The Department of Archives and Special Collections

Initially, the library purchased William Faulkner's books as reading copies for the general collection. Faulkner's first published book, The Marble Faun, for example, was purchased in 1929, five years after publication. The library paid one dollar and twenty cents for the volume. For many years, the library adopted no systematic approach to collecting Faulkner and made no attempt to add manuscript material to the collection. A persistent local legend maintains that Dorothy Oldham, a curator of the Mississippi Collection and also Faulkner's sister-in-law, gave away Faulkner's ephemeral, and now extremely valuable "Beer Broadside" as souvenirs.

Gradually, the library formed a representative collection of Faulkner's trade and limited editions as well as secondary works about the author. By and large these acquisitions were made from regular library funds, although Faulkner and other donors occasionally presented books to the library. 

In 1975, the Department of Archives and Special Collections was established. This administrative change accelerated collection development of Faulkner materials, including for the first time an emphasis on manuscript materials. These, along with extensive secondary works about Faulkner, are available to researchers. The department also organized numerous exhibitions with accompanying catalogues.

I. Rowan Oak Papers. Discovered in a broom closet at Faulkner's home, the "Rowan Oak Papers" are one of the greatest finds of modern literary manuscripts. They contain several thousand sheets of autograph and typescript drafts of poems, short stories, film scripts and novels written by Faulkner in some of his most creative years, between 1925 and 1939. The University acquired the "Rowan Oak Papers" to form the cornerstone of its Faulkner collection.

II. Wynn-Faulkner Poetry Collection. Survivors of a January 10, 1942 fire which destroyed the home of early William Faulkner mentor, Phil Stone, this collection consists of forty-eight pages of early poetry written by Faulkner, most likely between 1917 and 1925.

III. University of Mississippi Faulkner Collections. Contains correspondence, yearbook materials, and contributions of William Faulkner to University of Mississippi publications. Among others this collection includes the William Faulkner Postmaster papers; the 1917-1918, 1920-1922, 1936 and 1950 University of Mississippi yearbooks with Faulkner contributions; and the collections of the Faulkner and Yoknapatawhpa Conferences at the University of Mississippi.

IV. William Faulkner and Film. These collections contain lobby cards, tickets, sheet music, movie ads, press releases, and pressbooks from William Faulkner’s work in Hollywood.

V. Collectors of William Faulkner. Contains the papers of several well known Faulkner collectors: the Wynn Family, Kenneth Godfrey, and the correspondence of Carl Petersen.

VI. William Faulkner’s Contributions to Periodical Literature. This collection contains comprehensive periodical appearances of articles by and about William Faulkner.

VII. William Faulkner Photography Collections. : The following collections are part of the Visual Collections and Southern Media Archive

Jack Cofield Collection: Local studio photographer "Colonel" J.R. Cofield recorded Lafayette County from 1928 until 1973. This collection includes photographs of William Faulkner, his family, the town of Oxford, Lafayette County, and photographs taken for the University of Mississippi Yearbook. The collection also contains vintage prints collected by Cofield relating to the Faulkner and his life.

Martin J. Dain Collection: Martin J. Dain, a professional photographer from New York, traveled to Oxford in the early 1960's to document the world of William Faulkner. After Faulkner's death in 1962, Life Magazine sent Dain back to Oxford to cover his funeral. The collection of approximately 9,000 images includes pictures of Faulkner, Rowan Oak (Faulkner's home), and the daily life of Lafayette county residents. The collection also contains images Dain shot for Life Magazine of University of Mississippi professor James Wesley Silver.

Images from this collection appear in the books, Faulkner's County: Yoknapatawpha by Martin J. Dain (Random House, 1964) and Faulkner's World: The Photographs of Martin J. Dain edited by Tom Rankin (University of Mississippi Press, 1997).

Faulkner Photography Collection: This collection, collected over the years from a variety of sources, contains images of William Faulkner, as well as people and places related to his life.

Phil Mullen Collection: Phillip E. Mullen, associate editor of the Oxford Eagle from 1933 to 1951, was a personal friend of William Faulkner. The photographs in this collection reflect Faulkner's life and the town of Oxford during the 1940's and 1950's. The sixty images include Faulkner and his family, the filming of a Ford Foundation documentary on Faulkner, and the filming of Intruder in the Dust in Oxford.

In order to conserve fragile original materials only photocopies of items in the Faulkner collections will be supplied to in-house readers. Scholars interested in examining the originals should contact the Head of Special Collections. Off-campus scholars wishing to consult the collections should write to the Head of Special Collections including their name and institutional affilia­tion, subject of study, purpose of study, and specific request.

Due to copyright and preservation concerns, no microfilm, electrostatic, digital or other types of copies may be made of materials from our Faulkner Collections or our literary collections.

Most scholars looking at the Faulkner Collections will need to complete our general forms, but those interested in working with the Rowan Oak Papers must complete the “Rowan Oak Papers” policy form (pdf) before their visit. This form and a letter of intent must be submitted to the Head of Special Collections before arrival.

If you are interested in viewing or using materials from the photography collections, please contact the Visual Curator and read the policies for the photography collections.