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The Abbott family papers consist primarily of the correspondence of Bessie Abbott, an aspiring singer and stage performer, written to her family during the early 20th century.

The Abbott family papers consist primarily of the correspondence of aspiring vocalist Bessie Abbott, written to her parents and other family members in the early 20th century.

The Correspondence series makes up the bulk of the collection, and covers the years 1881-1922. The earliest letters in the collection originated from a variety of Abbott family members and acquaintances. Of particular interest is an item describing Bessie and Stanley's time in a tent city in Coronado, Mexico (June 19, 1907). After 1912, Bessie was the primary correspondent, and in her letters she discussed aspects her life during her late 20s. In the personal, richly detailed letters from 1912-1914, Bessie described her time in Brooklyn, New York, where she studied with a vocal coach. In 1913, she took a vacation to Washington, D. C. for the Wilson inauguration, and, while there, injured her hand and, as a result, initiated an unsuccessful insurance dispute. After her return to California in 1914, Bessie wrote more frequently about her health and, after a subsequent move to Hawaii, her continued professional success. Following her stint in Hawaii, Bessie's correspondence focused more heavily on business interests, and, in a late series of letters written in the early 1920s, she wrote about her travels throughout southeast Asia, including visits to the Philippines and to Saigon.

Other correspondents represented in the collection include Will Abbott, Bessie's brother; Stanley Howland, Bessie's husband; and Tracy and Linnie Abbott, Bessie's parents.

• A photograph of an unidentified man, taken by Eduard Glaubach in Greifswald, Germany, on March 10, 1880
• A Christmas card, signed by Billy Warren
• A program from a music recital in Honolulu, Hawaii

This collection is made up of letters that Audrey McDougall of Boothbay, Maine, received from a cousin between 1919 and 1921. "Racey" discussed his social activities and work life in Brookline and Boston, Massachusetts.

This collection (59 items) is primarily made up of letters that Audrey McDougall of Boothbay, Maine, received from a cousin between January 1919 and July 1921. The cousin, who signed himself "S. K. R.," "Shirl," and "Racey," discussed his social and work life in Brookline and Boston, Massachusetts. He frequently attended dances and often wrote of his love for music; in his early letters, he referred to his participation in a cabaret performance. "Racey" mentioned several women throughout his correspondence, including "Adeline," "Grace," the Kennedys, and "Carolyn," whom he occasionally called his wife. Some of the letters pertain to the author's work for a bank or financial firm; he discussed a possible relocation to Chicago or Philadelphia and potential work in public liability or automobile insurance. "Racey" occasionally traveled to Maine to visit his family. Additional materials include a menu from the Copley-Plaza's New Year's Eve celebration for 1920/1921, an undated Christmas card, and "An Ode" (an undated poem dedicated to Auddie [McDougall]).

The Charles J. and Jean C. Molnar correspondence largely consists of letters that Molnar and his wife, Jean Corser, received during his service in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, including their letters to one another. The collection also contains small groups of photographs, ephemera, and printed materials.

The Charles J. and Jean C. Molnar correspondence (2 linear feet) largely consists of over 570 letters received by Molnar and his wife, Jean Corser, during his service in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Other items include small groups of photographs, ephemera, and printed materials.

The Correspondence series (over 570 items) contains personal letters addressed to Charles J. and Jean Corser Molnar during the World War II era. The first item is a letter and contract regarding Corser's teaching career in Kimball, Minnesota, with a stipulation that marriage would void the agreement (August 10, 1939). The remaining correspondence is dated July 8, 1943-October 3, 1945, covering much of Charles Molnar's service in the United States and India. The majority of items are letters between Charles and Jean Molnar concerning his experiences during intelligence training in Utah; his life in Greensboro, North Carolina, while awaiting deployment; and his service in India. He commented on his courses, his leisure activities, the scenery, and the end of the war; after the birth of his daughter, he responded to news of her growth and addressed some of his correspondence directly to her. In 1943, he occasionally wrote brief diary-like notes about his daily life, sometimes on patriotic or military stationery. At least two of his envelopes bear cartoonish ink drawings of soldiers.

Jean Corser Molnar frequently wrote to her husband throughout his war service, sharing news of family and friends and providing updates about her daughter during her pregnancy and after Mary Ann's birth, some written as though they were from Mary Ann. She also received letters from her mother, female friends, and various family members. Additional correspondence includes a pamphlet about Catholicism that Charles sent to Erma Molnar (September 18, 1943) and letters to Charles Molnar from Dave Corser, one of Jean's young relatives. One family member sent Charles a birthday card in October 1943 with a drawing of a young African American child enjoying cake and a linguistically stylized message. Jean sometimes enclosed newspaper clippings and, on at least one occasion, photographs in her letters (July 6, 1945).

