Search

Start Over Year 1700 to 1749

Main content

Ernest Cushing Richardson Collection of Medieval and Renaissance Documents, 1380-1851 (inclusive)

Extent:
12 boxes and 23 items
Abstract:
The Ernest Cushing Richardson Collection of Medieval and Renaissance Documents consists of medieval and renaissance documents and manuscripts collected by Ernest Cushing Richardson, an American librarian and author. Of principal interest are some 350 documents (deeds, bonds, contracts, investitures, wills, and other legal documents), chiefly dating from 1380 to 1550 and written in Milan, Alessandria, Brescia, Cremona, Lodi, and other northern Italian cities.

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

Main content

Boarded Hall Estate (Barbados) Plantation Records, 1676-1887 (inclusive) 1712-1845 (bulk)

Extent:
2 boxes and 1.5 linear feet
Abstract:
Consists of eighteenth and nineteeth-century records of Boarded Hall Estate, a slave plantation in Barbados in the West Indies. The material was found on the estate in the 1820s by George Harnage, the son of its last English owner, and annotated by him in subsequent years.

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

Main content

Manuscript Maps Collection, 1700-1900 (inclusive)

Extent:
6 boxes and 9.1 linear feet
Abstract:
Consists of an open collection of manuscript maps. Included is the eastern section of the Mason-Dixon Line drawn by Charles Dixon and Jeremiah Dixon in 1768.

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

Main content

Francis C. Brown Collection of French Royal Marriage Contracts, 1607-1846 (inclusive)

Extent:
33 volumes and 2.7 linear feet
Abstract:
Consists of 32 bound volumes, each containing an original, French, royal marriage contract with supplementary biographical sketches and portraits of the witnesses who signed the contracts, collected by Francis C. Brown (Princeton Class of 1958). The first two volumes are alphabetical catalogues of the marriage contracts

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

Main content

Jansenism in France Collection, 1728-1780 (inclusive)

Extent:
1 box and 0.25 linear feet
Abstract:
Jansenism was a religious movement based on the teachings of the theologian Cornelius Jansen (1585-1638). His doctrines held that human beings cannot achieve goodness without the intervention of God's grace and that a minority of individuals has been predestined by God for salvation. Consists of a collection of papers related to the Jansenist controversy in France in the 18th century.

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

Main content

Clarke Family Papers, 1710-1906 (inclusive) 1802-1890 (bulk)

Extent:
1 box and 0.45 linear feet
Abstract:
The Clarke family lived and farmed in the Stony Brook - Quaker Bridge area of Middlesex County, New Jersey, now known as Clarkesville of Mercer County. The collection includes documents of the Clarke family such as deeds, wills, and mortgages of various generations of Clarkes.

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

Main content

Charles Carroll Marden Collection of Spanish Documents, 1347-1887 (inclusive) 1505-1637 (bulk)

Extent:
17 boxes, 1 folder, and 6.50 linear feet
Abstract:
The Charles Carroll Marden Collection of Spanish Documents consists of 637 Spanish documents, collected by philologist and university professor Charles Carroll Marden. The documents are divided into two groups: documents originating from the town of Burgos and several towns around Soria and documents from the town of Alarcon. Later additions to the collection include the earliest document in the collection, dated 1347.

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

Main content

Osborn and Dodge Family Papers, 1726-1983 (inclusive)

Extent:
14 boxes and 5.6 linear feet
Abstract:
Consists of correspondence, documents, photographs, printed material, and miscellanea of three generations of the Osborn and Dodge families.

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

Main content

Delaware Boundary Case Collection, 1664-1932 (inclusive)

Extent:
7 boxes and 5.9 linear feet
Abstract:
Consists of photostats of documents collected by assistant New Jersey attorney general Duane E. Minard regarding a state boundary case argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, October term, 1929, in which New Jersey was the plaintiff and Delaware the defendant.

