Whitney Maxwell Montgomery was born September 14, 1877 in Navarro County, Texas. He received an intermittent education in the local public schools. However, his love for words and sound undoubtedly came from his classical father and his musically inclined mother. As Whitney and his father farmed the land, fished the ponds, or walked in the woods, his father quoted from the Bible, Shakespeare, Byron, and Burns. At about the age of 15, Whitney began writing verse, often using themes from the farm and ranch land. Whitney continued to live in Navarro County until 1927 during which time he contributed poetry and short stories to magazines and newspapers.
It was through a mutual interest in verse that Whitney Montgomery met Vaida Stewart Boyd. Born on a ranch in Childress County, Texas on August 28, 1888, Vaida, too, began writing poetry in her youth. In 1905 Vaida Stewart married Arthur Boyd and had two daughters: Thelma “Teddy” and Genevieve. This marriage subsequently ended. In 1912 Vaida’s interest in the literary world led her to start a small business as an author’s typist. Among the manuscripts that she prepared for publication were some poems by Whitney Montgomery. His poems began a literary correspondence between the two poetry lovers, but they did not meet until Whitney traveled to Dallas, where Vaida was then living, to attend a Poetry Society of Texas meeting in 1921. Six years later, Whitney Montgomery married Vaida Stewart and settled with her in Dallas, Texas.
Following their marriage, the Montgomerys decided to turn the workshop, “Ye Typerie,” that was located in the back of their home in Oak Cliff into an actual press. In 1928 they bought a used press and printed cotton tickets for the Frost gin. However, they decided to try a new venture. In May of 1929 they published the first issue of their monthly periodical, Kaleidoscope: A National Magazine of Poetry, whose name was changed to Kaleidograph in May 1932. Although the workshop kept the name “Ye Typerie,” it became better known as the location of the Kaleidoscope (and later Kaleidograph) Press. Kaleidoscope magazine held a poetry contest, offering to publish the winning book. Not only did Kaleidoscope/Kaleidograph Press publish many books by other authors, but also printed several books by the Montgomerys. Whitney and Vaida Montgomery continued to write and edit their own verse. Both Montgomerys were awarded the Texas Institute of Letters Poetry Award, Whitney in 1946 for Joseph’s Coat and Vaida in 1948 for Hail for Rain. They also received prizes from other national poetry societies, spoke at several gatherings, and lectured at the Third Annual Writer’s Conference at North Texas University. In 1956 Whitney Montgomery received an honorary degree of Doctor of Literature from Southern Methodist University.
Kaleidograph Press operated for thirty years, shutting down following the July 24, 1959 death of Vaida Stewart Montgomery. With the assistance of “Teddy” Boyd, Whitney Montgomery closed the press but continued to occasionally discuss and write verse. Whitney Montgomery died on December 7, 1966. The collection of the Montgomerys books and papers shows “the sentiments and persuasions of the American people of the time.”
From the guide to the Whitney and Vaida Stewart Montgomery papers Mss 0070., 1907-1985, 1929-1959, (DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University)
