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This collection is comprised of 7 letters Anne Belden received from her friend Clara in 1851 and 1852. Clara wrote of her social life in New York City and detailed her travels through upper New York to Niagara Falls and into Canada.

This collection is comprised of 7 letters Anne Belden received from her friend Clara in 1851 and 1852. Clara wrote of her social life in New York City and detailed her travels through upper New York to Niagara Falls and into Canada. In her first letter, dated December 31, 1851-January 2, 1852, Clara wrote of her New Year's resolution "to commence writing more legible and, I hope, more interesting letters." Her subsequent letters, frequently compiled over the course of several days, provide details her social life in New York City, which involved group gatherings and more intimate meetings with acquaintances, as well as her trip across northern New York and into Canada. From July through August 1852, Clara traveled by railroad and steamship first to Trenton Falls, New York, and thence to Niagara Falls. Along the way, she described the scenery, her companions, and her modes of transportation; she also spent time in Canada near Lake Champlain and in Montreal, where she focused again on her natural surroundings. Clara continued to write after her return to New York City, and on November 18, 1852, described the plight of the Gallia, recently wrecked in the Bahamas, on which a friend had originally intended to travel.

The Bacon family papers contain correspondence, financial documents, and other material related to Delia Bacon, her siblings, her niece Katharine Bacon, and to other members of her family.

The Bacon family papers contain correspondence, financial documents, and other material related to Delia Bacon and to other members of her family. The Correspondence series, which comprises the bulk of the collection, contains several distinct groups of items; the first of these is a series of letters to Catharine Terry of Hartford, Connecticut, from her husband Nathaniel, composed between 1805 and 1818. A member of the United States House of Representatives, Nathaniel frequently wrote to her about his life in Washington, D. C., and though he occasionally discussed political affairs, the majority of his correspondence concentrated on news of his life and of his business affairs. The second group of letters consists of Delia Bacon's correspondence (1841-1853), much of which relates directly to the quarrel between Delia, her brother Leonard, and Alexander MacWhorter. During this period, Catharine Beecher composed 26 letters, most of which were letters of support to Delia, as the very public scandal took a toll on the latter's reputation. Many of the other correspondents offered similar sentiments, including Elizabeth P. Peabody, who wrote 10 letters. Among the undated Delia Bacon material is a letter in which she wrote a detailed self-defense. The third group of letters (1870-1888) relates primarily to Leonard's daughter Katharine, including a significant amount of material written just prior to her February 1872 wedding. Later items addressed to Katharine pertain to family news and updates from friends, and the collection also includes several letters from Katharine to her children, written in the 1880s. In addition to these three main groups of letters, the series also holds correspondence related to other members of the extended Bacon family.

The Bills and receipts series is comprised primarily of material directly related to Delia Bacon; among these are several receipts for printing circulars and for purchasing advertising in different publications. The collection's Miscellaneous material belonged to Delia Bacon, and includes several advertisements related to Bacon's historical lectures, manuscript essay drafts and notes about the MacWhorter scandal and her later interest in Shakespeare, poetry, a program from Vassar College's 1882 Class Day, and a notebook regarding her lectures.

The Bushrod W. Poor collection contains seven letters written to Poor in central Massachusetts and New Hampshire by "Gibson," a friend, and Joanna Poor, his wife, between 1837 and 1852. Joanna composed six of the letters from her family's home in northern Vermont and from Lowell, Massachusetts, and discussed her life at home during her husband's search for employment.

The Bushrod W. Poor collection contains seven letters written to Poor during the early 19th century. The first item in the collection is a letter written to Poor by a friend, Gibson, who asked about the affairs of mutual acquaintances, and shared his philosophical musings in a two-page essay entitled "The Mind." The remainder of the collection consists of six letters composed by Poor's wife Joanna, when her husband was looking for work around Boston and, later, in Dubuque, Iowa. She occasionally discussed the affairs of local lawyers, particularly in an early letter from their native Vermont, where she stayed with family members, but focused more on financial difficulties, and on the hardship of being separated from her husband. During Bushrod's absence, Joanna spent her time visiting with the couple's parents and watching the children, and, though she expressed continued hope for his employment, she often believed their future prospects to be somewhat bleak. She frequently chastised him for not writing, and several times questioned his sympathy for her position, particularly while he traveled, and criticized his recent conduct.

The Elizabeth Willard correspondence contains 9 letters written by Willard to her friend and later husband, Reverend William Barry of Framingham, Massachusetts, as well as a letter to Elizabeth composed by her friend A. A. Kent.

