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Collection

Woman's Cuba Travel diary, 1854-1855

1 volume

An unnamed woman kept this diary, documenting her sojourn to Cuba from October 1854 to April 1855. She traveled with members of her family, including "Uncle M" (likely Montgomery Livingston), Margaret (possibly Margaret M. Tillotson), Mary, and a servant Bridget. Staying primarily in Havana and Güines, the writer described Cuban vegetation, religious and social practices of white and Black residents, cuisine and dress, military and political figures, enslaved laborers and hired servants, sugar, tobacco, and coffee plantations, and other international travelers.

An unnamed woman kept this diary, documenting her sojourn to Cuba from October 1854 to April 1855 with members of her family, including "Uncle M" (likely Montgomery Livingston), Margaret (possibly Margaret M. Tillotson), Mary, and a servant Bridget. Staying primarily in Havana and Güines, the writer described Cuban vegetation, religious and social practices of white and Black residents, cuisine and dress, military and political figures, enslaved laborers and hired servants, sugar, tobacco, and coffee plantations, and other international travelers.

The party travelled from New York aboard the steamboat Black Warrior, captained by James D. Bulloch, in October 1854. The diarist described their voyage, other passengers, and their arrival in Cuba. Because the captain and vessel had been embroiled in an international conflict earlier in the year, Cuban authorities scrutinized the Black Warrior upon their arrival in Havana. While staying at a boarding house in Havana, the writer described the city, food, merchants, residents and their fashion, and the presence of enslaved people.

Upon leaving the city, they took up residence in Güines. Frequently exploring the area by horseback, the writer detailed local vegetation, produce, and crops, while also noting the social and religious life of the community. She commented occasionally on books she was reading, and she wrote of the people she encountered, such as local vendors, enslaved people, other Americans, or the poor (see November 28, 1854). She provided commentary on practices like smoking, culinary dishes, music, and balls. Marginal figures are also remarked upon, including an American woman living under the protection of the Jesuits who was being pursued by her ex-husband seeking custody of their children (see December 1, 1854; December 6, 1854; December 18, 1854).

The writer regularly remarked on enslaved and free people of color and their activities, including their participation in Mass and religious holidays, such as Epiphany / El Dia de los Reyes (January 6, 1855). She noted their presence at balls, their relationships with their children, work as vendors, and labor on plantations and in the town. She visited a number of plantations and wrote of their crops, buildings, operations, and enslaved laborers. Several times, she noted violence against enslaved people, including evidence of beatings and punishments (December 1, 1854; December 2, 1854; December 16, 1854; January 22, 1855). On another occasion, she witnessed a two-year-old boy sold separately from his mother, and wrote about their distress (March 13, 1855). The writer also made at least two references to Chinese laborers (October 31, 1854, and November 25, 1854). The family hired several servants during their stay in Cuba, and the writer periodically remarked on their displeasure with them and their dismissal.

The diarist commented on military troops and government officials in the region. Several entries pertain to the "Lopez Expedition" and its aftermath, referring to American-backed efforts by Narcisco López to liberate Cuba from Spanish rule several years earlier (October 16, 1854; November 19, 1854; December 19, 1854). She wrote about orders by José Gutiérrez de la Concha to inquire into residents' "character" and take up any of ill repute (seemingly targeting Black populations), and attendant police presence (November 25, 1854; December 3, 1854; December 4, 1854; December 11, 1854; December 13, 1854; January 23, 1855; March 1, 1855). She noted the uniforms of the "gens d'armes" and their participation in Mass. The diary includes occasional remarks about the local jail.

The family made occasional trips to Havana for shopping and made a brief visit to Matanzas in February 1855, where they met with the American consul who was working to protect American sailors (February 7, 1855). The diary ends on April 15, 1855, as the family prepared to depart for Havana to return to the United States.

Collection

Woman's Hunting and Camping photograph album, [1890s?]

1 volume

The Woman's Hunting and Camping photograph album contains pictures taken during a camping trip in upstate New York and exterior views of homes and municipal buildings in western Massachusetts. Many of the camping pictures feature women.

The Woman's Hunting and Camping photograph album (34cm x 25cm) contains 68 photographs taken in upstate New York and western Massachusetts around the turn of the 20th century. The green cloth cover has the words "Colgate & Co's Toilet Soaps and Perfumery" on the front in thin gold letters. Most of the photographs, which are pasted three to a page, have brief captions.

