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The Anson Burlingame collection, compiled by Elliot C. Cowdin, holds correspondence, graphic material, ephemera, and a pamphlet related to the life and death of Burlingame, a United States diplomat. Much of the material relates to a dinner Cowdin gave in Burlingame's honor in June 1868.

The Anson Burlingame collection, compiled by Elliot C. Cowdin, holds correspondence, a photograph, an engraving, a pamphlet, and ephemera related to the life and death of Burlingame.

Several letters in the Correspondence series are personal letters Burlingame wrote to Cowdin, a friend, during his diplomatic career; on October 13, 1866, for example, Burlingame described his recent trip from New York to Shanghai, via California, the Sandwich Islands, and Japan. A number of items relates to a dinner Cowdin gave in June 1868, honoring Burlingame and his success in trade negotiations with China. These include a May 23, 1868, letter from a number of prominent residents of New York City, urging the diplomat to attend the banquet; several letters signed by those invited, either accepting or declining the invitation; and Burlingame's own acceptance (May 30, 1868). Other correspondents mentioned their own appointments with Burlingame, often set up by Cowdin, and their esteem for his accomplishments. On January 31, 1870, Burlingame told his friend of his imminent departure for Russia; a month later, he died there, and many of the later letters concern personal grief over his death, as well as to Cowdin's tribute to Burlingame's memory. Among other remembrances, Cowdin wrote a letter to his own wife on April 21, 1870, describing Burlingame's funeral.

The Photograph and Engraving series contains a cartes-de-visite photograph of Anson Burlingame, and an autographed engraving of Elliot C. Cowdin.

The Pamphlet is entitled Banquet to His Excellency Anson Burlingame And His Associates of the Chinese Embassy by the Citizens of New York On Tuesday, June 23, 1868.

The Ephemera series contains calling cards for Mr. and Mrs. Anson Burlingame, and a menu for Burlingame's honorary banquet, given on June 23, 1868.

The Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery journal chronicles the future British Prime Minister's travels in the United States in 1873. Rosebery visited New York City, Salt Lake City, Chicago, Ottawa, Montréal, and Boston.

The Archibald Philip Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery, journal chronicles Rosebery's travels through the United States in 1873. He began the journal on October 1, 1873, in New York City, with a detailed description of his journey to the United States from London, via Dublin, on the Russia, "supposed to be the fastest of the Cunard ships" (p. 3). He related his experiences in detail, including a particularly vivid description of the New York Stock Exchange during the Panic of 1873 (p. 12). On October 7, Rosebery prepared to depart New York for Salt Lake City, which he reached by train five days later. During the journey, he described places and scenery, including Chicago and the Platte River (pp. 31-42). On October 14, he met Brigham Young (p. 57), and he remained in Utah until the 16th of that month. Following another transcontinental train voyage, Rosebery stayed in Chicago for two days, then left for Niagara Falls and Ottawa, Canada (pp. 79-109). He remained in Canada until November 5 (pp. 109-118), when he departed for Boston and New York (pp. 118-125). Aside from a weeklong visit to Washington, D. C., from December 2-10 (pp. 183-206), he remained in New York for the rest of his American tour. He returned to Europe on the Russia in mid-December (pp. 224-254).

Rosebery peppered his journal with descriptions and occasional commentary, but focused primarily on specific experiences and conversations. The earl met many prominent Americans during his stay in North America, including senators, Supreme Court justices, and other political figures, and described a lecture given in Brooklyn by Henry Ward Beecher (pp. 143-147). Beecher did not impress the Englishman, who called him "a buffoon without the merits of a buffoon. He has neither force nor ornateness of diction," though "after…I was introduced to him…in conversation he impressed me more favourably" (pp. 146-147). During his time in Washington, D.C., Rosebery saw "the original draught of the Declaration of Independence in Jefferson's handwriting" and a number of other important historical artifacts, and shared his opinion of a George Washington portrait (p. 202). Other notable experiences in New York included a visit to a trial, to the Tombs prison (pp. 28-30), and to "the Girls' Normal School" (p. 151).

This collection consists of the incoming correspondence of Catherine M. Barker of Guilford, Connecticut, who received letters from family members and acquaintances during the mid-19th century. Her sister Mary wrote of her search for work in New Haven, Connecticut, and other correspondents commented on their social lives in Connecticut and New York.

This collection consists of 34 incoming letters addressed to Catherine M. Barker of Guilford, Connecticut, who received correspondence from female family members and acquaintances during the mid-19th century. Her sister, Mary A. Barker, wrote the first 8 letters while seeking work in New Haven, Connecticut, between 1856 and 1863. She occasionally discussed her experiences as a laborer in a garment factory and provided news of her social life. She described the boarding house where she lived and a visit to a performance hall, where she saw a show by French acrobat Charles Blondin (March 23, 1861). At the outbreak of the Civil War, Mary mentioned the local scramble for news, and lamented that war seemed to be the sole topic of conversation.

The letters Catherine received after 1869 originated from multiple acquaintances, primarily female, who discussed their social lives in Connecticut and New York. Emma Scranton (later Leete) wrote 6 letters to Catherine, commenting on a visit to P. T. Barnum's circus (January 8, 1873), urging Catherine not to marry her beau, Edgar (undated), and offering updates on her social life. Other correspondents planned upcoming visits with Catherine, and one friend, Ruthie, described her shock upon hearing that a friend's wife had left him.

The Connecticut Woman's travel diary recounts the author's social activities during several weeks spent mingling with high society in New York City; Washington, D. C.; Aiken, South Carolina; and Charleston, South Carolina.

