1.25 linear feet
This collection is made up of correspondence, documents, financial records, and other items related to the family of Augustus D. Williams and Julia Ann Chamberlain, including their daughter Fannie. The Williams family lived in Ohio.
The Correspondence series (137 items) consists primarily of incoming personal letters addressed to Julia Ann Williams (née Chamberlain) and to her daughter Frances ("Fannie"). Julia corresponded with her siblings and other family members, who lived in New Hampshire and Ohio in the mid-19th century. Her sister Louisa, who married Samuel Durgin and moved to Gustavus, Ohio, in the mid-1830s, wrote often, sharing news of her social life and requesting news of relatives who remained in New Hampshire. After Julia moved to Maumee, Ohio, around 1835, she received letters from her mother Betsy (who married Joseph Baker after the death of Julia's father) and from various siblings. The Baker family lived in Boscawen, New Hampshire. Julia's stepsister Amanda shared social updates from Loudon, Ohio, and news of family health and of her experiences working in a school. On September 28, 1839, Joseph Baker told Julia of her stepsister Elizabeth's recent illness and death, and E. B. White, a friend of Julia's from Maumee, Ohio, included a drawing of a woman in a cloak in her letter dated October 1840.
After Julia's marriage to Augustus D. Williams in late 1840 or early 1841, the couple received letters from his siblings and extended family, including several from Mortimer H. Williams, who lived in Irwinton, Georgia. Sophia Williams, then Mrs. Henry Clark of Maumee, Ohio, corresponded frequently with Julia and Augustus. Other early material includes a letter regarding the estate of Reverend Nathan Williams of Tolland, Connecticut (May 19, 1830), and additional letters written by Williams siblings in New Hampshire and Ohio throughout the 1830s and 1840s.
During and following the Civil War period, most correspondence is addressed to Frances ("Fannie") Williams, the daughter of Julia and Augustus. Letters written by female cousins during the war include one from Memphis, Tennessee (September 3, 1864) and one from Ellen, who mentioned the recent death of a friend, then fighting in Alabama (October 27, 1864). Many of the postwar letters regard careers in education and social news in Wauseon, Ohio, home of Fannie's cousins Ellen and Libbie. Fannie Williams also received correspondence from friends, including a series of 10 letters and 2 postcards from Clara B. Whitton of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, written between October 22, 1887, and December 22, 1891. Fannie's cousin J. A. B. Parker sent a swatch of fabric on January 12, 1892, and a series of letters commencing on November 19, 1890, contains a lock of hair. In 1895 and 1896, Fannie received several items related to John Alexander Dowie of Chicago, Illinois, a practitioner of "divine healing." One of her cousins sent newspaper clippings related to Dowie's trial (February 5, 1895); the same cousin included a ticket for the Healing Room at Chicago's Zion Tabernacle (April 10, 1895). Margaret Snell Parsons enclosed newspaper clippings and a poem about the healing practice (June 30, 1896). Other later items include letters from Louisa Durgin to Julia Williams, written at her home in Wauseon, Ohio, and a few letters Burt Williams wrote to his sister Fannie in 1896.
The Documents and Financial Records series (109 items) contains accounts, receipts, and legal documents related to members of the Williams family, including many who resided in Tolland, Connecticut, and New York State during the early 19th century. Some of the legal documents pertain to real estate. A license signed by Mayor Cornelius W. Lawrence of New York City authorized David B. Williams to keep a tavern (May 31, 1834). One undated item documents Julia Ann Chamberlain's conversion to Christianity. An account book (91 pages) may have belonged to L. B. Williams of Murray's Commercial School in Maumee, Ohio. The decorated title page includes a drawing of a bird, and a second ink drawing of a bird is laid into the volume.
The Compositions series (102 items) consists primarily of essays by Julia Ann Chamberlain, Fannie Williams, and Mary F. Williams; poems and floral drawings are also present. Most of the essays concern moral topics, history, and religion, including multiple essays on topics such as "hope" and "morning." The series contains compositions about Native Americans, Christopher Columbus, and John Smith.
The Photographs series (16 items) includes cartes-de-visite, other card photographs, and tintypes. Most images are studio portraits of men, women, and children. Two larger tintypes (6" x 8") show the exterior of a home and a garden; one shows a group of people standing behind croquet wickets. One group photograph of school-age boys and girls, taken in May 1890, includes the names of each of the children present.
The bulk of the Newspaper Clippings (39 items) are poems, household hints, and recipes. Other items pertain to weights and measures and to Benjamin Harrison's return to Indianapolis after his presidency.
The Ephemera (45 items) includes invitations, notes, visiting cards, holiday greeting cards, and other items; most are visiting cards for residents of Ohio, some with illustrations. A series of 4 colored prints shows children's leisure activities. The series contains a large colored die-cut advertisement for Jacob Folger of Toledo, Ohio, showing a girl holding flowers.
1.25 linear feet
0.75 linear feet
The Alexander T. Stewart collection contains around 300 letters that Stewart received from strangers requesting financial assistance, employment, and other means of support. Many commented on the Civil War's negative economic impact on their lives, particularly in the South.
The majority of the letters are dated 1865-1876, including a large group (around 215 items) dated 1869-1870. Stewart's correspondents requested loans, donations, or employment; some wrote more than once. Writers include war widows, former soldiers, and others who had been affected by the war, particularly in the South. Many provided details of recent financial hardships, such as spouses' or parents' deaths, unemployment, and the effects of the Civil War, and some provided character witnesses or references. A soldier requested money for a camp stove (January 6, 1865); another man requested help after having difficulty collecting loans from southern borrowers (February 27, 1862); and a third writer mentioned displaced persons in South Carolina (March 9, 1867). Correspondents occasionally enclosed carte-de-visite portraits or newspaper clippings, and some pasted return postage onto their letters. The letters reveal the authors' views on wealth, social status, employment, and philanthropy in the Reconstruction-era United States.
Stewart received letters from correspondents in states including Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The few items that are not begging letters include a letter that Alexander T. Stewart wrote about his business affairs with P. Whitin & Sons (September 30, 1861) and a letter offering Stewart medical advice (April 7, 1873).
The collection contains 4 printed items: a ticket to a charity festival at the Astor House (February 22, 1855), 2 newspaper articles relating to Alexander T. Stewart, and a printed advertisement for A.T. Stewart & Co.'s store (September 23, 1871).
0.75 linear feet
1.5 linear feet
This collection is made up of correspondence, diaries, financial papers, legal documents, photographs, speeches, printed items, and ephemera related to Ziba Roberts of Shelby, New York, and his family. Much of the material concerns his service in the 28th New York Infantry Regiment during the Civil War, veterans' pensions, reunions, genealogy, and estate administration.
The Correspondence series (approximately 110 items) includes a group of 17 items (1826-1852) related to the family of James Harland, an ancestor of Cynthia Dewey Roberts. Harland, who lived in Manchester, New York, received letters from his son William, who moved to Clarksfield, Ohio, around 1839. Shortly after his arrival, William described local marshes and discussed his land and the prices of various crops. His later letters concern his financial difficulties and his Christian faith. A letter of September 3, 1841, includes a small manuscript map of property lines.
The remaining correspondence pertains to Ziba Roberts and, to a lesser extent, his wife and children. The first item is a letter from his sister Henrietta dated March 14, 1858. Roberts regularly corresponded with family members and friends while serving in the 28th New York Infantry Regiment between January 1862 and April 1863. In his letters home (around 20 items), he described aspects of military and camp life, including food, hygiene, illness, long marches, and general boredom; several items concern his experiences in occupied Winchester, Virginia, in the spring of 1862 and his treatment after his release from Confederate prison. He sometimes commented on news of the war, expressing confidence in a Union victory. During this period, Roberts occasionally received letters from family members at home, who discussed farming, religion, and family news (5 items).
The Roberts correspondence resumes in 1886 and continues as late as 1937; most date between 1889 and 1912. Roberts received a series of letters from William W. Eastman in South Dakota, who wrote at length about his financial difficulties. Most of his late correspondence concerns Civil War veterans' affairs, particularly related to pensions and reunions. Some writers complained about the difficulty of receiving a pension, the health issues that affected former soldiers, and Roberts's own disability claim. One printed circular contains reminiscences by members of the 28th New York Infantry Regiment (printed and distributed in May 1892). In 1912, Ziba Roberts received letters from fellow veterans regarding the 28th Regiment's annual reunion; most expressed or implied a lasting sense of comradeship with their fellow veterans, though many declined the invitation on account of poor health or other circumstances (with some reflecting on whether deaths would put future reunions in jeopardy).
The latest correspondence, written in the 1920s and 1930s, concerns the Grand Army of the Republic, insurance policies, and Roberts and Sanborn family genealogy. One correspondent returned an essay written by Ziba Roberts in December 1916: "A Brief History of the Methodist Episcopal Church at East Shelby" (enclosed with letter dated February 27, 1924). Minutes of the 28th Regiment's 68th reunion, held in May 1929, note the death of Ziba Roberts and other soldiers.
Ziba Roberts wrote two Diaries between November 14, 1861, and December 31, 1862. His daily entries concern aspects of his service with the 28th New York Infantry Regiment in Maryland and Virginia, including his imprisonment in 1862. He wrote about marches, guard duty, drills, health, and rations.
The Documents and Financial Papers series (74 items) includes legal documents and financial papers dated 1864 to 1940. Correspondence, indentures, and mortgages pertain to land ownership, management of decedents' estates, and a legal dispute between William W. Dewey and Seneca Sprout in the 1890s. Four items are Grand Army of the Republic commissions for Ziba Roberts, dated between 1918 and 1922. One group of tax receipts pertains to payments made by Ziba and Cynthia Roberts as late as 1940.
The collection's account book originally belonged to Ziba Roberts in the late 19th century. Roberts recorded around 35 pages of accounts between around 1884 and 1919, including records related to everyday purchases of food and other goods, a female domestic worker's wages, road construction, and estates. A later owner recorded tax payments for the years 1922-1944.
The Photographs series consists of 2 photograph albums and 8 loose items. Together, the photograph albums contain around 120 cartes-de-visite, tintypes, and cabinet cards. These items consist of studio portraits of members of the Roberts, Dewey, Wolcott, and Sanborn families, as well as additional friends and family members. Most of the pictures, which feature men, women, children, and infants, were taken in New York.
The loose items are made up of photographs of Ziba Roberts, including a heavily retouched portrait and a corresponding print of the original image; portraits of soldiers in the 28th New York Infantry Regiment; pictures of Colonel Dudley Donnelly's tomb; and a group of soldiers posing by the High Water Mark of the Rebellion Monument at Gettysburg. Additional items show a group posing for a souvenir photograph after a "balloon route trolley trip" in Los Angeles, California, and members of the Sprout family standing in front of their home.
The Speeches, Printed Items, and Ephemera series (30 items) includes Civil War materials, such as scores for the songs "We're Marching on to Richmond," "The Passing of the Veteran," "We Old Boys," and "Have You Got the Countersign"; and a printed booklet of war songs issued by the Grand Army of the Republic and related veterans' societies. Other items pertain to veterans' reunions and reminiscences. The series also includes two typed carbon copies of postwar speeches given by Ziba Roberts, "Seeing Lincoln" and "Lecture on Army Prison Life."
Additional pamphlets and ephemeral items concern New York political reforms, cholera, and a meeting of the descendants of Henry Wolcott. One newspaper clipping describes the career of William Ziba Roberts. The series includes a biography of George Dewey and history of the Dewey family (Adelbert M. Dewey, 1898). The final items are World War II-era ration books, with many stamps still attached.
The Genealogy series (21 items) is comprised of records related to the Roberts and Dewey families, and to the ancestors and descendants of Ziba and Cynthia Dewey Roberts. A manuscript volume contains approximately 35 pages of family trees; registers of births, marriages, and deaths; and the military service of Daniel Roberts (Revolutionary War) and Ziba Roberts (Civil War). Other items include additional registers, death notices, and notes.
1.5 linear feet
7 linear feet
This collection is comprised of 1,182 letters; 98 diaries; 210 documents; 468 receipts, checks, and account books; seven school papers and writings; three photographs; 34 printed and ephemeral items; and other materials of the family of stonecutter and marbleworker John M. Ramsey, his wife Cyanea, and their children. The family lived in Greenfield, New Hampshire; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Around 60 Civil War letters and one diary of the Ramseys' son Henry, who served in the 16th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, and around 10 letters of a cousin Ridgeway P. Cragin, of the 32nd Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, are included. Particularly notable are 96 daily diaries of the Ramsey daughters Emily S. and Cyanea H., kept largely while they lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1870s-1920s.
The Correspondence series includes 1,182 items and opens with the 1827-1830s letters of Caroline and Hannah Ramsey of Greenfield, New Hampshire, and a sister, Sarah Marshall, of Augusta, Maine. A group of letters pertain to the courtship and marriage of John M. Ramsey and Cyanea Stevens--including a letter from Cyanea's parents Lemuel and Reliance about Cyanea's request for their approval of the wedding (August 5, 1836). Letters of the 1850s include correspondence of Collins Hinckley Stevens, regarding the death of Cyanea's mother Reliance in 1858, and incoming letters to Emily Ramsey from her schoolmates. A selection of letters to Emily from E. H. Langdon, a schoolteacher in Milwaukee, are present.
