Search Results
Hannah Mather request to Edward Hutchinson, 1758 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
Collection comprises a request written by Hannah Hutchinson Matter on 3 April 1858 to Edward Hutchinson, asking him to fulfill the pecuniary bequest made to her by his father and to give the sum (4 pounds) to her son, Samuel Mather, Junior. The back of the request contains Samuel's note, dated 3 May 1858, stating that he received the money.
Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell letter to Ellen Nussey, [1855] July 27 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
Collection contains a letter Elizabeth Gaskell wrote to Ellen Nussey on [1855] July 27 regarding her work on her biography of Charlotte Brontë, and making arrangements to meet with Nussey to review any letters "which you may think it right to entrust me with." She refers to having already reviewed letters held by Mr. Nichols, Brontë's husband, but never mentions Brontë by name.
Thomas Smith deed of manumission, 1803 July 19 1.0 Linear Foot — 1 item
Deed of manumission of "negro Sue," more commonly known as Susannah Mallory, former property of Charles King Mallory, of Elizabeth City County, [Va.?], by Thomas Smith in the Court of Norfolk County, Va., on 1803 July 19. In the document Smith makes it clear that the sixty dollars he paid for her purchase from Charles King Mallory was advanced entirely by Sue and that he acted only as her "Friendly agent" in the matter, with no interest in holding her as a slave. The deed is witnessed by Richard Henry Lee and R. C. Archer.
Mary J. Scarlett letters and broadside, 1845-1864 and undated 1.01 Linear Feet — 8 items
Collection contains seven letters (22 pages) M. J. Scarlett wrote between 1845-1864. Two letters were addressed to her sister, Elizabeth (1845, 1849), and five to her niece (1858, 1860, 1863, 1864). In the letters she discussed details of her life at the time, from the teaching of students to the choosing of proper fabric for sewing a dress, making a comfortable sitting room, or studying public health and hygiene. She also mentioned many family matters. She commented on her hopes for the abolition of slavery and the infighting among abolitionists at a recent national meeting, and noted her puzzlement that those Quakers who would quickly speak as abolitionists would not also speak up on issues of faith within the Society of Friends. During the Civil War, she described the effect of the draft in Philadelphia, recorded the general concern that the Army of the Potomac needed to be successful, and pointed to camps nearby as well as to funerals passing. Collection also includes an undated broadside for "An Introductory Lecture to a Course on Physiology" to be delivered by Scarlett. Acquired as part of the History of Medicine Collections (Duke University), the Lisa Unger Baskin Collection, and the Sallie Bingham Center for Women's History and Culture.
J. Nevett Steele and Mary Murray deed of manumission, 1846 December 4 1.0 Linear Foot — 1 item
Collection comprises a deed of manumission for a "negro woman slave named Sophy and a negro girl named Sarah and a negro boy named Henry, children of said Sophy," former property of Sarah E. Murray of Anne Arundel County, Md., and then assigned to J. Nevett Steele of Baltimore, Maryland. The deed was signed and sealed by J. Nevett Steele and the administrator of Sarah E. Murray's personal estate, Mary Murray, then recorded in the [Howard?] District of Anne Arundel County on 1846 December 4. The deed was witnessed by Abner Neal and T.[Thomas] Hanson Belt. Sophy was 37 years old, Sarah was 13 years old, and Henry was 10 years old at the time.
