What Clara Kept: The Missouri Collections.

The article focuses on the preservation and provenance of the Clemens family collections associated with Mark Twain, primarily managed and donated by his daughter Clara Langhorne Clemens (1874–1962). It details how Clara safeguarded and transported family belongings—including furniture, letters, and personal items—across various homes in the United States and Europe, ultimately contributing many artifacts to Missouri institutions such as the Mark Twain Birthplace Historic Site and the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum. The piece also highlights Clara’s efforts to support the establishment of Missouri’s Mark Twain State Park through fundraising concerts and her role in maintaining her father’s legacy amid financial difficulties and changing copyright laws. These collections offer insights into Gilded Age culture, Victorian women’s roles as collectors and investors, and the ongoing preservation of Mark Twain’s historical and cultural heritage.