Collection comprises an autograph letter from Marianne North to Dr. Jessop, dated May 22, requesting that Jessop provide details about the possible sale of manuscripts of her ancestor, Roger North.

Collection comprises an autograph letter from Marianne North to Dr. Jessop, dated May 22, requesting that Jessop provide details about the possible sale of manuscripts of her ancestor, Roger North.

Collection comprises a handwritten letter Lydia Howard Sigourney drafted as Secretary for the Hartford Ladies' Association for supplicating justice and mercy towards [sic?] the Indians, to request assistance with the circulation of a petition among the women of Hartford. The letter also discusses the political process behind the petition and its circulation. Includes a faint handwritten addendum, written in another person's hand, noting a decision not to send the letter. The item is undated, but possibly dates to the 1830s.

Dame Edith Sitwell was a British poet and critic whose work helped usher in the modernist era of British poetry. This autograph manuscript contains the text of two of her poems: "Lullaby" and "Serenade: From Any Man to Any Woman." Both poems were inspired by the early years of World War II and were published in her 1942 collection "Street Songs."

The five leaf holograph manuscript with text on the front side of each numbered page consists of two poems both titled at the top and signed "Edith" at the bottom. Both poems, "Lullaby," and "Serenade: Any Man to Any Woman" appeared in her 1942 collection "Street Songs." In this manuscript, "Serenade" is titled "Any Man to Any Woman." Both were inspired by the early years of World War II and are ironically titled. "Lullaby," sung by a baboon, describes a chaotic, primeval world destroyed by wartime chaos and despair in which, "All is equal - blindness, sight/There is no depth, there is no height." "Serenade" spoken by a dying soldier, regards his love through the lens of death and destruction. He identifies his love with a cannon and invites her to "die with me and be my love" in a reversal of the famous Marlowe line.

Both poems are referenced in the Edith Sitwell papers at the Ransom Humanities Center. Viewed March 9, 2017

Source: Misko, Ellen, "A Study of Dame Edith Sitwell's Later Poems: 1940-1945" (1972). Dissertations. Paper 1211. Viewed March 9, 2017

Mathilde Blind was a writer and feminist active in late 19th century England. This letter was written by Blind thanking a correspondent for sending her a newspaper clipping containing a review of her work. She expresses gratitude for his thoughtfulness and for his "sympathetic spirit" towards her work.

The collection comprises a single autograph manuscript letter on a single folded sheet of paper with text on three sides dated June 19, but lacking a year. The manuscript address given at the top of the first page reads: Holly Cottage, The Mount, Hampstead, London, N.W. In the letter, Mathilde Blind writes to thank an unknown male correspondent for sending her a clipping from the Liverpool Mercury containing a review of one of her works. Blind writes, "Sitting here this evening, somewhat tired, somewhat despondent, there comes to me your letter. I cannot tell you how it cheered and strengthened me. There is something profoundly stirring in the thought that far away, among the great unknown multitude of one's fellow beings, there are people who have entered into one's work with a kindly sympathetic spirit."

Lisa Unger Baskin, who assembled this collection of photographs centered on women's history and culture, is a bibliophile, collector, and activist. Collection consists of 514 photographs and other graphic items in a variety of formats typical for the time, chiefly albumen, but also including gelatin silver, cased images, and mechanical prints; there are also small groups of true photographic postcards. Along with titles, dates, and content, data points may include biographies of photographers and subjects, studio addresses, and other notes. Roughly three-quarters of the images were produced by commercial women photographers in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The great majority date from about 1860 to 1920, and the most common format is studio portraits of white men, women, children, and families. There are also many photographs of well-known women artists, entertainers, intellectuals, and activists of the time, as well as images of women in educational and a variety of work settings, on sports teams, posing with uniforms, guns, and tools, and enjoying leisure activities. Roughly 40 images are portraits of African Americans and other people of color or mixed race. Color images are chiefly limited to hand-tinted images and mechanical prints. Acquired as part of the Lisa Unger Baskin Collection at Duke University.

Collection consists of 514 photographic items, almost all single black-and-white prints, in a variety of formats typical for the 19th and early 20th centuries: largely albumen, with some gelatin silver prints, a few tintypes, daguerreotypes, glass plates, and one cyanotype. There are also some mechanical prints such as Woodburytypes and half-tone prints, and groups of commercially produced postcards, collectible cards, and stereographs. Color images are chiefly limited to hand-tinted images and mechanical prints.

Roughly three-quarters of the images were taken by women photographers operating or managing studios in all regions of the United States, with a smaller number in England, Sweden, Canada, and a few other countries; some were well-known but the majority were small business operators in smaller cities and towns. Whenever possible, a brief photographer's biography is included with the image entry.

The majority of the images are studio portraits of mostly unidentified North American men, women, children, and families, with a slight focus on New England. Roughly 40 images are portraits of African American or mixed-race individuals young and old, with a few groups of people of color. There are several ethnographic images of northern African women and a few scenes from Southeast Asia.

In addition to portraiture, the collection offers images of women artists, authors, nurses, teachers, and students who appear in early images of graduation and sports teams. Women and girls in boarding house and hotel rooms, at home, on bicycles, at work in factories, large and small offices, mines, and hospitals, wearing uniforms, brandishing guns and tools, and enjoying leisure activities. One hand-sewn booklet of photographs appears to show scenes from a training school for African American women. Also present are many portraits of female actors, entertainers, and wealthy women. There are very few musicians. Of interest are several photographs of light-skinned enslaved children distributed as abolitionist propaganda.

The cataloger transcribed titles and dates when present and indicated the source location; in the absence of a title, the cataloger devised descriptive titles. The great majority of dates are approximate and are based on the format, biographies, geneaologies, and clothing styles. Much information was derived from history of photography websites and photographer indexes, especially the website Langdon's List of 19th & Early 20th Century Photographers.