In the 1860s, sisters Emily, Frances "Fannie", and Cyanea carried on correspondence with each other and with friends and family, including:
The Ramsey family correspondence includes around 60 Civil War letters of Corporal Henry C. Ramsey of the 16th Regiment Wisconsin Infantry. He wrote from Camp Randall, the steamship Planet, Camp Sabin, Camp near Grand Junction, Camp near Memphis, Camp near Lake Providence, Louisiana, Camp Randall, and Vicksburg. In the mid-1870s, Henry was admitted to the Michigan Asylum for the Insane at Kalamazoo, Michigan, and the family received letters from Dr. E. H. VanDensen about his progress, especially around 1876. Around 10 letters of a cousin Paul Ridgeway Cragin, of the 32nd Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, are included.
Cyanea's and Emily's other correspondents from the 1870s to the 1930s include but are not limited to:
The Diaries series includes 98 daily diaries, 96 of which were kept by sisters Cyanea H. and Emily S. Ramsey between 1873 and 1935, while the two lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The remaining two diaries include Henry C. Ramsey's Civil War diary for the year 1864 and a partial 1921 diary kept by [Howard Stevens?] in a pre-printed 1894 pocket journal. Henry Ramsey's 1864 pocket diary includes entries covering the 16th Regiment Wisconsin Infantry's movements from Vicksburg to Tennessee, to Georgia, with accounts of Kennesaw Mountain and the battle of Atlanta. The diary also covers his experiences as part of Sherman's march to the sea.
The Documents series is made up of 210 legal and financial documents pertinent largely to land and property in New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Michigan, between 1786 and 1919 (bulk 1825-1911). Additional items include tax documents, stock-related items, and other materials.
The Financial and Business Papers includes 300 receipts, around 160 bank checks, and eight account books. The receipts date between 1831 and 1928, pertaining largely to John M. Ramsey's marble and stonecutting business. Additional receipts relate to personal property and tax payments. The 160 checks are drawn largely from Grand Rapids, Michigan, banks between December 1869 and October 1880. The account books include:
The collection's School Papers and Writings (7 items) include John M. Ramsey's teacher's book, November 1830-February 1831; a fragment of mathematical rules by J. M. Ramsey; a chronological table by Emily Ramsey, 1851; a reward of merit for Mary Ramsey; two penmanship exercises; and a manuscript issue of The Literary Chip Basket (vol. 111, no. 11), Port Washington, 1861, with list of contributors including Fanny Oatman and Emily Ramsey.
The Photographs series includes one carte-de-visite of Henry C. Ramsey of the 16th Wisconsin Infantry; and one carte-de-visite and one cabinet card of unidentified individuals.
The Ephemera and Printed Items series is made up of invitations, Nashua Manufacturing Company employee regulations (August 31, 1837), advertisements for marble and other products, and torn pages from the History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, ed. Hurd, 1885.
The collection also contains items pertinent to Genealogy (6 items) and an Address Book, Fragments, and Envelopes.
7 linear feet
Approximately 1,045 individual photographs, 12 photograph albums, 3 portfolios and 1 piece of realia
The Richard Pohrt, Jr. Collection of Native American photography contains approximately 1,470 images pertaining to Native Americans and Native American history taken between the 1850s and 1940s. The majority of photographs are individual and group portraits of people from tribes west of the Mississippi, with the Apache, Cheyenne, Crow, and Lakota/Dakota being particularly well represented. The collection contains both studio and outdoor photographs and reflects the dramatic upheavals in Native American life that occurred as a result of the expansion of the United States of America.
For clarity, in this finding aid the most widely-used Anglicized naming conventions have been used for most Native American tribes and individuals. Individual catalog records address the full complexities of these issues and include the most commonly used Anglicized and indigenous names and their variants.
After consulting a number of Native American representatives and scholars, it was determined that select images within the collection will not be digitized on account of the culturally sensitive nature of their content. However, culturally sensitive images have still been cataloged and are available for researchers in the reading room along with the rest of the collection.
Overall, upwards of 70 Native American tribes and subtribes (primarily those west of the Mississippi and in the Midwest) are represented throughout the collection. The amount of material pertaining to each tribe varies considerably. For example, approximately 235 photographs relate to the Lakota and Dakota, while the Hopi and Kootenai tribes are each represented in just one photograph respectively.
All of the individual photographs, albums, and portfolios have been cataloged individually. For more detailed information on specific images, please use the UM Library Search.
With the exception of items deemed to contain culturally sensitive content, all materials in the Pohrt Collection have been digitized and can be accessed online through the Pohrt digital collection platform.
In addition, the Clements Library has also created a Richard Pohrt, Jr. Collection - Partial Subject Index and a Richard Pohrt, Jr. Collection - Contributor Index to help navigate the collection.
The following list provides information on photographs (including select call numbers) pertaining to the 13 most well-represented Native American tribes in the collection as well as other items of interest. For a complete list of all tribes represented in the collection, see the Additional Descriptive Data section.
Algonquian Blackfeet
Approximately 28 photographs pertain to the three affiliated Algonquian Blackfeet tribes (Kainah, Siksika and Piegan) present in the collection. Items of particular interest include 18 studio portraits of Algonquian Blackfoot chiefs made by Tomar J. Hileman in the late-1920s (LARGE Hil.001 - LARGE Hil.018) which serve as prime examples of romanticized depictions of Indians produced in the early 20th century. Other images of note include two studio portraits of Piegan chief Three Calves taken by Mabelle Haney in 1920 (OVERSIZE Han.001 & OVERSIZE Han.002); two photographs likely taken by Thomas B. Magee in the late 1890s showing an Algonquian Blackfoot medicine man named Calf Shirt performing a ritual ceremony involving a live rattlesnake (LARGE Mag.001 & LARGE Mag.002); and two more outdoor portraits by Magee showing construction of a medicine lodge and ceremonial dancers standing before the finished lodge (BOU Mag.001 & BOU Mag.002).
Anishinaabe (Odawa, Ojibwa, and Potawatomi)
Approximately 168 photographs in the collection pertain to the Anishinaabe.
The majority of the Anishinaabe-related images in the collection (approximately 115 photos) were taken by Grace Chandler Horn between 1899 and 1912 near Petoskey, Michigan (GCH.004 - GCH.043 & GCH.050 - GCH.118). The photography shop operated by Horn in Petoskey was a major tourist attraction built around the annual "Hiawatha Pageant" performed by local Odawa actors as well as Ojibwa actors from the Garden River First Nation in Canada. Her portraits of actors and actresses involved in the Hiawatha shows are heavily represented in the collection. These images are considered prime examples of the romanticized depictions of Indians of the period and document a major Michigan tourist attraction of the time. The actors and actresses depicted in these photographs have not been identified, therefore their specific tribal affiliations have been assumed to be either Odawa or Garden River Ojibwa. The Grace Chandler Horn materials also include four photos of Odawa woman Sophia Assinaway at her home garden in Middle Village, Michigan (GCH.022 - GCH.025). Two printed items related to Grace Chandler Horn (a sample booklet of her photography and a Hiawatha Pageant libretto illustrated with Horn photographs) are also contained in Box 21.
In addition to the Grace Chandler Horn photographs, approximately 48 photos relate to the Ojibwa. Items of particular interest include portraits of Ojibwa men involved in the Dakota War of 1862 taken by Minnesota photographer Joel E. Whitney (CDV WhiJ.017 - CDV WhiJ.028, CDV WhiJ.036 & CDV WhiJ.037); stereographs by Whitney and assistant Charles Zimmerman showing Ojibwa wigwams (STE Whi-Zim.001), canoe-building (STE Whi-Zim.002 & STE Whi-Zim.002); Leech Lake Ojibwa during a payment transaction (STE Whi-Zim.004); and a studio portrait of White Cloud (STE Whi-Zim.005). Also present are photos by Zimmerman showing an Ojibwa deer hunt (STE Zim.002), Sky Down to the Earth (STE Zim.003) and To Keep the Net Up (STE Zim.004).
Other images of note include an outdoor portrait of the "Rapids Pilot" John Boucher seated in his canoe by B. F. Childs (STE Chi.002); three studio portraits of Buhkwujjenene by Thomas Charles Turner and Sydney Victor White taken during a trip to England in 1872 with Rev. Edward Francis Wilson in order to raise funds for the Shingwauk Indian Residential School (CDV Tur.001, CDV Tur.002 & CDV Whi-Whi.001); three studio portraits of Saginaw Band Ojibwa leader David Shoppenagon by Armstrong & Rudd and George H. Bonnell (CAB Arm-Rud.002, CAB Bonn.001 & CAB Bonn.002); an outdoor group portrait by Hoard & Tenney of five unidentified Ojibwa men at White Earth Indian Reservation in Minnesota (STE Hoa-Ten.001); views by T.W. Ingersoll showing Ojibwa women tanning buckskins and crafting birch canoes (STE Ing.001 & MEDIUM Ing.001); a Leech Lake Ojibwa family posing outside their wigwam (MEDIUM Bro.001); and an outdoor group portrait taken by Dan Dutro in the mid-1910s of several Cree and/or Ojibwa men partaking in a dance ceremony at Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation, Montana (BOU Dut.002).
The approximately 13 Potawatomi-related photographs in the collection mostly pertain to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in Kansas. Items of particular interest include studio individual and group portraits such as Shipshewana & Madeline Lasely (CAB Uni.017); Shob-ne-kak-kak with unidentified wife by Oaks & Ireland (CAB Oak-Ire.001); a studio group portrait by W. M. Oaks of two unidentified Prairie Band Potawatomi women posing with a photograph of what may be a deceased relative (CAB Oak.001); and two portraits of Nancy Weeg-was alone and with husband Weeg-was (CAB Uni.015 & CAB Oak.002). Other materials include a group portrait of Potawatomi and white American individuals posing outside of a storefront on the Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation in Kansas (MEDIUM Uni.004) and an image captioned "The Reserve Dudes" depicting a group of nine Prairie Band Potawatomi men who performed at Wild West Shows (LARGE Uni.003).
Apache
Approximately 68 Apache-related photographs are present. Specific Apache tribes represented include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Kiowa Apache, Mescalero, Mimbreño, and White Mountain Apache. Of particular note are eight boudoir photographs and one framed group portrait by C. S. Fly (BOU Fly.001 - BOU Fly.008 & FRAMED 10), the majority of which relate to the apprehension of Geronimo and his followers in 1886. Other photographs of interest include a series by Andrew Miller depicting daily life on the San Carlos and Fort Apache reservations in the 1880s (CAB MilA.001, CAB MilA.002 & BOU MilA.001 - BOU MilA.009); portraits of Apache women and scouts such as Nan-tag-a-ra, Dandy Jim and Santiago by Henry Buehman (CAB Bue.002 & STE Bue.001 - STE Bue.007); and outdoor group portraits of Chiricahua prisoners of war including Naiche and Geronimo being held at Fort Sam Houston taken by Frank Hardesty (BOU Har.001 & BOU Har.002).
Studio portraits include photographs by A. Frank Randall of Geronimo, Bonito, Dutche, husband and wife Ze-le & Tzes-Tone, Something-at-the-campfire-already-cooked (wife of Cochise), Old Nana, and Mescalero chief San Juan (BOU Ran.001 - BOU Ran.013). Also present are studio portraits of Apache chiefs and scouts such as Bonito, Chatto, Nalte, and Peaches by Ben Wittick (BOU Wit.001 & BOU Wit.003 - BOU Wit.005); Geronimo while prisoner of war at Fort Sill taken by William E. Irwin (BOU Irw.010, BOU Irw.011 & BOU Irw.024); and a Lenny & Sawyers photograph of a Kiowa-Apache man identified as "Apache Jim" (BOU Len-Saw.005).
Of further interest are photographs of Apache scouts with German-American chief of scouts Al Sieber taken by J. C. Burge (STE Bur.001 & STE Bur.002); group portraits of Apache scouts including Mickey Free, a Mexican-born Apache scout kidnapped by the Pinal Apache as a child and adopted into the tribe (STE WilW.001 & STE Bue.006); an outdoor group portrait by C. S. Fly showing Jimmy "Santiago" McKinn, a white American settler kidnapped as a child by Geronimo's band (BOU Fly.001); and several images of Apache individuals encountered during the Wheeler Expedition taken by Timothy O'Sullivan (STE Wheeler.031 - STE Wheeler.033, STE Wheeler.041, STE Wheeler.042, STE Wheeler.051 & STE Wheeler.052).
Cheyenne
Approximately 53 Cheyenne-related photographs are present in the collection, including photographs of both Northern and Southern Cheyenne, the latter of which are now part of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma.