Women's Guild of Arts records, 1902-1949 and undated 0.2 Linear Feet — 88 items
Collection comprises primarily 81 letters from 29 members of the Women's Guild of Arts between 1902 and 1949. There are 7 additional documents, including draft resolutions, certificates, lists, and notes. Three letters predate the founding of the organization in 1907. The primary topic of the letters is the crisis within the Guild regarding its women-only status, an argument regarding how restrictive the Guild should be. Pamela Colman Smith wrote to May Morris (22 January 1913) that the reason she joined the Guild was that it made a point of asking its members not to exhibit at women-only shows, as it lowered the standard of work and that the Guild was never intended to be a purely woman's affair. Other letters on the subject come from Evelyn de Morgan, Feodora Gleichen, and Ethel Sandell. Gleichen's letter was circulated to members, and the collection contains a list of those who agreed with her; several letters are marked up to indicate a position on the matter. There is also a draft resolution welcoming any move to widen the scope of the Guild "such as stimulating and interesting lectures not only from our own members but from men and women outside....It is with this in view that we supported the resolution passed at the recent Annual Meeting, inviting as Honorary Associates a few people with whose work we are in sympathy..." (22 January 1913). Other topics in the letters include the role of the president, exhibitions, lectures, and the work of the organization, along with the William Morris Centenary Commemoration in 1934.
Elizabeth Cary Agassiz letter to Dr. Thomas Hill and photograph, 1886 0.1 Linear Feet — 2 items
Collection comprises an autograph, signed letter Elizabeth Cary Agassiz wrote to Dr. Thomas Hill on January 20 [1886] regarding his article on her husband published in the Unitarian Review in December 1885. She notes that she was unable to follow his entire argument, "for the kingdoms of geometry are closed to me. But in reading it I am nonetheless conscious of a law which binds all things together...." Also includes a printed photograph of her.
Helen Paterson Allingham papers, 1868-1916, 2015 3.6 Linear Feet — 4 boxes — 11 items
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.
American Women's Voluntary Services enamel pin, 1940s 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
Elizabeth Arden letter to Mrs. Hyatt, 1926 June 26 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
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.
Anna Letitia Barbauld and William Allen poems, 1823 August 23-30 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
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.
Letter and memorial items for Emily Wilding Davison, 1913 0.1 Linear Feet — 5 items
Lisa Unger Baskin Collection of Photographs, circa 1860-1960s, bulk 1860-1910 4.5 Linear Feet — 8 boxes — 514 items — Dimensions are given in item-level entries in centimeters and are approximate. The great majority are standard cartes-de-visite and cabinet card sizes, with more modern prints ranging from 4x6 to 8x10 inches; the largest items, few in number, measure approximately 10x12 up to 11x15 inches. — The majority of the items in this visual collection take the form of 19th century albumen cartes-de-visite and cabinet cards mounted on card stock. As the 19th century wanes, gelatin silver prints, most also mounted, become more common. There are a handful of cased images, stereographic cards, a few tintypes, several platinum prints, and photo-mechanical images in the form of single prints and postcards. Many of the albumen portraits are hand-tinted and card mounts are often ornately decorated, while others are roughly trimmed and spare in detail. Color pigments are chiefly found in hand-tinted photographs or in mechanical prints.
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.
Mary R. Beard letters to Margaret Zogbaum, 1947-1950 0.1 Linear Feet — 8 items
Collection comprises 8 letters, 3 autograph and 5 typescript, Mary R. Beard wrote to Margaret Zogbaum, a resident of Mizzen Top in Tryon, North Carolina, between 1947 and 1950. Topics include the state of the publishing industry for literature; plans for visitors; musicologists Henry S. Drinker and his wife, Sophie; and the demands of Beard's writing, including its serving as a "salvation" following her husband's death in 1948, as well as her rule for not writing introductions for works by others.
Lydia Becker letter and obituary, 1890 and undated 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
Annie Besant letters, 1882-1883 0.1 Linear Feet — 2 items
Collection comprises two autograph, signed letters written by Annie Besant. The first, written 1882 May 20, originally accompanied a copy of a petition, and asked the editor of the Evening News to publish the petition, since he published an attack upon "Dr. E. Aveling, the Misses Bradlaugh" and herself, "as teachers of the Science School of the Hall of Science." The second, written 1883 December 4 to an unidentified addressee, indicated "the place of the meeting is the Grosvenor Gallery." Both items written on Besant's stationery, with her name and address printed in brown ink.
Mathilde Blind letter, circa 1889-1896 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
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."