The Connecticut Woman's travel diary (56 pages) recounts the author's social activities during several weeks spent mingling with high society in New York City; Washington, D. C.; Aiken, South Carolina; and Charleston, South Carolina. Throughout her trip, she spent much of her time at balls and meeting with acquaintances and notable figures, among them Attorney General Charles R. Devens, a daughter or daughter-in-law of Zachary Taylor, and Admiral William Rogers Taylor. While in the capital, the author and her traveling companion, Isabella, made a trip to the White House to meet Mrs. Rutherford B. Hayes (p. 3). Though the diarist focused on social prestige and social customs, she reported her brief impressions of Forts "Sumpter" and Moultrie in Charleston (pp. 38-39).

The Frederick Gilbert Bourne collection is made up of correspondence, photographs, printed items, and ephemera related to Bourne, president of the Singer Manufacturing Company and commodore of the New York Yacht Club, and to his son-in-law, Ralph Strassburger, who served as consul general to Romania, Bulgaria, and Serbia in 1913.

The Frederick Gilbert Bourne collection is made up of 73 letters, 11 telegrams, 9 photographs, 1 photograph album, 17 invitations and pieces of ephemera, and 22 printed items related to Bourne and to his son-in-law, Ralph Strassburger.

The Correspondence series (84 items) comprises the bulk of the collection, and is arranged by author and recipient. Bourne composed 45 letters to his daughter May and her husband, Ralph Beaver Strassburger, offering financial advice and sharing news of his social and leisure activities near his Long Island home and during his vacations on Jekyll Island, Georgia. These vacations often included hunting trips and yachting excursions. Several letters composed in 1912 and 1913 reflect Strassburger's time as a diplomat in Eastern Europe, with content respecting his father-in-law's efforts to secure him a reassignment following a local cholera outbreak. Bourne commented on the 1912 presidential election and controversial office appointments made by the outgoing Taft administration.

Incoming correspondence to Frederick Gilbert Bourne documents the social lives of his wealthy friends and family members in the early 20th century. Additional correspondence includes personal letters addressed to Ralph and May Strassburger and to Mrs. Emma Bourne from various acquaintances. The telegrams (11) contain messages between members of the Bourne family, most related to travel arrangements.

The Photographs series includes 9 individual photographs and one photograph album. Nine silver gelatin prints and real photo postcards depict Frederick Gilbert Bourne; "The Towers" on Dark Island, New York; and Indian Neck Hall, Bourne's estate in Oakdale, Long Island, New York (including 1 panoramic photo). The photo album, ca. 1904-1914, contains over 100 images of yachts and automobiles, as well as scenes from Jekyll Island, Georgia, and the leisure activities of wealthy Americans (including sailing races).

The Printed Items and Ephemera series includes 6 visiting/calling cards, a menu, 10 invitations, 7 picture postcards, 13 newspaper and magazine clippings, a magazine, and a book. The calling cards and invitations pertain to the activities of Frederick and Emma Bourne; the postcards depict the Bourne's estates and other buildings; and the clippings, magazine, and book concern Frederick Bourne (including yachting articles from The Rider and Driver and The Illustrated Sporting News). One of the calling cards is personally addressed to Bourne by J. Pierpont Morgan. The book is Henry H. Klein's Dynastic America and Those Who Own It (1921). The series also contains a reproduction of a document commending Bourne's lengthy service with the Singer Manufacturing Company (March 7, 1906) and a composite image of Frederick Bourne working in various occupations.

The Media series is comprised of 6 compact discs containing digital images of the Frederick G. Bourne family, the Jekyll Island Club, and Airy Hall Plantation, the South Carolina plantation owned by Robert George Elbert, another of Bourne's sons-in-law. The series also includes a VHS tape with filmed views of Bourne's estates and of Ralph Strassburger's home, transferred from a 28 millimeter reel from 1918.

The William H. Coats papers are made up of incoming correspondence to Coats from his mother and acquaintances, who wrote about life in Connecticut and Michigan during the Civil War, and documents related to his studies at the Connecticut Literary Institution and other aspects of his life.

The William H. Coats papers are made up of incoming correspondence to Coats from his mother and acquaintances, who wrote about life in Connecticut and Michigan during the Civil War, and documents related to his time at the Connecticut Literary Institution and other aspects of his life.

The Correspondence series (24 items) contains letters to Coats from friends and family members. Acquaintances in New York, Connecticut, and Michigan corresponded with Coats throughout the Civil War period, providing updates on their daily lives and, in one case, offering humorous advice on dealing with women (March 20, 1861). Schuyler Grant wrote a letter from Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he attended school, and shared news of mutual acquaintances who had recently graduated from the University of Michigan; he also requested career advice (May 7, 1864). His letter of June 1, 1865, discusses events that followed Confederate troops' surrender and optimism about Reconstruction. The Hines family of Binghamton, New York, wrote to Coats about an employment opportunity that Coats accepted in the summer of 1863. Later items include 4 letters by Abby L. Coats, who wrote to her son about family health and news of North Stonington, Connecticut, and 1 by "Ella," a friend, who congratulated him on his upcoming marriage (March 8, 1868).

The Ephemera and Documents series (5 items) includes a "Notice of Enrollment" informing Coats of his eligibility for military service (July 15, 1864). Other items are a school report from the Connecticut Literary Instutition (March 22, 1859), printed programs, and calling cards for residents of East Saginaw, Michigan.