Frank Bird Linderman Family Papers, circa 1850-2012

This series consists of a single folder of biographical information about Linderman, which includes a short handwritten biography in Linderman's hand, a reply to a letter from the librarian at the University of Montana--Missoula in 1935 listing his published works, and a data sheet from Who's Who Among North American Authors. Other series, most notably the Portfolios in Series VII, are also a valuable source for biographical materials, and lists of Linderman's publications may be found in the Spring 1938 issue of the Frontier and Midland magazine (included in Series VI) or in Linderman's autobiography, Montana Adventure (1968).

This series contains the personal, professional, and literary correspondence of the Linderman family. The correspondence is divided into two subseries: Linderman's Correspondence, and Family Correspondence.

The first, and by far the most extensive, Subseries is Linderman's produced and collected correspondence. Letters range from the routine to the deeply informative. There are several folders of Linderman's exchanges with his editors at Charles Scribner's Sons and the John Day Company that offer insights into his creative and editorial process. There are especially complete groups of correspondence with literary friends and associates, including Charley Russell, Hermann Hagedorn, H. G. Merriam, and Frederick Van de Water. The correspondence with Russell includes some explanatory notes added by Norma Linderman Waller after his death. Correspondence with members of his family, including his father and brothers, forms another significant group. Other correspondents include many notable Americans and Montanans: Gifford Pinchot, Joseph Dixon, George Grinnell, Paris Gibson, Edgar S. Paxson, and Theodore Roosevelt. The series finishes with a group of correspondence from those admiring his books, including children.

Subseries 2, the correspondence of Linderman's family mainly consists of correspondence discussing the preservation of Linderman's memory and sale or donation of his artistic and literary remains, including that with historical agencies, publishers, editors, and auction houses. Most notable is the correspondence with H. G. Merriam about the editing of Recollections of Charley Russell and Montana Adventure, with the University of Montana regarding the Linderman Collection, and with the Museum of the Plains Indian in Browning, Montana, about the extensive collection of Linderman Native American cultural objects housed there. It also includes condolence notes sent after the death of Mr. and Mrs. Linderman.

Within those groups, materials are arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent or subject, as appropriate.

This series documents Linderman's published writings, including both those published before and after his death. Materials are divided into four subseries: Published Books, Published Short Stories and Poetry, Notes, and Writings of Others.

Published Books is the largest subgroup of the three. Formats include original manuscript notes and typed drafts, and drafts with notes by both Linderman and his daughters. For manuscripts published after his death, materials include multiple typings of manuscripts, editorial corrections, and copious notes about the original appearance of events or stories. The notes of his granddaughter, Sarah J. Hatfield, are particularly detailed; copies of the original envelopes in which each manuscript was housed, with her notes, are included in every folder. She provides extensive information on the contents of each manuscript, and often documents where original materials appear in the final publication. As such, it represents not only his creative processes, but the efforts of his heirs to publish his writings and perpetuate his memory. The manuscripts for Recollections of Charley Russell and Montana Adventure, both edited by H.G. Merriam, are included, with both Linderman's original and Merriam's editorial work documented. Likewise, the work of Larry Barsness, editor of Quartzville, is represented. Correspondence relating to these projects may be found in Series II.

In Published Short Stories and Poetry, there are also notes for and fragments of stories published on their own in periodicals. In addition, there is a group of mimeographed copies of Linderman's poetry with notes on their publication.

Linderman's Notes includes handwritten notes with story ideas, as well as a very valuable group of small notebooks that seem to have served as his field notes. They contain snatches of notes, particularly on Native American language and customs. Other items are more difficult to classify and include information copied from other sources with Linderman's notes on the back.

Writings of Others contains correspondence and manuscripts not by or addressed to Linderman that seems to have been collected as source material.

This series contains a variety of items related to Linderman's campaign for the United States Senate in 1918 and 1924, and includes campaign materials, election records, and newspaper clippings. The last folder contains photocopies of notes made by H.G. Merriam as he edited Linderman's manuscript, Montana Adventure. Correspondence relating to Linderman's political career, including his terms in the Montana legislature, may be found in Series II under "Politics" and under the names of other politicians with whom he corresponded.

This series contains a number of items collected by Linderman or by his family members and closely resembles the types of materials in Series VII: Portfolios. Contents include Linderman's membership card from the Osman Temple, a 1911 menu from the Montana Club, and a copyright registration card from 1933. There are also prints of artwork, including postcards and prints of Charley Russell paintings and a print of O. C. Seltzer's painting, Jerkline Freighter of Pioneer Days.