Maria Mitchell was a pioneering United States astronomer. This collection comprises three social correspondence notes written by Mitchell between approximately 1846-1868.

Collection comprises three manuscript notes by Mitchell. The first, written while Mitchell was the librarian at the Nantucket Atheneum, is addressed to a Mrs. Greene regarding a John Quincy Adams letter Mitchell has forwarded to her "at Phebe's request" for her autograph business. The second, written while Mitchell was teaching at Vassar College, is addressed to a Mrs. Burner asking for letters of recommendation to a number of people in London. The third, dated 1877, to a Miss Ladd, sends her regrets for not being able to speak at the Harvard School commencement.

Lady Elizabeth Holford was born Elizabeth Lewis around 1650. She first married a merchant called Harbin, whose wealth she inherited. Her second husband was a poor baronet, Sir William Holford, who died before her. Lady Holford died on 3 November 1720, without an heir. Collection comprises a handwritten manuscript copy (70 pages; incomplete, the text ends mid-sentence) of Lady Holford's will and codicils, created around 1720, following her death. In the will, large sums of money are bequeathed to several Oxford colleges, including Christ Church, Pembroke and Worcester Colleges, and Hart Hall, along with Charterhouse School. There are also lesser legacies made to various London charity schools, along with other amounts left to individuals.

Collection comprises a handwritten manuscript copy (70 pages; incomplete, the text ends mid-sentence) of Lady Holford's will and codicils, created around 1720, following her death. In the will, large sums of money are bequeathed to several Oxford colleges, including Christ Church, Pembroke and Worcester Colleges, and Hart Hall, along with Charterhouse School. There are also lesser legacies made to various London charity schools, along with other amounts left to individuals.

Writing desk at which one would stand, designed and owned by Virginia Woolf. The sloping top of the desk features a central panel in two pieces, with hinges at the top. The panel lifts to reveal a storage compartment underneath. Two drawers are located below the storage area, one on each side of the desk. There are metal pulls on each drawer. The left-hand drawer pull surrounds a flower medalion; the medalion on the right-hand drawer is missing. The drawers and desk top each feature a metal lock, but no keys are present. Quentin Bell painted the figure of Cleo holding a trumpet on the top of the desk. He painted the rest of the desk, except the back, in grays with black accents. There are random spatters of paint present on all surfaces.

Writing desk at which one would stand, designed and owned by Virginia Woolf. The sloping top of the desk features a central panel in two pieces, with hinges at the top. The panel lifts to reveal a storage compartment underneath.Two drawers are located below the storage area, one on each side of the desk. There are metal pulls on each drawer. The left-hand drawer pull surrounds a flower medalion; the medalion on the right-hand drawer is missing. The drawers and desk top each feature a metal lock, but no keys are present. Quentin Bell painted the figure of Cleo holding a trumpet on the top of the desk. He painted the rest of the desk, except the back, in grays with black accents. There are random spatters of paint present on all surfaces.

Ada Lovelace was a mathematician in 19th century England and the only legitimate child of the poet George Gordon, Lord Byron. She is often recognized as the creator of the first set of instructions meant to be carried out by a machine, and is thus seen as a pioneer of what would later become computer programming. The Ada Lovelace letter is a one-page note to [Fortunato] Prandi, an Italian interpreter, regarding ten guineas Lovelace owed Prandi.

Consists of a single hand-written letter to [Fortunato] Prandi, dated Thursday 5th August. Date could be 1841 or 1847. One page, folded, written on front and back.

The letter is apparently in reply to a request for ten guineas owed by Lovelace to Prandi. She discusses putting off sending him the sum because of travel and also "disagreeable business." She goes on to say she is well in spite of being a "disconsolate widow" and will soon "leave town", "probably to Brighton". The letter closes with an apology for the lateness of repayment and includes a postscript noting her amusement at the "modesty" of his request. It is signed A. A. Lovelace.

Lydia Bailey was a prominent 19th-century Philadelphia printer. The Lydia Bailey account statements itemizes two printing jobs commissioned by John Steele of the Port of Philadelphia. The jobs were for use by commercial ships.

Includes two manuscript documents. The first, signed by Lydia Bailey, listing 65 itemized expenditures dated March 8-29, 1823, totaling $141.50 for "Printing certificates of spirits, wines & teas imported in the first quarter of 1823." It begins "Genl. John Steele, Collector of the Port of Philadelphia/To Lydia R. Bailey," and concludes with a certifying statement and a receipt for payment in full signed by Bailey. Each entry specifies the quantity of certificates printed and the name of the ship for which each lot is destined. There is also a single entry for "1000 copies blanks for inspectors." The second manuscript itemized 268 expenditures dated April 3-June 25, 1823, totaling $664.25, entitled "Genl. John Steele, Collector of the Port of Philadelphia/To Lydia R. Bailey." Again, each entry specifies the quantity of certificates printed and the name of the ship for which each lot is destined. There are water stains on this document.

Collection comprises a single autograph manuscript note dated 1963 with a Paris return address from the conductor and composer Nadia Boulanger to her friend "R.I." Boulanger inquires after his recent illness and encourages him to carry on his work in the future. The note's recipient is likely the composer Robert Irving.

The collection consists of a single autograph manuscript note (dated 1963 October 6) from the French composer and conductor Nadia Boulanger to a sick friend identified as "R.I." It's likely that the recipient was the conductor Robert Irving. Boulanger inquires as to what advice he's received from his doctors, and mentions her own recent illness. She says that her faith has "brought moral relief to the physical suffering." She asks after his plans and hopes for the future, "in spite of all that makes regular work so difficult." Boulanger writes her address at the bottom of the note: 35 Rue Ballu, Paris IX.