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

Main content

New Jersey Collection, 1648-1931 (inclusive)

Extent:
10 boxes and 3.75 linear feet
Abstract:
The New Jersey Collection, dating from 1648 to 1931, is a grouping of material relating to New Jersey history, with emphasis on some of the more notable people involved in politics, government, and the legal system. The collection includes correspondence, legal records, financial records, land records, estate records, government records, and military records.

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

Main content

Miriam Y. Holden Collection, 1930-1969 (bulk) 1676-1993 (inclusive)

Extent:
104 boxes and 45.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The Miriam Holden Collection consists of books, periodicals, manuscripts, clippings, photographs, cartoons, letters, and other materials about women and their achievements collected by Holden.

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

Main content

Vicente Llorens Collection of Blanco White Family Materials, 1713-1930 (inclusive) 1798-1841 (bulk)

Extent:
19 boxes, 28 items, and 7.4 linear feet
Abstract:
The collection contains manuscripts related to four generations of the Blanco White family, spanning two centuries: including works, diaries, correspondence, documents, accounts and expense records, and printed material. Joseph Blanco White, the Spanish-English writer and religious figure, remains the focus of the collection; however, his brother Fernando, a politician and intellectual of 19th-century Seville, also accounts for a substantial part of the material. Of particular interest are autograph manuscripts of several of Joseph's literary efforts, as well as other genealogical material relating to the Blanco White family.

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

Main content

William H. Tower Philatelic Collection, 1380-1950 (inclusive) 1700s-1940s (bulk)

Extent:
20 boxes and 15.4 linear feet
Abstract:
Consists of envelopes both used and unused (also known as covers), letters, postcards, documents, postage stamps, and a variety of other philatelic material from around the world as collected and annotated by the Reverend William Hogarth Tower (1871-1950). The collection spans the topics of English Postal History, United States Postal History, War Covers, Philatelic Miscellany, and Franking.

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

Main content

Lehmann Family Papers, 1649-1990 (inclusive) 1930-1975 (bulk)

Extent:
173 boxes
Abstract:
John Lehmann was an English author, poet, journalist, editor, and publisher. His papers consist of letters from his literary friends, the correspondence of his family since the nineteenth century, manuscripts of his publications, financial and domestic files, and personal memorabilia.

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

Main content

Stewart M. Robinson Collection of Colonial Sermons, 1615-1960 (inclusive) 1745-1785 (bulk)

Extent:
42 boxes and 16.2 linear feet
Abstract:
Consists of a collection compiled by American clergyman Stewart M. Robinson (Princeton Class of 1915), including photostats of sermons, letters, pamphlets, and communications to newspapers by clergymen in colonial America, which he used as research material for a proposed book entitled "The Political Thought of the Colonial Clergy."

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

Main content

Blair and Lee Family Papers, 1640-1946 (inclusive) 1812-1920 (bulk)

Extent:
474 boxes and 253 linear feet
Abstract:
The collection consists of the personal and family papers of five members of the Blair and Lee families of Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia -- Francis Preston Blair (1791-1876); his daughter, Elizabeth Blair Lee (1818-1906); her husband, Samuel Phillips Lee (1812-1897); their son, Blair Lee (1857-1944, Princeton Class of 1880); and his cousin, Andrew Alexander Blair (1848-1932) -- reflecting their various political, journalistic, naval, family, business, legal, and domestic interests.

Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]

Main content

Fair Hill Burial Ground, 1705-[ongoing] (inclusive)

Extent:
3.5 linear ft. (7 boxes)
Abstract:
Fair Hill Burial Ground was established on land bequeathed by George Fox in 1690 to Friends in Pennsylvania, including six acres "for a meeting house and school house and a burying place." Part of the land was set aside as a burial ground as early 1707, but there were few interments. In 1830, it was proposed that a burial ground be established for three Hicksite Philadelphia Monthly meetings, Philadelphia, Spruce Street, and Green Street. In 1985, the property was sold to Ephesians Baptist Church, with the original records to be retained by the Green Street Monthly Meeting. In March 1993, Fair Hill Burial Ground was incorporated, and in the same year, the property was purchased by the Philadelphia Quarterly Meeting, which now owns and maintains the burial ground. The collection contains the records of Fair Hill Burial Ground, originally overseen by a Committee of Hicksite Friends from the three Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, with the land owned by Green Street Monthly Meetings....(see more)

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Main content

Bassett Family Papers, 1676-1846 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.5 linear ft. (1 box)
Abstract:
This collection contains deeds, will, land and other property documents of the Bassett, Wright, and other families of Salem County, NJ, many of whom were Quakers.

