The papers of Margaret Elizabeth Sangster are housed in 39 boxes, totaling 17 cubic feet.  The material here is not very extensive insofar as Ms Sangster’s personal life is concerned, however, there are numerous boxes containing files of her very prolific writings –particularly her large output of scripts written for radio and television.

The majority of the collection contains episodes of Ms Sangster’s writings for radio and television soap serials.  There are 19 boxes of My True Story episodes (from 1948-1960) and 9 boxes of her Whispering Streets episodes  (from 1953-1960).  In addition, there are several boxes with outlines and storylines for future tales, possible plots, and audition scripts that Ms Sangster wrote.

There are four boxes that contain numerous short stories Margaret Sangster wrote.  A number of these fiction stories were published in newspapers like The New York Daily News; some were destined for True Confessions, Redbook and other ‘ladies’ magazines.  Included in one of these boxes of short stories are several children’s tales that Ms Sangster wrote.  There is also a folder that bears untitled works.

There is a box that contains many short poems written by Ms Sangster.  A good number of them were published in Girls’ Companion.  But, there are also poems here that, although they bear titles, may not have been published.

There is only one box of correspondence in this collection.  The letters are mainly to and from advertising agencies like General Mills, Inc., Doyle Dane Bernbach, Inc., and Young & Rubicam, Inc.  There are also two folders containing correspondence Ms Sangster received from the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) and the National Broadcasting Company (NBC).

However, there is little information available about Margaret Sangster herself.  There is some personal information and a biography of her works in one folder.  Another one contains biographical information about her grandmother, Margaret Elizabeth (Munson) Sangster, Sr.

There are no photographs (only one that has been photocopied) or personal memorabilia here about Margaret Sangster.  Although most of the items in this collection are typewritten and easy to read, there is precious little about the subject herself.  There are hardly any personal notes written by her, except a few that describe a plot or story outline, and a few short handwritten missives (written but never sent) to someone in an advertising agency.