Collection comprises 5 black-and-white gelatin silver developing-out paper photographs taken by SNCC representatives from the Atlanta, Georgia, regional office. One photograph is uncredited, the others were photographed by Joffré T. Clarke, Bob Fletcher, and Tom Wakayama. They are undated, but probably were taken during the 1960s. Subjects in the images are all African-American, and include an elderly woman picking cotton, a young boy drawing with crayons, a little girl in a group watching others, a man slaughtering hogs, and a group building a house.

Vera Brittain was an English writer and pacifist activist best known for her World War I memoir Testament of Youth. The Vera Brittain letter to critia and editor John Middleton Murry concerns matters relating to the publishing and financing of Murry's literary, socialist, and pacifist magazine The Adelphi. Brittain also writes of her pacifism as it relates to concerns about nuclear warfare in the immediate aftermath of World War II.

Consists of a single typescript letter from Brittain to the critic and editor John Middleton Murry dated September 13, 1946. Single-page, with text on front and back written on letterhead reading "2 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea S.W.3." Brittain comments on the revival of Murry's The Adelphi, and on strategies to finance such literary magazines. The second part of the letter discusses her opinions on methods of pacifist activism, particuarly as related to nuclear war. The postscript discusses the forthcoming publication of John Hersey's 1946 book Hiroshima. She comments, "If only the world could read it, the 'next war' would move much further off." It is signed "Vera."

Photographer Margaret Bourke-White writes to comic book editor Mort Weisinger commenting that she likes a story and that "it ought to be swell with the cartoons." The note likely refers to a comic book about Bourke-White published in 1947.

Collection comprises a single autograph manuscript note (dated 1946 December 14) on letterhead stationery from the Ambassador Hotel, Chicago. Photographer Margaret Bourke-White writes to the comic book editor Mort Weisinger, "It's a good story and I like it very much. Ought to be swell with the cartoons." Bourke-White likely refers to a comic book about her life published in 1947.

Collection comprises an pin with the text "American Women's Voluntary Services" on a background of red, white, and blue enamel. The back of the pin is marked "Bastian Brothers Co, Rochester, N.Y."

Pearl S. Buck was an American writer best known for her depictions of rural Chinese life. Her bestselling novel The Good Earth was awarded the Pulizer Prize, and she was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature (1938). This letter is written by Buck to Frances Perkins, then Franklin D. Roosevelt's Secretary of Labor, the first woman to hold a cabinet post. Buck thanks Perkins for congratulating her on winning the Nobel Prize. She writes that the award, "was given as much to America and China as it was to me."

The collection consists of a single autograph typescript letter from the author Pearl S. Buck to the U.S. Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins. Perkins had written to Buck to congratulate her for winning the Nobel Prize in Literature for 1938. Buck responds, "It is very kind of you indeed to write me as you have about the Nobel Prize. It adds a great deal to the pleasure of this award, which I cannot but feel was given as much to America and China as it was to me." Buck's return address is given as "209 The Manor, 333 E. 43rd Street, New York City."

Children's book author and socialite Julia Ellsworth Ford writes to fellow children's book writer Helen Hoke offering an introduction to the Yeats family while Hoke is in Dublin. Ford particularly wishes Hoke to meet Elizabeth Yeats because of her printing work with the Cuala Press. She writes that she considers William Butler Yeats the greatest poetic genius to emerge from England and Ireland in the 20th century, but that it will be difficult to meet him because he "is more or less a recluse because of writing all the time."

Collection consists of a single two-page autograph typescript letter on letterhead stationery dated 1935 October 16 with manuscript postscript. Julia Ellsworth Ford writes to Helen Hoke offering an introduction to members of the Yeats family while Hoke is in Dublin that winter. Ford particularly wants Helen to meet Elizabeth Yeats because of her work printing with the Cuala Press; Ford owns a complete set of their books. Ford writes that she had hosted the father, John Butler Yeats, in New York, where he stayed until his death in 1922. If Hoke wishes to meet William Butler in Ireland, she should ask Elizabeth, but that he "is more or less of a recluse because of writing all the time."

May Byron was a prolific British author best known for her children's books including a series of biographies and abridgements of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan. In this letter, she responds to Rev. Edwin J. Matthews' request for the most important life lesson she's learned and for a list of her publications. Byron responds that she couldn't possibly sum up her life's experiences into one lesson, and that she can't provide a list of her publications because she's lost track of them. She does note that most of her children's books are still in print and have "been going on selling for some 20 years."

Collection consists of a single autograph manuscript letter written by May Byron to Reverend Edwin J. Matthews. Byron's return address is "c/o British Weekly" and Matthews' address is "The Rectory, Calstone, Calne, Wiltshire." Matthews had written to ask Byron, "the one lesson which has been most impressed upon me by my life's experiences." Byron replies, "These experiences have been so wide, so varied, and in several respects so unique that I could not possibly sum up their results in one lesson." Matthews had also asked Byron for a list of her writings, and she replies that she's unable to do so because she's lost track of them. She states that both the British Museum and the Library of Congress had asked her for a similar list, and she was unable to help them, in part because of her use of pseudonyms, and also because of her many years' work as a journalist. She concludes by stating that most all her writings are currently out of print, except for her children's books, "which have been going on selling for some 20 years."

Agnes Smedley was a journalist, writer, and left-wing activist remembered for her activity on behalf of the Communist cause in China during the 1930s. It is believed that she engaged in extensive espionage activities while she lived in Shanghai from 1929-1941. The Agnes Smedley letters consist of three letters by Smedley, the first of which was written while she lived in Shanghai, and the second two while she lived at the Yaddo artists' colony during the 1940s. The first letter is a request for a social engagement, and the second two letters discuss the particulars of her political observations and writings while she lived and worked in China.