The Photographs series contains 9 black-and-white photographs of United States servicemen and military planes. Two pictures showing the 82nd Squadron, 12th Bomb Group are labeled.

The Poetry, Cards, and Ephemera series (10 items) includes a handkerchief with an air force logo painted on it, a small handmade book with captioned photographs of Mary Ann Molnar as a baby, Hilliard L. Gandy's membership card for the Army Air Forces Aid Society, a 2-page draft of a poem, a ticket stub for travel between Calcutta and Chandmari, India, and 5 Christmas cards. Three of the Christmas cards present greetings from the John Corser family of Peoria, Illinois, with line drawings of the family home and Christmas bells; one is signed by the Elks of Barberton, Ohio; and one from the 82nd Bombardment Squadron has colored insignias of several air force units.

Printed Items (5 items) consist of a pamphlet with censorship regulations for United States soldiers serving overseas (2 copies, July 29, 1943), an article about the United States Army Air Forces reprinted from Yank ("Earthquakers' Odyssey," December 9, 1944), an additional undated newspaper clipping, and a pamphlet welcoming soldiers to Greensboro, North Carolina.

This collection contains 118 letters that Private Charles W. Lund of Edgerton, Wisconsin, wrote to his family while serving in the United States Army during World War II. Lund trained at bases in Wisconsin, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee, and later served in the European Theater.

This collection (122 items) contains 118 letters that Private Charles W. Lund of Edgerton, Wisconsin, wrote to his family while serving in the United States Army during World War II. Lund trained at bases in Wisconsin, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee, and later served in the European Theater.

The Correspondence series (119 items) comprises the bulk of the collection. Lund, who addressed the majority of his letters to his mother, frequently inquired about his siblings and other relatives in his correspondence from November 26, 1942-August 1, 1945. At Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, and Fort McClellan, Alabama, he commented on basic training and other aspects of camp life. Two of his letters from December 1942 concern members of the 100th Infantry Battalion, a regiment comprised of Japanese soldiers, and Lund reported one lethal fight in which a Texan killed a Japanese man (December 14, 1942). At the Mississippi Ordnance Plant and at Camp Forest, Tennessee, Lund wrote about the weather, family news, and his health.

After his arrival in England in February 1944, he discussed his finances, as well as ongoing health problems and hospitalization. During the summer of 1944, his regiment was stationed on an island where they encountered Italian prisoners of war. Lund was hospitalized again for back problems in September 1944. After rejoining his unit in 1945, he described his experiences in Germany. In the summer of 1945, he oversaw prisoners of war at a submarine factory in Mönchengladbach, and he anticipated a furlough and possible transfer to the Pacific Theater. Lund sent 2 greeting cards home in December 1944, and the series also includes a V-mail letter and a postcard regarding address changes. The final item is an undated letter that a soldier named Robert wrote to his mother from the United States Naval Air Station at Norfolk, Virginia.

The Visual Material series (3 items) contains a color photograph of a soldier with a dog and 2 pages of Sad Sack comic strips.

This collection is made up of letters that Clarence V. Wherley sent to his wife Sara while serving with the United States Army's 313th Infantry Regiment in France during World War I. He commented on military life, leisure activities, and his travels in France during and after the war.

This collection (66 items) is primarily made up of letters that Clarence V. Wherley sent to his wife Sara during World War I. The correspondence includes 42 original letters and 23 contemporary copies of these letters; 21 of the copies accompany the original items, and 2 have no extant original. The final item is a letter from A. E. Wherley to Sara, his daughter-in-law, about Clarence's return home, with an enclosed newspaper clipping (June 2, 1919).

Clarence V. Wherley's letters to his wife Sara, dated July 22, 1918-May 15, 1919, cover the entirety of his time in France, where he served with the 313th Infantry, Company H. Wherley discussed his daily activities, which included drills, marches, and office work, and shared his optimism about an Allied victory. His letters contain few direct references to the fighting, though he mentioned dodging snipers, exploding discovered German ordnance, and traveling from "Hell" to "Heaven." Wherley spent some time in a convalescent center and expressed his joy at returning to his regiment afterward. He described the French villages and scenery he encountered during marches, and his visit to Nice and Monte Carlo in early 1919. His letters also refer to lice inspections, the influenza epidemic, and a lack of correspondence from home. Enclosures include a Christmas card from the 79th Division (January 19, 1919); a printed poem by S. Ralph Harlow, entitled "Your Answer?" (February 18, 1919); a typed history of the insignia of the 79th Division (February 24, 1919); and a copy of The Lorraine Cross, the 79th Division's newsletter (March 26, 1919, enclosed in letter dated April 3, 1919).

