Greenfield Community College

Archibald MacLeish Collection

Portrait of Archibald MacLeish - original oil painting on board by Mary K. Eipper, gift of the estate of Elizabeth H. Keith.

The MacLeish Collection was founded in 1974 by six educators from Greenfield Community College to advance the knowledge and understanding of poet Archibald MacLeish—the man, his life, his works, and his times.

Archibald MacLeish Bio
Archibald MacLeish Tribute, May 2003

Mr. MacLeish authorized and supported this effort by contributing his own time and energy to a series of interviews about his work and offering books and manuscripts to the Collection. In 1984, the heirs to his estate donated 1690 additional items to the Collection. The Archibald MacLeish Collection is now temporarily housed in the Historic Deerfield Library building at 6 Memorial Drive in Deerfield, Massachusetts.

The Collection is composed of two parts:

Part I

Archibald MacLeish's personal library of poetry and prose by authors he liked, or who influenced him, or who were influenced by him. It consists of 1629 cataloged monographs, including 1503 books, 122 periodical issues, and four music scores. More than 130 of these items have handwritten annotations by MacLeish; more than 180 are inscribed by their authors; and nearly 45 contain holograph inserts.

MacLeish's library is significant not only because of the intrinsic value of the individual books, but also because MacLeish put it together himself over his lifetime. The value of these books lies in their relationship to each other and to MacLeish, and in MacLeish's notes and annotations contained in them.

Part II

The Friends' Collection which continues to grow. In 2002 it consisted of 2432 books, booklets, pamphlets, galleys (page proofs), and periodical issues; 1178 letters and manuscripts; and nearly 10,000 non-print items including artifacts and memorabilia for a total of over 13,500 items.

The Friends' Collection is valuable for its diversity of form and content and its ability to inform us of how MacLeish and his works are viewed by others. It also helps define for us the times in which he lived and worked, and from which he derived his inspiration.

MacLeish Reading Room hours

Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and by appointment. Contact Margaret Howland, Curator, at howland@gcc.mass.edu, or by phone at (413)775-1835 or (413) 775-7124.