir

Just 750 copies of each volume were published between 1916 and 1924 and sold by subscription only. A portion of a leaf of Muir manuscript is tipped on each front flyleaf. Each volume also includes a map tipped in. The manuscript shown is tipped in Volume 7.

Muir’s 36-Volume Shakespeare Set

Muir’s notes in the endpapers refer to a page in each book. Muir likely intended these as references to re-read the passage and for his future writings.

The inscriptions could be used to study the impact of Shakespeare on Muir’s writing.

Books in the Kimes Collection

William F. Bade, literary executor of the Muir estate, published the two-volume Life and Letters of John Muir in 1924. This set was signed by Katharine Hooker. While in Southern California, Muir stayed and wrote at the Hooker home in Los Angeles.

My First Summer in the Sierra, 1911, describes Muir’s summer of 1868 as a sheepherder and explorer.

On John Muir’s second trip to Alaska

in 1880, he had a memorable adventure with a glacier and a dog. The small, “short-legged and bunchy-bodied” dog was named for the local Stickeen Indian tribe.

Muir told the story of Stickeen often and eventually produced this, his third book.

Journal of Ramblings by Joseph Le Conte

This journal records the University of California 1870 summer excursion to Yosemite. Presumably, 120 copies were printed.

This copy has the inscription of Leander L. Hawkins, possibly the Hawkins pictured on the frontispiece.

A photo of John Muir from the Kimes Collection shows Muir in his “Scribble Den,” Martinez, circa 1914. This may be one of the last photos of Muir. The picture was taken by S. L. Willard, “his personal friend,” per the inscription on the reverse.

An Original Letter

In this 1909 letter, Muir writes to his friend, A. C. Vroman, owner of Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, California. This is one of many letters Muir wrote urging people to “help us if you can” to oppose the Hetch Hetchy reservoir project.

Muir had roomed with Charles E. Vroman in 1862 at Wisconsin State University (later the University of Wisconsin).

Martinez, California

Nature is always lovely, invincible, glad, whatever is done and suffered by her creatures. All scars she heals, whether in rocks or water or sky or hearts. 

─John of the Mountains, The Unpublished Journals of John Muir

John Muir National Historic Site, present day; open for visitors

Muir Home, circa 1880s

The mission of the John Muir Association is to celebrate the life, share the vision and preserve the legacy of John Muir through education,

preservation, advocacy and stewardship, in partnership with the National Park Service at the John Muir National Historic Site.

Your gift supports the legacy of John Muir around the world.The John Muir Association is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization. Thank you!

Please consider a gift to the John Muir Association

John Muir AssociationP.O. Box 2433Martinez, CA 94553(925) 229-3857johnmuirassociation.org