This collection contains letters and a Christmas card Earl W. Hecht sent to his brother Franklyn while serving in the United States Navy during World War II. Hecht described life in the navy while stationed in North Africa, Scotland, and England, and often discussed collectible stamps and currency.

This collection contains 38 letters, 1 v-mail letter, and 1 Christmas card Earl W. Hecht sent to his brother Franklyn, while Earl was serving in the United States Navy during World War II. The correspondence is dated between May 25, 1943, and April 29, 1945, and covers Hecht's service in North Africa, Scotland, and England.

He wrote the first 4 letters and the Christmas card while serving in North Africa between May and December 1943, and the remaining letters while stationed in various locations around Scotland and England. He mentioned military life and his activities while on leave, including visits to restaurants in North Africa and a New Year's holiday in London (January 4, 1944), and commented about his fondness for drinking whiskey and about his supply of cigarettes. Hecht also regularly responded to news from home, and requested updates on his father, as well as other family members, including Edna, Anna, and Louise. Many letters contain Hecht's comments on local currency and foreign and domestic stamps, some of which he sent to his brother.

This collection contains incoming correspondence and other items related to Elsie F. Weil of Chicago, Illinois, and New York City, including many passionate letters from Weil's close friend Gertrude Emerson, who wrote about her foreign travels, life in New York City, and her deep bond with Elsie. Other friends and, to a lesser extent, family members, wrote to Elsie about their daily and social lives in New York City, Chicago, and Boston. Additional materials include two of Elsie's diaries, articles written by Elsie F. Weil and Gertrude Emerson, and ephemera.

This collection (1.5 linear feet) contains incoming correspondence and other items related to Elsie F. Weil of Chicago, Illinois, and New York City, including many letters from Weil's close friend and fellow writer Gertrude Emerson. Other friends and family members wrote to Elsie about their daily and social lives in New York City, Chicago, and Boston. Additional materials include two of Elsie's diaries, articles written by Elsie F. Weil and Gertrude Emerson, and ephemera.

The bulk of the collection is comprised of Elsie F. Weil's incoming correspondence. The first group of items consists of letters that Elsie's father Jacob, brother Leo, and mother Pauline sent to her from 1897-1907. Jacob and Leo Weil offered advice, and Pauline Weil provided family news from Chicago while Elsie lived in Lafayette, Indiana, around 1904. In 1913, Elsie received letters about her career as a writer, often mentioning specific articles. Additional professional correspondence appears throughout the collection.

Gertrude Emerson began writing to Elsie Weil in January 1914, and remained Weil's primary correspondent through the early 1920s. Her early letters pertain to her life in Winnetka, Illinois, where she taught at the Girton School. Emerson encouraged Weil to pursue a career in writing, discussed her own work, and shared news of her family. In the spring of 1914, she described a trip to New York City. During their periods of separation, Emerson expressed her desire to reunite with Weil and proposed plans for their shared future. Her letters include passionate declarations of her love for Weil and her devotion to their friendship, and she often referred to her desire to hold Weil, offering a birthday kiss in her letter postmarked April 26, 1915. She also spoke of her wish to travel around the world, though her mother prohibited transatlantic travel in 1915 on account of the growing threat from German submarines ([May 7, 1915]).

Weil and Emerson traveled together to Korea, Japan, and China in 1915 and 1916, and the collection includes a series of typed letters that Weil addressed to an unspecified group in early 1916. She described their travels between locations, shared observations about local cultures, and reported on their daily activities. A newspaper article about their trip, printed in Japanese, is filed in with the correspondence (December 15, 1915, 3 copies). Weil later received letters and postcards from acquaintances in Asia, particularly in late 1916. Gino Merchiorri, a soldier, wrote two letters to Weil about his experiences in the United States Army during World War I.