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Main content

Howard Malcolm Jenkins Family Papers, 1724-1904 (inclusive)

Extent:
3 linear ft. (6 boxes)
Abstract:
Howard Malcolm Jenkins (1842-1902), a birthright Quaker, was a scholar of Pennsylvania history and genealogy and published many books and articles based on his research. He was an active member of the Society of Friends, editor of the Friends Intelligencer, and served on the Board of Managers of Swarthmore College. The collection contains family papers and genealogical material on the Jenkins and Foulke families, correspondence of Howard M. Jenkins, and his publications and writings. Correspondents include William W. Birdsall, Isaac H. Clothier, Jesse Jenkins, Anna T. Jeanes, Graceanna Lewis, Joseph Swain, Joseph Wharton, Joseph Foulke, John W. Graham, and Thomas Hodgkin.

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Main content

Hanbury-Aggs Family Papers, 1718-1914 (inclusive)

Extent:
5.5 linear ft. (11 boxes)
Abstract:
The Hanbury and Aggs families were prominent English Quakers who were involved in a variety of mercantile and philanthropic activities, predominantly in the 19th century. They were pharmacologists, silk merchant in Shanghai, travelers, and philanthropists (Thomas Hanbury was knighted in 1901 for his philanthropy). The collection contains correspondence, journals, business and financial papers, and other miscellaneous material. Includes Daniel Bell Hanbury's journals of his travels with William Allen, prominent English Quaker and abolitionist, to France and Germany in 1817 and 1822, as well as a visit with Czar Alexander at the Congress of Verona, and Anna Hanbury's journals of her trip to Bristol with observations on glass and pottery manufacture in 1815. Also included is correspondence with Thomas Hanbury, a silk merchant in Shanghai, concerning China trade and events in the Far East, and letters of Anna to her parents during a trip to Italy and France in 1860. Correspondence of...(see more)

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Main content

Walker-Conard-Cowgill Family Papers, 1699-1912 [bulk 1792-1912] (inclusive)

Extent:
1.5 linear ft. (3 boxes)
Abstract:
The Walkers, Conard, and Cowgills were Quaker families of Frederick County, Virginia, and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The collections contains papers of the Walker and allied Coates, Cowgill, and Conard families, including general correspondence (1792-1912), Civil War correspondence and diaries (1893-1900) of Union soldier Edward B. Conard (ca. 1844-1917), diaries (1896-1898) of Jacob Walker, ledger (1847-1887) of David Walker (1818-1889), journals, financial and legal papers, genealogical material, and memorabilia. Correspondents include Eliza Coates Cowgill (ca. 1790-ca. 1871) and Eliza C. Conard Walker, both of Montgomery County.

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Main content

Walton Family Papers, 1725-1930 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.5 linear ft. (1 box)
Abstract:
The Waltons were a Quaker family from Byberry, Pennsylvania, and the Philadelphia area, including Swarthmore. The lines represented in this collection were descended from Benjamin Walton (1701-1753) and Rebecca Homer Walton (d. 1783), of Abington Monthly Meeting and Byberry. The collection includes business and estate papers, mostly of Israel Walton (1789-1863), a diary of Mary D. Walton (1832-1915) which includes a roll book of Fallowfield Monthly Meeting First Day School, albums and verse by Emmaline Walton (1834-1913) and others, and family memorabilia.

