Jan G. Hensley Papers

MS626

Jan G. Hensley was a Wake Forest alumnus (1964) and a collector of North Carolina author's works. He is regarded as an influential figure in NC literary culture for his photographs of famous authors and literary collection. The Jan G. Hensley Collection includes photographs, negatives, notes, audiotapes, graphic materials, and ephemera relating to authors from North Carolina and surrounding regions. Most of the materials were collected or created by Hensley and relate to readings or other public appearances by the authors.

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Summary Information

Repository
Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives
Title
Jan G. Hensley Papers
Date
circa 1930-2012 (inclusive)
Extent
31.62 linear feet / 24 record cartons, 1 document box
ID
MS626

Biographical and Historical Note

Jan G. Hensley was a Wake Forest alumnus (1964). He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Over the course of his life, he collected more than 10,000 books, including autographed copies and first editions, and a large collection of authors' ephemera, including chapbooks, newspaper and magazine articles, letters, journals and personal notes of his interactions with authors.

Collection Overview

The Jan G. Hensley Collection includes photographs, notes, audiotapes, graphic materials, and ephemera relating to Southern authors, primarily North Carolina authors, ranging from lesser known poets and writers to the state’s best-known authors including Wolfe, Fred Chappell, Clyde Edgerton, Robert Morgan, Reynolds Price, Carl Sandburg and Lee Smith. Most of the materials were collected or created by Hensley during readings or other public appearances by the authors. The collection also includes candid black and white photographs of authors that Hensley has taken over the years.

Administrative Information

Publication Information
Finding aid prepared by Processed by Megan Mulder., 2013 January
Revision Description
Revised by Kelli Johnson, Molly Sohn, and Stephanie Bennett., 2017 May
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for researchers. 
Copyright Notice
The nature of the WFU Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Archives and Special Collections of ZSR Library claims only physical ownership of most materials. The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to the U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. 
Preferred Citation
Jan G. Hensley Papers (MS626), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA. 

Collection Inventory

  • Author materials
  • Photograph negatives