The collection consists of three letters written by Agnes Smedley; the first to a Miss Gates, and the second two addressed to Corporal James A. Frankel. The single-page autograph manuscript letter to Miss Gates is written on letterhead stationery with Smedley's Shanghai address identifying her as the "Correspondent of the Frankfurter Zeitung in China." She asks Miss Gates to have "tiffin or tea" with her and wonders "Do you ever have extra time to see strange people?" The second manuscript letter, two leaves with text on all four sides, is dated December 27th, 1944. It primarily concerns Emily Hahn's book "China To Me." Smedley writes, “Miss Hahn spent 9 years sleeping around in Shanghai ... When the Japs took Hong Kong she wrote that she would just have died had she gone to a concentration camp like other Americans. So she went to the Japs and said, 'I’m a bad girl.' So the Japs left her free and she fooled around with them in Hong Kong, drinking and carousing, while the bastards were killing our men... But we Americans find this 'hot stuff' and put it up as a best seller... Miss Hahn is a propagandist for the Chinese reaction. She’s never seen a Chinese Communist, yet she’s agitating against them in N.Y... She led a purely personal life in two Chinese port cities but now poses as an authority on political and military matters of China." The third letter, autograph typescript dated March 23d 1947, was originally enclosed in Frankel’s copy of Smedley's book Battle Hymn of China, and addresses Frankel's questions about the Xi'an Incident of 1936 and the capture of Chiang Kai-shek. Smedley directs Frankel to her article on the topic published in The Nation magazine, as well as "her book."

Elizabeth Arden was a pioneering cosmetics entrepreneur. In this letter, she writes to advise a potential customer on matters relating to health and beauty. Arden advises her to get plenty of rest, eat a balanced diet, and to use products from Arden's Venetian line in order to soothe her chapped hands. Arden writes, "I know that where one is a busy housewife and has many duties in a country home, it is hard to get rest and relaxation. Perhaps you are of the naturally alert, quick, nervous type and use up a lot of energy everyday."

The collection consists of a single autograph typescript letter dated 1926 June 26 written by Elizabeth Arden to a Mrs. Hyatt, who had contacted her for advice after hearing her speak on the radio. Arden writes, "I know that where one is a busy housewife and has many duties in a country home, it is hard to get rest and relaxation. Perhaps you are of the naturally alert, quick, nervous type and use up a lot of energy everyday." Arden advises her to "get a little rest period at least once a day and relax in a quiet room or take a soothing, warm bath and a little nap," as well as to eat a healthy diet. She goes on to recommend products in her Venetian Preparations line that will soothe chapped hands, and encloses her booklet "The Quest of the Beautiful." On letterhead stationery from 673 Fifth Avenue embossed with the Venetian trademark.

The Margaret Sanger letter to Vachel Linsday regards a request from the contraception activist to the poet asking him to write a statement of support to be read at an upcoming birth control conference. Linsday responds by writing a note at the bottom of Sanger's letter replying that he wishes to father "twelve sons seven feet high" with the famously long-haired Seven Sutherland Sisters. The accompanying pamphlet contains the program for the upcoming conference.

The collection consists of a single-page typescript autograph letter from Margaret Sanger to the poet Vachel Lindsay with an autograph manuscript note at the bottom and an accompanying single-sheet folded pamphlet. The pamphlet contains the program for the Sixth International Neo-Malthusian and Birth Control Conference held in New York March 25-31, 1925; the letter is composed on matching letterhead and addressed to Lindsay care of the Macmillan Company in New York. In the letter, Sanger asks Lindsay if he would be willing to compose a message of support to be read at the conference. Lindsay sent the letter back to Sanger with a playful manuscript note by way of reply at the bottom signed Nicholas Vachel Lindsay. His response states that he wants "twelve sons, seven feet high," and that the best way to get them would be "to marry the Seven Sutherland Sisters, as long-haired women have long-legged sons." He concludes by asking Sanger if she knows where the Sisters happen to be at the time. The Seven Sutherland Sisters were famously long-haired and traveled with Barnum and Bailey as a family singing act. In a 1926 letter to the poet Sara Teasdale, Lindsay's wife Elizabeth refers to this as "his famous response" to the Neo-Malthusian Conference.

Source: The Annotated Letters of Nicholas Vachel Linsday to Sara Trevor Teasdale http://www.vachellindsay.org/LetterstoSara/vl_letters_210_241.pdf; viewed March 9, 2017

Dame Sybil Thorndike was a distinguished British actress best known for her work on stage. In this letter to the actress and playwright Elizabeth Robins, Thorndike thanks her for the gift of some heather from Yorkshire. She also sends her regards and thanks to "Lady Bell" for her support. The letter is addressed to Robins at Rounton Grange, the North Yorkshire estate which was the family home of the writer Florence Bell ("Lady Bell"). Bell and Robins were close friends and collaborators. Thorndike refers to a play; at the time of this letter, she was in rehearsals for the 1922-23 London production of Shelley's The Cenci at the New Theater, directed by her husband, Lewis Casson. This letter connecting three key female figures of the London stage is evidence of the strong support network these women formed in a male-dominated arena.

The collection consists of a single autograph typescript letter from Sybil Thorndike to Elizabeth Robins at Rounton Grange, Northallerton in North Yorkshire. In the letter, Thorndike thanks Robins for sending her a piece of heather from Rounton Grange. Thorndike writes, "I am sure it is going to bring us luck, and I love having something from Rounton on my dressing table. How lovely to think of you up there among the peacocks and the glorious moors! I really think the play is going to be a success." The letter is signed "yours affectionately, Sybil" with a manuscript postscript asking Robins to give her love to Lady Bell, and to thank Lady Bell for her support. The letter is composed on Thorndike's own letterhead stationery, "Miss Sybil Thorndike" at the address of the New Theater, London and listing her husband, Lewis Casson, as Director. The play in production Thorndike refers to is Shelley's The Cenci, in which she played the lead, Beatrice. With stamped, postmarked envelope.