Between 1875 and 1878, several dozen Southern Cheyenne, Southern Arapaho, Comanche, and Kiowa Indians as well as one lone individual from the Caddo tribe were imprisoned at Fort Marion in Saint Augustine, Florida, for their roles in the Red River War. While imprisoned, these chiefs, warriors and their families became a major tourist attraction. The Pohrt Collection contains numerous images of the Fort Marion prisoners taken by photographers such as J. N. Wilson, O. Pierre Havens, and George Pierron; of particular note are stereograph portraits of Southern Cheyenne chiefs Howling Wolf (STE Hav.001 -STE Hav.003), Medicine Water (STE Hav.005 & STE Hav.006), Mochi (STE Hav.006) and a tintype of Making Medicine made by an unidentified photographer (CASED Uni.006).
Other photographs include images purportedly related to a Southern Cheyenne & Arapaho Ghost Dance ceremony taken by C. C. Stotz in 1890 (BOU Sto.001 & BOU Sto.002); a group portrait of prisoners from Dull Knife's band taken by J. R. Riddle in 1879 (STE Rid.001); a studio portrait of two-spirit person Glad Road by Cosand & Mosser (CDV Cos-Mos.001); outdoor portraits by John K. Hillers of Cheyenne chiefs that attended the Grand Council in Okmulgee in 1875 (STE Hil.001 – STE Hil.003); a studio portrait of White Buffalo taken around the time of his arrival at the United States Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania (BOU Cho.001); a studio portrait by William E. Irwin of Gertrude Threefinger wearing an elk-tooth dress (BOU Irw.003); and two panoramic views by Henry C. Chaufty depicting a supposed Southern Cheyenne Sun Dance gathering in 1909 as well as a Southern Cheyenne & Arapaho fair at Watonga, Oklahoma, in September of 1912 (FRAMED 1 & FRAMED 4).
Crow (Apsáalooke)
Approximately 94 Crow-related photographs are in the collection. On account of their historical enmity with neighboring tribes such as the Lakota/Dakota, Arapaho, and Cheyenne, the Crow firmly allied themselves with the United States and provided numerous scouts for many U.S. military expeditions in the second half of the 19th century. Several portraits of Crow scouts are present in the collection, including photographs of Curley (CAB BarD.019, MEDIUM BarD.003, STE Rin.006 & PORTFOLIO 1B) and White Swan (BOU MilF.001 & BOU MilF.002), both of whom were present at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Other images of note include a series of 56 stereographs by Frank A. Rinehart at Crow Indian Reservation in Montana at the turn of the 20th century (STE Rin.001 - STE Rin.056) consisting of views showing daily reservation life, ceremonies and dances, as well as individual, group, and family portraits, including one photograph of chief Plenty Coups speaking to a crowd about counting coup.
Also of interest are three images showing Plenty Coups and others present at the unveiling ceremony for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (FRAMED 11 - FRAMED 13); photos by O. S. Goff of Crow scouts including Bear Don't Walk and members of "L" Troop, 1st Cavalry (BOU Gof.001, BOU Gof.002, & MEDIUM Gof.003); portraits of Crow chiefs and men including Hoop on Forehead, Bear in a Cloud, and Spotted Rabbit, as well as scenes from Crow Indian Reservation by Fred E. Miller (BOU MilF.003, BOU MilF.004, LARGE MilF.001, LARGE MilF.002 & MEDIUM MilF.001 - MEDIUM MilF.005); portraits of Crow chiefs including Grey Bear, Old Coyote, Hoop on Forehead, Spies on Enemies, Big Medicine Man, Chief Little Head and Old Coyote by F. Jay Haynes (STE Hay.001 & CAB Hay.001 - CAB Hay.009); and a group portrait by an unidentified photographer of Crow prisoners of war including Crazy Head and Coups Well Known being held at Crow Indian Agency following the Crow War of 1887 (LARGE Uni.018).
Ho Chunk (Winnebago)
22 Ho Chunk-related photographs are in the collection. Items of particular interest include stereographs by H. H. Bennett of Yellow Thunder purportedly at the age of 120 (STE Ben.002), a Ho Chunk woman tanning a deerskin (STE Ben.001), a studio portrait of Big Bear (STE Ben.004) and a group of Ho Chunk men playing "Wah-koo-chad-ah" or the Moccasin Game (STE Ben.003).
Other items of note include a group portrait by Charles Van Schaik of Clara Blackhawk and her infant son Andrew (CAB Van.002); another Van Schaik portrait of Little Soldier and wife Bettie (CAB Van.001); a studio portrait by Joel E. Whitney of Chief Little Hill (CDV WhiJ.030); a studio group portrait by W. H. Illingworth of Walk in the Evening and Bear Skin (STE Ill.003); studio portraits of Chief Big Hawk and son David Big Hawk (CAB Uni.020 & CAB Uni.021); a studio group portrait by Brown & Wait of several Ho Chunk men including one individual who appears to possibly have smallpox scars (CAB Bro-Wai.001); a studio group portrait of an unidentified Ho Chunk man from Nebraska posing with Fox chiefs Wa-Wa-Ta-Sah and Ma-Tau-E-Qua (MEDIUM Uni.003); and two outdoor group portraits of Ho Chunk Indians in Wisconsin partaking in a church ceremony (BOU Uni.005 & BOU Uni.006).
Two tintypes, one of an unidentified Ho Chunk father and son (CASED Uni.001) and the other a group portrait of several children (CASED Uni.002), are also present.
Kiowa
Approximately 40 Kiowa-related photographs are present in the collection. Items of particular interest include 19 studio and outdoor individual and group portraits taken by William E. Irwin of Kiowa men, women and girls including Daisy Waterman (BOU Irw.008), Anne "Kiowa Annie" Berry (BOU Irw.004 - BOU Irw.006), Millie Oytant and "Cora" (BOU Irw.007), Joe Goombi with two daughters (BOU Irw.009), Lone Wolf the Younger (BOU Irw.013 & BOU Irw.023), Lone Wolf the Younger's mother Big Black Hair (BOU Irw.014), Poor Buffalo (BOU Irw.017), Kiowa and Comanche scouts near Anadarko(BOU Irw.018 & BOU Irw.019), and Ahpeatone (MED Irw.001).
Also present are five group portraits showing Kiowa prisoners of war at Fort Marion (STE Hav.004, STE Pie.001, STE Pie.002, STE Wil-Hav.001, STE Uni.004 & STE Uni.009); studio portraits of Kiowa girls and children by Lenny & Sawyers (BOU Len-Saw.001, BOU Len-Saw.009 & BOU Len-Saw.013); a studio portrait of Ahpeatone by Trager and Kuhn misidentified as Oglala Lakota chief Young Man Afraid of His Horses (CAB Tra-Kuh.001); a studio group portrait by W. P. Bliss of Gotebo with an unidentified individual (CAB Bli.002); a studio portrait of a Kiowa girl identified as "Ka-o-ta" produced by George W. Bretz (CAB Bre.003); and a group portrait of three unidentified Kiowa girls wearing elk-tooth dresses by C. C. Stotz (CAB Stot.001).
Modoc
The 19 Modoc-related images in the collection include a series of stereographs created by Eadweard Muybridge during the Modoc War of 1872-73 (STE Muy.001 - STE Muy.011). They depict the lava bed landscape, the U.S. army camp near Tule Lake, army scouts from the nearby Warm Springs Indian reservation led by Donald McKay, and the camp of the Modoc warrior Shok-Nos-Ta. Two of the photos depict Modoc women involved in the conflict, including interpreter Toby Riddle as well as a group of Modoc women taken as prisoners of war.
Other items of interest include four studio portraits by Louis Herman Heller of Modoc prisoners of war in 1873 such as the family of Captain Jack (CAB Hel.001), the "Lost River Murderers" (CAB Hel.002), Schonchin (CAB Hel.003), and Bogus Charley (CAB Hel.004), as well as four studio portraits by David C. Herrin produced in the late 1890s showing Klamath men described as having assisted the United States during the Modoc War (CAB Herr.001 - CAB Herr.004).
Nez Percé (Nimiipuu)
13 photographs in the collection have content pertaining to the Nez Percé. Items of particular interest include individual portraits of Chief Joseph (MEDIUM BarD.004, MEDIUM Bow.001, PORTFOLIO 1C); a tintype by an unknown photographer of an unidentified Nez Percé warrior (CASED Uni.003); a studio portrait of Chief Yellow Bull by C. M. Bell in Washington D.C. (OVERSIZE Bel.001); three images produced by W. H. Partridge showing Nez Percé families and homesteads in Oregon including visuals of tipis and a horse corral (BOU Par.001 - BOU Par.003); two studio portraits of "Steps", a Native American man adopted into the Nez Percé tribe (CAB Bai-Dix.002 & CAB BarD.020); and a group portrait by Ebenezer E. Henry showing Chief Joseph, Yellow Bull, Charles Moses, and another unidentified Nez Percé chief while being held as prisoners of war at Fort Leavenworth in 1877 following the cessation of the Nez Percé War (BOU Hen.001).
Oto
21 photographs in the collection relate to the Oto and Otoe-Missouria. Images of particular note include studio portraits of White Horse by Thomas Croft (CAB Cro.001 & CAB Cro.002); studio group and individual portraits of Oto chiefs including William Faw Faw, White Horse, Huma, Opanomnina and Parthayne by Lenny & Sawyers (BOU Len-Saw.004, BOU Len-Saw.006, BOU Len-Saw.007 & BOU Len-Saw.011); a studio portrait of Standing Eating by John K. Hillers in Washington D.C. (CAB Hil.001); an outdoor group portrait of an unidentified Oto family in Indian Territory posing in front of their home (MEDIUM Uni.014); an individual and group studio portrait showing Chief George Dailey (CAB Uni.008 & CAB Uni.009); three photos by William S. Prettyman including two studio portraits of unidentified Oto groups as well as an outdoor group portrait of the family of Baptiste DeRoin(CAB Pre.001, BOU Pre.001 & BOU Pre.002).
Sac & Fox
21 photographs relate to the Sac & Fox tribes, predominately consisting of images related to the Sac & Fox tribes of Iowa, Oklahoma, and to a lesser extent Kansas. Items of particular interest include several studio portraits of Iowa-based Sac & Fox individuals (known today as the Sac and Fox of the Mississippi in Iowa) taken by photographers H. C. Eberhart, J. L. Hudson, and J. S. Moore during the 1880s (CDV Eber.001, CAB Hud.001, CDV Hud.001, CDV Hud.002 & CAB Moo.002 - CAB Moo.008); a group portrait by Oakes & Ireland of a Kansas-based Sac and Fox ceremonial dancer with his son (CAB Oak-Ire.002); an outdoor group portrait taken by William S. Prettyman around 1895 showing a group of people from the Sac & Fox Mokohoko band including Chief Paw-She-Paw-Ho (LARGE Pre.001); a studio portrait of Walter Battice by John K. Hillers taken sometime during the early 1920s before Hillers' death in 1925 (BOU Hil.001); a group portrait of a Sac & Fox Nation of Oklahoma man at home with his wife and sleeping infant child (STE Key.001); two studio portraits of Sac & Fox chiefs taken by C. M. Bell in Washington D.C. (OVERSIZE Bel.002 & OVERSIZE Bel.003); a studio group portrait of an unidentified Ho Chunk man from Nebraska posing with Fox chiefs Wa-Wa-Ta-Sah and Ma-Tau-E-Qua (MEDIUM Uni.003); a studio group portrait by J. L. Hudson of Charles Keokuk and an unidentified Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa chief (CDV Hud.002); as well as a studio portrait of a Sac & Fox chief claimed by the unidentified photographer to be a grandson of Black Hawk (CDV Uni.003).
Lakota and Dakota
Over 240 photographs pertain to the Lakota and Dakota (also commonly referred to collectively as the Sioux, a term that has pejorative origins). The Dakota consist of three sub-tribes (the Santee, Yankton, and Yanktonai) while the Lakota consist of seven sub-tribes; the Sicangu (Brulé), Oglala, Miniconjou, Hunkpapa, Itázipco (Sans Arc), Sihasapa, and Oóhenunpa. The Pohrt Collection contains photos related to all three Dakota sub-tribes as well as photos related to every Lakota sub-tribe except for the Oóhenunpa.
The majority of the approximately 40 images in the collection related to the Santee Dakota were taken around the time of the Dakota War of 1862 in Minnesota, when several bands initially led by Chief Little Crow revolted against federal Indian agents who had regularly failed to supply promised foodstuffs and annuities. After several months of fighting, most of the Santee surrendered and thirty-eight were eventually executed in Mankato, Minnesota, on December 26th 1862 in what remains the largest mass execution in U.S. history. Items of particular interest include four photographs taken by Adrian Ebell prior to and during the outbreak of the conflict (CDV Ebe.001 & STE Ebe.001 - STE Ebe.003); three photographs by B. F. Upton showing Santee prisoners of war at Fort Snelling including Little Crow's sons White Spider and Thomas Wakeman (STE Upt.001, CDV Upt.001 & CDV Upt.002); as well as 21 studio portraits produced by Joel Whitney depicting Santee prisoners of war, many of whom were among the executed at Mankato (STE WhiJ.002, STE WhiJ.003, STE WhiJ.034, CDV WhiJ.001 - CDV WhiJ.010, CDV WhiJ.012 - CDV WhiJ.016 & CDV WhiJ.032 - CDV WhiJ.034). Also present is an outdoor group portrait of Santee men taken by T. W. Ingersoll in the 1890s (MEDIUM Ing.002); a studio portrait of Wabasha III (CAB Lak.001); a Stanley J. Morrow studio portrait of an elderly Santee woman named Sacred Blanket purported to be 133 years old (STE MorS.036); and a studio portrait of Abbie Gardner Sharp, a white American woman who survived being captured by Santee raiders after the Spirit Lake Massacre of 1857 in Iowa in an incident which is generally considered a precursor to the Dakota War (CAB Uni.022).
