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This collection consists primarily of correspondence written by transatlantic merchant Pierre Boname; his father, C. A. Boname; and his niece Catherine, about their lives in New York City and about contemporary French politics.

This collection consists primarily of correspondence written by transatlantic merchant Pierre Boname; his father, C. A. Boname; and his niece Catherine, about their lives in New York City and about contemporary French politics. Pierre wrote the majority of the letters in the collection to his sister Louise, and they reveal the siblings' close relationship. They frequently mentioned their separation, and on several occasions, they planned to take trips together. Pierre, a lover of the arts, often mentioned lectures he had attended and books he had read. Between 1874 and 1882, their father, who signed himself "C. A.," sent his daughter updates from France, including information about domestic and international politics. Though discouraged about the state of his country, he professed a lasting devotion, despite the pessimism engendered by the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871). In addition to correspondence, the collection also includes a printed advertisement for a boarding school located in Annonay, France.