Maud Ballington Booth papers, 1899-1905 0.1 Linear Feet — 3 items
Collection comprises two letters and small handbill. Booth wrote one letter to a Mrs. Wallace on 1899 February 19, describing setting up a "Home" for men released from Joliet State Prison, and requesting that Wallace commit to a yearly donation of a hundred dollars or more towards the support of the halfway house in Illinois. Booth wrote the other letter to Alice Boughton on 1905 January 27, regarding a photographic portrait to be completed by Boughton. The handbill is for Booth's presentation "Making Good," to be held in New York City on [1902?] December 28.
Nadia Boulanger note to R.I., 1963 October 6 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
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.
Margaret Bourke-White note to Mort Weisinger, 1946 December 14 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
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.
Henry Noel Brailsford letters, probably 1911. 0.1 Linear Feet — 2 items
Collection comprises two letters from Henry Noel Brailsford to (John Howard?) Whitehouse, probably written in 1911. In the first letter, dated 31 January, Brailsford urges Whitehouse to get his Committee to cooperate with the Conciliation Committee in getting a Conciliation Bill passed ("... the P.M. is more likely to listen to your Committee"). Brailsford also tries to enlist Whitehouse to help him find new members for the Conciliation Committee: "If you see any Liberals who are good suffragists & are not averse in principle from working with Tories, I hope you will invite them to join us." In the second letter, dated 3 March, Brailsford discusses Whitehouse's decision to resign and urges him to reconsider. The resignation was (presumably) over the Conciliation Committee's handling of an inquiry into the violent clash between suffragettes from the Women's Social and Political Union and the police on 1910 November 18 at the House of Commons. On stationery of the Conciliation Committee for Woman Suffrage. Includes transcripts for both letters.
L. L. Brennan letters to Holter Hardware Co., 1896 0.1 Linear Feet — 2 items
Collection comprises two autograph, signed letters Lydia L. Brennan wrote to the Holter Hardware Company in Helena, Montana, on July 1 and October 3, 1896, to place orders for photographic supplies, particularly American Aristo Platino papers. On her Elite Studio stationary, with the stamp of Holter Hardware indicating the inquiries were received and answered.
Vera Brittain letter to John Middleton Murry, 1946 September 13 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
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."
Pearl S. Buck letter to Frances Perkins, 1939 May 24 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
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."
Abigail Buttens letter to Desire Clark, 1781 April 28 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
Collection comprises a letter from Abigail Buttens, Wilmington, to her mother, Desire Clark, Chester, dated 1781 April 28. She announces the death of her oldest daughter from a fever and asks for "... prayers for me that God would inable me to behave my self in Christian manner in whatsoever he calls me to meet with." She requests a visit from her mother and her brother, John.
May Byron letter to Rev. Edwin J. Matthews, 1932 August 23 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
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."
Almira Brown Taylor scrapbooks, 1892-1962, bulk 1935-1945 14.9 Linear Feet
The collection contains five scrapbooks. Four scrapbooks (1-3, and 5) feature literary figures of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including authors and poets, as well as twentieth-century playwrights, essayists, and biographers. Scrapbook 4 features celebrities, political figures, and professors. All the scrapbooks primarily contain clippings from newspapers and journals, including articles, poetry, book reviews, obituaries, and editorials. There are often letters and notes bearing autographs of the authors, some of them purchased by Taylor, or obtained with the assistance of Taylor's mother or her friend, Dorothy Kraus. Unfortunately, many of the autographed items have been removed. Pages often include handwritten or typed lists of works. There are several black-and-white photographs, along with photo postcards, and regular postcards. In addition, there are loose scrapbook pages and loose material for creating pages. Scrapbooks have been disbound for conservation purposes.