Other Santee materials include several portraits of physician Dr. Charles Eastman taken by Grace Chandler Horn in the 1910s (GCH.001 - GCH.003 & GCH.044 - GCH.049). Dr. Eastman, grandson of U.S. Army officer and renowned artist Seth Eastman, attended Dartmouth College and then Boston University's medical school, becoming one of the first Native Americans certified as a western-style doctor. He later established the Indian YMCA and helped found the Boy Scouts of America, as well as becoming a national spokesman for Native Americans.
Images of particular interest involving the Yankton Dakota include an outdoor group portrait of Struck-by-the-Ree and Feather Necklace by Stanley J. Morrow (STE MorS.020); a group portrait taken by O. S. Goff of fifteen unidentified Yankton chiefs with an Indian Agent (MEDIUM Gof.001); two photos by W. R. Cross consisting of a studio portrait of an unidentified Yankton man (CDV Cro.005); and a composite photograph showing twelve different photographs of Native Americans from Dakota Territory including an image of a Yankton scaffold burial (BOU Cro.001).
Yanktonai Dakota images of interest include photos by D. F. Barry of Standing Rock Indian Reservation policeman Henry Bull Head who reportedly shot Sitting Bull after having been mortally wounded himself during the arrest (CAB BarD.011); an elevated outdoor group portrait taken during the 1885 census at Standing Rock (MEDIUM BarD.001); a studio portrait of interpreter and scout John Bruguier by George Spencer (CAB Spe.013); two studio portraits of Mad Bear (CAB BarD.017 & CAB Sco.005); stereographs by Stanley J. Morrow showing Yanktonai chiefs Black Eye, Bloody Mouth, Afraid of the Bear (STE MorS.019) and Medicine Bear (STE MorS.003 & STE MorS.004); and a studio portrait of Wolf Necklace by O. S. Goff (STE Gof.008).
Several photos are related to the Ghost Dance movement on the Lakota reservations and the subsequent buildup to and aftermath of the Wounded Knee Massacre. Specific items of interest regarding the Lakota Ghost Dance movement include a secret photo taken by Sam T. Clover without the subjects' permission of a Ghost Dance feast in which Sitting Bull supposedly stands at center (LARGE Clo.001); a photograph by James E. Meddaugh showing a Ghost Dance being performed by Oglala Lakota men and women at Pine Ridge (CAB Medd.001); an outdoor portrait by George W. Scott of a Lakota woman named Scarlet Woman who had been arrested in November of 1890 for proclaiming to be the "mother of the Messiah" (CAB Sco.003); and several individual and group portraits by Trager & Kuhn of Lakota chiefs both involved with and opposed to the Ghost Dance movement, including Kicking Bear, Stinking Bear, Hollowood, Crazy Bear, Crow Dog, Two Strike, Young Man Afraid of His Horse, Good Lance, Short Bull, High Hawk and Big Talk (BOU Tra-Kuh.009, BOU Tra-Kuh.015, BOU Tra-Kuh.016, BOU Tra-Kuh.022 - BOU Tra-Kuh.025 & BOU Tra-Kuh.027). Also of note are other photographs by Trager & Kuhn including a studio portrait of Kiowa chief Ahpeatone (erroneously identified as Young Man Afraid of His Horses) who had been sent to visit his Lakota relatives on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in order to learn about their version of the Ghost Dance (CAB Tra-Kuh.001) as well as a "bird's-eye view" of a Ghost Dance at Pine Ridge on November 25th 1890 which may have been originally taken by James E. Meddaugh (BOU Tra-Kuh.031).
Approximately 51 photographs directly pertain to the Wounded Knee Massacre. Materials of note include a view by Clarence G. Morledge of the "Bloody Pocket" valley where the Drexel Mission Fight took place one day after the massacre (BOU Morl.001); a series of studio portraits by George E. Spencer depicting several individuals involved with the Ghost Dance movement who were being held as prisoners of war at Fort Sheridan after Wounded Knee (CAB Spe.004 - CAB Spe.012); and a group portrait by an unidentified photographer in 1902 of Chief Calico with son Frank Calico and wife Good Dog, the latter of whom was purportedly a "great Medicine woman at Wounded Knee in 1890" (LARGE Uni.005).
Photographs from albums compiled by Michigan-based photographer Fannie Hoyt include views of the Wounded Knee battlefield (Albums 4B & Albums 4D) and portraits of individuals known to have survived the massacre such as Joseph Horn Cloud (Albums 4C), Daniel White Lance (Albums 4F) and possibly Dewey Beard (Albums 4C). Graphic photographs by Trager & Kuhn show bodies of victims at the site of Wounded Knee, as well as scenes at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation immediately following the massacre (BOU Tra-Kuh.001, BOU Tra-Kuh.002, BOU Tra-Kuh.004, BOU Tra-Kuh.008 - BOU Tra-Kuh.014, BOU Tra-Kuh.016, BOU Tra-Kuh.020, BOU Tra-Kuh.022 - BOU Tra-Kuh.026, BOU Tra-Kuh.028 - BOU Tra-Kuh.030 & LARGE Tra-Kuh.001 - LARGE Tra-Kuh.004). Photographs by John C. H. Grabill include images of a Grass Dance being performed by Miniconjou dancers four months prior to the massacre (LARGE Gra.001 & LARGE Gra.002); scenes from "hostile" Lakota camps on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (LARGE Gra.003 & LARGE Gra.004); Gen. Nelson Appleton Miles and staff at Pine Ridge (LARGE Gra.008); negotiations taking place between U.S. Army officers and Lakota leaders at Pine Ridge following the massacre (LARGE Gra.007); individual and group portraits of Lakota individuals including Crow Dog (LARGE Gra.009), Plenty Horses (STE Gra.001 & FRAMED 6), Jack Red Cloud (LARGE Gra.011), a wife and family of American Horse (LARGE Gra.005), and survivors of Big Foot's band (LARGE Gra.006); as well as a group portrait of Brulé and Oglala Lakota men, women, and children, including an infant purported to be one of the two babies known to have been miraculously recovered from the Wounded Knee site three days after the massacre (LARGE Gra.010).
Other photographs of note include a group portrait by Frank Currier showing a Lakota delegation to Washington, D.C., in May of 1875, including chiefs Red Cloud, the Oglala Sitting Bull, Swift Bear, and Spotted Tail as well as Prussian-Jewish interpreter Julius Meyer (STE Cur.001); a view of a Brulé "war dance" at Rosebud Agency (BOU Uni.002); a group portrait of Louis Dewitt and family at Fort Bennett, Dakota Territory (MEDIUM Uni.009); and three views by E. A. Fry of lodges at an Oglala encampment on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1883 including a Medicine Scalp Lodge and Sun Dance Lodge (LARGE Fry.001 - LARGE Fry.003).
Also present are views of Lakota scaffold burials (STE MorS.027, STE MorS.029 & BOU Cro.001); a photo showing a group of Lakota dancers in traditional dress posing outside the home of Emma Sickels with American flags and a Benjamin Harrison flag related to the 1888 presidential election (BOU Tra-Kuh.032); three studio group portraits by Robinson & Roe of the Sioux Treaty Commission of 1889 (CAB Rob-Roe.001 - CAB Rob-Roe.003); portraits including Lakota family members related to American frontiersman John Young Nelson (CAB AndD.001, CAB Ell-Fry.001, CAB Fra.001, & LARGE Gra.010); and a Trager & Kuhn view of Red Cloud's wife Pretty Owl inside the couple's cabin at Pine Ridge (Tra-Kuh.005).
Ute
Approximately 16 photographs in the collection pertain to the Ute tribe. Specific Ute sub-tribes represented in the collection include the Capote, Moache, and Tabeguache. Images of particular note include studio portraits by William H. Jackson of Ute chiefs Ouray (CAB Jac.001) and Colorow (CAB Jac.002), Ouray's sister Shawsheen erroneously captioned as being Ouray's wife Chipeta (CAB Jac.003) and Tushaquinot (CAB Jac.004 & BOU Jac.001); a studio portrait by Charles M. Bell of a member of Ouray's band called "Tom Ute" (OVERSIZE Bel.007); and portraits by C. R. Savage of a Ute family (CDV Sav.001) and a warrior identified as "Indian Charley" (STE Sav.001).
Also present are two portraits made by Timothy O'Sullivan during the Wheeler Expedition of Capote Utes including a woman named "Pah-ge" (STE Wheeler.039) and a group of unidentified Ute warriors (STE Wheeler.040); two studio portraits by Ben E. Hawkins showing a group of Ute chiefs (STE Haw.001) and a chief named "Washington" (BOU Haw.001); a studio portrait by J. N. Choate of an unidentified Native American man (possibly a Ute) erroneously identified as Colorow (MEDIUM Cho.001); and a studio portrait of White River Ute leader Chief Johnson by W. G. Chamberlain in which the subject holds a studio prop staff affixed with a scalp lock (CAB Cha.001).
Photo Albums & Portfolios
12 photograph albums and one three-volume portfolio set are present in the collection.
The John Alvin Anderson album consists of 49 images of scenes from the Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota, in the late 1880s and early 1890s. Photographs depict daily Lakota life on the reservation including landscapes, boarding schools, camp life and homesteads, reservation police, and Fourth of July-related dance ceremonies. Images pertaining to cattle ranching and Native American cowboys are also a prominent theme in the album. Several portraits of Brulé Lakota men are also included, including Hollow Horn Bear, Crow Dog, and Two Strike. Of particular note is a group portrait of several Brulé Lakota men preparing for a "Journey to Eastern Cities".
The Osage Indians photograph album contains 49 images mostly taken by George W. Parsons near Pawhuska, Oklahoma, ca. 1880 to 1900 that for the most part pertain to the Osage tribe. Images of particular interest include photographs of Osage Reservation buildings, boarding schools, portraits of Osage men, women, and children, cattle ranching scenes, and images captioned "Sun Dance" that likely depict Fourth of July celebrations. Also present are 12 photographs likely taken by the unidentified compiler of the album which show street scenes and buildings from Pawhuska, white American sightseers at "Lover's Leap" rock formation, and an Osage lodge flying an inverted American flag.
The Fort Berthold album compiled by an unknown photographer contains 54 images primarily related to the Mandan tribe at Fort Berthold, North Dakota, ca. 1890 to 1910. Images of particular interest from the front two-thirds of the album include landscape views, Fort Berthold Agency buildings and homesteads, reservation police, meat drying, and photographs of Mandan men, women, and children. The final third of the album contains photographs of dead animals, hunting trophies, a taxidermy business, bison farm, and the Northern Pacific railroad bridge in Bismarck, North Dakota. Some of the Native Americans depicted may belong to the Arikara and Hidatsa tribes who also reside at Fort Berthold.
The Fanny Hoyt albums (9 volumes) consist of approximately 287 images taken during visits to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota from 1900 to 1903. Fanny Hoyt (1868-1949) was a photographer from Wayland, Michigan. Images of interest include numerous portraits of Lakota men, women, and children (many of whom are identified with captions), buildings from around Pine Ridge agency, landscape views including the Badlands, and photographs related to cattle ranching and meat distribution. Of particular note are photographs of the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre, a Catholic Indian Meeting House, giveaway ceremonies, preparation of boiled dog meat, wooden coffins captioned "Indian Graves", the interior of a Lakota church, scenes from Fourth of July celebrations, and group portraits of Lakota pupils at "No. 29 Day School".
Other Items of Note
52 stereographs taken by Timothy O'Sullivan and William H. Bell relate to the survey expeditions led by Lieut. George Wheeler (STE Wheeler.001 - STE Wheeler.052) in the years 1873 and 1874. These images depict not only the natural landscapes explored during the survey, such as Canyon de Chelle and Shoshone Falls, but also the Apache, Navajo, Ute, and Zuni peoples through whose lands the survey passed. Includes original stereograph box.
Approximately 30 photographs primarily taken by J. N. Choate are directly related to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1879 by Captain Richard Henry Pratt of the U.S. Army, Carlisle was the flagship Indian boarding school until its closure in 1918. Over ten thousand Native Americans attended the school, where they were subjected to a strict regimen devised under Pratt's motto of "Kill the Indian, save the man." Arriving students had their hair shorn and their clothes replaced with European-style dress, while students were also forced to take new English names and forbidden to speak their native languages.
More items of interest related to the Carlisle School include outdoor group portraits of Dakota boys and girls (BOU Cho.004 & BOU Cho.005); a view of the Boy's Quarters (BOU Cho.009); studio group portraits of Navajo students (BOU Cho.008); Laguna Pueblo students (CAB Cho.001); and Arapaho students (BOU Cho.009).