Collection comprises a letter written by the United States Senator from Ohio Warren G. Harding to the suffragist Harriet Taylor Upton regarding support for women's suffrage. Harding responds to a telegram from Upton asking him to use his influence on Ohio State Senator U.G. Murrell in support of women's voting rights. Harding replies that he is "reluctant" to advise Murrell on the matter because of his previous experience with Murrell while Harding was a member of the Ohio General Assembly.

The collection consists of a single autograph typescript letter on Senator Warren G. Harding's United States Senate letterhead dated 1917 February 11. Senator Harding writes to suffragist Mrs. Harriet Taylor Upton of Warren, Ohio, "I beg to acknowledge your telegram of February 4. By reason of my former experience as a member of the Senate of Ohio General Assembly, I would be reluctant to advise Senator Murrell of Clinton County as to his ultimate action on the suffrage matter." Murrell was a member of the Ohio General Assembly. By 1917, Senator Harding was prepared to vote in the affirmative on the issue of women's suffrage. Harriet Upton was was hoping to leverage his influence to generate similar support in their home state of Ohio.

Collection comprises a letter Stokes wrote to dramatist Benjamin Butler Davenport regarding her plan to attend his play "The Silent Assertion" with her husband. Includes enclosure.

Collection comprises a letter written by "Nonia" on June 16, 1913, regarding how she managed to obtain the Emily Wilding Davison memorial items, including a bulletin for the memorial service, an official program for the funeral procession, and a memorial card. Nonia was likely an upper class woman, for Princess Alice of Teck assisted her in collecting the items; the princess was afraid they would be considered suffragettes. The collection also holds a transcription for the letter.

Mary "May" Morris was an English artisan, embroidery designer, jeweller, socialist, and editor. Collection comprises letters, an article, a few photographs, and several drawings. There are 16 letters and notes, dated 1909-1931, addressed to "Ada," who was Ada Culmer, the companion/caregiver for May Morris' sister, Jenny. Fifteen of these items were written by May, with one by Jenny. Subjects range from personal matters to Kelmscott business, including May’s editing of her father’s collected works. Much of the content centers on mutual friends and relatives (with a focus on Jenny's ill health); several letters also mention foreign travel. The article, "Mrs. William Morris," The Athenaeum, 1914 Feb. 7, contains the author's memories of Jane Morris, following her death. There is an albumen photograph (4.25 x 5.75-inches) by Ernest Hall of Oxford, showing May Morris at work on one of her tapestries at Kelmscott, as well as a developing out paper copy by Haines of London of a 1905 Carter and Co. photograph (6 x 4.25-inches) of Jane, May, and Jenny Morris, with Ada Culmer. In addition, there is a reproduction of a photograph of Kelmscott manor. Includes three undated reproductions of portraits of female figures.

Collection comprises letters, an article, a few photographs, and several drawings. There are 16 letters and notes, dated 1909-1931, addressed to "Ada," who was Ada Culmer, the companion/caregiver for May Morris' sister, Jenny. Fifteen of these items were written by May, with one by Jenny. Subjects range from personal matters to Kelmscott business, including May’s editing of her father’s collected works. Much of the content centers on mutual friends and relatives (with a focus on Jenny's ill health); several letters also mention foreign travel. The article, "Mrs. William Morris," The Athenaeum, 1914 Feb. 7, contains the author's memories of Jane Morris, following her death. There is an albumen photograph (4.25 x 5.75-inches) by Ernest Hall of Oxford, showing May Morris at work on one of her tapestries at Kelmscott, as well as a developing out paper copy by Haines of London of a 1905 Carter and Co. photograph (6 x 4.25-inches) of Jane, May, and Jenny Morris, with Ada Culmer. In addition, there is a reproduction of a photograph of Kelmscott manor. Includes three undated reproductions of portraits of female figures.

The Pankhurst family included English political activists and leaders of British women's suffrage movement, Emmeline (1858-1928) and her daughters, Christabel (1880-1958), and Estelle Sylvia (1882-1960). Collection includes letters by Emmeline, Christabel, and Sylvia Pankhurst, as well as photographs of them.

Collection includes letters by Emmeline, Christabel, and Sylvia Pankhurst, as well as photographs of them. Topics in the letters include women's suffrage, opinions of Emmeline in the United States, and Sylvia's running of newspapers, including the Worker's Dreadnought. There is also an autograph for Christabel. Images include photo postcards of Emmeline and Christabel, an albumen photograph of Emmeline and another unidentified woman breaking the flag at Lincoln's Inn House at Christmas Sale (1912), and a silver gelatin photograph of Sylvia attending a luncheon in her honor in Cincinnati.

Collection comprises an undated letter Becker wrote to Lady [Downing?] regarding the fate of an unnamed bill before the House of Lords. She mentions that "... we have done what we could to bring a strong body of earnest, intelligent, feminine opinion to bear on the Peers." She then requests help finding accommodations for upcoming meetings in Exeter. Pasted to the letter, probably dated 1890, is a copy of Becker's obituary.

Collection comprises a volume entitled "Needlework," containing 16 pages of illustrations for sewing and darning patterns and techniques, accompanied by 22 finished samples. The title page indicates the work was done by Louisa Wright during a "Second Year" at an unnamed institute or training facility. There are illustrations for hemming and seaming, stitching, sewing on a tape, gathering, setting-in, making a buttonhole, herring-boning, darning a thin place, tacking, making a gusset, making a calico patch, darning a hole, whipping, using a print patch, crosscut darning, Swiss darning and grafting, and stocking-web darning. The volume has a sewn cover in khaki cloth featuring two pink ribbon closures with bows, buttons, and thread button-loops. The title "Needlework" is emboidered in pink thread.

Collection consists of a single letter from the Pre-Raphealite poet Christina Rossetti to an unnamed recipient in the publishing industry. She grants him permission to use poems from three of her published collections in an upcoming "Fine Art Book for Christmas 1882." Rossetti states that there should be no variation of the text from the source material, and that she chose those three collections because she personally holds their copyright.