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Main content

Anna C. Stabler Family Papers, 1675-1864 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.5 linear ft. (1 box)
Abstract:
The Amna C. Stabler Family Papers are a collection of miscellaneous manuscripts relating to Quakers and the Society of Friends in southeastern New York State.

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Main content

Longstreth-Noble Family Papers, 1735-1980 (inclusive)

Extent:
3 linear ft. (5 boxes)
Abstract:
The Longstreth family were Pennsylvania Quakers who married into the Cook and Noble families. Thomas B. Longstreth (1796-1867) was a Philadelphia building contractor who married Lydia Noble (1803-1879), and both were active members of Green Street Monthly Meeting. Lydia was the daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Tompkins) Noble, members of Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, Northern District. Samuel Noble was a successful tanner. The collection includes Longstreth family correspondence, extensive financial papers concerning the Noble and Longstreth properties and estates in Philadelphia, photographs, and scrapbooks concerning Walter C. and Emily Longstreth and Edith Longstreth Wood. Samuel Noble, a Philadelphia tanner, and subsequent generations owned property in the Spring Garden and Northern Liberties sections of Philadelphia, Pa., and in Camden, N.J., and the collection includes deeds, agreements, and other papers concerning these properties.

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Main content

Morgan Bunting Genealogical Research Papers, ca. 1710-1938 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.75 linear ft. (2 boxes)
Abstract:
Morgan Bunting (1863-1929) was a member of the Society of Friends in Darby, Pa., and a descendant of Samuel Bunting (1692-1759) who emigrated from England in the early eighteenth century. An architect by occupation, Bunting had an avid interest in Darby history and genealogy. The collection includes correspondence and genealogical papers concerning the Sellers, Cadwallader, Bartram, and Coleman families. There are also some original documents concerning the Bunting family, including deeds, wills, and an acknowledgment of Samuel Bunting to the Darby Monthly Meeting (1755), as well as a letter from William Poole to Edward Garrigues, 1825.

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Main content

Lightfoot Family Manuscripts, 1737-ca. 1948 (inclusive)

Extent:
1.5 linear ft. (3 boxes)
Abstract:
The Lightfoot family was a Pennsylvania Quaker family descended from Thomas Lightfoot, a Quaker minister who emigrated from Ireland to Kennett Monthly Meeting in 1716 with his family. The collection includes three journals which have been attributed to his grandson Thomas on the basis of contextual detail. These accounts document visits to meetings in the mid Atlantic region, New Jersey to Virginia, from 1757 to 1760. Jacob Lightfoot, a son of Thomas and Sarah Lightfoot, married Mary Bonsall, a prominent Quaker minister. The journal of her 1757 religious visit with Grace Fisher to Quaker meetings in the Concord Quarter is included in the collection. Mary and Jacob's grandson, Thomas Lightfoot, was an Indian Agent in southeastern Nebraska during the period of Quaker involvement in President U.S. Grant's "peace policy." Another descendent, Thomas Montgomery Lightfoot, did extensive genealogical research on the Quaker families that settled in Maiden Creek. The papers of Thomas and Mary...(see more)

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Main content

Fisher-Warner Family Papers, 1684-1924 (inclusive)

Extent:
7 linear ft. (17 boxes)
Abstract:
Miers Fisher (1748-1819), a birthright Quaker, was a prominent lawyer, legislator, philanthropist, merchant, and scientist in early Federal Philadelphia. Benjamin Warner, publisher and bookseller, married Fisher's daughter, Lydia, in 1814. Born in 1748 in Philadelphia, the son of Joshua and Sarah Rowland Fisher, Miers Fisher married Sarah Redwood in 1774. He was among a group of prominent Quaker merchants who were temporarily exiled to Winchester, Virginia, during the Revolution. Miers and Sarah had sixteen children, only five of which survived him. Their youngest son, Jabez Maud Fisher, was trained as an Engineer, and worked for a railway company and as a Naval Officer for the port of Providence; he moved to Denver, Colorado, in the early 1860's to be with his sons who had built a ranch. The collection includes journals, correspondence, and financial records of Miers Fisher, his daughter, Lydia Fisher Warner, his son, Jabez Maud Fisher, and their respective families.