Of further note is an outdoor group portrait taken by William H. Tipton of nearly thirty Cheyenne and Arapaho parents and Carlisle students visiting the Gettysburg battlefield in 1884 (OVERSIZE Tip.001).
Other noted Indian chiefs, leaders and warriors represented in the collection include Wovoka, the Paiute prophet whose preaching formed the basis for the Ghost Dance movement (CAB Butl.001 & CAB Butl.002); Washakie, chief of the Eastern Shoshones (BOU Bak-Joh.001, BOU Bak-Joh.002, CAB Bak-Joh.001 - CAB Bak-John.003, BOU Hay.001 & MEDIUM Hay.001); Osage chief Bacon Rind (MEDIUM Dix.002); Ponca warrior Big Snake (STE MorS.013); Ponca chief Standing Bear (FRAMED 9); Pawnee chief Young Bull (MEDIUM Dix.001); Pawnee warrior Big Spotted Horse (FRAMED 8); Pawnee chief Petalesharo II (STE Carb.002, STE Carb.003 & STE Carb.007); the last "full-blood" Kansa council including Forrest W. Chouteau, Silas Conn, Little Jim, Jesse Mehojah, Roy Monroe and James Pepper (LARGE Uni.002); Hidatsa chief Hard Horn and son Long Arm (STE Gof.005); Bill Jones of the Gros Ventre (BOU Morr.005, BOU Morr.006 & MEDIUM Mat.001); Mandan chief Wa-Shú-Na-Koo-Rá, the son of Chief Four Bears (STE MorS.006); Enoch Hoag, last traditional chief of the Caddo (BOU Len-Saw.010); Northern Arapaho leader Sherman Sage (BOU Hay.001); and Billy Fewell, a Seminole leader and tribal historian of partial African descent (BOU She.001 & MEDIUM Uni.005).
Many images depict encampments, dwellings, dance lodges, and other architectural constructions made by Native Americans as well as American settlers. Particularly noteworthy items include several views of sod buildings (MEDIUM But.001, MEDIUM Uni.013, BOU Tem.001, CAB Tem.001, Albums 4B & Albums 4C); a view by Winter & Brown of two totem poles outside the home of Stikine Tlingit chief Gush Tlein in Wrangel, Alaska (BOU Win-Bro.001); Hidatsa and Mandan structures in Like-a-Fishhook Village at Fort Berthold Agency taken by Stanley J. Morrow (STE MorS.011, STE MorS.012 & STE MorS.030); stereographs by John Carbutt showing Pawnee mud lodges and drying racks laden with sliced pumpkin rinds (STE Carb.004 & STE Carb.005); views showing Ho Chunk chipotekes (STE Ben.002, STE Ben.003 & BOU Ten.001); and buildings and agricultural works at Zuni Pueblo (STE Wheeler.016 & STE Wheeler.018).
Numerous photographs pertain to dance ceremonies, including images related to the Sun Dance, Ghost Dance, Grass Dance, Fox Dance, "Squaw Dance," and more. Photographs related to Fourth of July ceremonies are also prevalent. After the Religious Crimes Code was first enacted in 1884, traditional Native American customs and dances began to be forbidden on reservations. In response, many tribes started using the Fourth of July (which generally overlapped with the historic timing of Sun Dance festivities) as a means of expressing traditional aspects of their cultures while simultaneously displaying patriotism for the United States of America, something which was actively encouraged by Indian Agents.
Items of particular interest with regards to Native American Fourth of July celebrations include an image of what possibly may be Lakota/Dakota dancers in the middle of a performance (LARGE Uni.004); two Trager & Kuhn photographs of Lakota chiefs involved in Fourth of July celebrations at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (BOU Tra-Kuh.007 & BOU Tra-Kuh.015); a view of a large Plains Indian encampment gathered for Fourth of July in 1892 (BOU Uni.001); three photographs by White's Studio related to Fourth of July celebrations by the Cheyenne and Arapaho at El Reno, Oklahoma Territory, on July 4th 1898 (LARGE Whi.001 - LARGE Whi.003); a Norman A. Forsyth photograph of a Kootenai "Sun Dance" lodge being assembled in 1904 (STE For.001); a Frank Bennett Fiske photograph showing tipis painted for a Fourth of July gathering at Standing Rock Reservation (OVERSIZE Fis.001); five photographs by Sumner W. Matteson taken during a Fourth of July celebration among the Gros Ventre on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Montana (MEDIUM Mat.001 - MEDIUM Mat.005); a panoramic photograph by H. C. Chaufty depicting a "Sun Dance" gathering in 1909 (FRAMED 4); and two photographs related to a Fourth of July parade involving a group of Menominee Indian men, women, boys, and girls (MEDIUM Joh.002 & MEDIUM Joh.003). Three of the Fanny Hoyt albums (Albums 4C, Albums 4D & Albums 4H), the John Alvin Anderson Album (Albums 1) and the Osage Indians Photograph Album (Albums 2) also contain images related to Fourth of July celebrations.
The Pohrt Collection is particularly rich with photographic examples of Native American material culture in part due to the collection creator Richard Pohrt, Jr.'s own personal interest in that subject. Numerous images show various elements of clothing & dress such as shell and bead necklaces, bear claw necklaces, otter fur and cloth turbans, feather and porcupine fur headdresses, breechcloths, buckskins, dresses trimmed with real and/or imitation elk teeth, gorgets, cinder goggles, cloth and fur hair wraps, hats, otter fur and hairpipe breastplates, bow and rifle cases, face and body paint, presidential peace medals, blankets, robes, bandolier bags, moccasins, and articles of clothing embroidered with beadwork, porcupine quillwork, and silk ribbon applique. A number of images also contain examples of traditional weaponry including tomahawks, war clubs, bows and arrows, spears, shields, knives, and coup sticks. Richard Pohrt, Jr. has provided extensive notes regarding elements of material culture that have been incorporated into individual catalog records.
Several photographs present in the collection especially highlight the issues of cultural appropriation and racism with regards to Native Americans. Photographs in which white American subjects appear dressed in "traditional" Native American clothing include an outdoor group portrait by W.E. Vilmer showing a group of white children dressed in Indian costumes (OVERSIZE Vil.001); a studio group portrait by Hans H. Stolze of two white men wearing Indian costumes and holding pistols (CAB Stol.001); and a group portrait showing a room of white men and women dressed in Indian costumes related to an unidentified branch of the Improved Order of Red Men (MEDIUM Uni.011). Also present are two photographs that were used as exhibit pieces by the Western Americana collector Charles Frederick Fish during the Second International Congress of Eugenics Exhibit of Scientific Studies at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City in 1921; the first photograph is a studio group portrait by E.E. Henry of four Nez Percé chiefs including Chief Joseph, Charles Moses, and Yellow Bull while they were being held as prisoners of war at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas (BOU Hen.001); the second photograph is a studio portrait of the Apache chief Bonito by Ben Wittick (BOU Wit.003).
Numerous photographs in the collection contain culturally sensitive content, including images related to sacred ceremonies that were often photographed under duress and/or without explicit permission (such as photographs related to Ghost and Sun Dance ceremonies); images of Native American graves; and images of actual deceased Native American persons, such as the Trager & Kuhn photographs showing the aftermath of the Wounded Knee Massacre. Other culturally sensitive photographs not mentioned elsewhere in this Finding Aid include a staged view by George W. Bretz showing two U.S. Army soldiers and two unidentified Native American men horsing around in a sweat lodge at Fort Sill, Indian Territory, in what appears to be a mock imprisonment scene (CAB Bre.006); a view by Edward De Groff of a Tlingit grave and cremation ground in Juneau, Alaska (BOU Deg.003); an outdoor group portrait by W. H. Partridge of an Aak'w Kwáan Tlingit family that appears to be dressed for a mourning ceremony (BOU Par.004); and a postmortem portrait of a Sarsi woman sitting at the bedside of her deceased daughter (LARGE Uni.001).
Photographs that have been deemed to contain culturally sensitive content will not be made digitally accessible and will only be available for use in the reading room.
See Additional Descriptive Data Section for more comprehensive listing of subject terms, tribal names, personal names, and contributors.
Approximately 1,045 individual photographs, 12 photograph albums, 3 portfolios and 1 piece of realia
7 volumes
The Grosvenor L. Townsend scrapbooks consist of 7 volumes containing newspaper clippings, photographs, halftone prints, correspondence, ephemera, printed materials, maps, realia, telegrams, and other miscellaneous documents and materials related to the military career of Grosvenor Lowery Townsend. Newspaper and journal clippings were mainly taken from New York-based publications. Most of the clippings are in extremely fragile condition. Many clippings are coupled with inscriptions indicating the name and date of the publication they were taken from. Numerous photographs also bear inscribed captions. Each volume measures approximately 25 x 19 cm in size and has marbled paper covers.
In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has also created the G. L. Townsend Scrapbook Inventory which serves as an itemized list of the contents of each scrapbook.
7 volumes
8.5 linear feet
The papers of spiritualist and writing medium James V. Mansfield (1817-1899) are made up of correspondence, diaries, client record books, testimonials, documents, photographs, printed items, printing blocks and plates, writings, artwork, ephemera, and other materials, largely dating between 1859 and 1883. Mansfield was a prolific writer and careful observer, who shared details on working as a spiritualist in San Francisco, California, between 1862 and 1864, and in New York after the American Civil War through the early 1880s. He reported and reflected on everyday life, cultural topics, social and political happenings, spiritualists and spiritualism, religion, personal and professional financial matters, business and trade, physical surroundings, scenery, and more.
Mansfield's voluminous writings include 11,903 pages of letters home to his wife and children while living in San Francisco between 1862 and 1864; 8,819 pages of letters from New York City (largely to his son J. W. Mansfield) between 1871 and 1882; around 780 pages of diary entries between 1866 and 1871; 21 client record books and ledgers; and more. Also included are client and spirit communications, letters of seamstress Mary Hopkinson Mansfield and artist John W. Mansfield largely between the 1850s and 1910s, photographs, prints, advertisements, printing blocks, artwork on paper, testimonials, documents, and much more.
The Correspondence Series is comprised of 35 letterbooks containing 11,903 pages of letters by James V. Mansfield from San Francisco, California, to his family in Chelsea, Massachusetts, between 1862 and 1864. In addition, between 1844 and 1928, 219 letters were exchanged between James V. Mansfield, his spouse Mary Hopkinson Mansfield, his son John Worthington Mansfield, and others. The bulk of these are 126 letters (8,819 pages) by James V. Mansfield from New York City, largely to his son John W. Mansfield between 1871 and 1882. Also present are 50 letters and communications from J. V. Mansfield's clients and spirits between 1856 and 1887; and a group of 43 letters, copied extracts, and reflections collected by Mary H. Mansfield about her husband's spiritualist services between 1858 and 1882.
Letterbooks by James V. Mansfield, San Francisco, California, 1862-1864.
James V. Mansfield wrote 11,903 pages of journal-like letters to his spouse and children, while he was in San Francisco, California, between 1862 and 1864. These letters were written in 35 bound volumes with paper covers. Mansfield appears to have sent the letterbooks to his family in Chelsea, Massachusetts, as his spouse Mary H. Mansfield marked the dates she received them. In the first letter, beginning on Monday, March 7, 1862, J. V. Mansfield recounted his journey from New York City to San Francisco, California. He traveled aboard the ship North Star until he reached the Isthmus of Panama, and then continued the rest of his journey on the Sonora. He described the deplorable conditions on the overly crowded ships, including shortages of food and clean drinking water, and flea and bedbug infestations in the sleeping quarters. He also reported his first impressions of San Francisco, such as the general appearance and attitudes of the people, as well as the climate and geography.
His correspondence illuminates the social conditions and cultural life of San Francisco. Mansfield described the diverse array of people he encountered, social attitudes, and ethnic and nationalist tensions. In addition to indigenous peoples of California, immigrants from Mexico, China, Ireland, and Germany were all living in the city in substantial numbers. Those from China and Ireland comprised the largest immigrant groups that he observed. Many people had also traveled from the East Coast or the southern states to San Francisco. Some of these newcomers found work as miners or servants. Like Mansfield, many New Englanders came to California with the intention of staying only for a short period of time before returning home.
Although San Francisco was far removed from the operations of the Civil War, the people felt the impact of Confederate and Union victories and defeats. J. V. Mansfield was deeply concerned by the war and recorded his impressions of the news of battles as was reported in San Francisco. Mansfield witnessed discrimination against African Americans and frequently encountered anti-Union sentiments. He noted, for example, "...they will not for a long time submit to allow the colored man or woman the same rights, same privileges as they themselves claim a Strong Southern feeling is Evident on the face of things here" (volume 25:224). He related examples of African Americans being barred from privileges the white people enjoyed, such as not being able to ride on steam engines and in horse carriages. One such case was brought before a municipal judge, who decided in favor of the persons of African descent, granting them the right to use public transportation.