The first group of photographs pertains to a camping trip around Lewey Lake, Mason Lake, and Indian Lake in northern New York, including many views of woodland scenery and pictures of male and female campers. People are shown carrying and paddling in canoes, relaxing and posing around log cabins and campsites, and riding in open horse-drawn carts. The album includes two portraits of a woman dressed in a hunting outfit posing with a rifle and a portrait of a baby taken on his or her first birthday. One group of pictures concerns a logging camp and loggers. The final pages contain photographs of homes and other buildings in Hatfield, Northampton, Amherst, and Hadley, Massachusetts, including the compiler's girlhood home, a mill, the Northampton library, and the municipal halls of Northampton and Amherst. People can be seen relaxing in front of some of the dwellings.

Collection

Women, Gender, and Family collection, 1678-1996 (majority within 1800-1906)

0.5 linear feet

The Women, Gender, and Family collection contains miscellaneous individual items relating to women, gender, and family primarily in America, between 1678 and 1996.

The Women, Gender, and Family collection contains miscellaneous items relating to women, gender, and family between 1678 and 1996. The bulk of the collection ranges in from 1800 to the early 20th century and is geographically focused on the United States of America. Topics include marriage and divorce, childrearing and motherhood, household management, and consensual and coerced sex. Other areas of interest cover women’s various forms of labor, legal restitution for paternity suits and financial support, and education for women and children. While not as heavily represented, multiple items detail women's engagement in politics, slavery and abolition, and women's rights.

Collection

Women Photographers carte-de-visite album, [1860s-1880s?]

1 volume

The Women Photographers carte-de-visite album contains studio portraits made by female photographers and husband-and-wife teams in the United States and England.

The Women Photographers carte-de-visite album (13.5cm x 10cm) contains 21 studio portraits of men, women, and children made by female photographers and husband-and-wife teams in the United States and England. This album was likely compiled by collector Frederick P. Currier from individual unrelated photos and an empty album

With the exception of one picture of a man and a woman, all of the items are individual portraits. One woman wore a large cross on a necklace, and one infant posed on a chair. The album's dark brown cover has a raised geometric design, and the volume is closed with two metal clasps. A floral design is carved into the sides of the pages. A list of photographers and their locations, when given, is provided below.

Collection

Women's Suffrage letterhead collection, [after 1895]-[1917]

22 items

This collection of 22 items bearing printed letterheads from various women's suffrage organizations. A portion of the collection is blank stationery. The correspondence relates to expenses, event planning, donation solicitations, and advocacy efforts. The majority originated from organizations based in Boston, Massachusetts. One letter has an anti-suffrage tone.

The letterheads include examples from:
  • Bay County League of Women Voters (Bay City, Mich.)
  • Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage
  • The Empire State Campaign Committee (New York, N.Y.)
  • Equal Suffrage League
  • Leslie Woman Suffrage Commission, Inc. (New York, N.Y.)
  • Leslie Woman Suffrage Continuing Committee (New York, N.Y.)
  • Marcus Ward Company Incorporated
  • Massachusetts Woman Suffrage Association
  • National American Woman Suffrage Association (New York, N.Y.)
  • New York State Woman Suffrage Association
  • Springfield Equal Suffrage League
  • Suffrage Referendum State Committee
  • Suffrage Study Club (Sea Cliff, N.Y.)
  • The Woman's Journal and Suffrage News

Collection

Woodburn Shrewsbury letters, 1864-1865

3 items

This collection contains letters that Woodburn Shrewsbury wrote about friendship among soldiers, courtship and marriage, and Presbyterian ministers visiting Madison, Indiana, in 1864 and 1865. Shrewsbury wrote his first letter from Madison House Hospital in Montgomery, Alabama, during his service in the 4th Kentucky Mounted Infantry Regiment.

During and just after the Civil War, Woodburn Shrewsbury wrote 3 letters (14 pages) to his friends Charles, with whom he had served in the 4th Kentucky Mounted Infantry Regiment, Company H (January 8, 1864), and Will (September 27, 1865, and October 19, 1865). Shrewsbury wrote to Charles about his experiences at Madison House Hospital in Montgomery, Alabama, and discussed his beliefs about the strength of friendships formed during military service. He also reported on the flooding of the Alabama River. In each of his letters, Shrewsbury commented on women, courtship, and marriage. Upon hearing of Will's desire to marry, Shrewsbury cautioned him against marrying before the age of 30. He also told Will of his future plans, including the possibility of purchasing oil lands in Kentucky, and shared his opinion of a group of Presbyterian ministers who had just visited Madison, Indiana, where he lived with his parents.

