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The African American and African Diaspora Collection is comprised largely of individual letters, documents, and other manuscript items relating to slavery, abolition movements, and aspects of African American life, largely dating between 1781 and 1865.

The African American and African Diaspora Collection is comprised largely of individual letters, documents, and other manuscript items relating to slavery, abolition movements, and aspects of African American life, largely dating between 1781 and 1865. Topics addressed in the letters and documents include the experiences and work of enslaved persons in the North and South; the buying and selling of enslaved men, women, and children; participation in the French and Indian War, American Revolution, and Civil War of African descended persons; abolitionists and abolition societies; the American Colonization Society; the lives of formerly enslaved persons; African American education; and many other subjects. For details on each document, see the inventory located under "Detailed Box and Folder Listing"

These two volumes contain records of job seekers that hired the Keystone Employment Bureau of Philadelphia to connect them with opportunities. Proprietor Charles Bradley kept this documentation. Each entry contains one or more of the following types of information: source of the client, address or contact information, age, rudimentary physical description, personality, impression, job experience, type of requested work, type of work not wanted by individuals, desired wage, race, ethnicity, nationality, Christian affiliation, desired geographical location of the job, whether or not the client paid, and other remarks.

These two volumes contain records of job seekers that hired the Keystone Employment Bureau of Philadelphia to connect them with opportunities. Proprietor Charles Bradley kept this documentation. Each entry contains one or more of the following types of information: source of the client, address or contact information, age, rudimentary physical description, personality, impression, job experience, type of requested work, type of work not wanted by individuals, desired wage, race, ethnicity, nationality, Christian affiliation, desired geographical location of the job, whether or not the client paid, and other remarks.

Source of Client: Rarely, Bradley would note the names of persons or institutions (like the Christian Association) who referred the job seeker to him or whether they saw his advertising. Some women appear to have been homeless and others specifically noted that they came from foster homes. Each entry includes an address or means of contacting the client.

Women's Age, Physical Descriptions, Personality/Impressions: Terms used by Bradley include young, not young, middle age, oldish, steady, splendid, nice looking, fair haired, tall, settled, green horn, experienced, competent, reliable, willing, good, extra good, affable, strong, stout, neat, tidy, and more.

Men's Age, Physical Descriptions, Personality/Impressions: Terms used by Bradley include young, neat, strong, tall, athletic, willing, honest looking, smooth faced, and others.

Job Experience: Bradley would add "exper" (experienced) to many entries, but occasionally specified the individual's type of work background. Some examples include florist, farmer, cook, "can cook anything that ever was cooked," hotel, dressmaker, gardener, horse tending, mill worker, "handy with tools," cafe, one "Fresco Painter," and others. At times, he also noted if the job seeker had references.

Women's Types of Work Requested: "G.H.W." (general housework), cook, kitchen helper, waitress, chambermaid, "anything useful," "work of any kind," "Institution work," child's nurse or attendant, renting rooms, hotel, linen rooms, laundry, washing, ironing, milk dealer employee, restaurant, "1st class place," "housekeeping for a widower," shoe store, and others.

Men's Types of Work Requested: Bartender, "waiterman," "elevator," coachman, watchman, and gate tender.

Types of Work Not Wanted by Individuals: Examples include "no washing," "not too heavy work," "housework where there is no washing or ironing," "anything but head cook," and "anything except waiterman cooking or milking."

Wages: Rarely, applicants stated the wages they hoped to receive. For women, the ranges mentioned were between $2.00 and $5.00 per week; for men, the ranges were $7.00 to $10.00 per week.

Race, Ethnicity, Nationality: Terms used by Bradley include colored/col'd, German, Pennsylvania Dutch, Irish, Swedish, Polish, Scotch, English, and "American."

Christian Affiliation: Bradley frequently noted "Prot" (Protestant) or "Cath" (Catholic) as part of the descriptions of persons seeking employment.

Desired Geographical Situations: The various locations desired by clients included country, city, seashore, mountains, Atlantic City, "prefer city," "would go out on a farm," "no objection to country," "small farm," "not out of town," and others.

Additional Notes: Other qualifications, desires, and remarks include notes such as "speaks good English," "speaks German," wants to be able to go home at night, wants Sunday's off, "has sore finger," "deaf" (May 27, 1898), wants to work for "American women," marital status, child dependents, one married woman with her husband out of work, and more.

The Watkins and Livingston family scrapbook contains letters between members of the Watkins, Livingston, and Jay families; genealogical data recorded by Lucretia Elizabeth Hamersley Rylance; and miscellaneous drawings and newspaper clippings related to the families.

The Watkins and Livingston family scrapbook includes 94 items relating to the Watkins and Livingston families. Lucretia E. Hamersely Rylance created the scrapbook in 1882 and included family correspondence retrieved from her Aunt Beebee's attic as well as her own genealogical research.

The bulk of the collection consists of 69 letters, with many written between sisters Susan Symmes and Judith Watkins. The letters primarily regard family news and concerns, noting health, marriages, and social visits. Additional topics mentioned include the American Revolution, the death of Governor Dewitt Clinton, the Peggy Eaton scandal, Cherokee removal, the nullification crisis, bank and tariff struggles, the anniversary of Andrew Jackson's Battle of New Orleans, the Panic of 1837, African American servants, Fanny Kemble Butler, and Austrian exile Giovanni Albinola. Letters from John Jay and his descendants are also represented in the collection. With women from prominent families penning many of the letters, the correspondence also highlights women's relationships, reading habits, engagement with financial matters, and occasionally thoughts on political affairs.

The Watkins and Livingston family scrapbook also includes newspaper clippings, a family tree, a cabinet card, a pen and ink drawing of a scene from a fairy tale, and colored pen and ink drawings of family coats of arms. See the Detailed Box and Folder Listing for more information about each item.