Donald French Collection of Jack London Periodicals and Ephemera

This collection consists chiefly of magazines containing the first appearances of works by American author Jack London. The collection includes 130 periodicals with London's short stories, serialized versions of his novels, and essays, with the bulk dating from the late 1890s to the 1910s. In addition, there are 20 pieces of ephemera and miscellaneous printed items about London's work and life, including materials prepared by London enthusiasts through the 1970s. The items were compiled by Donald French, a collector of Jack London materials in Northern California.

Periodicals

Most of the periodicals contain the first appearances in print of stories by London, and the earliest item in this collection is the September 1897 issue of The Owl containing the story "Two Gold Bricks," followed by 1899 issues of Overland Monthly and The Black Cat. More than thirty periodical titles are represented including Century, Cosmopolitan, McClure's Magazine, Overland Monthly, The Saturday Evening Post, and the Youth's Companion.

Among the serialized versions of his works included in this collection are:

There are also essays about socialism by London in The Comrade: An Illustrated Socialist Monthly, The Independent, and The International Socialist Review. In addition, there are some writings about London, including biographical writings by London's second wife Charmian London in The Century (1921) and Rose Wilder Lane in Sunset (1917).

Ephemera

The 20 pieces of ephemera include pamphlets and printed material related to London's life and work that were primarily produced by London enthusiasts, dating from 1901 to 1976, including a United Artists movie poster for the 1943 film "Jack London" and some later publications of his work, such as a 1951 comic book version of The Sea Wolf.