Porter, Katherine Anne (1890-1980)
Five Typed Letters Signed and Other Material, 1924-1929.

All letters addressed to Swedish journalist, activist and Barnard graduate (1908) Thorborg Brundin Ellison, including three letters written from Bermuda in May of 1929 (one addressed to Thorborg's husband Basil Ellison); two letters dated January and February 1928 while Porter was in Salem, MA, mentioning personal news and her writing; [together with] Outline of Mexican Popular Arts and Crafts, Los Angeles: Young & McCallister, 1922, octavo pamphlet signed and inscribed to Thorborg by Porter June 27, 1924, "my first work"; in publisher's wraps (torn with loss, water stained, becoming detached; annotated throughout with manuscript marginal corrections); [and] clippings and other ephemera related to Porter's career.

"I don't need a man to lean on, but I do need one that won't pick my bones. There was never one yet that gave a damn about my writing, and as that is the only thing that is really important to me, I've decided to stick to it and let other things adjust themselves to it... If I'd been a smart girl, I would have done that long ago."

Porter also mentions her love affair and estrangement from Józef Retinger (1888-1960) several times in these letters. The two met in Mexico and, according to her account here, had some sort of relationship over the course of four years that was over by early 1929. Retinger was a Polish activist and possible spy who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1958.

Condition
For inquiries about condition, please contact:
Devon Eastland, Senior Specialist: deastland@swanngalleries.com
Grace Meschery-McCormack, Cataloguer: gmccormack@swanngalleries.com