Collection

Woodbury and Ellen Hardy family letters, 1856-1868 (majority within 1856-1866)

31 items

This collection consists of 31 letters that Woodbury and Ellen M. Hardy received from friends and family members between 1856 and 1868. From 1856 to 1860, Woodbury Hardy received 13 letters from acquaintances, cousins, and his brother in Hopkinton, New Hampshire; South Danvers, Massachusetts; Palatine, Illinois; and Meridian, Michigan. He and his wife collectively received 6 letters written during the Civil War and 4 written between 1866 and 1868. The collection also holds 8 undated letters. Writers commented on family and social news, agriculture, aspects of life in the Midwest, the Civil War, and the impact of the military draft.

This collection consists of 31 letters that Woodbury and Ellen M. Hardy received from friends and family members between 1856 and 1868. From 1856 to1860, Woodbury Hardy received 13 letters from acquaintances, cousins, and his brother in Hopkinton, New Hampshire; South Danvers, Massachusetts; Palatine, Illinois; and Meridian, Michigan. He and his wife collectively received 6 letters written during the Civil War and 4 written between 1866 and 1868. The collection also holds 8 undated letters. Writers commented on family and social news, agriculture, aspects of life in the Midwest, the Civil War, and the impact of the military draft.

Woodbury Hardy's friends and cousins in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, shared social news with Hardy when he lived in South Danvers, Massachusetts, in the mid-1850s, and in the Midwest during the early 1860s. They commented on weddings, education, agriculture, and family health. Woodbury's brother, Samuel Hardy, and an acquaintance, Levina Williams, wrote of their lives in Illinois, often mentioning agriculture, local news, and separation from family members on the East Coast. Woodbury's cousin, also named Woodbury Hardy, wrote a similar letter from Meridian, Michigan, discussing local history, crops, and schools (March 9, 1860). Woodbury and Ellen Hardy continued to receive similar personal letters from male and female correspondents throughout and after the Civil War.

Of the 6 letters written during the Civil War, 5 comment directly on the effects of the war in South Danvers, Massachusetts. Ellen Hardy's "Uncle Moses" wrote an 8-page letter on July 6 and 9, 1862, sharing his thoughts on the war's causes and progress and on a woman named Sarah Jane, who feared the loss of a loved one in a recent battle. Other letters mention the effects of the draft and names of local volunteers. J. Clough, of Nashua, New Hampshire, wrote a final war-era business letter to Woodbury Hardy regarding a shipment of freight from New Hampshire to Chicago (May 26, 1862).

Family letters of interest include Sanford Hardy's account of his railroad journey from Nashua, New Hampshire, to Chicago, Illinois, in early 1857 (May 28, 1857). He compared first and second class accommodations, and shared his strong negative reaction to other passengers in second class. In one letter, Carlos Hardy, Woodbury's cousin, discussed a recent scandal involving Samuel Hardy and his wife Abby, who reportedly married under duress (December 17, 1858). Two letters by Lydia Ann include mention of a family member and a friend who had been prisoners of war at England's Dartmoor Prison during the War of 1812 (July 23, 1860, and January 10, 1868). Among the undated letters is a letter John Price wrote to his great-grandson, Arthur Hardy, and a letter from Arthur's sick 5 year-old cousin "Frannie" (written by an adult). One later undated letter addressed to Ellen anticipates Woodbury Hardy's imminent return, along with other Civil War veterans.

Collection

Wood family papers, 1846-1951 (majority within 1846-1925)

4 linear feet

The Wood family papers contain correspondence and other items related to the family of James A. Wood of Lebanon, Connecticut, and his descendants from the mid-19th to the early 20th century. Much of the content pertains to education, family news, and politics.

The Wood family papers (4 linear feet) contain correspondence and other items related to the family of James A. Wood of Lebanon, Connecticut, and his descendants from the mid-19th to the early 20th century.

The Correspondence series comprises almost all of the collection. Early items are incoming letters to James A. Wood, Rebecca D. Pillsbury (later Wood), and their daughter, Helen Elizabeth Wood, from family members and acquaintances. James A. Wood's siblings wrote with updates on their lives, such as Caroline E. Wood's teaching career in numerous towns throughout New York. Rebecca D. Pillsbury also received letters from her brothers and sisters, and both Wood's and Pillsbury's correspondents discussed family matters, religion, and local news. Margaret Ann's letter of December 3, 1860, concerns her affection for a deceased baby sister, and an unidentified author's letter of September 4, 1861, describes the recent death of a grandmother. James A. Wood received an increasing amount of business-related correspondence, including letters from Charles W. Pierce, in the 1870s.