Mansfield observed vast differences between New Englanders and the people in California. Of the latter he wrote, "...they are a hard set of people driving on from 4. O.clock in the morning till 10 or 12. O.clock at night, their general appearance is of Brown Complexion long hair, long whiskers, and not more than one in 4 Ever shave; so you can imagine what for a looking people they are and all invariably Chew & Smoke Tobaco, & drink the meanest Kind of Whiskey. Consequently they swear much and their word is not usually worth a fig either, under or with out oath" (volume 14:115-116). Throughout the letters, he gave a substantial amount of commentary on the indigenous peoples of California and of Native Americans in general, of whom his opinion was not high. He thought Native Americans deliberately interfered with mail sent overland, especially when he had not received his wife's letters: "...the mails are to be conveyed by steam and not overland -- you see the trouble the Indians gave the mail carriers..." (volume 1:16-17). He did recognize the atrocities white people committed against them, and later believed that Native Americans were not at fault for poor mail service.
James Mansfield also provided substantive commentary on sex and gender, noting differences between women on the East Coast and in San Francisco, especially in terms of appearance and dress. He wrote about feminine beauty and was quick to note the physical aspects of women he encountered, and whether or not they were sufficiently attractive in his view. He described women from different ethnic backgrounds, including Chinese and Irish immigrant women. A number of the former worked as prostitutes, while the latter were overwhelmingly employed as servants. In several instances, he remarked on the hard life these women endured, especially those who worked as domestic servants. He also noted differences between the ways in which "Western" and "Eastern" women were treated, especially after noticing public displays of subservience among Chinese women.
J. V. Mansfield provided significant commentary on San Francisco marketplaces. He found a variety of foods that he had not seen before, or at least in such abundance. The overwhelming plentitude of fruits of all kinds included strawberries, cherries, apples, pineapples, bananas, figs, peaches, mangoes, pears, grapes, oranges, and watermelon. He also related what he ate for his daily meals and the prices of food. Wine was widely available, which "they drink here as they would water in the East" (volume 13:83). Mansfield periodically visited his brother and sister-in-law, Jera (1825-1896) and Ellen G. Estabrook Mansfield (1836-1917), who had moved to Napa several years before his arrival. There, they planted a vineyard, where Mansfield was first exposed to the blossoming wine culture in California.
J. V. Mansfield became acquainted with prominent people in San Francisco. The one who perhaps had the greatest influence on him was the preacher Thomas Starr King (1824-1864). Mansfield dutifully attended King's sermons every Sunday, and wrote about him profusely, including his impact on the city. He considered King to be one of the greatest minds of the 19th century. When King died on March 4, 1864, the city mourned, including Mansfield. Shortly after his death he wrote, "How lovely the Sabbath morning appears to those who were wont to attend Thos Starr King's meeting there is no use his departure has created a vacuum that cannot be filled in the minds in the hearts of this people--The Bell Tolls now for church service, but it has lost its charm for me. it seems like tolling for the funeral requiem of the great good man rather than an invitation to listen to his heavenly, soul stiring thoughts..." (volume 34: 509). With the exception of fellow spiritualist Emma Hardinge (1823-1899), Mansfield wrote of no other person with such admiration.
Spiritualism and the general religious community figured prominently in his correspondence. Although he referred to himself as the "notorious Spiritual Writing Medium" (volume 2:51), his being a public persona did not always guarantee financial success. He did procure enough business to send money to his family on a regular basis, via Wells Fargo and Company. Mansfield often gave detailed accounts of his séances, revealing the names and messages of the spirits. He described a variety of individuals who came to him to communicate with the deceased, some wanting advice, others seeking comfort in the wake of the death of a loved one. Publicly prominent people also wished to utilize his talents, including Mary Todd Lincoln (1818-1882). He wrote spirit communications in different languages and alphabets, most of which he claimed to not know. He frequently spoke of other mediums, especially Emma Hardinge, the eminent clairvoyant and public speaker. After much encouragement, Mansfield convinced her to travel to San Francisco, thinking her talents would earn her great success. Once in California, Hardinge's lectures attracted sizeable crowds that rivaled those of Thomas Starr King.
Chronological Correspondence, James V. Mansfield's letters from New York City, etc., 1844-1928.
The chronological correspondence is made up of 219 items dating from 1844 to 1928, and they are largely addressed to John W. Mansfield from his father James V. Mansfield. Other members of the Mansfield and Hopkinson family also contributed and received letters, including James' sister-in-law Ellen "Nellie" Mansfield, who resided in Napa Valley, California, and Mary Hopkinson Mansfield's family in Salem, Vermont.
The substantial portion is 126 letters (8,819 pages) by James V. Mansfield from New York City, largely to his son John W. Mansfield between 1871 and 1882 (bulk 1871-1877). Some of them have appended letters by John's mother and sister. They provide a vivid account of Mansfield's time in New York City, and of his travels to Burlington, Iowa; Chicago and Quincy, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; Boston, Massachusetts; Saratoga Springs, New York; and Derby and Salem, Vermont. James V., Mary H., Mary G., and John W. Mansfield each contributed their perspectives in the letters, revealing much about the family's lives and activities.
J. V. Mansfield typically began his journal-like letters with a description of his previous letter, providing variably the number of pages he wrote, the date posted, postage rates, steamship names and routes, and the expected arrival time to Europe. Each letter, many spanning two weeks and reaching over 100 pages, often contained various enclosures such as documents, envelopes, newspaper clippings, ephemera, and postage stamps.
At the time of his earliest letter to his son John in Europe, J. V. Mansfield resided at 361 Sixth Ave, New York. The father wrote detailed observations about the city, the United States, and Europe. His correspondence covers a wide range of subjects, touching on economics, market trends and prices, healthcare, homeopathic medicine, politics, bank exchange rates (typically sending to his son via John Monroe & Co. at No. 8, Wall Street), current cases in the New York courts, post office systems, religion (Baptists, Shakers, Quakers, Catholics, Methodists, Evangelicalism, Sectarians), Spiritualism and Spiritualists, and a wealth of details about everyday life.
James V. Mansfield wrote extensively about Spiritualism, his work as a writing medium, other Spiritualists, and the place of Spiritualism in his own worldview. Interacting with clients was often an every-day experience for Mansfield and he commonly wrote about the individuals who sent him letters or came into his parlor for a sitting/séance. He included their names, where they wrote from, the spirits they sought to contact, the reasons clients sought him out, and sometimes whether or not the contact was successful. Mansfield wrote, "One man asks, Had he better move West. Another asks, shall he sell His property or Keep it for a rise. Another wants his Father to tell Him what number in the Kentucky Lottery will be the Lucky one. another wishes to know If she will succeed in driving a mans wife away, & & [sic.] will he marry her. another, yesterday, asked me If I could tell, If She was then 3 months with child, as the Dutchman said 'mine Got vats a people'" (letter beginning February 25, 1876, page 43). One reflection on a client was about U.S. Vice President Henry Wilson, who had visited him on August 14, 1875, to communicate with the spirits of his wife Harriet Howe Wilson and son Henry Hamilton Wilson. Following V.P. Wilson's own death on November 22, 1875, Mansfield wrote:
"The hour of the Clock is now 4 P.M the Body of Henry Wilson has passed to the 42 Station Depo. the crowd on Broadway was immense, nearly as large as that of Abraham Lincolns Funeral while passing through New York. Well the great Man has passed into another sphere of Existence, an Existence of Conscious individuality, to day I have no doubt, but he is with His dear Wife Harriet Howe Wilson and His Son Col. Henry Hamilton Wilson both of which He Communicated with through my hand Augt/14/75 at Saratoga Springs N.Y. the great man wept tears of Joy, as he read endearing words from His wife and son." (letter beginning November 27, 1875, page 5).
J. V. Mansfield occasionally gave readings at public venues such as Republican Hall and the Masonic Temple. On, January 31, 1876, for example, Mansfield was requested to speak and perform spirit communications for members of the public. He wrote: "Last Evening I gave a public seance at Republican Hall 33d Street, the Hall was packed to its fullest capacity, I put into the Society hands 110$, I gave 32 tests in a promiscuous Audience, without writing Simply Calling out those I see in the audience I have never before given more then 29 of an Eve" (letter beginning February 1, 1876, page 16).
Mansfield described the state of spiritualism in New York throughout his letters. He wrote, for example, "Notwithstanding, spiritualism /ie/ modern spiritualism was born in the state of New York, perhaps there is no state in the United States that pays less attention to the subject than N.Y. state. In the City of New York there is said to be ten thousand spiritualists and among them all, it is difficult to Raise sufficient means from the crowd to pay the Sunday speakers say nothing about paying expenses of the Halls" (letter beginning March 7, 1874, page 17). Another example passage is: "Spiritualism has yet to have its trials, at the present time the Spiritualists of America have no recognized system of religious worship--unless it be to be at war with Every other ism that does not accept its ism they boast of these 40 000 000 of believers, and when assailed by sectarian church order, there is not over about 15 persons in all New York City that can be found to Stand Battle, & they are so soon vanquished by Superior forces, that really the Spiritualists of New York, are not a drop, compared to the Quantity of water, in the Atlantic Ocean, with those they have to Contend with" (letter beginning October 20, 1875, pages 37-38).
In 1878, the Modern Spiritualists Society held a Thirtieth Anniversary of Modern Spiritualism gathering at Republican Hall, with speakers including a number of persons that are present throughout Mansfield's correspondence. Some of the spiritualist men and women mentioned in Mansfield's letters are his friend Emma Hardinge / Emma Hardinge Britten, Professor S. B. Brittan (i.e. Samuel Byron Brittan), J. J. Morse (i.e. James Johnson Morse), clairvoyant Dr. John Ballou Newbrough, trance medium Emma Jay Bullene, and others.
Spiritualism provided Mansfield with comfort when he struggled. He wrote, for example, "Was it not that I know the Spiritualists have the only rational demonstrated assurance of an after life, I would weigh anchor, where I am, & go ashore, and persue another course, rather than to Endure the tortures I am subjected to, in order to get along, and keep body and soul together. Out of the 13 hours waking moments I dare say I am thinking how will I be able to pay my way the next week, a continual perplexity of mind, a Longing to depart and if such there be rest for the weary, I hope to find it. I well appreciate the feelings, or the spirit that prompted the Psalmist to say & write, 'I would not live alway.'" [NB: Job 7:16, King James Version] (letter beginning October 20, 1875, pages 38-39).
Mansfield spent time writing about the practices of other mediums and offered skeptical and critical evaluations of spirit photography and materializations. He found most instances of the former to be deceptive. Mansfield reported, for example, that a petition from Paris, France, circulated at the Hall he attended. The signers were to be presented at the French legislation as an act of sympathy for a man in prison "for making bogus Photographs of departed spirits." Mansfield wrote, "I dare Say he will get many Signers, and it will be duly forwarded by Mr Andrew Jackson Davis to whomever the petition has been Confided. Generally I believe the man L. has been considered a tool in the hands of others who used them for bad purposes" (letter beginning January 31, 1876, page 19). He also described a "Lady Medium" in the city who held circles at her house at least three times a week and had hundreds in attendance. She claimed to materialize things like fresh produce from the spirit world to the physical world. Mansfield found her activities fraudulent, writing, "She plays upon them. She brings in a Basket of Potatoes, Beets, Turnips, Cabbages, Pumpkins and all such tricks, and pretends the spirits brought them in when In fact She had bought them not two hours before at the grocery not ten rods from her house this is why the world cries" (letter beginning February 25, 1876, page 41). He summarized:
"I have but little confidence in any materialization or Spirit Photography--I have seen so much of that which is called Spirit Manifestation, through Materialization, But I have My doubts of the genuineness of any that I have as yet Witnessed, there may be Some instances of the Materialization, of spirit, but I do not believe more then one in 20 passd of[f] as being real, is anything less then a fraud, I will not allow people to cram down my throat that does not appear Square & willing to be tried under test conditions they Exact it of me Every time, and I do not complain--" (letter beginning February 25, 1876, pages 39-40).
James V. Mansfield shared his medical issues and health practices with his son and other family, such as attacks of paralysis that he thought were likely caused from overtaxing his nervous system. He wrote of homeopathic remedies and daily self care, with a repeated emphasis on the importance of walking every day for longevity. He reflected on Jean-Frédéric Waldeck, who reportedly lived to the age of 109 [NB: Waldeck died on April 30, 1875]. He described the Baron as a marvelous artist when he was 104 years old, who had been intimate friends with Napoleon, and walked 3 full miles a day. Mansfield wrote, "Every day after he was 108 years old, How remarkable. Only think a man 40 years older than myself walking 3 miles Every day, & I am not able to walk 1/3 of that distance daily without grunting like an 'expiring cow' But it is all in habit, If I had accustomed myself to walking say one or two miles per day, I would have been quite another man, to day" (letter beginning May 1, 1875, page 5). Mansfield described the subject of health at length and the connections between the mind, body, and soul. Other health-related subjects include practicing physicians in the local community, sicknesses, stories of medical malpractice, health care experiences of groups diverse in age, gender, and ethnic background, and God's active role in the state of his health.
