143.75 linear feet (226 boxes) of material consisting of writings, photographs, biographical materials, and other materials documenting the career of Layle Silbert as a photographer and writer, as well as her earlier work in editing, civil service and social work. Also included are materials related to Silbert's travels, activist interests, and personal life. Academic, financial, and health records in the collection are restricted. Series III: Photography, contains Silbert's photographs, as well as text documents of her career as a photographer. While Silbert was best known for her portraits of writers, this series also includes travel photographs, and photographs of literary events. Most of the photographs are undated; however, they generally span the early 1960s-late 1990s, concentrated in the 1970s-early 1980s, when Silbert was most active as a freelance photographer. Also included are exhibition records, notes, and publications and publicity material featuring Silbert's work.