Claire Wilhelm collection on Zane Grey property, 1915-1921
Scope and Contents
This subseries contains photographs and postcards of the home in Zanesville, Ohio where Zane Grey was born, and the Lackawaxen River, Pennsylvania from 1915 to 1921.
Dates
- Creation: 1915-1921
Creator
- Wilhelm, Claire, 1898-1984 (collector, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Open for public research.
Conditions Governing Use
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from the Claire Wilhelm collection on Zane Grey must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Coordinating Committee.
Biographical History
Claire Wilhelm (1898-1984) was the sister of artist Lillian Wilhelm Smith and companion to Western author Zane Grey.
Claire Wilhelm was born on July 20, 1898 in New Jersey to Henry T. and Leonore Wilhelm. She was the youngest of seven children, the oldest of which was the artist Lillian Wilhelm Smith. She was the cousin of Lina Elise Grey, wife of Western novelist Zane Grey. She accompanied Zane Grey on various fishing and camping expeditions beginning in 1914. In 1918, Grey's attentions turned to other women and Wilhelm found herself estranged from him. She married Phillips Carlin in June 1921.
In 1924, Grey began inviting Wilhelm to accompany him once again after Wilhelm sustained serious injuries in a car accident. She entered into Grey's employ as a secretary when her marriage began to fail. After nine months with Grey, Wilhelm finally parted ways with him and returned to New York City where she resolved the strains in her marriage. She had two daughters, Virginia and Patricia, and gave up travelling to raise them, however, she continued to correspond with Zane and Lina Elise Grey for many years afterward.
Claire Wilhelm died on January 15, 1984, in Branford, Connecticut.
Extent
3 photographs
1 postcard
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This subseries is arranged topically.
Subject
- Grey, Zane, 1872-1939 (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Repository
1130 HBLL
Brigham Young University
Provo Utah 84602 United States