Collection consists of an autograph manuscript letter signed Christina G. Rossetti, granting the unnamed recipient, presumably a publisher, permission to reprint some of her poems. The letter is written on a single folded sheet of paper with text on two pages. She lists her address as: 30 Torrington Square - London - W.C. Rossetti refers to the correspondent's "assurance that no variation whatsoever" will appear in "your Fine Art book for Xmas 1882." Rossetti names three of her books he may use as source material: "Poems," "Pageant," and "Sing Song." She writes, "I name these, because not every piece to be found elsewhere is in every instance of my own copyright."

The Sarah Orne Jewett letters consist of two pieces of correspondence written by the author to an editor, Mr. Sawyer, and to Lucy Coffin. Sarah Orne Jewett was a well-known 19th century author whose fiction is set in her native rural Maine. In the first letter, Jewett declines to send Mr. Sawyer anything to print in the first issue of his magazine, as she has been ill and busy, and doesn't want to write something in a hurry, although she wishes him well with his new publication. The second is a condolence letter to Lucy Coffin of Newbury, Massachusetts on the loss of her father. The Coffins were a prominent Massachusetts family.

Collection consists of two autograph manuscript letters written by Sarah Orne Jewett. The first is addressed to a Mr. Sawyer, the editor of a new journal, declining to send him anything to print in his first issue, as she has been ill and doesn't wish to write something in a hurry. She sends him "hearty good wishes for the success of his magazine," asks him to send her a prospectus, and "suppose[s] that, like all editors, you have more verses than you wish to print." The letter is on a single sheet of folded paper with writing on three pages dated 1877 June 15 and written from South Berwick, [Maine]. The second letter is a sympathy note written on mourning stationery and addressed to Miss [Lucy] Coffin dated 26 December, but lacking a year. A Boston address appears at the top. Jewett expresses sympathy for the loss of Miss Coffin's father from both her and her companion Mrs. Field, and reminisces about a day they had spent together in Newburyport. Jewett references John Greenleaf Whittier, who was a student of Lucy's cousin Joseph while at Dartmouth College. The Coffin Family was prominent in New England and lived in Newbury, Massachusetts for many generations.

Collection comprises a diary (49 pages) Sarah Ewing maintained in ink, focusing on the domestic abuse she suffered from her husband, including verbal and physical abuse. One entry also records her husband's arrest for an assault that took place outside the home. By the end of the diary, Sarah has left her husband in fear for her safety, taking with her the baby. After visiting the house in order to retrieve more clothing, she ends the diary with a note that she is not a thief, "I had never in my life before removed or taken away from H.H. [Haydon House] any articles of clothing or jewelry of any sort." Marginal notes made by an unidentified writer in pencil indicate that the diary may have been used in legal or other proceedings on her behalf.

Collection primarily includes four sketchbooks by Allingham, but also contains four letters, a carte de visite, and two exhibit labels. The four sketchbooks date from 1868-1916, and feature sketches and drawings made in graphite, watercolor, and pen and ink. Subjects are varied, and include English cottages and buildings, architectural features, sailboats and coastal scenes, figures, landscapes, and botanical items. The letters, dated 1881-1882 and undated, include three written by Allingham. There is one to Marcus B. Huish regarding her painting, The Tea Party, which she reports is incomplete, but she plans to finish before it is exhibited. There is a letter to a friend to whom she sends autographs, then describes her country place and garden, along with her 4-month-old son. Another letter focuses on the difficulty of finding unfurnished rooms. The final letter in the collection is written by Andrew Halliday to Dr. Watkins, regarding Allingham's address. There is also a carte de visite of English women's rights activist Emily Faithfull, with her signature, along with two modern exhibit labels on Allingham.

Collection primarily includes four sketchbooks by Allingham, but also contains four letters, a carte de visite, and two exhibit labels. The four sketchbooks date from 1868-1916, and feature sketches and drawings made in graphite, watercolor, and pen and ink. Subjects are varied, and include English cottages and buildings, architectural features, sailboats and coastal scenes, figures, landscapes, and botanical items.

The letters, dated 1881-1882 and undated, include three written by Allingham. There is one to Marcus B. Huish regarding her painting, The Tea Party, which she reports is incomplete, but she plans to finish before it is exhibited. There is a letter to a friend to whom she sends autographs, then describes her country place and garden, along with her 4-month-old son. Another letter focuses on the difficulty of finding unfurnished rooms. The final letter in the collection is written by Andrew Halliday to Dr. Watkins, regarding Allingham's address. There is also a carte-de-visite of English women's rights activist Emily Faithfull, with her signature, along with two modern exhibit labels on Allingham.

Collection contains a letter from George Sand to Juliette Lamber, written 18 August 1867 at Sand's Nohant estate. The letter discusses possible plans to meet. Also, Sand acknowledges that she has been depressed by the death of her dear friend François Rollinat, and hopes their meeting can help her find courage to live. In a postscript, she adds that she has read Lamber's THE MANDARIN, and that Lamber has the elements of a serious talent. Includes an enclosure for the letter, as well as an English transcription.

Collection contains a letter from George Sand to Juliette Lamber, written 18 August 1867 at Sand's Nohant estate. The letter discusses possible plans to meet. Also, Sand acknowledges that she has been depressed by the death of her dear friend François Rollinat, and hopes their meeting can help her find courage to live. In a postscript, she adds that she has read Lamber's THE MANDARIN, and that Lamber has the elements of a serious talent. Includes an enclosure for the letter, as well as an English transcription.

Marilla Ricker was an influential suffragist and pioneering woman lawyer. Her scrapbook consists chiefly of newspaper clippings by and about Ricker, chronicling her long activist career and public life advocating for suffrage and equal rights for women. It also includes correspondence and ephemera.