After the 1870s, most letters are addressed to Rebecca D. Wood and her daughter, Helen Elizabeth Wood. Rebecca's children often wrote letters to their mother, and Helen received letters from cousins and friends from around the East Coast. George P. Wood, Helen's brother, often shared stories of his young son James and of his life in Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, D. C.; and Peekskill, New York. In one letter, George included a map showing the location of his home in Washington, D. C. (November 13, 1899).

In addition to family and social news, letters occasionally referred to current events. "Dana," one of Helen E. Wood's cousins, wrote from his United States Army post during World War I (December 28, 1917), and other friends discussed the impact of the war. Among Helen's correspondents were Ida McCollister of New Hampshire and Harry Sawyer, an old friend who shared news of his life in Kearney, Nebraska. In one later letter, George P. Wood expressed some of his political views about the 1924 presidential election (October 27, 1924). Correspondence was less frequent after Helen E. Wood's death in 1933, with most incoming letters addressed to Winchester R. Wood of Lynn, Massachusetts, a member of the family's Connecticut branch. Undated items include similar family correspondence, as well as one letter written on a printed program for the Public Meeting of the Philadelphian Society at Kimball Union Academy at Meridian, New Hampshire, on June 12, 1878.

The Essays series includes an "Autobiography of a Sofa," written by R[ebecca] D. Pillsbury, as well as a manuscript draft of the "Common School Repository...Published semi-monthly by L. J. Boynton & R[ebecca] D. Pillsbury," containing 8 pages of short pieces attributed, often only by first name, to various contributors.

Among the six Receipts, addressed to A. Wood (1 item) and Helen E. Wood (5 items) are two receipts for Helen E. Wood's educational expenses and two slips crediting her account at Citizens National Bank, Boston.

Maps and Blueprints comprise 7 items. These are several drawings of house layouts, one map showing the locations of two buildings, and two blueprints.

The Newspaper Clippings series has 6 items, one of which is an article entitled "What They Say: How Girls of Various Cities Behave When They are Kissed."

The Ephemera series contains 52 Christmas cards, greeting cards, postcards, calling cards, programs, and other printed items. Specific items include 2 Red Cross membership cards, a pamphlet advertising The Art of Living Long by Louis Cornaro, and a blank order sheet for Sears, Roebuck and Co. from the 1920s.

Collection

Woodrow D. Johnson papers, 1914-1946

234 items

The Johnson collection consists primarily of letters between W. D. Johnson and his wife, Jane, during the Second World War, but includes letters from family and friends as well. The collection provides perspectives on both the home front and the European war front.

The Johnson papers consist primarily of letters between W. D. Johnson and his wife, Jane, during the Second World War, but includes letters from family and friends as well. Johnson also kept a few miscellaneous issues of Stars and Stripes, a map of northeastern France, and a journal in which he wrote sporadically.

Both Johnson and his wife are keen and intelligent writers and observers. Their letters show the anxiety and concern for each other, but also give insight into the larger picture of the home front, the war, and family and friends.

This collection has two main points of interest. First is the home front, described eloquently by Jane. She went to work immediately after Johnson left for training in Missouri, and quickly found a reasonably well-paying job at the Katharine Gibbs School. Although her salary was far less than that earned by women working in the war plants, Jane still brought home $160 per week. Her letters are filled with discussion of the effects of rationing and the constant scramble to find consumer goods and foodstuffs. Her letters also suggest how women whose husbands or boyfriends had been sent overseas banded together to create tight-knit social circles.

The second area of interest is the war front. Johnson writes to his wife frequently, though he rarely speaks of the horrors of the front. Partly because the Army censored his outgoing mail, Johnson rarely mentioned specifics about military events, but his journal and manuscripts chronicle his experiences in France and Belgium, and provides some useful information on the battles he survived, including the Battle of the Bulge. The contrast between his letters to his wife and his journal makes an interesting and useful comparison.

Johnson's letters indicate a dislike of different nationalities, particularly detested the French: "Gee, I love the French. They're so lazy, so dirty, so unworthwhile, they whimper and whine." Elsewhere, he wrote "The French have thoroughly sacked the country, we're perfect gentlemen compared to the Russians and the French." After witnessing the atrocities at Nordhausen, he concluded that the Germans were completely unworthy of sympathy. Letters received from Johnson's friend, Lt. Col. J. B. Coolidge stationed in the Philippines, provide insightful commentary on racial perceptions of the Japanese and Koreans. "The Jap is not so much hated for what he does but he is despised as a human being. His own ruthlessness and his inhuman methods so that the passion has become an automatic reaction."

