Ellen A. Hedrick letters, 1900-1904

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Summary

Creator:
Hedrick, Ellen A., 1869-1957 and Hedrick, Mary Ellen Thompson
Abstract:
Ellen A. Hedrick (1869-1957) was one of the eight children of Mary Ellen Thompson (1829-1905) and southern anti-slavery activist Benjamin Sherwood Hedrick (1827-1886). Collection comprises seven letters, five written by Ellen A. Hedrick during an international tour taken June-September 1904, one by Ellen's travel companion, C., in 1904, and one by her mother in 1900. Ellen Hedick's letters document her travels across England and Wales, France, Amsterdam, Holland, and Germany, with descriptions of manners, her surroundings, and modes of travel. Ellen's fellow traveler, C., also writes to an unidentified, intimate female friend, about the wedding of this friend's brother, the illness of a traveler, people she is meeting during her travels, and abundant fruit available. In her letter, Ellen's mother writes of plans she has for Ellen's visit, and requests sewing supplies for projects she has begun.
Extent:
0.1 Linear Feet (7 items)
Language:
Materials in English.
Collection ID:
RL.11902

Background

Scope and content:

Collection comprises seven letters, five written by Ellen A. Hedrick during an international tour taken June-September 1904, one by Ellen's travel companion, C., in 1904, and one by her mother in 1900. Ellen Hedrick's letters document her travels across England and Wales, France, Amsterdam, Holland, and Germany, with descriptions of manners, her surroundings, and modes of travel. She mentions tourists from the United States, "There are Americans here as elsewhere," and later adds her wish for Europeans to know "not all Americans are loud voiced." She describes her surroundings, including England's "perfect driveways bordered by fruit trees." She remarks on the furnishing of her apartments in Warwick, London, and Liverpool, and on the British use of antiques to create a homelike atmosphere, as well as using what one has instead of purchasing the most modern thing. She visits sites like the British Museum and Oxford, and shows her knowledge of the art of the Pre-Raphaelites, remarking on collaborations among Burne-Jones and William Morris. In France she pays close attention to manners among people, including approaches to being on time, handling luggage, or arranging seats on trains. She marvels at gardens, modes of transportation, and the difference in dress among different classes. In Amsterdam she comments on the superiority of the beer over that in America.

Three of Ellen's letters are written to her friend, Sara; the others are directed to her mother and family. Ellen's letters to Sara are more intimate, and emphasize domestic spaces of hotels, boarding houses, and ship cabins, in an attempt to help Sara imagine where Ellen is. Ellen's fellow traveler, C., also writes to an unidentified, intimate female friend, about the wedding of this friend's brother, the illness of a traveler, people she is meeting during her travels, and abundant fruit available. She adds, "I long to take this trip with you...I hope you are in good condition, sweetheart....liebling, so much love I send you, a heart just full of it." In her letter, Ellen's mother writes of plans she has for Ellen's visit, and requests sewing supplies for projects she has begun.

Biographical / historical:

Ellen A. Hedrick (1869-1957) was one of the eight children of Mary Ellen Thompson (1829-1905) and southern anti-slavery activist Benjamin Sherwood Hedrick (1827-1886). She was raised in Hayfield, Virginia, attended Smith College (B.A. 1892), and worked at the Nautical Almanac Office (1897-1900), then as a librarian at the Library of Congress, Yale University, the University of California Berkeley, and the United States Department of Agriculture.

Acquisition information:
The Ellen A. Hedrick letters were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a purchase in 2020.
Processing information:

Processed by Alice Poffinberger, May, 2021

Accessions described in this collection guide: 2020-0019

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

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Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

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The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the Rubenstein Library's Citations, Permissions, and Copyright guide.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Ellen A. Hedrick letters, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

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