The Elizabeth Willard correspondence contains 9 letters written by Willard to her friend and later husband, Reverend William Barry of Framingham, Massachusetts, as well as a letter to Elizabeth composed by her friend A. A. Kent. Kent's letter, the earliest in the collection, provides news of mutual acquaintances and a shared "social circle" in Keene, New Hampshire, and notes several illnesses among the group, as well as a recent death (March 20, 1834). The remainder of the collection consists of Elizabeth's correspondence to the Reverend William Barry, written before and during their engagement and throughout their marriage. In her early letters from Petersham, Massachusetts, Elizabeth, a well-educated and literary woman, often discussed different aspects of religion, and showed appreciation for Barry's insights regarding philanthropy and kind treatment of the poor. In one letter, for example, she discussed reasons why Christians might not celebrate Christmas (December 27, 1834). She also shared her literary tastes and opinions about different works she had read, including a wish to focus on more of Wordsworth's poetry, and gave her fiancée updates on her life and family. Her later letters, composed during the couple's marriage, center on family life; one of these, dated October 5, 1846, includes a lengthy contribution from the couple's daughter Lizzie, who spoke of her progress in music lessons and of her baby sister Julia.

This collection contains letters that Harriet E. Walker received from family members and friends, as well as letters addressed to her mother, who lived in Palmyra, New York. Several of Walker's female correspondents wrote about their daily lives in New York, and her brother James commented on gender relations. Walker also wrote to her mother about her studies at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary.

This collection contains letters that Harriet E. Walker ("Hattie") received from family members and friends, as well as letters addressed to her mother, who lived in Palmyra, New York. Several of Walker's female correspondents wrote about their daily lives in New York, and her brother James commented on gender relations. Walker also wrote to her mother about her studies at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary.

Walker's mother wrote frequently, inquiring after her daughter's health and providing updates on events around the family's home in Palmyra, New York; she also shared news regarding Walker's brother James. Other letters concern Harriet's return to Mount Holyoke Female Seminary following an illness in 1845. Walker's friend, A. Hall, admired her desire to become "useful and valuable to your friends and society" (November 3, 1845).

The collection also contains correspondence addressed to Walker's mother, also named Harriet, including a letter from James Walker about gender relations (July 19, 1841). Walker also wrote to her mother about her life at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in the early 1840s, including a list of activities that prevented her from writing more frequently (November 8, 1842).

Collection includes 1334 film negatives of people, [1920-1945].

Collection of 849 film negatives measuring 3.5 inches x 5 inches, and 485 measuring 5 inches x 7 inches, [1920-1945]. The creator is unknown. Negatives are organized into the topics of babies, boys, children, couples, girls, men, including some in graduation caps and gowns and various World War II uniforms, and women, including some in graduation caps and gowns. There are both portraits and group images, including some wedding and anniversary photographs. There are also miscellaneous images, including pets, buildings, caskets and grave sites, and a few sets of multiple images on one negative. Also included are three small photographs of women. None of the people or locations are identified.

The Sinclair family papers consist of correspondence written by members of the Sinclair family and their friends in the mid-19th century. Thomas Sinclair's incoming correspondence comprises the majority of the collection and includes a number of letters from his mother, Eliza Cameron, and several female acquaintances.

The Sinclair family papers consist of 62 letters written by members of the Sinclair family and their friends in the mid-19th century.

The earliest items are letters from Thomas S. Sinclair in Steubenville, Ohio, to Ellen Legget of Carrollton, Ohio. Sinclair, who may have been a suitor, wrote of his feelings toward Ellen and his lack of experience corresponding with women (March 6, 1837). In another early letter, John Sinclair related news of a new telegraph line opening between Chicago and Detroit to his brother, Robert Sinclair (March 1, 1848).

After 1850, the majority of items are incoming letters to Thomas Sinclair from his mother, Eliza Cameron, and female acquaintances. Cameron's letters pertain to news from Carrollton, Ohio, particularly related to illnesses and deaths. In her letter of March 22, 1851, she shared an account of the death of her other son, John, and she later asked Thomas how he could move away after her brother's "Death in a foren land" (January 26, 1852). After Sinclair moved to Erie, his mother continued to report on her other children, her social life, and her finances. In her letter of November 9, 1853, she referred to rental properties that she wished to sell (November 9, 1853). She frequently offered her son advice or admonished him for various faults.

Thomas Sinclair also received letters from several female acquaintances during the 1850s. Sarah Sutherland ("Sak") often confronted issues of gender relations and marriage. Following the Erie Gauge War, she expressed her optimism about the progress of women's rights (February 5, 1854). Though she married and encouraged Sinclair to follow suit, she wrote that of her "[intent] to have you for my second husband" (December 21, 1854). Other female friends referred to Sinclair's flirtations and expressed their occasional frustration with his actions; for example, a woman named Nellie called him "Mr. 'Heart-smasher'" (August 18, 1857). Eliza Burton wrote more about her own feelings and aspirations, lamenting the recent path of her life in a letter on March 4, 1856. Burton later worked at a school in Knox, New York, and expressed her despair after hearing of the death of a mutual friend, "Ammi" (July 3, 1858).