Sarah Brown Capron letter, 1865 December 26, December 28. 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
Collection comprises a copy of a letter (10 pages) written by Sarah B. Capron in Mana Madura, India, to unidentified recipients on 1865 December 26 and 28. Sarah was in southern India, with her two daughters, practicing medicine and treating residents of the town, although her medical training was minimal. She stated that "more knowledge of medical services would save me a vast amount of care.... when I go to America, I must have some Hospital experience & practice, somehow" (page 1). She then narrated a typical day for her, telling of the various patients she treated, including a man with stomach pain, a woman with knee pain, a young boy who was gored by a cow, a man with ear discharge, a woman with eye pain, children with dysentery, a beggar with sores, and an infant with lung congestion.
Frances Power Cobbe letters, 1886 and undated 0.1 Linear Feet — 2 items
Cobbe wrote the first letter to Mrs. Madden, undated but probably in 1886, regarding vivisection along with the poor treatment of horses. She wrote the second, undated, letter to Miss Galtz[?], regarding a planned visit.
Grace Hazard Conkling letters, 1918, 1925. 0.1 Linear Feet — 2 items
Collection comprises two letters written to Conkling. The first was written by Florence Converse at the Atlantic Monthly, dated 1918 October 19, in regard to the publishing of Conkling's poem, "Names," in the magazine. The second was written by Elisabeth Cutting at the North American Review, dated 1925 June 22, asking Conkling to be a book reviewer, and mentioning Amy Lowell in association with a speech Conkling made.
Lionel Cust letters to Reginald John Smith, 1906 0.1 Linear Feet — 2 items
Collection comprises two autograph letters signed by Cust, dated 1906 November 22 and 1906 November 26, to "Jack," regarding a portrait said to be that of Charlotte Brontë. The November 26 letter also mentions Constantine Gilles Romain Heger. On letterhead of the National Portrait Gallery.
Eleanor Vere Boyle letter, approximately 1870 May 11 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
Collection comprises an autograph letter, signed E. V. B., written by Boyle to Mr. [L?]awley on May 11, regarding payment for wine glasses and his portrait in the Pall Mall Magazine. On her Huntercombe Manor, Maidenhead, letterhead.
Sarah J. Ewing diary, 1868 December 17-1869 July 17 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
Dr. J. H. Fairfax certificate, 1831 February 21 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
Faithfull family papers, 1864-1887 and undated 0.1 Linear Feet — 22 items
Collection comprises 14 letters, an envelope autographed by Emily Faithfull, an invitation completed by her, a printed invitation acceptance, a carte de visite and two copies of a mounted albumen photograph of her, along with two illustrated pieces completed by Esther Faithfull Fleet. The letters, all written by Emily Faithfull, include routine correspondence and thank you notes; other topics include the capacity of Victoria Press to do law work; an honor bestowed on her by the professional women's organization, Sorosis, in New York; a statement in the Guardian newspaper claiming that in a speech she repudiated women's rights as it applied to her work; a request for early assistance with preparations for Christmas in order to provide relief for "some very distressing cases;" and inquiries regarding the printing of her "Jubilee Address" or its distribution. There is one letter to Henry Ward Beecher asking him to hand out notices regarding her upcoming lecture, and mentioning Lucretia Mott's plans to address the audience. Several letters feature the stamp or embossed stamp of the Victoria Press. The carte de visite was produced by the London Stereoscopic & Photography Co., and the mounted photographs by W. & D. Downey of Ebury Street, London. The illustrated pieces completed by Esther Faithfull Fleet include a calling card hand decorated in ink and watercolors (?), and a watercolor painting of a parrot.
Sophia Foord letter to Robert Adams, 1843 May 8 1 item — 1 folder
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.
Julia Ellsworth Ford letter to Helen Hoke, 1935 October 16 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
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."
Margaret Fuller letter, 1840 December 14 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
Collection comprises a letter (1840 December 14) Margaret Fuller wrote to her uncle to request a meeting to review her mother's letter.