The W. D. Johnson collection also illustrates the attitudes of enlisted men toward officers. Johnson considered his officers among the worst pillagers in France and Germany, and opined that the "Army suffers inefficiency beyond imagination because it does not enjoy sufficient public sanction to go all the way with its measures -- must continuously compromise."

Collection

Woods family papers, 1704-1994

1.5 linear feet

The Woods family papers chronicle the establishment of an important family in western Virginia during the 18th and early 19th centuries. While the bulk of the collection pertains to Archibald Woods' (1764-1846) activities as a surveyor and land speculator in Ohio County, the collection also contains several letters from later generations of the family, and documents relating to military and public affairs, including the War of 1812.

The Woods family papers chronicle the establishment of an important family in western Virginia during the 18th and early 19th centuries. While the bulk of the collection pertains to Archibald Woods' (1764-1846) activities as a surveyor and land speculator in Ohio County, the collection also contains several letters from later generations of the family, and documents relating to military and public affairs. A series of land surveys of the Ohio Valley, prepared by Archibald Woods, has been arranged and placed at the end of the collection, and two land documents relating to Woods property are also present in Oversize Manuscripts, a 1774 deed signed by Dunmore granting lands in Botetourt County and an 1820 grant signed by James Monroe for lands in Ohio.

The collection includes a petition relating to the Alien and Sedition Act of 1798. Addressed to the Senate and House of Representatives of Virginia from the citizens of Ohio County, the petition includes thirty nine signatures protesting the Acts. The signers expressed their concern regarding what they saw as a violation of the Constitution, and asserted that the acts were a "serious cause of alarm" for the citizens of Ohio County, whom, they noted, continued to adhere to the Democratic principles of the American Revolution.

During the time that Andrew Woods served as sheriff of Botetourt County, 1777-1780, he kept a small, deerskin-bound notebook of his activities including receipts and notes on the collection of taxes and fees. There are also sporadic family business records. Included are an agreement for disposition of property including land, livestock, and enslaved persons (named Herod [Bin?], Sip, Ceasar, and Nanas). A copy of a contract between siblings Andrew, Martha, and Archibald (likely Andrew Woods' children) for the care of Martha Poage Woods and arrangements for the purchase of an enslaved person for Elijah Woods is also present. The contract provided for clothing, food, and shelter and, if Martha chose "to go back over the mountains," to provide an enslaved person to care for her.

Over fifty surveys and treasury warrants document Archibald Woods' importance as a surveyor and land speculator in the Ohio River Valley. Many of these can be positively traced to land that today lies in the state of West Virginia, mostly in the panhandle, but, Woods owned property throughout Ohio County, which then included parts of Ohio and a corner of Pennsylvania. A contemporary range and township map assists in situating Woods' land holdings.

Seven printed orders, each unique, or nearly unique, include information about troop recruitment and deployment during the War of 1812, and about demobilization at the end of the war. Among other documents in the collection are Archibald Woods' commissions and resignations.

There is little true correspondence in the Woods family papers, although one item, a letter from Joe Woods, is of some interest. In this letter written to his mother, Woods summarizes his reasons for transferring to Princeton, assuring her of his sound character and his decision. William Woods' ledger and daybook from 1828 and Hamilton Woods' cypher book from ca. 1820s are also present in the collection. The collection contains a photograph album with cartes-de-visite, cabinet cards, and other photos from around the 1870s and 1880s, as well as approximately 0.5 linear feet of photographs of Woods family members, particularly Ruth Woods and Charles Moss from the early 20th century, and the Woods family homestead.

Finally, the collection contains useful information about the Woods family estate, Woodsdale. Three documents from 1815-1816 provide floor plans and a record of construction costs, and there are two copy photographs of the house as it stood before its demolition in 1949. In 1976-77, Ruth Moss described the physical layout of the home and grounds as she recalled them, as well as her memories of life at Woodsdale in the early part of the century. An additional 0.25 linear feet of Ruth Moss's genealogical research on the Woods family is also present.

Collection

World's Columbian Exposition Photograph Album, 1893

approximately 284 photographs in 1 volume

The World's Columbian Exposition photograph album contains approximately 284 images related to the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 held in Chicago, Illinois.

The World's Columbian Exposition photograph album contains approximately 284 images related to the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 held in Chicago, Illinois.