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Main content

Painter Family Papers, 1687-1948 (inclusive)

Extent:
24 linear ft. (47 boxes)
Abstract:
The Painter family was an early Pennsylvania Quaker family that married into the Minshall family of Delaware County. In 1681, William Penn granted Thomas Minshall a land tract which now includes the Tyler Arboretum. The property was home to eight generations of the same family. The collection includes family correspondence, business and legal papers, property records, papers on interests and concerns of the Painter brothers, genealogical papers, and miscellaneous deeds and other papers collected by Minshall Painter. It is a rich source of information not only on the Painter family of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and the origins of the Tyler Arboretum, but also on agriculture, social life and customs, and nineteenth century Quaker concerns through day books, account books, financial records, correspondence, and other documents.

Held at: Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College [Contact Us]

Main content

James J. Reis Deed Collection, 1717-1881 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.25 linear feet
Abstract:
James J. Reis, a commercial real estate broker in Ambler, Pennsylvania, began collecting old deeds around 1987. The James J. Reis Deed Collection, 1717-1881, consists of 125 deeds for properties in the Philadelphia neighborhoods of Roxborough, Germantown, Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy, as well as Whitemarsh and Springfield townships in Montgomery County.

Held at: Chestnut Hill Historical Society [Contact Us]

Main content

Delaware County Institute of Science manuscript collection, 1686-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:
20.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Delaware County was the first section of Pennsylvania to be settled by Europeans, specifically Swedes in 1643. The Borough of Media, located about 12 miles outside of Philadelphia, has been the county seat of Delaware County since 1850. A largely rural area prior to that point, the town grew rapidly in the second half of the 19th century and throughout the 20th century. The Delaware County Institute of Science manuscript collection, 1686-2014, consists of a variety of local history materials including organizational records, business records, personal papers, photographs, scrapbooks, blueprints, subject files, maps and atlases, and other materials. Most of the materials relate to Delaware County (Pennsylvania), but some items pertain to other locations in Pennsylvania and other states. Although the 19th century is the best represented among the materials, there is a significant amount of materials from the 18th century and a few items from the 17th century.

Held at: Delaware County Institute of Science [Contact Us]

Main content

Darby Library Company records, 1743-2012 (inclusive)

Extent:
11.0 linear feet
Abstract:
The Darby Free Library is one of the oldest public libraries in the United States, and the first cultural institution in Darby, now part of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1743 as a subscription library, it became free to the public in 1898 and part of the Delaware County Library System in 1981. The Darby Free Library is still operational as of 2014. The Darby Library Company records, 1743-2012, include Board of Directors and stockholders' minute books, book acquisition and circulation records, financial records, other administrative papers, and various other materials from the Darby Free Library and the Darby Library Company, as well as other organizations that merged with the Darby Library Company, including the Delaware County Society for the Detection of Horse Thieves and the Recovery of Stolen Horses, and the Darby Home Protection Society.

Held at: Darby Free Library [Contact Us]

Main content

First Baptist Church of Philadelphia records, 1690-1906, 1690-1906 (inclusive)

Extent:
8 boxes
Abstract:
Notable for its early leadership in Baptist organization and evangelism, the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia was prominent both in its region and city and in the transatlantic community of Baptists. Records include annual reports, membership records, bulletins, scrapbooks, and biographies as well as records specific to the Board of Deacons, Board of Trustees, Treasurer, Pew Committee, Bible School, Board of Christian Education, and various women's and missionary groups.

Held at: American Baptist Historical Society [Contact Us]

Main content

The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute Frankliniana collection, 1718-2006 (inclusive)

Extent:
4.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1824, in honor of America's first scientist, Benjamin Franklin, The Franklin Institute is one of the oldest and most important science institutes in the nation. Its mission is to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology. The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute Frankliniana collection, 1718-2006, consists of prints, drawings, photographs, and a variety of ephemera and secondary-source materials relating to Benjamin Franklin and his activities. There is a small amount of 18th century materials signed or printed by Franklin.