Isabella S. Gardner diary, 1852-1874 and undated 0.6 lin. ft. Linear Feet — 8 items
Emma Goldman papers, 1909-1941 and undated 0.8 Linear Feet
The Emma Goldman papers feature over 300 letters, primarily written by Emma Goldman, although other anarchists, activists, and thinkers are represented as authors, including Alexander Berkman, Eugene Debs, Harry Kelly, Alexander Shapiro, and the Socialist Party of New England. Many of the letter recipients are unnamed (as "Comrade"), but the majority of the letters were directed to Thomas H. Keell, an English compositor and editor for the anarchist periodical Freedom, in London. Letter topics most often center around requests made of Keell in support of various writing projects as well as speaking engagements and organizing work completed in Europe, the United States, and Canada, but also touch on visa constraints for Goldman and Berkman, the state of the anarchist movement in various countries, the lack of support for anarchist publications, as well as general position statements, especially in regard to Soviet Russia and the Spanish Civil War. There are also papers related to various prominent anarchists. These include typescript drafts of four articles and letters by anarchists; nine handwritten articles on anarchist themes written in Italian by Errico Malatesta; publications; press releases; ephemera, including tickets, brochures, solicitation letters, handbills and flyers; a contract and room layout for speaking engagements; Thomas H. Keell's list of works on anarchism; newspaper clippings; and six black-and-white photographs.
Sarah J. Hale letter to Mathew Carey, 1823 March 9 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
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.
Warren G. Harding letter to Harriet Taylor Upton, 1917 February 11, 1917 February 11 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
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.
Elizabeth Wilhelmina Jones collection, 1959-1960 0.1 Linear Feet — 19 items
Collection comprises materials related to a celebration, hosted by the college union in 1959, of Elizabeth Wilhelmina Jones' 90th birthday, along with items related to her memorial the following year. Includes two newspaper clippings regarding the birthday; a related luncheon invitation, menu, and college union pin; two items associated with her memorial service; and a notice regarding a memorial fund to be established in her name. In addition, there are three black-and-white photographs of the birthday luncheon and one color photograph of Jones. The rest of the collection items are mainly forms related to photographic orders.
Haulsey family memorandum book, 1646-1846 0.2 Linear Feet
Higginson, Thomas Wentworth letter, 1859 November 16 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
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.
Copy of the Lady Holfords will and codicills 1717..., circa 1720 1.0 Linear Foot — 1 item
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.
Sarah Orne Jewett letters, 1877 June 15-circa 1890s 0.1 Linear Feet — 2 items
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.
Helen Keller collection, 1913-1951 and undated, bulk ( 1930-1949) 0.1 Linear Feet — 7 items
Collection includes letters from Helen Keller to Agatha and Harry Hunter, dated 1930 and undated, thanking them for their food gifts at Christmas. There is another letter from Keller to Frank L. Boyden, dated 1949, regarding the possibility of a bequest by him to the American Foundation for the Blind. Includes his letter in response negating that possibility, but expressing his admiration for her. There is also an unrelated letter in the collection, written by Harry Hunter to Mabel McCormick (Mrs. Ferris? McCormick) in 1951, discussing their respective interests, food, friends, business, and their love for each other. Includes envelopes.
Collection also contains two images of Helen Keller. First is a photograph of Keller and Anne Sullivan standing near train tracks, autographed by photographer W.H. Langley and dated 1913. Second is an undated postcard with a printed portrait of Keller and a message in Braille that reads: "I am a co-worker with Helen Keller."
Laura Knight letters, 1939 May 11 0.1 Linear Feet — 2 items
Two letters written by Laura Knight on 1939 May 11 that provide letters of introduction for contacts in the United States on behalf of fellow artist Clara Klinghoffer. One is written to Klinghoffer, the other to Marion Fenhagen.
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.
Marie folder, 1875 July 16 1.0 Linear Foot — 1 item
Collection comprises a folder on the artist Marie that was distributed at her exhibition during a Utrecht fair on 1875 July 16. The folder contains a handbill describing the artist and her work in Dutch, printed by J. P. Nobels in Haarlem; a carte de visite of Marie by J. van Crewel & Fils, Anvers; and her autograph in French with a quote and a note that she has written it using her mouth.