The album (29 x 40 cm) has black cloth and leather covers bound by two metal rods. The original covers were replaced in March 2012 by conservator James W. Craven. Most of the album's 70 pages contain 4 photographs per page. Images include photographs of exteriors and interiors of various exhibition buildings, large crowds of people, numerous sculptures and statues, various historic and modern marine vessels, and bird's-eye views of the fair complex. Also of note are several photographs showing attendees in wheelchairs, images of various ethnic group exhibit buildings (including the Japanese Bazaar, Persian Palace, Irish Village, Oahomey Village of Benin, Egyptian Temple of Luksor, Alaskan Indian Village, and NY Iroquois Exhibit), and a group portrait of women sculptors including Helen F. Mears and Jean Pond Miner.

Collection

World War I Surgeon's Photograph Album, Base Hospital 29, 1918-1919

approximately 90 photographs and 4 ephemeral items in 1 volume

The World War I surgeon's photograph album, Base Hospital 29, contains approximately 90 photographs and 4 ephemeral items documenting a U.S. Army surgeon's training in the United States and service overseas during World War I.

The World War I surgeon's photograph album, Base Hospital 29, contains approximately 90 photographs and 4 ephemeral items documenting a U.S. Army surgeon's training in the United States and service overseas during World War I. The album (18 x 29 cm) was possibly compiled by Lieutenant H. O. Wernicke. Nine photographs show military personnel and barracks at the Medical Officer Training Center at Fort Riley, Kansas, in 1918. Following a voyage to Liverpool on July 6 1918 aboard the RMS Empress of Russia, subsequent photographs depict Base Hospital 29 in Tottenham, London, including medical staff, facilities, wards, an operating theater, and casualties. One photograph shows medical staff and patients singing from songbooks while a nurse plays the piano and a patient sits up in bed playing the violin. A possible transfer to France is indicated by 6 postcard views of a town and hospital with the caption, "Base Hospital 9 at Chateauroux."

Ephemeral items include a seating chart for the Candlewick Ward Club dinner held Monday, July 29 1918 attended by U.S. service members as well as a fold-out schematic of the RMS Olympic.

Collection

Worsley Emes papers, 1769-1780

6 items

The Worsley Emes papers contain six items pertaining to his military service with the Royal Regiment of Artillery in the British Army and as an officer in artillery regiments of the Continental Army.

The Worsley Emes papers contain six items pertaining to his military service with the Royal Regiment of Artillery in the British Army and as an officer in artillery regiments of the Continental Army.

The items are:
  • An undated fragment describing the contents of the collection
  • A receipt for compensation received by Worsley Emes for his service in the British Army through January 31, 1769 (January 14, 1769)
  • A document officially discharging Worsley Emes from service in the Royal Regiment of Artillery within the British Army (January 14, 1769)
  • A printed commission giving Worsley Emes the rank of first lieutenant for an artillery regiment in the Continental Army (October 5, 1776)
  • A printed commission giving Worsley Emes the rank of captain lieutenant in the 4th Battalion of Artillery in the Continental Army (April 21, 1780)
  • An 18th century rawhide case used by Emes during his military service
Collection

Wright family collection, 1835-1940 (majority within 1835-1868)

18 items

The Wright family collection consists primarily of correspondence related to the Morfit family and to Wilbur and Orville Wright's uncle, John Wright.

The Wright family collection consists primarily of correspondence related to the Morfit family and to Wilbur and Orville Wright's uncle, John Wright. Several of the items in the collection relate to Henry Mason Morfit, John Wright's attorney, and to his son Campbell, including a series of letters from mid-1853 chronicling Wright's attempt to secure a patent for improvements to reapers and mining machines. Also included is a document dated May 26, 1852, in which Wright formally gave Morfit power of attorney in the matter. Other Wright items include a letter from Danforth P. Wright to Henry Wright, dated October 24, 1842, asking for genealogical information to be added to a history of the family. In addition to the John Wright letters, the collection also holds several items written to Campbell Morfit, Henry's son, mentioning his academic work at the University of Maryland. Later material in the collection includes a 1919 letter detailing the provenance of the John Wright papers, written on stationary from the Aero Club of America, and a 1940 letter composed by Orville Wright's secretary, confirming the Wright brothers' appreciation for the work of Lilienthal and Chanute.

Collection

W. T. Ennis letters, 1942

3 items

This collection is made up of letters that Captain W. T. Ennis wrote to "Nell" while serving in the United States Army Transportation Corps during World War II. Ennis discussed military life in Great Britain, his leisure activities, and news of friends in the United States.