James V. Mansfield sent letters home while he traveled for business and health reasons, most notably on his trip to Saratoga Springs, Newport, and Long Island, in 1875, and his lengthier westward travel between June 1876 and July 1877. Mansfield's trip to Saratoga Springs began by connecting with an editor from a Saratoga paper (August 3, 1875). After arriving, he sent a letter home requesting handbills to be printed and sent to him. He also remarked that people in Saratoga Springs had not been exposed much to Spiritualism and felt as though they had a right to see him "about matters that appear so strange to them." He described clients such as Dr. John F. Gray, local businesses such as the Grand Union Hotel and the Stewart Store, and notable figures in the city, such as Vice President Henry Wilson, Governor Samuel J. Tilden, and Alexander Hamilton's three living sons. While there, Mansfield remarked on the direct effects of the weather on his business, citing no afternoon clients on account of lightening and rain: "My success depends upon fair weather, in a pecuniary way" (August 4, 1875). Toward the end of his trip, James wrote that he felt physically better but was anxious to know if he would have frequent callers when he arrived back home. Mary H. Mansfield wrote to James that she was on her way to Vermont; he wished he could have accompanied her but had to take care of business instead. He thought he might visit after her arrival.
Mansfield's westward trip of 1876-1877 consisted of travel from Chicago to Denver, Colorado, while spending time en route at Quincy, Illinois, and Burlington, Iowa. James reflected on the difficulty of finding inexpensive places to stay and shared rates of hotels, such as the Tremont House and the Grand Central Hotel. He documented prices paid for advertisements, meals, and necessities. While in Quincy, Illinois, his friends J. J. Morse and Mrs. Morse, invited him to their home for a meal. He wrote that the Morses sought a spiritual communication with their dear departed (letter beginning June 14, 1877, page 7). Persons Mansfield interacted with on this journey included the Brittans, the Morses, and Jacob M. Smith (former mayor of Quincy, Illinois). He corresponded at length with his wife Mary Hopkinson Mansfield and daughter Mary Gertrude "Gertie" Mansfield at this time, especially as Gertie worked toward divorcing her husband George W. Hayes. James expressed his ongoing fears that George would kidnap his grandson Albert "Bertie" Hayes out of spite. In multiple letters, he warned the family never to let Bertie out of their sight.
James V. Mansfield's letters of the 1870s and early 1880s provide an extraordinary volume of commentary on life in New York City and elsewhere. He wrote about everyday personal and social life, fixing his attention on a great many areas of interest such as Post-Office embezzlements, preparations for the Philadelphia Centennial of 1876, lectures and public speakers, murders and suicides, economics, market trends, costs and prices, medicines, illnesses, local doctors, mediums, politics, natural resources, foods and fruits in season, the sinking of the Harvest Queen, and much more.
A reader of James V. Mansfield's letters can follow the progression of a variety legal proceedings in the New York and other courts. Mansfield wrote his observations, views, and other commentary as cases developed. He remarked with some frequency on the direct effects of financial resources on the outcome of legal cases at a local and Federal level, as well as crushing disparities of wealth between employers and employees.
One case that involved a close friend was that of physician Addison C. Fletcher. Dr. Fletcher pioneered whiskey and tobacco stamps that were used by the United States Government without his permission, and he had a case in Washington, D.C., to dispute the alleged violation of his patent rights. J. V. Mansfield's letters were used as evidence to support Fletcher's claims, as Mansfield had written about the physician and his patent long before the legal battle began. The case was described by J. V. Mansfield from beginning to end. The physician borrowed money from friends and family to afford the legal expenses he incurred at the nation's capital but was unable to win his claim in court.
"Dr. A. C. Fletcher is yet at Washington. He is trying to Engineer his matters through Congress. But he find it hard work. those Congressmen must have money If you Expect any favor from them. the first Question from them is, are you worth or can you command large sum of money. If not then you have no Show, but if you tell them you Shall be well paid & can convince them of your ability & sincerity, they tell you, your case is Sure ‒" (letter beginning January 8, 1876, page 11).
J. V. Mansfield also followed the trial of Edward S. Stokes between 1873 and 1876. In 1873, he revealed that Josephine Mansfield, a distant cousin, played a central role in the feud between James Fisk, Jr., and Edward Stokes. By 1876, Mansfield reported that Stokes remained incarcerated at Sing Sing Prison. At the time, Josephine Mansfield (Josie) had failed to appear at a court hearing in New York City as requested, leading Mansfield to speculate that she was living elsewhere--but that she might return if Stokes were released. Mansfield pondered how the city's community would react to their reunion. He wrote: "If Edward S. S. gets out of Sing Sing & I dare Say he will, then I dare say Josie will be forth coming. But should they undertake to live together, unless they are Married, & Even then I doubt if they would dare live together in this City, & yet they may Popular Opinion or feeling of the inhabitants of this City no doubt has changed naturally since Stokes went into Prison" (letter beginning January 18, 1876, page 87). Ten days later, Mansfield again reflected on the contrast in treatment within the legal system for wealthy individuals like Stokes versus those less fortunate. He wrote, "The suit of Edward S Stokes has cost him and the family up to the time of Stokes' incarceration at Sing Sing 213 000. that is why Ed was not hanged by the neck five years ago. Had Edward Stokes and his Father have been poor people He never could have escaped death at his first trial" (letter beginning January 28, 1876, page 8).
Mansfield commented at length on the William "Boss" Tweed trials between 1871 and 1876. He again kept a close eye on the role of financial resources, noting that the judges presiding over the Tweed trial were susceptible to money's influence. For example, "Money is powerful. no use our judiciary are Milk and Water men when money stares them in the face . . . Let any common Laborer steal 100$ from the same till Tweed Has, and tried before the same Judges Tweed is to be tried before, they would get not less than 5 years Hard Labour in the States Prison. But the rich go unpunished" (letter beginning November 18, 1871, page 32).
Mansfield also shared with his family news he received from other correspondents and newspapers across the country. Following the arrival of The Telegram, Mansfield lamented the grim and fatal effects of poverty, illustrated by the high profits of the Big Bonanza Mine at Virginia City, Nevada, whose dividend was $1,700,000, while its "houseless employees" were paid $500. He provided two painful descriptions of out-of-work men committing suicide for want of resources, one of them murdering their wife and child so they would not suffer the results of destitution. "Unless there is a financial Change for the Better, & that very soon Hundreds of sensitive Men, and Women, will commit suicide, in this city, before next February, the pressure is to heavy, weak & sensitive minds cannot Endure the Burden" (letter beginning November 6, 1875, page 8).
James encouraged John W. Mansfield to return home for the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition of 1876. He mentioned that the Railroad company had built a track to the Exhibition grounds for easier access to the city. He effused that many people from the South, West, and North, including foreigners, would visit New York and Philadelphia for the first time on account of the great event. In one letter, he wrote condescendingly about a group of 200 Native Americans that he called "Red Men of the forest" coming to Philadelphia. He opined on how amazed they must be at the building and infrastructure improvements made since the treaty with William Penn in 1682 (letter beginning January 18, 1876, pages 92-93).
J. V. Mansfield followed developments of women's rights activities in New York City. Of the First Congress of Women of the Association for the Advancement of Women, Mansfield wrote, "At the present time the strong Minded women are having a convention in this City. Among them is Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Miss Maria Mitchell, Mary F Davis, Isabella Beecher Hooker, Elizabeth Churchill, Mrs. Livermore, Caroline A. Soule, Elizabeth B. Chase, Elizabeth Peabody, Julia Ward Howe, the Loverings, Mrs. Charlotte Beebe Wilbur, & others who takes up the club for woman Suffrage" (letter beginning October 11, 1873, page 70). Mansfield wrote on other social and political matters, such as Ulysses S. Grant and the Democratic party, particularly around the U.S. Presidential contest of 1876. Mansfield noted, for example, while he still believed Grant would run for a third term, "But Chas Francis Adams, will be the Strongest man the Republicans or the Democrats to Run against Grant But Grant has his foot firmly on the neck of the Democratic party, and he will keep it there, Bull Dog like, until he sees himself Master, of the Situation, Hitherto the Herald has been blowing against Grant and the 3d term. But as it Ever has before courted the popular, as well as the Stronger party, She now blows for Grant, feeling sure of his success" (letter beginning January 8, 1876, page 10). A few of the many public figures discussed by Mansfield were Charles O'Connor, Alexander T. Stewart, Henry Ward Beecher, Abraham Lincoln, Henry Wilson, Mary Todd Lincoln, Dr. Alexander Mott (son of Valentine Mott), Moody & Sankey, Cephas B. Lynn, Frederick William Evans, among many others. The Bonaparte family was discussed on several occasions, and Mansfield wrote that he possessed photographs of Louis Napoleon, Eugenie, and Prince Plon Plon, but only lithographs of "the great Napoleon."
The Clients and Spirit Communications Series is made up primarily of letters by individuals seeking James V. Mansfield's spiritualist services between 1856 and 1887. Some are requests for his services as a test medium, in once case specifically wanting an example of an answer and unbroken seal. Many were people with economic distress and personal struggles. Some wrote to Mansfield that they were unable to pay for spiritual services, citing illness or financial constraints. Mansfield handled letters containing no $3.00 payment within them ("Dead heads" as he called them) in different ways. Sometimes, he would provide spiritual services for free out of sympathy, and other times he would disregard the 'dead heads' and write how unjust it is for clients to expect services free of charge, especially as he was himself constantly under economic and sometimes physical distress. Nevertheless, Mansfield occasionally offered his services without charge, driven by the belief that his gifts of communicating with the spirits were bestowed upon him for a greater spiritual purpose and that his financial hardships on Earth were worth it for the assured afterlife.
These client letters originated from locations across the country, including Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Texas, Maryland, Kansas, New Hampshire, California, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C., Wisconsin, and elsewhere. One was in response to an 1876 advertisement placed in Voice of Angels.
The earliest client letter was sent by S. Chamberlin of Boston on April 14, 1856; Mansfield had supplied Chamberlain with a communication from his wife, and Chamberlain wrote back weighing his considerations for disbelieving or believing in spirit communications. D. H. Barlow wrote on July 3, 1860, asking for clarifications about the spirit of Mrs. Sherman (who he does not know) and a web of spirit contacts including his "Spirit Bride," five "Directing Spirits," and a "Guardian Spirit" (his mother). On August 1, 1876, a person without money wrote from New Era, Oregon, and asked for services because they were given strong impressions from the spirits the night before. (Mrs. Sirmantha E. Johns). On the back JVM wrote "Free".
Cora Metcalf of Knowlton, Wisconsin, wrote to J. V. Mansfield in 1876, asking him to try to communicate with Daniel Metcalf who was last seen with a Mr. Trewax; she hoped to discover whether or not her husband was in the spirit world. On September sixth of the same year, Nelson Martin of Baldwin City, Douglas County, Kansas, hoped that Mansfield could connect with an excellent physician in hopes of getting medical advice that would restore him. Martin could not pay currently, but if the locusts spared his crops he would be able to do so; Mansfield replied free of charge.
On November 2, 1887, T. Read noted that he received a reply from Mansfield stating that he could not get a response from the spirit--but that Mansfield neglected to send back his three dollars. Two seemingly contradictory letters include one by Otto Kunz, emotionally praising the response he received in Kurrantschrift (including a pasted-on clipping of two manuscript words in German, and a translation of Mansfield's German spirit writing into English); and a letter from J. P. Lehde at New Orleans, September 1, 1876, stating that Mansfield returned his sealed letter (which was in German) because the spirit was unable to manifest itself to the medium in that language.
This series also includes an undated manuscript poem by deceased Adah Isaacs Menken (her spirit through a writing medium).
The 43 Mary Mansfield Letters, Extracts, and Reflections are a collection of individuals' testimonials and newspaper clippings in which writers reflected on James V. Mansfield's mediumship. The bulk of them are in the hand of Mary H. Mansfield, copied from originals dating between 1858 and 1886. Many were solicited through advertisements seeking testimonials attesting to the validity of J. V. Mansfield's abilities. The Mansfields placed ads in spiritualist newspapers, including the Banner of Light, the Herald of Progress, and others. Some of the responses of former clients include copies of questions they had sealed within their letters to Mansfield, along with detailed accounts of how he accurately responded to their spiritual inquiries. Throughout the testimonials, authors emphasized that their letters remained sealed, and the confidentiality of their contents was preserved.
One letter from July 23, 1859, was originally written in the Banner of Light. It addressed an article in the Christian Register, which suggested that Mansfield's ability to respond to sealed letters was a result of the automatic action of the brain. The author of the testimonial refuted the article's claim and recounted an incident where Mansfield correctly answered a sealed letter written in Spanish, despite not understanding the language. The writer argued for the implausibility of attributing Mansfield's abilities to the automatic action of the brain, emphasizing instead the mysterious power of his mediumship.
Some of the testimonials are accompanied by newspaper clippings. One from September 1860, "Papers on Spirit Writings through J.V. Mansfield," featured N. B. Wolfe. Wolfe sent a sealed letter to Mansfield containing information about his departed friend and Mansfield accurately informed him of the friend's death, including the precise manner, place, and time. This extraordinary feat was described as surpassing mere psychometric or psychological powers and instead to Mansfield's spiritual gifts.
