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
Miniature books
353 books by other
authors
13 anthologies
587 magazines and
articles
54 clippings and flyers
1 outline of Muir's feet
40 books from Muir's
library
17 postcards
237 Sierra Cub
publications
Numerous photographs
11 Maps
40 posters
Textbooks
79 pamphlets & booklets
422 original and copies
of letters
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, California
Oct. 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, “shortlegged and bunchybodied” dog was
named for the local
Stickeen Indian tribe.
Muir told the story of
Stickeen often and
eventually produced
this, his third book.
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.
Journal of Ramblings by Joseph Le Conte
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
Muir Home, circa 1880s
John Muir National Historic Site,
present day; open for visitors
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
Please consider a gift to the John Muir Association
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!
John Muir Association
P.O. Box 2433
Martinez, CA 94553
(925) 229-3857
johnmuirassociation.org