Collection comprises a scrapbook (66 leaves, 27 x 35 cm.) bound in maroon cloth with oak leaf and acorn decoration on front cover. The first leaf is inscribed "Marilla M. Ricker, March 1, 1896, 30 Codman Place, Roxbury, Mass." It consists chiefly of U.S newspaper clippings by and about Ricker. Some clippings have mss. annotations indicating the titles and dates of the newspapers. Topics include Ricker's political writings, philanthropic activities, and extensive activism on behalf of women's suffrage. Suffrage activities detailed in the newspaper stories include Ricker's legal activities, attempts to vote, run for public office, and apply for a diplomatic post. Also pasted in are six notes addressed to Ricker from correspondents including the Arts and Crafts Movement leader Elbert Hubbard, Illinois Senator John A. Logan, and the African-American author, orator, and abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Clipped autographs from faith leader Sarah J. Farmer, suffrage leader Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Ohio Senator John Sherman are also pasted in. Black and white portraits and illustrations of Ricker are interspersed throughout. The scrapbook also contains an 1881 certification admitting Ricker to the bar of the District of Columbia, an 1899 brief from a case Ricker tried before the Supreme Court of New Hampshire, printed ephemera including the seal of the American Secular Union and Freethought Federation, and 25 U.S. postage stamps.

Letter written by abolitionist Thomas Wentworth Higginson regarding an upcoming lecture entitled A Visit to the Family of John Brown.

The collection consists of a single page autograph manuscript letter from abolitionist Thomas Wentworth Higginson to an unknown male correspondent. Wentworth writes that he has prepared a lecture called A Visit to the Family of John Brown. Sources indicate that Higginson had returned from visiting the Brown family in the Adirondacks on November 4th, 1859. He writes that no one else from Massachusetts has visited the Brown family that he's aware of, except for fellow abolitionist Franklin Benjamin Sanborn. He asks if the recipient would prefer this lecture to the one Higginson had previously prepared. This lecture was likely turned into a chapter in Higginson's 1898 book Contemporaries called A Visit to John Brown's Household in 1859.

Collection comprises a letter from Lady Wilde discussing the loss of her mother, followed by her marriage, and announcing the birth of her eldest son, William Charles Kingsbury Wilde. She also comments on marriage, "a woman's duty ends with marriage. She becomes a vegetable, a house leek, a mop--I feel that I am 'potted' for the rest of my days...." Includes an enclosure with a note written in another hand identifying Wilde along with the letter's recipient, whose last name may be Grant.

Collection comprises a printed 1853 "West of England Pocket Book or Gentleman's Diary with an almanack" presented to Isabella Gardner by her husband in 1852. Gardner filled the volume with routine diary entries, usually briefly mentioning the weather and the health of family members, whether they were any visitors, along with any travel or activities and with whom the family took tea or had dinner. More unusual entries have to do with a tooth extraction, the birth of Frank, and a fire at their home. Entries became less frequent from October to December 1853. Also, several pages list household accounts and amounts paid, usually for food and servant salaries. Several items post-dating the diary were laid-in, including four brief letters to and from family members, a recipe for a throat tonic, a note with dates of ancestors, and a religious flier. A child later made drawings in available spaces on pages of the diary.

Collection comprises a volume containing nine handwritten poems prepared by Mary B. Tuckey and others for the 1845 anti-slavery fair held in Boston, Massachusetts, but brought together in a presentation volume. The volume features hand-painted covers and two illustrations, and was presented to Maria Weston Chapman, editor of the Boston Liberty Bell, by Mary Mannix, secretary of the female anti-slavery society in Cork, Ireland, in 1846. The volume was enclosed in a case with a leather spine, with initials "M.M. to M.W.C" and dated "Cork, 1846." One of the poems commemorates Frederick Douglass' visit to Cork.

Sophia Foord was a 19th century teacher in Massachusetts who was involved with the abolitionist, utopian socialist, and feminist movements. The Sophia Foord letter to Robert Adams mainly concerns the Northampton Association of Education and Industry, a utopian socialist community.

Three-page letter from Sophia Foord of Northampton, MA to Robert Adams of Pawtucket, RI regarding the Northampton Association of Education and Industry. Abolitionists Lydia Maria Child and William Lloyd Garrison are also mentioned, as is the Underground Railroad. A section is missing from the top of the first leaf, affecting text on the second page.

Margaret Fuller was a teacher, journalist, and critic. Collection comprises a letter (1840 December 14) Margaret Fuller wrote to her uncle to request a meeting to review her mother's letter.

Collection comprises a letter (1840 December 14) Margaret Fuller wrote to her uncle to request a meeting to review her mother's letter.

Collection comprises a certificate written by Fairfax stating that he examined Alsy (Alice), who was a slave being hired out to Charles Mothershead in Westmoreland Co., Va. He found that she had procidentia uteri (her entire uterus was outside the vagina), which caused her to be unable to work. He added, "She may be made useful by the application of an instrument properly adjusted, to keep the part from coming down."

Collection comprises a letter from the 19th century writer and editor Sarah J. Hale to the prominent Philadelphia publisher Mathew Carey thanking him for his contribution to Hale's charity benefiting Boston seamen.

The collection consists of a single signed autograph letter with text on one side from Sarah J. Hale to the Philadelphia publisher Mathew Carey. Hale thanks Carey for his subscription to her charity, the Seaman's Aid Society and Mariner's House of Boston for the year 1822-1823. Hale also inquires about local interest in a Philadelphia organization that teaches needlework as a means of economic empowerment to poor women.