This series contains published materials by, about, and collected by Linderman and his family. The materials cover a wide range of subjects; most are not annotated. There is a 1939 issue of the Frontier and Midland featuring Linderman's writings and a 1933 review of Stumpy. Publications collected by Linderman include those on mining and Native Americans. The largest group are those collected by family members; many of these materials are pamphlets and other small publications of the Museum of the Plains Indian. Most of these describe aspects of Plains Indian history and culture, but do not seem to contain material directly related to Linderman. There are also a few modern newspapers that have articles about Linderman.

Materials are divided into four subseries: By Linderman, About Linderman, Collected by Linderman, and Collected by Linderman Family. The last two categories are determined by date and contents of the materials; there are seldom annotations that offer any other documentation. Within these categories, materials are arranged chronologically.

This series contains seven portfolios of materials by, collected by, and about Linderman that provide a useful biographical summary of Linderman's accomplishments. The first two document his career chronologically and contain photographs, letters, and memorabilia. The third documents his published books and contains correspondence with editors, reviews, and photographs, all arranged chronologically by the date of each book's publication. The fourth portfolio contains numerous photographs, memorabilia from Linderman's substantial involvement with the Masons, and prints of Native American paintings. The fifth contains correspondence collected for and about Linderman biographies, and also includes photographs of Linderman, sketches written by his children, and Linderman's own biographical notes. This correspondence is largely between scholars and Linderman's daughters. The sixth consists of photographs from Linderman's research files and includes miscellaneous historical pictures of Montana and surrounding states and images of Blackfeet, Coast, Cree, Chippewa, Flathead, Kootenai, Pend'Oreille, Oklahoma and Sioux Indians. The seventh is a group of photographs taken of displays of Linderman Native American cultural objects at the University of Montana's Mansfield Library in about 1984.

This series includes still image materials produced and collected by Linderman and his heirs and includes family portraits and snapshots, images of early Western settlers (some of whom were Linderman's friends and associates), images of Linderman displays at museums and other cultural resource agencies, notable and important images of Native Americans in the West, and a few photographs of forests and wildlife. The latter two categories seem to have been collected mostly for the purpose of illustrating books and other publications produced by Linderman. Many of the images were removed from the portfolios in Series VI so that they could be listed individually. One group of photos, "Buffalo Pictures," remains in its original album as the photographs could not be safely detached.

Family portraits and snapshots include both formal and informal images of Frank and Minnie Linderman, their daughters, and their grandchildren, and date from about 1885 to the 1950s; there are photos of Linderman taken as late as 1938. There are formal portraits of Linderman from his service in the Montana legislature and other organizations, including the Masons. There are images of various Linderman homes, notably the Goose Bay cabin, and businesses, including the assay and newspaper office in Sheridan, Montana.

Images of early Western settlers and prominent Montana businessmen and politicians include those of Duncan McDonald, Bob Vaughn, and W. H. Murgittroyd, and Theo Gibson. There are numerous photos of artist and author Charlie M. Russell. Other associates include Presidents Taft and Coolidge and the literary critic Frederick Van de Water.

Native American images include those of well-known individuals, including Plenty-Coups, Two-Comes-Over-the-Hill, Little Bear, Pretty-Shield, and White Elk. Notable images of Native American customs include many photographs of preparations for the Sun Dance and its accompanying gatherings. There are also numerous images of Indian cultural objects, some of which may be part of Linderman's collections.

The forest and wildlife photographs are mostly those produced by commercial photographers, including the Glacier National Park photographer Hileman and the Forest Service photographer K.D. Swan. The wildlife photographs are largely unidentified as to location and date, but the species pictured are readily apparent. The forest photographs are well-identified and include subject, forest, and date.

Images of Linderman collection displays include those at the Museum of the Plains Indian in Browning, Montana; the Western Heritage Center in Billings, Montana; and the Mansfield Library at the University of Montana--Missoula.

Photographers represented include Linderman himself, Asahel Curtis, Edward Curtis, K. D. Swan, the Glacier National Park photographer Hileman, Morton J. Elrod, and Matthew Brady. Image formats include albumen prints, negatives, and modern color prints on cartes-de-visite (in varying sizes), postcards, and printing-out paper. Many of the Native American photographs are hand-colored. A number of the photographs appear to be modern reproductions of historic prints and are of variable image quality.