This collection is made up of 3 letters that Captain W. T. Ennis wrote to "Nell" while serving in the United States Army Transportation Corps in August and September 1942. Ted discussed his leisure activities, which included eating at restaurants and attending musical shows; on one occasion, he reported the cancellation of a scheduled appearance by Al Jolson. He also mentioned an opportunity to purchase lemons from a chaplain and his attitude toward dances, which he attempted to avoid on account of his advanced age. Ennis sometimes referred indirectly to the war, noting that the streets became deserted at night and advising Nell not to send clippings or news that might imply the location(s) of large concentrations of American military personnel. In his final letter, dated September 15, 1942, Ennis reported his reassignment to the newly formed transportation corps and hoped to travel in the British Isles.

Collection

Yacht Vergana Photograph Album, 1902-1908

approximately 190 photographs in 1 volume

The Yacht Vergana photograph album contains approximately 190 photographs related to the lifestyle and friends of a New York-based yacht owner.

The Yacht Vergana photograph album contains approximately 190 photographs related to the lifestyle and friends of a New York-based yacht owner. The album (18 x 26 cm) is fully bound in brown leather. Images of interest include views taken in and around Long Island Sound, including the torpedo boat Ericsson at the Greenport dock; shell races at Poughkeepsie, with spectators aboard the steamboat Chester W. Chapin; Luna Park on Coney Island; various sailing and steam vessels on Long Island Sound; Prospect Park in Brooklyn; the racing yacht Flint's Arrow; a group of nurses from the Flower Free Hospital on a shipboard outing; buildings in Greenport; Sir Thomas Lipton's yacht, Erin; cadets at West Point; the steamboat Orient and her crew; the yacht Vergana; Long Island Railroad snow plows; and an automobile race at the Riverhead Fair (according to laid-in caption). Other photographs include beach scenes, fishing boats, family and friends onboard the Vergana and other vessels, and unidentified street views possibly taken on Long Island. A number of photographs include manuscript captions.

Collection

Yetter Family Photograph Album, ca. 1860-1890

20 photographs in 1 album

The Yetter family photograph album contains 20 studio portraits including members of the Yetter family of Pennsylvania.

The Yetter family photograph album contains 20 studio portraits including members of the Yetter family of Pennsylvania. The album (10 x 13.5 cm) is in relatively poor condition and has a missing album cover. Image formats include carte de visites and tintypes, and most of the album pages contain handwritten captions stating names of subjects. Identified individuals include Jerry Yetter, Emily Smith, Emily Yetter, Sam Engle, Lib Engle, Walter Yetter, Hannah Price, Glen Manchester, Jennie Augustine, Charles Yetter, Ruben Yetter, and Ida Yetter. Sam Engle appears dressed in the uniform of the 3rd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery Regiment. Also present is a single loose carte de visite studio portrait by Charles Eisenmann of the German circus performer dwarf siblings Augusta and Herman Rice which was likely produced during the late 1880s.

Collection

York (Ship) log, 1825-1828

1 volume

The York ship log contains daily entries chronicling the packet boat's journeys between the United States and Great Britain between 1825 and 1828.

The York ship log contains daily entries chronicling the packet boat's journeys between the United States and Great Britain between 1825 and 1828. The first entry, dated March 19, 1825, marks the beginning of the ship's regular service between New York City and London, under the command of William Baker. Approximately 50 pages cover the boat's travels along this route, with daily entries recording wind direction, weather conditions, and notable events on board. On July 4, 1825, the author wrote about a celebration in honor of Independence Day, when the merchant ship fired a salute. The entries he made in port often relate to the loading of cargo or passengers. In January 1826, the York received a new captain, Nash de Cost, and began sailing between New York City and Liverpool; the remainder of the volume covers the ship's journeys along this route. The author's remarks focused on seamanship, weather, and activities in port, though several entries from October 1826 reflect the difficulty of keeping the sailors onboard; some were reported to be "on shore without liberty" throughout the period. The last entry, on June 24, 1828, noted that the York was moored at Prince's Dock in Liverpool, ready to embark for the Atlantic crossing. The final 2 pages of the volume include accounts of provisions for the ship for the year 1828.

Collection

Young Ladies Union Society of Danbury (Conn.) record book, 1826-1842

135 pages

This volume includes the records of the Young Ladies Union Society from 1826-1842, a benevolent society primarily comprised of unmarried women who sewed items to raise money.

This volume includes the annotated constitution of the Young Ladies Union Society, annual reports from 1826-1842, informal minutes from 1827-1842, and a list of members. The minutes, which were kept by the secretary, (often a new woman every year), include information about when and where the women met, what work was accomplished, what books purchased, what letters and monies received, as well as personal news about the membership. There were occasional gaps when the society did not meet.