Harriet Martineau letters,, 1868-1876 and undated 0.1 Linear Feet — 26 items
Collection comprises 21 letters written by Harriet Martineau from Ambleside between 1868 and 1876, primarily to Mr. (John?) Robinson, with one letter to Prime Minister Gladstone regarding her rejection of a pension (1873 June 3). A few letters are incomplete. In addition, there are four undated fragments of letters. Topics include the republishing of her biographical sketches originally published in the Daily Mail; scandals of the period, particularly the Harriet Beecher Stowe-Lady Byron scandal and the John Stuart Mill and Harriet Taylor scandal, along with Martineau's associated writings; re-publication of Eastern Life: Present & Past and her holding of copyright; the 2nd edition of Traditions of Palestine; and the autobiography of Brougham and its errors about Martineau and her family, which she wishes corrected in the Daily News. Other topics include liberal politics, religion, her declining health and need of a companion and servants, her rejection of a pension, and planned meetings with Robinson, as well as condolences sent on the death of his son. There is an additional letter written on behalf of Martineau by Miss Goodwin to an unidentified addressee, regarding politics and Martineau's health (1873 February 20).
Maria Mitchell letters, circa 1846-1868 0.1 Linear Feet — 3 items
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.
May Morris papers, 1909-1931 and undated 0.2 Linear Feet — 24 items
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.
Summons, 1785 May 31 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
Collection comprises a manuscript summons from the Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Gaol Delivery in New York City dated 1785 May 31 for Doctor Charles M. McKnight, James J. Beekman, Sarah Conolly (Conoly), and Ann McClean (McClain) to serve as witnesses the following day against the African American prisoner Hannah, who was indicted for "Murder of a Bastard Child."
Anaïs Nin letter to Thomas C. DiGenti, 1962 February 21, 1962 Febuary 21 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item (2 leaves) + 1 envelope — 21 x 27 cm.
Letter from writer Anaïs Nin to the American collector, Thomas DiGenti, who wants a copy of her literary magazine Two Cities. She does not have a copy, but directs him to the NYC bookshop The Phoenix, on Cornelia St. Nin has turned over distribution of Two Cities to The Phoenix at a financial loss due to constraints on her time. She writes of her desire to publish the work of new writers. She goes on to describe a recent trip to Europe where she visited London, Brussels, and Paris, where she was well-received due to her European popularity. Nin asks DiGenti if he has an extra copy of her book D.H. Lawrence: An unprofessional study. She wants to send it to her London publisher, who is interested in putting out a new edition. Nin states that she's currently busy writing Seduction of the Minotaur, the last part of her Cities of the Interior sequence which she describes as a "finale to the novels."
Charles Nordhoff letter to William C. Russel, 1881 May 12 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
Collection comprises a private autograph letter, signed, that Charles Nordhoff wrote to William C. Russel, acting president of Cornell University, in 1881. The topic of the letter is Russel's stand against Henry Ward Beecher; Nordhoff writes "to send you my congratulations & hearty good wishes, as the manly stand you have taken in [regard?] to Mr. Beecher. I am sorry that you should be made to suffer for doing what I believe was your most solemn & imperative duty as the guardian of [illegible] men & women...."
Marianne North letter to Dr. Jessop, undated 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
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.
Amelia Opie papers, 1798-1855 0.2 Linear Feet — 22 items (1 folder)
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.
Pankhurst family papers, 1891-1923 0.2 Linear Feet — 13 items
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.
Susan P. Parrott account book, 1839-1846 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
Collection comprises an handmade account book with paper covers (35 pages, some blank, with an additional 5 leaves excised) maintained by Susan P. Parrott from 1839-1846, mainly to track her payments to at least 30 women she hired to work for her from one day to several months at a time. It is not clear in what capacity she hired the women, although one, Martha Brackett, was a seamstress. A few entries are accompanied by notes on the women: Martha White was African American, and on 1842 July 1, Parrott noted that she engaged Bridget(t) O'Boyle "to stay two months from this date--and to behave herself better." Other payments were recorded for tobacco, cider, gin, pills, medicine, bonnets, dresses, corsets, slippers, ribbons and a lace collar, cloth, gloves, crockery, and letters. Parrott also recorded cash entries.
