Anthologist

Lowry collected and catalogued information and memorabilia related to Wisconsin's writers,^[11] and, to some extent, copies of books written by them. She also built up a personal acquaintance with scores of writers. Whenever Robert Lowry traveled, she planned carefully in order to meet and interview as many Wisconsin writers as possible. She sought to form a personal acquaintance with them and to get that first-hand intimate knowledge which a personal acquaintance alone will give. She knew writers from New York City to Los Angeles, and had a fund of experiences to relate of her interviews with them. Her collection of information on Wisconsin writers and their books was the most complete of its kind in the state and had few counterparts in private hands in the United States. It was an encyclopedia on the subject of Wisconsin's literary production, a private "Who's Who" in the realm of Wisconsin letters.^[12]

There were, of course, thousands of people in Wisconsin who were writing —text-book makers, editors and others- whose names were not included in her files. Lowry had four classifications of living authors: First, those born in Wisconsin and living and doing their work in the state. In this group were the names of Mabel Brown Denison, Zona Gale, Laura C. Kellogg, Louise Phelps Kellogg, Jessica Knowles, Johanna Weborg, Gertrude Sanborn, Rasmus B. Anderson, A. O. Barton, E. L. Eaton, John Faville, William A. Freehoff, George Grimm, Fred L. Holmes, Charles Phillipps, J. F. A. Pyre, A. H. Sanford, Joseph Schafer, H. George Schuette, Grant Showerman, and C. E. Whelan.^[12]

Second were writers born in Wisconsin but no longer residents of the state, such as Margaret Ashman, Flavia Camp Canfield, Emma P. Erskine Corwin, Elizabeth Jordan, Eleanor Mercein Kelly, Sister M. Madeleva, Jessica Nelson North, Marion Manville Pope, Faith V. Vilas, Edith Franklin Wyatt, Simon A. Blackmore, Berton Braley, Grant Hyde Code, Thomas Dreier, James W. Evans, Elmer E. Ferris, Hamlin Garland, Frederick Grant, John H. Hazelton, Richard Lloyd Jones, William J. McNally, Kirk Munroe, Louis Hermann Pammel, Frederick E. Pond, O. J. Schuster, Frederick Jackson Turner, Charles N. Webb, Honora Willsie, and James A. Peterson.^[12]

Third were writers born outside of Wisconsin who are now living in the state, such as Effie Alger Allen, Olympia W. Brown, Elizabeth Corbett, General Charles King, Aubertine Woodward Moore, Kate Ridedale, Lois Kimball Mathews Rosenberry, Gertrude Slaughter, Ellen Torelle, Waldemar Ager, Ole Amundsen Buslett, John N. Davidson, Edgar George Doudna, E. F. Hayward, William Stanislaus Hoffman, H. R. Holand, William F. Kirk, William Ellery Leonard, Verne S. Pease, Milo M. Qualfe, Leslie W. Quirk, Ditlef G. Ristad, Thomas Hall Shastid, Charles D. Stewart, George H. Willett, Charles H. Winke, and John Granville Woolley.^[12]

Fourth were writers not native to Wisconsin, who formerly lived here and did some of their work here, such as Elizabeth Baker Bohan, Elizabeth Banks, Edna Ferber, Ninette Lowater, Kathrene Pinkerton, Ray Stannard Baker, Howard Mumford Jones, and Frank H. Spearman.^[12]

Lowry also has a file of writers who are no longer living, including names which otherwise would have come under one or another of the groups mentioned, such as Amy Winshik Davis, Helen Adelia Manville, Elizabeth Mears, Helen Remington Olin, Frances E. Willard, Ella Wheeler Wilcox, James Whitford Bashford, John T. Durward, Henry Eduard Legler, John Muir, Bill Nye, George Wilbur Peck, James Gates Percival, Paul S. Reinsch, Eben E. Rexford, Carl Schurz, Lute A. Taylor, and Reuben Gold Thwaites.^[12]

The making of this collection of Wisconsin books and data on Wisconsin writers began as a pleasant and interesting hobby with Lowry, but has now led to and become much more than that; has in fact, taken on a phase not without significance to others than herself. Lowry received an increasing number of calls from clubs throughout the state to speak on Wisconsin writers at conventions and meetings. On such occasions, she exhibited Wisconsin books, or books by Wisconsin people, magazines carrying Wisconsin authors, photographs of authors and other material which provided information about her work. The books were passed around among the guests during her talks and were thus made better known to many potential readers.^[12]

Many Wisconsin writers enjoyed visiting Lowry. She invited several of her guests to speak before local clubs, feeling that it was well for authors and readers to know each other face to face.^[12]

The books in Lowry's collection were as varied in character and pretensions as the authors they represented, some bulky and buckram-bound, others modest, thin, first editions. Most of them were autographed by the authors themselves and many of them were inscribed with some sentiment of regard or some quotation from the philosophy of the writers.^[12]

Attribution

• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Barton, Albert O. (1923). "Badget Authors as a Hobby". The Wisconsin Magazine. Vol. 1 (Public domain ed.). Wisconsin Magazine, Incorporated.
• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Prince, Clara Catherine (1924). American Poetry Magazine. Vol. 7 (Public domain ed.). Clara Catherine Prince.

Bibliography

• Larson, Margaret; League of Women Voters of La Crosse County; League of Women Voters (U.S.). Education Fund (1 January 1996). For the common good: a history of women's roles in La Crosse County, 1920-1980. League of Women Voters of La Crosse County. ISBN 978-0-9653841-0-0.