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Series V: Kate Crane Gartz, 1929-1954

 Series

Scope and Contents

This series contains a wide array of personal papers including correspondence, poems, clippings, and activism ephemera related to communism and political activism; as well as information and drafts related to Kate Crane Gartz’s published travel diary "Around the World with Kate Crane Gartz," and photographs. The materials were collected by her friend and colleague, John Weatherwax.

Dates

  • 1929-1954

Conditions Governing Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Biographical / Historical

Kate Crane Gartz was born Katherine Elizabeth Crane in 1865 to the wealthy Crane family, who made their fortune in ironworks. Crane Gartz grew up in Chicago, where she became familiar with Jane Addams' Hull House, to which her father donated money. Early exposure to the contrast of her own affluence with the poverty of those in Chicago's tenement district led Crane Gartz to dedicate much of her life to philanthropy and communism. She moved to Altadena, California, in 1907, where she lived until her death in 1949. Crane Gartz hosted weekly salons for leftist and intellectual discussions in her Altadena home, The Cloisters. She wrote extensively and published several books.

Extent

From the Collection: 33 boxes

From the Collection: 14.6 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Repository Details

Part of the California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
University Library South -5039 (Fifth Floor)
1000 E. Victoria St.
Carson CA 90747
310-243-3895