The Trial Testimony of James V. Mansfield is an 85-page manuscript containing the examination and cross-examination of Mansfield in the New York courts, October 15-16, 1878. The long-contested estate of Cornelius Vanderbilt was re-opened in September 1878, and eldest son William H. Vanderbilt claimed that, with the help of mediums, he connected with the spirit of his father--who informed him that he wanted William to inherit the entire estate. Because Cornelius Vanderbilt was a client of James Mansfield, he was ordered to take questions in court as a witness. In Mansfield's words: "I have been pressed here by the strong arm of the law unwillingly." Over the course of two days, Mansfield answered questions about times, places, circumstances, and contents of interactions with Cornelius Vanderbilt. He was forbidden to consult his client record books "memoranda books" while being asked about each interaction, requiring him to recall from memory details about letters from and meetings with the deceased Vanderbilt. Mansfield struggled at times to provide estimates; his frustration at not being able to look up accurate details was apparent.
Mansfield recalled that he first received a letter from Vanderbilt sometime before 1857, several more while Mansfield lived in Boston, and one while he lived in California. When Mansfield returned from the west and settled in New York City, he estimated that Vanderbilt visited in person around a dozen times between 1864 and 1875 (in New York City and at least once when at Saratoga Springs). The lawyer asked James V. Mansfield whether he and Vanderbilt discussed spiritualism. Mansfield responded "That is pretty much all that I converse upon any way. If people call, they call for that and nothing else. Consequently it would be that and nothing else." He was questioned about Cornelius Vanderbilt's handwriting and signature, and the process the men went through when at the office. Vanderbilt would sit across the table from Mansfield, and Vanderbilt would write out questions, fold the paper up, and pass it to Mansfield. The medium would place his left hand on it, channel the spirit or spirits (described in detail), and automatically write responses with his right hand. He would then read Vanderbilt the responses. According to Mansfield, Vanderbilt would typically open up the questions and say something like "I will show you whether they were relevant to the question."
Mansfield recalled that Cornelius Vanderbilt would ask questions like 'do you see me with Frank?' He would write to Tunis Egbert, saying 'please advise me for the best' and 'have you any word with charlotte?' As well questions to his mother, father, and wife, with questions like 'do my ways please you?' In at least one case he asked 'brother' about a kidney complaint. On one occasion, Vanderbilt asked Mansfield for his views on whether or not a literal Hell exists, and another time declared that spiritualism provided him with comfort. Mansfield stated clearly that he never met Vanderbilt with Charles Foster or Henry Slade, despite knowing those men well. Vanderbilt always paid the fee of $5.00, typically for an hour session; the charge was a flat one regardless of how long the session lasted, but Mansfield noted that Vanderbilt would pay more of his own volition when over a couple hours passed.
Several pages of the testimony relate to J. V. Mansfield's use of the professional title "Dr." The cross-examiner asked repeatedly, in different ways about his medical background and education. Dr. Mansfield stated that he had no medical training except through his own reading, but that he used the title on the grounds that "other people created me." When asked if Mansfield claimed to be a medical doctor or doctor of divinity, he replied "I do not claim anything; I leave that for the public to determine." Though he did not assume the professional title of Doctor, he justified the use of a business card printed "Dr. James V. Mansfield" because that title was given to him by the public.
One particularly cynical series of questions and answers pertained to the exact mechanism by which Mansfield received and delivered spirit communications as telegraphs and signals. The lawyer asked, for example, "Suppose the spirit wanted to telegraph the following sentence: 'Modern spiritualism is a humbug and a fraud'. What would be the telegraphic signals. Explain them?" He pressed Mansfield on issues such as whether or not spirits can be dishonest or whether spirits in Hell also communicate through him. Mansfield responded to questions about his views on Heaven, Hell, and posthumous rewards and punishments. In once instance, Mansfield emphasized that he had experience in front of large audiences "and pick out and tell through the audience who stands by the side of them--their spirit friends who have been departed for years, and give their names." The lawyer asked how he did it. Mansfield replied that he should come to his office and pay the fee.
James V. Mansfield's Diaries date from January 6, 1866-December 23, 1866, and December 24, 1866-March 17, 1871 (two volumes, each approximately 390 pages). Mansfield spent the bulk of these years in New York City. His diary entries range in length from a few lines to a full page (rarely are they more than a page long). J. V. Mansfield began these diaries after returning to the east coast from California and they more or less conclude around the time his son John left the U.S. for Europe. The topical content of Mansfield's diary entries is like that found in his personal correspondence. Most entries include remarks on or discussions about the weather. He regularly mentioned whether he received client callers or mail, sometimes specifying names of individuals and details about their cases. The callers mentioned in the diaries appear to match the entries in the client record book, though at least one visit in the diaries is not in the client records where expected: "Have had several paying callers to day. Among them a messenger from Washington from several of the Officials, asking certain advise touching matters of State. The report was telegraphed to the Executive Officer" (October 22, 1866).
He discussed his family's activities and milestones, such as his son John's entry into the National Academy of Design, his wife Mary's house-hunting activities, personal correspondence, and more. He reported on news from the Herald and other papers, and commented on social and political issues, leisure and entertainments, Spiritualism, Spiritualists, religious subjects, health, and medicine. A few examples include U.S. President Andrew Johnson's political policies and Reconstruction, the death of Winfield Scott, deaths in N.Y.C. from inadvertently poisoned flour, cholera, prominent public individuals, personal reflections on God and the heavens, crimes and executions, accidents and deaths, and theater and concert attendance (in at least one case listing the performers, in another commenting on Theodore Rustin in Medea). He remarked on the arrival of Swedenborgian Mr. Gurdin to the city, who sought German emigrants to the $100,000 worth of land he owned in Tennessee (October 11, 1866). The diarist regularly attended lectures of the First Spiritualist Society of New York at Dodsworth Hall (including presentations by Emma Hardinge and many others).
Mansfield sometimes provided anecdotes from his everyday life. On awakening the morning of September 14, 1866, Mansfield noted in the margin "Music from the spheres" and then wrote poetically about heavenly laughter from the "fairy lands" that blended from his spiritual dreams into the reality of the waking world--only to find that it was laughter of Mrs. Redman in the next rooms.
At this time, James Mansfield was optimistic about the Spiritualist movements. He wrote, "If increasing in numbers is progressing, then Spiritualism is most certainly progressing, and I go further in my statement, I tell them, that within the next 1/2 Century Spiritualism will swallow up all other isms, and it will be as common as natural for Spirits and Mortals to talk in this way as it is for mortals to talk with each other face to face" (October 19, 1866).
Once the diaries reach the later months of 1868, Mansfield's entries became more and more brief, occupying only a few lines, documenting the weather, mail, callers, and out of the ordinary events.
In the margins, Mansfield added manicules to indicate particularly significant lines or passages. Some direct the reader to interactions with publicly prominent individuals and others to meaningful events in his and his family's lives. A number of pages have creased corners, apparently all flagging entries in which Mansfield wrote about Dr. A. C. Fletcher. The endpapers of the diaries have pasted-in or laid in newspaper clippings and manuscripts, including some recipes and poetry.
The Writings series is made up of 13 items dating from the 19th century. The bulk is notes, essays, and reflections by John W. Mansfield. The topics include art and architecture (5 items: notebook on European architecture and art, and loose sheets with headers such as "Method of Enlargement and Reductions of Drawing," "Masters of Art and their Works," and "First Painting"); a 55-page story titled "La Navidad En Las Montañas"; and a 13-page essay with revisions titled "Son : What Troubles You?" The remaining six items include poetry (including "Night Thoughts," 1853), "Strike the Harp Gently" (with decorative capital lettering), a poem in a child's handwriting beginning "I am a cent...", a sheet bearing John Mansfield's name with Kanji letter above it, and two genealogical notes.
The collection includes Artwork and Illustrations [NB: The nine items in this series are distinct from the "Portraits and Photographs," "Prints," and "Framed Materials" sections of the collection, all of which also include artwork and illustrations]. This series includes:
The Printed Items in the papers include two examples of James V. Mansfield's business cards (one a "Dr." Mansfield example); calling cards of John E. Drake and Charley Gunn; an advertisement for "Dr. Jas. V. Mansfield" at Saratoga Springs with séance and correspondence prices and a portrait of Mansfield; a heavy stock card "Robert Emmett's Last Speech. When my country takes her place among the nations of the earth, then, and not till then let my epitaph be written"; a printed envelope that originally contained flower seeds for Mansfield; newspaper clippings on art-related topics in France; and other fragments and notes.
One item is a printed exhibition flier for "Dubufe's Great Painting of The Prodigal Son. Now on Exhibition at the Leavitt Art Rooms, 817 Broadway, cor. 12th Street.", with marginal notes by John W. Mansfield. On the front page includes the 15th chapter of Luke, over which Mansfield wrote "All nonsense."
The series contains numerous copies of a printed May 16, 1883, circular by The American Spiritualist Alliance, seeking membership for the purposes of establishing a Library and Reading Room, and meeting space at a headquarters in New York. The circular is from President Nelson Cross, and applications should be directed to J. V. Mansfield.
This series includes three pamphlets:
James V. Mansfield's Client Record Books and Ledgers are made up of 21 volumes documenting business interactions with clients seeking spiritualist services from 1859-1882. Nineteen record books contain names of clients, where they were located, and the date requests were received and answered. Entries sometimes include information on the person(s) the client was trying to contact in the spirit world, but almost never Mansfield's spirit responses to client questions.
Mansfield's clients lived in areas across the United States, such as Tennessee, Illinois, Virginia, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, Maine, Indiana, New York (Buffalo, Brooklyn, New York City, etc.), Oregon, Missouri, Kansas, Delaware, California (some from Mission San José), and elsewhere. These men and women most often wished to contact deceased children, spouses, siblings, parents, in-laws, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and ancestors.
Some queries regarded connection with lost family members and friends, family dynamics, plans for the future, the workings of the spiritual sphere, the reunion of loved ones in the afterlife, relationship advice, attempts to find out whether or not someone had died, missing persons, health concerns and requests to deceased physicians for diagnoses, business and financial matters, clarification of wills, last words of the deceased, settlements of property, and other legal issues. Clients would sometimes simply ask their deceased family or friends questions such as "Are you happy?"
J. V. Mansfield identified clients sometimes as French, Italian, English, and German. He rarely noted religious affiliations, except occasionally "Quaker" or "Orthodox." He at times wrote down or sought out and pasted in newspaper clippings of biographical notes and obituaries related to the deceased. He sometimes noted the causes of death, with a number caused by railroad and carriage accidents. These client records were working documents that Mansfield did consult later, to make reference notes. In the 1859-1861 volume, for example, beside Mrs. E. Davis he wrote "See Book 42 Nov 9th/66."
In addition to the client record books are two alphabetic ledgers, one marked on the cover "From A to F" and the other "M to R," with content dating from December 24, 1860, to March 26, 1883. A printed J. V. Mansfield advertisement is pasted on the pastedown of the first volume. Only a portion of the first ledger contains entries by Mansfield, which are client interactions organized alphabetically by surname. They were drawn from the client record books that make up the rest of this series.
The "From A to F" volume includes brief entries, copying information in the client record books recording client, the person(s) they wished to contact, geography, and date of entry. An unusual entry is one undated entry falling between June 1 and June 5, 1868, of "Butler, Benja. F." seeking to contact family members, as well as several living and dead governmental and political figures: Amos and Abbott Lawrence, John and Elizabeth Wilson, Rufus Choate, Charles Sumner, Thaddeus Stevens, Salmon P. Chase, Abraham Lincoln, and John A. Andrews.
James V. Mansfield made some progress on ledger letters "A" and "B," but the project was apparently abandoned. The second volume is blank, with the exception of two pages of accounts by a currently unidentified individual in 1933.
The Portraits and Photographs series contains two daguerreotypes, three ambrotypes, two tintypes, one cabinet card, three cartes-de-visite, four other photos on paper, two glass plate negatives, and five silhouette and painted portraits. These are largely images of James V. Mansfield, Mary Hopkinson Mansfield, and the Mansfield family, along with two "spirit" photographs (one of a "spirit drawing" by the Andersons and the other of "father W W Worloch" of Albany). See the box and folder listing for an item-level inventory of this series.
The James V. Mansfield and John W. Mansfield Printing Plates include 10 different steel (1) and copper (9) plates. They include three printing blocks for bust portraits of James V. Mansfield, and drypoint and mezzotint portraits of unidentified men by artist John W. Mansfield. See the box and folder listing for an item-level inventory of this series.
The collection's Prints include nine unique artistic works by John W. Mansfield in the 1880s, with between one and 16 variant prints of each. They include both drypoint and mezzotint prints. The subjects include a moonlit river, landscapes, portraits of unidentified men, and portraits of his father James V. Mansfield. See the box and folder listing for an item-level inventory of the series.
The collection includes four Framed and Oversize items, including two printed broadside advertisements for James V. Mansfield and two portraits of J. V. Mansfield by his son John W. Mansfield--one a drypoint print and the other a large charcoal portrait based on a tintype photograph. See the box and folder listing for an item-level inventory of this series.
8.5 linear feet
Current results range from 1786 to 1957