Gertrude Emerson moved to New York City in late 1916 after being hired by Asia magazine, and often wrote to Weil, who remained in Chicago, about her life there. She commented on her social life and her friends, who included the writer Ernestine Evans and the naturalist William Beebe. In 1919, she traveled to British Guiana (present-day Guyana), stopping shortly, mid-voyage in the Virgin Islands and Barbados. Before her arrival in South America, she described her sea travel and the Caribbean cities and islands she visited. While in Guyana, Emerson described the scenery and everyday life, particularly with regard to Indian "coolie" workers and their culture. After her return to New York City that fall, she discussed her social life, Elsie's articles for Asia, and their shared New York apartment.

Emerson wrote another series of travel letters while visiting Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and India in 1920 and Mexico in 1924. While in India, she met with Mohandas Gandhi and commented on Indian politics. Though she consistently voiced her love for Weil throughout her correspondence, other topics came to dominate her correspondence. By the mid-1920s, Emerson had fallen in love with a man named Kim, whom she considered marrying. Some of her later letters, including several undated items, are written on long sheets of thin, illustrated paper. Other illustrated items include a brief typed essay with a watercolor depiction of a Flemish portrait (enclosed with her letter of February 9, 1914) and a sketch of the view outside of her window in Winnetka (undated).

Elsie Weil received smaller groups of letters from other friends from the mid-1910s to mid-1920s, including Rose Wilder Lane, who described her life in Mansfield, Missouri, in the late summer and early fall of 1919. She shared her fondness for the scenery of the Ozarks, discussed her career as a writer, and told anecdotes about her experiences. She later wrote about travels in Europe and her life in Paris, France, where she briefly described international relations between the Allied powers just after World War I. She also commented on female involvement in political issues. Blix Leonard of Boston, Massachusetts, and Elmer Stanley Hader of New York City frequently illustrated their letters; some of their sketches and drawings are humorous and cartoonish. Weil also corresponded with Kenneth Durant and Ernestine Evans. Some of Weil's New York correspondents expressed their support for the Bolshevik Revolution in 1919.

The collection includes 3 diaries. The first, which has the title "My Trip Abroad" and "Elsie F. Weil" stamped in gold on its front cover, was intended for use during a trip abroad; Weil used it only to record the name of her ship, the SS Manchuria, and the date of her departure, September 19, 1922. The other two diaries contain brief entries respecting Weil's daily activities for 1920 and 1925, with some significant gaps between entries. These diaries often refer to Weil's social acquaintances, including Gertrude Emerson, "Rose," and others.

The collection's 6 photographic prints include 3 views of Gertrude Emerson on horseback and 1 of Emerson posing outdoors. The other pictures show an unidentified man posing outdoors in a suit and a Buddha statue in a Tokyo temple.

Additional items include magazine and newspaper articles by Gertrude Emerson, Elsie F. Weil, and Ernestine Evans, largely concerning travel to Asia; instructions related to creating flower arrangements; and unused bookplates belonging to Elsie F. Weil, bearing an Asian-style illustration of boats on water. Other visual materials include picture postcards from East Asian countries and a series of postcards from Wisconsin. The final items are a Christmas card and an advertisement once inserted in a newspaper.

This collection is primarily made up of the incoming and outgoing correspondence of Emily F. and Evangeline Brady. From 1943-1945, Emily F. Brady received letters from members of the United States military and from acquaintances in Cuba and South America, and from 1949-1950 she wrote letters to her siblings about her life in Chile and Brazil.

This collection is comprised of 121 items, mostly the incoming and outgoing correspondence of Emily F. and Evangeline Brady. From 1943-1945, they received letters from soldiers in the United States military and from acquaintances in Cuba and South America, and from 1949-1950, Emily wrote letters to her siblings about her life in Chile and Brazil. The only item that is not a letter is a photograph of four teenagers at a swimming pool.

The first group of letters consists primarily of incoming letters to Emily and Evangeline Brady. The first few items pertain to Emily Brady's unsuccessful efforts to secure teaching positions in Cuba, Chile, and at the Universidad Femenina de México. The Brady sisters later received letters from servicemen in the United States servicemen during World War II, including their brother George of the USS Birmingham; John Landry of the Army Air Forces' 110th Bombing Squadron; J. G. Francis Wilber ("Walt") of the Birmingham and Camp Elliot, California; and Michael Kimla of the 336th Army Medical Dispensary. Emily also received letters from Berta Montero in Havana, Cuba; Lopez Arias of Buenos Aires, Argentina; and C. E. Gonzalez ("Enrique") of Popayán, Colombia. The soldiers commented on many aspects of their service, such as Kimla's time in Puerto Rico, Landry's visits to London and other English cities, and Wilber's duties at a personnel center at Camp Elliot. Wilber also shared news of a visit to Mexico. One of Montero's letters encloses a Spanish-language printed program for a harp recital.