Floriana or the method of constructing artificial flowers, circa 1830 0.7 Linear Feet — 1 item
Collection comprises an handwritten, unpublished manuscript volume (256 written pages, plus 45 watercolor and 5 pen and ink plates of illustrations) by Madame de Rhinfeld, written around 1830. In the manuscript, Rhinfeld provides detailed instruction on how to create 24 different artificial flowers, and describes the tools used to make them. Flowers include pomegranate, hyacinth, roses, pansies, narcissus, geraniums, and orange flowers, among others. Includes watercolor diagrams regarding the construction of each flower, with additional paintings of the finished piece. The instructions are accompanied by a chapter of poetry, stories, quotations, and commentary related to each flower. Scattered throughout the manuscript are other pen and ink drawings. Includes an index to flowers and to poets.
Marilla M. Ricker scrapbook, 1866-1911 0.5 Linear Feet — 1 item
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.
Estate records for Margaret Bromfield Blanchard and Henry Bromfield, 1836-1890 1.1 Linear Feet — 17 items
Christina Rossetti letter, 1881 December 17 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
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."
Vita Sackville-West papers, 1953-1961 and undated 0.1 Linear Feet — 7 items
The collection consists of five typescript letters, one photocopied Encyclopedia Britannica article regarding Sackville-West's book "Afara Behn" in the "Representative Women" series, along with a poem. The first letter, one page addressed to Sackville-West, dated 1953 May 22, signed "A. Purvis," discusses the birthplace and date of Aphra Behn. A photocopy of the Encyclopedia Britannica article on Behn is included. A typescript note dated 18 July, 1961, signed V. Sackville-West on Sissinghurst letterhead, was written in response to a letter from Sylvia Haymon about Aphra Behn, and Sackville-West's article on Behn in the Encyclopedia Britannica. Included are copies of three letters, all dated 1961, sent to Sylvia Haymon, two to Sackville-West, and one to Miss J. Parfitt, Acting Editor of the Women's Page of The Times in London. The topics of the undated, one-page "Diary-Poem" have to do with Sackville-West's loss of her given name upon her marriage to Harold Nicolson in 1913, and the loss of Knole, her family's estate in Kent, in 1928 because of patriarchal inheritance laws.
Lydia Bailey account statements, April 2-June 25 1823 2 items — 1 Folder
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.
George Sand letter to Juliette Lamber, 1867 August 18 0.1 Linear Feet — 3 items
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.
Margaret Sanger letter to Vachel Lindsay, 1925 February 13 0.1 Linear Feet — 2 items
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
Lydia Howard Sigourney letter, undated 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
Edith Sitwell poems, circa 1940-1950 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
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
Agnes Smedley letters, 1930s-1947 0.1 Linear Feet — 3 items
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."
Madame de Staël letter to LeRoy, Bayard & McEvers, 1814 October 12 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
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)
Rose Pastor Stokes letter to Benjamin Butler Davenport, 1914 August 6 0.1 Linear Feet — 2 items
Harriet Beecher Stowe papers, 1853 and undated 0.1 Linear Feet — 3 items
Collection comprises an introduction and a letter written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, along with a carte de visite of her. There is an undated introduction she wrote for the second edition of Narrative of Sojourner Truth. Stowe's statement appears as an introduction in some copies of the 1853 edition. In the introduction, Stowe discusses the African-American abolitionist and women's rights activist, remarking on her mental energy and revelatory powers as a Christian, and attests to Truth's character. She then mentions that the sales of the work will "secure a home for [Truth in] her old age ..." There is an undated letter Stowe wrote from Northampton Depot on Aug. 10 to Mr. Ward, informing him that although she is disposed to support his request, she is under pressures that limit her use of the pen. The carte de visite features a textured surface, and was created by the Howell studio in New York.
