Writers, Manuscripts, Collectors: Modern Authorship and the Fin-de-Siècle Origins of the Literary Archive

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, collecting authors’ material remains developed from a private pursuit into public mission, history that is coupled to emergence of modern institutions such as research library literary archive. Authors period were themselves both aware involved in market for manuscripts increasingly institutionalized culture writers’ papers. This article looks at fiction contemporary medium which this moment transition was mirrored. As case study, I focus on writings Edith Wharton – retracing gradual shift her creative interests autographs or near-contemporary writers those canonized figures an amateur occupation professional endeavour.