Emily Brady wrote to Evangeline, George, and others between December 23, 1949, and September 19, 1950, while she lived in Chile and Brazil. She described everyday life in Santiago, Chile, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and mentioned her travels to other towns, such as Huiscapi, Chile, and Porto Alegre, Brazil. In the summer of 1950, she often commented on recent World Cup matches. Her letter of May 17, 1950, has a very rough sketch of the layout of Rio de Janeiro.

This collection is made up of 65 letters that Esther A. Bates of Omro, Wisconsin, received during World War I. Fred W. Moldenhauer, her future husband, wrote the vast majority of the letters while serving with the 331st Field Artillery Regiment at army camps from September 1917-September 1918, and after his return to the United States in February 1919.

This collection is made up of 65 letters that Esther A. Bates of Omro, Wisconsin, received during World War I. Fred W. Moldenhauer, her future husband, wrote the majority of the letters while serving with the 331st Field Artillery Regiment at army camps from September 1917-September 1918, and after his return to the United States in February 1919.

Private Fred W. Moldenhauer wrote over 50 letters to Esther A. Bates between September 1917 and September 1918. He was primarily stationed at Camp Grant, Illinois, and Camp Robinson, Wisconsin, where he reported on many aspects of camp life and on mutual acquaintances, including those who were transferred to other camps. Moldenhauer often expressed his love for Bates, and he occasionally wrote loving messages in Morse code in his later letters. In one letter, he recounted his visit to a group of African Americans who lived near Camp Grant (November 13, 1917). Moldenhauer wrote 4 letters from Camp Merritt, New Jersey, and 2 letters from Camp Grant, Illinois, in February 1919, following his return from France. Among other subjects, he discussed his return voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Many of Moldenhauer's letters are directed to Bates, care of West Hall at Ripon College in Ripon, Wisconsin.

Three other soldiers wrote letters to Esther A. Bates during the war. Ervin W. Steinert, a member of the 341st Infantry Regiment, Company K, and the 311th Field Signal Battalion, wrote about life at Camp Grant, Illinois. Among his correspondence is a printed Christmas card with the logo of the 311th Field Signal Battalion ([December 22, 1917]). Other writers were L. W. Lurd of the 128th Machine Gun Company, who described the country around Camp MacArthur, Texas, and a man named "Ernest," who anticipated his transfer from Camp Grant, Illinois.

The bulk of this collection consists of undelivered letters and greeting cards sent to New York crime boss Frank Costello during his incarceration in federal correctional institutions from 1952-1953. Costello's correspondents shared their support for him, encouraged him to embrace Christianity, and requested financial assistance.

This collection (94 items) is primarily made up of undelivered incoming letters and greeting cards sent to Frank Costello, a New York crime boss, during his incarceration in federal correctional institutions from 1952-1953. Costello's correspondents shared their support for him, encouraged him to embrace Christianity, and requested financial assistance.

Frank Costello's incoming Correspondence (71 items), all by unauthorized correspondents, was directed to federal correctional institutions in Milan, Michigan; Lewisburg, Pennsylvania; and Atlanta, Georgia, from February 1952-October 1953. Costello received letters from around the United States and from foreign countries such as Italy, Switzerland, and Israel. Many writers offered personal or religious encouragement, some expressed their frustration with Costello's treatment, and one offered vague legal assistance. Correspondents frequently requested Costello's financial assistance and other favors, despite being strangers. For example, Eddie Bartholomay, an aspiring songwriter, sent Costello a song he intended for Frank Sinatra, with whom he believed Costello had a relationship (August 25, 1952); he sent a follow-up letter on September 9, 1952. Others asked Costello to be a pen pal, to endorse an affidavit, and to use proper grammar. Enclosures include newspaper clippings, photographs, religious tracts, and a pamphlet endorsing a universal world currency. Two letters are in Italian. The collection also contains a letter written by a warden of a prison to a warden of another prison regarding Costello's unauthorized incoming correspondence (October 15, 1952).

The Greeting Cards series (16 items) is comprised of Christmas and Easter cards that supporters sent to Costello during his incarceration.

Ephemera (7 items) includes a political poster, 2 loose newspaper clippings, a prayer card, and 3 religious pendants.