Samuel L. Clemens Book Collection

It's been far too long since my last post, I've been writing grants for the last month so the blog has been neglected...but not forgotten. Below is one of the gems in the MTL collection. If I ever get funding I'll share each and every notation in this very personal collection.



300 books remain from the several thousands Clemens originally donated to the Mark Twain Library. A good number of them contain notes Clemens wrote himself, some of them are critical, some offer praise, others are simply a glimpse of a man who seems to have realized he was a legend in his own time & that others would be reading his notes at some point in the future.

The note above reads: "To Jean Clemens with her Father's love. Sept. 1903"



This is from the Guestbook it reads: "The Guestbook of Dear Uncle Mark. From his most affectionate niece. -Mary Rogers"

Reply: "Mary, you are just a dear! This the opinion of your oldest and best uncle-Mark. December 26, 1908."