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee photographs, 1960s 0.1 Linear Feet — 5 items
Ellen Terry note and cabinet photograph, between 1878-1902 0.1 Linear Feet — 2 items
Collection comprises an autograph note on Lyceum Theatre letterhead (5"x8"). The actor Ellen Terry writes to "Olga" to schedule a social engagement. She writes, "I'm much grieved to hear of you mother ..." and sends "best remembrances" to Olga's husband. There is also an undated cabinet photograph, by Window & Grove photographers, London.
Sybil Thorndike letter to Elizabeth Robins, 1922 September 21 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item
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.
Mary B. Tuckey poems, 1845-1846 0.4 Linear Feet — 1 item
Rebecca West note, 16 August 1931 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 item — 12.5 x 16.5
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.
Emily G. Wightman testimony on spousal abuse and neglect, circa 1800-1850 0.1 Linear Feet — 1 leaf — 16 x 20 cm.
Single-page handwritten manuscript testimony signed by Emily G. Wightman on the topic of her husband's physical abuse of her and his neglect of their children. Text reads: "Cruel and inhuman treatment by my husband such as frequently and greatly impair my health and endanger my life rendering it unsafe for me to cohabit with him - Refusing & neglecting to provide sufficient provisions and clothing for his family and when otherwise provided he deprives the family of their use by hiding & secreting them and locking them up in places where they cannot be found or recovered by the family when needed." Acquired as part of the Sallie Bingham Center for Women's History and Culture.
Lady Wilde letter, 1852 November 19 0.1 Linear Feet — 2 items
Helen Maria Williams letters, 1798-1820 and undated 0.1 Linear Feet — 7 items
Collection comprises four letters written by Helen Maria Williams, two to her nephew, Athanase Laurent Charles Coquerel, one to Mrs. Joel [Ruth] Barlow, and one to an unidentified recipient. Williams provided aid for fellow republican radicals. On 22 August 1798, she wrote to her American expatriate friend Ruth Barlow. Williams hoped that Ruth's husband, the diplomat Joel Barlow, would assist James Wollstonecraft (Mary's brother), who was then in prison in Paris as a suspected spy. The letter notes Thomas Payne's [Paine's] ineffective efforts on James' behalf. Other topics in the letters include Coquerel's position, her income, the health and situation of friends and family members, and an unnamed woman she wishes to avoid. Three letters are accompanied by partial or full transcription.
Elizabeth Winspear metamorphosis book, 1799 0.1 Linear Feet
Virginia Woolf's oak writing desk, between 1904-1907 2.5 Linear Feet — 67.4 x 126 x 87.7 cm; 26.5 x 49.5 x 34.5 inches
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.
Louisa Wright needlework sample book, 1888 0.8 Linear Feet — 1 item
Carrie F. Young papers, 1872-1894 and undated 1.6 Linear Feet — 21 items
Collection includes miscellaneous written materials; flyers, handbills, and broadsides; and copies of serials. There is a letter regarding political matters and a typescript page of general instructions for an unnamed convention, both written by Young's son, Robert E. Bush; a recommendation for Young's work on national campaigns as a Republican poltical activist and speaker, dated 1889; two advertisements for a Mrs. Dr. Tarbell's treatments of "nervous diseases and female complaints;" two pages of guidelines for a populist club; one of Young's calling cards; and an enclosure for the California Medical Journal. There is also a brochure for "photographic fern-leaf mottoes." In addition, there are 8 flyers, handbills, and broadsides, all advertising political speeches (especially for the People's Party), lectures, or medical work by Young, except for two that advertise speeches by Mrs. M. S. Singer of Chicago, and Dr. J. V. C. Smith. Collection also includes issues of the serials Life Crystals (March 1882, no. 3), edited by Young, and Pacific Journal of Health (January-September 1872, nos. 1-9), published by Young.