THE MARK TWAIN ARCHIVE

Quarry Farm parlor image

The Elmira College Mark Twain Archive

The Archive, in conjunction with the Center for Mark Twain Studies, affords scholars the uniquely rewarding experience of ready access to a collection of primary and secondary materials on Twain as well as the opportunity to live and work in the same home, Quarry Farm, where Twain spent some of his most productive summers in the 1870s and 1880s.

ACCESS THE FULL MARK TWAIN ARCHIVE
In addition to various editions of Twain’s work, the collection includes photographs, books from Twain’s library and the library at Quarry Farm, books and articles written about him, and microfilms of letters and manuscripts from the Mark Twain collections at the Bancroft Library in Berkeley, the Mark Twain Memorial in Hartford, Vassar College and the Huntington Library. Through the generosity of friends over the years, the collection has also acquired a fine collection of Mark Twain titles in languages other than English, the Love Collection of framed photographs and autographs, correspondence between Twain and members of his Elmira circle such as E.M. VanAken, Dr. Frank Darby and Julia Jones Beecher, letters written by Twain at the end of his life and other photographs and memorabilia that add greatly to the scope and interest of the collection.

Includes complete Collections & Finding Aids for the entire collection and links to the CMTS Digital Collections and the Elmira College Archives.

ACCESS THE DIGITAL COLLECTIONS OF THE MARK TWAIN ARCHIVE

As part of the New York Heritage Collections and JSTOR, the CMTS Mark Twain Digital Collection This consists of letters and marginalia of Samuel Clemens, artifacts associated with him, and photos having to do with Clemens’ time in Elmira and the family and friends that comprised his circle.

Mark Twain Archive Policies

The Mark Twain Archive is currently only accessible to Quarry Farm Fellows and Lecturers. For more information, contact Joseph Lemak, Director of the Center for Mark Twain Studies at twaincenter@elmira.edu.

Cornell University Library

The Cornell University Library offers Quarry Farm Fellows and visiting scholars access to the world-class collections and services of a large academic library. Located in nearby Ithaca (just 35 miles from Elmira), the 18 libraries and units that comprise the Cornell University Library provide access to over 8 million books, hundreds of databases, and thousands of journals to researchers who come over and work in our libraries.Visitors may access restricted bibliographic databases inside the library at any Cornell library public computer terminal, but due to licensing restrictions, these databases are not accessible by non-Cornell users outside of the libraries. Visitors may also use their laptops or mobile devices to access the Internet by registering for guest network access.

The Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, located in the Carl A. Kroch Library, is Cornell’s principal repository of rare books, manuscripts and archival materials in the fields of history, literature, music, the arts, science, natural history, and technology. Our Mark Twain collections include first edition copies of many of his books, archival collections relating to the Clemens, Langdon, and Beecher families, and resources documenting the progressive history of upstate New York, including large collections on abolition, slavery, and women’s suffrage.
Cornell Library
The Carl A. Kroch Library on the Cornell University Campus

The Chemung County Historical Society

The mission of the Chemung County Historical Society is to deepen our understanding of history and to provide an appreciation of Elmira’s and Chemung County’s place in state and national history. They endeavor to be one of the the leading centers of community expertise on local history and preservation through innovation, education, and engagement.

Chemung Valley Historical Society Logo
The Booth Library, located within the Chemung Valley History Museum, is the center for genealogy and historical research at the Chemung County Historical Society. It holds approximately 3,000 books, 30,000 manuscripts, 16,000 photographic images, and 11,000 maps and architectural drawings. It has been collecting and preserving resources on the Chemung Valley region since 1923.

Some of the holdings especially worth noting are:

    • Personal and family papers of Chemung Valley residents
    • Copies of government records, manuscript personal accounts, and published scholarship on the Elmira Prison Camp
    • Resources concerning Mark Twain’s life in Elmira, NY
    • Resources concerning the role of the Chemung valley in the US Civil War
    • Railroad, turnpike, and canal maps and records
    • Resources concerning the abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad in the Chemung Valley region
    • Records of regional businesses
    • Records of various local clubs and political action groups
    • Resources concerning the Sullivan-Clinton campaign against the Iroquois during the American Revolution

 

If you have any additional questions, please contact:

Rachel Dworkin, Archivist
Chemung County Historical Society
415 E. Water Street
Elmira, NY 14901
archivist@chemungvalleymuseum.org
(607) 734-4167, ext. 207