Anna Letitia Barbauld was an English woman of letters who had great professional success at a time when women writers were still something of an anomaly. She is remembered for her poetry, children's literature, essays, criticism, and editorial works. She was rediscovered when feminist literary critics examined her place in British literary history. Barbauld was also an abolitionist, something she had in common with fellow educator and Stoke Newington resident William Allen. This item is a single small sheet of paper with an autograph manuscript poem by Barbauld on the front dated August 23, 1823, and another one on the back by William Allen dated August 30, 1823. Both poems were aimed at a juvenile audience. It is likely that their common interests and close proximity led them to develop a friendship. Although this was written towards the end of Barbauld's life, it is evidence that they still had at least an epistolary relationship in 1823.

Collection consists of a single piece of paper (20 x 12.5 cm) with an autograph manuscript poem by Anna Letitia Barbauld on the front and a poem called "Follow Me" by William Allen on the back. Barbauld's poem reads as follows: Born to the weighty honours of a name/Whose deeds of mercy England's shores proclaim/Yet know, you may inherit lands or pelf/But must, for praise - for love, be good yourself. It's signed A.L. Barbauld and dated August 23rd 1823. The verso contains a two-stanza autograph manuscript devotional poem by William Allen titled "Follow Me." It is signed Stoke Newington 30 of 8th month 1823. Barbauld and Allen were both educators and abolitionists who lived in Stoke Newington at the time of this writing. These poems are evidence that they had at least an epistolary friendship.

Madame de Staël (1766-1817) was a French literary figure whose writings were highly influential in late 18th and early 19th century Europe. She was a political polemicist whose famous confrontation with Napoléon Bonaparte led to her exile from Paris until the Bourbon Restoration. This letter was written in 1814 towards the end of her life. She writes from Paris to the prominent New York mercantile firm LeRoy, Bayard & McEvers concerning a financial transaction in the amount of $20,000. She states that she has transferred the sum to McEvers in London, and wishes to confirm that they will, in turn, transfer it to her account with another firm. At the time she wrote this letter, Madame de Staël owned a large tract of land in upstate New York. Her father originally purchased the land in the event that the family wanted to escape France's instability and settle in America. Although she and her children never moved to the United States, de Staël both increased her land holdings and invested in developing her property. LeRoy, Bayard & McEvers represented Europeans purchasing property in New York State, so it's highly likely that the $20,000 was used to either increase or develop Madame de Staël's American land holdings. This letter is evidence of a degree of financial and business independence that was highly unusual for a woman at the time.

Collection consists of a single one page autograph manuscript letter from Madame de Staël to the firm LeRoy, Bayard & McEvers in New York City regarding a financial transaction of $20,000. The letter is dated 1814 October 12; a note on the back states that it was received in New York 1815 March 10. In the letter, de Staël writes that she is sending their partner in London, Mr. McEvers, a note for $20,000. She asks if they have received her letter of July 25 in which she asked them to transfer the $20,000 to her account with the firm Doxat & Divett, and reiterates this request in the event that they have not received it. The letter is signed Necker de Staël Holstein. At the time, Madame de Staël owned an estimated 30,000 acres of land in what is now upstate New York, (Sakolski) and it's likely that this transaction was related to her American property holdings. Madame de Staël's father purchased land in America for his daughter and her children with the thought of leaving unstable France and settling in America. Although she never lived there, de Staël increased her American land holdings and reportedly invested $20,000 in developing the property. -- Sakolski, The Great American Land Bubble (1932)

Collection comprises a full-color, four-page manuscript metamorphosis book, with verses and pen-and-watercolor illustrations by Elizabeth Winspear, who was possibly a resident of New England. Each page features two flaps that fold out in stages to reveal new illustrations. Characters include Adam and Eve, along with a lion, griffin, and eagle, and themes include the attainment of wealth, and impact of sickness and death. Includes a clamshell box.

Amelia Opie (1769-1853) was an English novelist and poet. Collection comprises 14 letters, 5 engraved portraits of Opie, a copy made by her father of two of her songs as well as four lines of poetry she wrote in French, and a draft for twenty guineas.

Collection comprises 14 letters, 5 engraved portraits of Opie, a copy made by her father of two of her songs as well as four lines of poetry she wrote in French, and a draft for twenty guineas. Several of the letters are written to unidentified recipients, but other addressees include two friends, Susan Reeve and Anne Pryse, along with Charles Stokes Dudley; L.T. Ventouillac; Thomas Richardson, Jr.; Joseph Watson; Lord Cholmondeley; and a "Mrs. Lee." Topics include invitations to visit or dine, requesting the loan of lectures or return of her manuscripts, editorial alterations for her poetry, her travel plans or those of others, her support of applicants for the London Orphan Asylum, her appreciation for a contribution to a bazzar, and the biography of Lord Eldon. Following her conversion to Quakerism in 1825, she followed their dating convention rejecting the names of the months. All dates in the collection guide have been converted to Gregorian style. Each of the engravings is unique; one of them was published following Opie's death.

Rebecca West was a British writer and critic. The Rebecca West note consists of a single autograph manuscript note to an unknown correspondent reading, "With Miss Rebecca West's compliments." On letterhead stationery: 15, Orchard Court. Portman Square.W.1., Welbeck 3606.

The collection consists of a single autograph manuscript note to an unknown recipient which reads, "With Miss Rebecca West's compliments." On letterhead stationery: 15, Orchard Court. Portman Square.W.1., Welbeck 3606.

Collection comprises a 35-page memorandum book maintained by the Haulsey family of London, England, from 1646-1846. The memoranda usually record marriages, births, christenings, deaths, and burials, but there are also separate notes on family genealogy, as well as a few notes on land tenancy transfers, and money lent and received. There is one record regarding numbers of silver trays and candlesticks. Volume entries are handwritten on varying types of paper, and are not in chronological order. The volume also features an embroidered binding and a metal-clasp closure with initials G.W. (one clasp is missing). The embroidery includes images of day and night, as well as a dog, monkey, church, house, windmill, swallow, snail, and various plants and flowers.