The mission of the organization was to "extend the usefulness of its members, by meliorating the condition of mankind," which they did by raising money in order to donate it to worthy institutions and benevolent societies. The young women raised most of their money by sewing fancy articles, which they then sold to individuals. Much of their time was devoted to making "false collars" and shirts for men, and they often had orders to fill. They also made other gewgaws, like "oak leaf needle books with acorn emerys attached to them," embroidered caps, stockings, and most mysteriously, "an invisible," which might be some unmentionable piece of men's clothing (p.41, 47). The ladies also made things that they donated as gifts in kind, including lamp shades for the Presbyterian Church and clothing for missionaries to the Sandwich Islands. The Society raised the most money during the two years it participated in the Christmas Fair.

1834 through 1836 was the golden age of the society, when they had the most members and the most money to give to worthy causes. Early donations had included $10 to the theological department at Yale (p.7) and $30 to pay for the new pastor's membership in the Home Missionary Society (p.12). In 1833 they determined to raise enough money to give $10 to each of the following organizations: Sunday School Union, Colonization Society, American Bible Society, Seamens Friend Society, American B. C. F. M., American Tract Society, Education Society, Female Benevolent Society, American Home Missionary Society, as well as "Objects of Benevolence at Home" (p.43). Although they did not quite meet their goal, they felt they were "stimulated to exertion by it," and at the next annual meeting, again resolved to raise $100 for "benevolent objects," which they did succeed in doing (p. 54).

Missionaries were of particular interest to society members. The ladies gave money directly to Mr. Ruggles, a missionary to the Sandwich Islands, who thanked them by sending the society "some pieces of cloth made of bark" once he had returned to the mission (pp. 57, 60). The members carefully divided the tapa cloth among themselves. When a local boy, Amos Cook, decided to follow in Mr. Ruggles' footsteps, the society gave him $10 (pp. 59, 64, 65, 71).

Society members also resolved to improve their minds as they sewed, and over the years they experimented with reading aloud The Improvement of the Mind by Isaac Watts, reciting lessons, and delivering compositions or sentences based on words selected at the previous meeting. In later years, gentlemen seemed to attend the Society meetings more regularly, and sometimes the visitors disrupted the lessons. At other times, the men participated, reading compositions, or providing the group with words for their sentences, as a western visitor did: "He gave out these words for our next meeting. Amplitude Contemplation Philomathian Expatriation" (p. 64). In 1836 the Society adopted the idea of "reading the Bible, accompanied with prayer and singing a hymn at sunset," which proved to be a popular exercise (p. 59).

During the summer of 1836, the society selected five poor children "with the design to educate and clothe them, hoping to raise them from their degraded situation and make them useful and happy" (p.60). After the Depression of 1837, the Society increasingly concentrated on local benevolence efforts, and their contributions to organizations were far more modest.

On top of the challenges of the economic depression, which dried up their orders and stopped the Christmas Fair, the society was also continually losing members to the state of holy matrimony. Although a handful of married women continued to be members, many moved away with their husbands, or became too involved with their own housekeeping to sew the day away for other people. Death also took its toll, and the members particularly grieved to hear of the death of longtime member Sarah Clark, who had moved to Marietta, Ohio after her marriage to Mr. Andrews, and died shortly after giving birth (p. 84).

Collection

Youths Literary Society minutes, 1867-1889

1 volume

This volume holds 15 sets of minutes taken at meetings of the Youths Literary Society, along with manuscript and newspaper copies of recipes and household cleaning tips.

This volume holds 15 sets of minutes taken at meetings of the Youths Literary Society, along with manuscript and newspaper copies of recipes and household cleaning tips. The first 4 pages contain a copy of the organization's constitution, which states its intention "to cultivate and improve the literary talent of, and encourage all good and noble sentiments in its members," and lays out several basic rules for its general membership and officers. Three pages of bylaws follow, concerned primarily with the structure of individual meetings and drawing heavily on rules previously established by similar groups. Meeting minutes, usually one or two pages long, follow a gender-divided list of the society's members, and chronicle the group's activities over the course of 15 meetings, with the final entry dated May 25, 1867. The remainder of the volume contains manuscript recipes and newspaper clippings; most of the recipes are for cakes and other desserts, though four refer to medical complaints. In addition to the manuscript recipes, a number of newspaper clippings from the 1880s provide recipes and housekeeping information. Of note is a clipping containing George Wilson's cure for cancer, which uses sorrel. The final pages of the book contain knitting instructions, as well as a recipe for duck feed.