Your first question is pretty likely unanswerable -- there can't be many woman left alive who were potential partners for RAH between 1932 and 1948. The anecdotal evidence, including RAH's own words, is pretty strong.

The same thing goes for his marriage to Ginny. You can find evidence of a couple of extramarital (though not clandestine) relationships in RAH's letters.

Michael Cassutt

Thank you. Are the letters you're referring to in the archives?

Yes. Search for letters, circa 1962, from RAH to Mary Collin.

Thank you muchly. I enjoyed reading your accounting of your contacts and meetings with RAH and Ginny. Do you have anything else documenting your relations with RAH that you can share? Can you recommend any other available accountings from people who knew him or Ginny personally? I don't mean interviews because they are not normal day to day contact. Allen Steele's "At the feet of the Master" for example, but preferably with more personal information about RAH and Ginny. Cheers?

Strictly speaking, I don't think RAH's affair with Mary Collin was extramarital. They met in in 1929, and had something between a one-night stand and a short, torrid affair. This was before either of them had married. In 1932, after he had divorced Elinor and married Leslyn, RAH visited Mary in St. Louis unannounced, but was rebuffed as Mary was now married. They didn't see each other again, but corresponded and telephoned from the mid-fifties onward. I believe Ginny was also a correspondent with Mary.

Look at my first quote here: it's not the RAH-Collin relationship that I'm citing as extramarital... it's that the 1962 letter sheds light on _other_ RAH relationships.

MC

I appreciate the responses from both of you. I realize, since so much time has passed that there isn't any sure way to know. I'm going to read the letters as soon as I can find out why the archives won't take my credit cards. I've bought stuff successfully 4 times before and now the transactions fail when I attempt payment. If I had Geo's email address I might could hurry this process along. I don't know how often he looks at the archives email.

Apologies, I should have read more closely.

I found evidence of others and Ginny's (according to RAH) approval of an open marriage. Thanks for the assistance.
John Seltzer

Are there pictures of Mary or her children in the archives?
Thanks
John Seltzer