University of Guelph Library
The L.M. Montgomery Collection
Lucy Maud Montgomery as a child.
The L.M. Montgomery Collection has become an essential national repository for Montgomery studies. This collection, which features primary and secondary sources, began in 1981 with the purchase of Montgomery's diaries (1889-1942) and scrapbooks from her son, Dr. E. Stuart Macdonald, who also served as her literary executor. Shortly after his death, additional materials were purchased in 1983 from the estate, and in 1999, the manuscript of Rilla of Ingleside, thought to have been lost, was donated to the Library.
Lucy Maud Montgomery as a young woman.
The collection is extensive and diverse, serving the needs of literary scholars, historians, and many researchers. At its center are Montgomery's journals which consist of ten legal-size written volumes and unpublished, edited typescripts. Four of her scrapbooks, covering the years 1910 to 1936, provide additional information on her activities and interests while a fifth contains newspaper reviews of her books. Both the scrapbooks and journals are illustrated with pictures, swatches and other memorabilia. The Montgomery papers comprise a selection of materials including the original manuscript of Rilla of Ingleside, correspondence and legal materials relating to her estate, royalty statements and genealogical notes.
Anne of Green Gables cover.
Printed publications include Montgomery's personal library: holding 175 items reflecting a wide range of reading interests with approximately 70 first and subsequent editions of her works in English and translations in other languages. Montgomery's papers include poems, stories, the author's will and other business correspondence and records (e.g., a ledger of poems and stories sold). The picture section contains 1273 photos, 1181 negatives, and 3 family photo albums. Included in the 64 piece artifact section are needle works, a cushion cover and ceramics. A newspaper section, which corresponds with the period of Montgomery's life, includes relevant Charlottetown, Halifax, and Georgetown newspapers on microfilm. Montgomery's 23 presentation copies of her works to her long time friend and correspondent, George B. MacMillan, Alloa, Scotland, are held in the George B. MacMillan Collection.
Materials in this collection can be accessed by visiting the Archival and Special Collections. Finding aids for are available in print in the Wellington County Room. Collection holdings are catalogued in the Library's TRELLIS online catalogue and can be searched using keywords and the phrase "L. M. Montgomery Collection" or by clicking on this catalogue link (records can be sorted, emailed and printed) for the entire collection.
Catalogue descriptions of sections of the collection (not digitized pages) may be accessed as follows:
- Rilla of Ingleside original manuscript: XZ5 MS A004
- Montgomery's journals: XZ5 MS A001
- Montgomery's scrapbooks: XZ5 MS A002
- Short stories, articles, business and legal items, manuscripts and typescripts, personal papers of Montgomery: XZ1 MS A098
- Montgomery's personal library of other authors: XZ1 MSA094
- Picture collection (more than 1,200 photographs, e.g. the beach at Cavenish in 1923 below): XZ1 MS A097
L.M. Montgomery on Cavendish Beach.
The Library is currently developing the holdings of its Collection to include significant editions of Montgomery's books. As well, in 2002, Guelph partnered with the Confederation Centre in Charlottetown, PEI, to assist with the development of the web site Picturing a Canadian Life: L.M. Montgomery's Personal Scrapbooks and Book Covers. This site displays many examples of clippings, etc., by Montgomery that highlight interesting aspects of her life.
In 2008 the University's own website, the L. M. Montgomery Research Centre was launched. It is designed to highlight the library's own L. M. Montgomery holdings.