Held at: The Historical and Interpretive Collections of The Franklin Institute [Contact Us]

Main content

Fairmount Park Maps, Plans and Drawings collection, 1684-2010

Extent:
98.0 linear feet
Abstract:
Items in this collection relate to East and West Fairmount Park, the original components of what has become the vast Fairmount Park system. Unique in its composition, these areas not only contain naturalist landscapes, but they are also home to a truly diverse set of historic and functional structures. In addition to a vast trail system and traditional recreational facilities (such as swimming pools and baseball diamonds), these parks are also home to an array of 18th and 19th century historic houses, the nation's first zoo, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the imposing Fairmount Water Works, and Philadelphia's iconic Boathouse Row.

Held at: Fairmount Park Historic Resource Archives [Contact Us]

Main content

Goschenhoppen Historians deeds collection, 1720-1923 (inclusive)

Extent:
2.5 linear feet
Abstract:
Goschenhoppen, one of the oldest continuously existing Pennsylvania German communities in America, is a geographic region in Montgomery County. The Goschenhoppen Historians deeds collection, 1720-1923, is primarily comprised of deeds, although there are also a few bonds, releases, wills, and other legal documents. The geographic region covered includes parts of Montgomery, Berks, and Philadelphia counties.

Held at: Goschenhoppen Historians, Inc. [Contact Us]

Main content

Germantown Historical Society small manuscripts collection, 1701-1987 (inclusive)

Extent:
8.0 linear feet (one filing cabinet ("box 1"), two boxes ("box 2" and "box 3"))
Abstract:
Germantown, a neighborhood in the northwest section of Philadelphia, was the site of several nationally significant events. It was settled in the late 1600s by Mennonite and Quaker German-speaking emigrants and incorporated as a borough in 1689. Germantown is sometimes called the home of the American anti-slavery movement; the first organized protest against slavery in the Americas was begun by four members of the Germantown Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1688. In 1777, the courage displayed by American troops at the Battle of Germantown helped to spur the French to assist the United States in the Revolutionary War. During the yellow fever outbreak of 1793, government officials escaping the epidemic in Philadelphia relocated to Germantown, and it served as the temporary home of George Washington and the First Bank of the United States. Germantown was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia in 1854. The Germantown Historical Society small manuscript...(see more)

Held at: Germantown Historical Society [Contact Us]

Main content

Leon Gardiner collection of American Negro Historical Society records, 1860-1890 (bulk) 1715-1962, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
8.5 linear feet (, 15 boxes, 35 volumes)
Abstract:
The American Negro Historical Society was founded in 1897 by a group of Philadelphia blacks to study and preserve materials documenting the American black experience. Among the founders and early members were Robert Adger, W.M. Dorsey and Jacob C. White, Jr., who donated materials to the society, some of which are present in the collection. The collection is composed of administrative records of the society and materials collected by some of its members, including correspondence, minutes, reports, financial documents, membership lists, records of lectures and debates, library catalogues, baseball lineup and scorecards, speeches, printed matter, and portraits of distinguished black leaders and abolitionists.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Simon Gratz autograph collection, 1343-1928

Extent:
190.0 linear feet (; 633 boxes (18 volumes in boxes))
Abstract:
The collection was assembled by Simon Gratz, Philadelphia lawyer, school board member, and trustee of the Free Library. He began collecting at age 17 and, by the time he died, amassed about 175,000 manuscripts and portrait engravings and lithographs. Many of the latter he personally commissioned. In 1916 he became a vice-president of the Historical Society. Gratz continued until the end of his life to deal with such notable American collectors as George Brinley, Louis J. Cist, Adrien Joline, Charles J. Jones, E.H. Leffingwell, and Joseph J. Mickley. The dealers with whom he dealt included Charavay in Paris, Naylor and Maggs in London, Cohn in Berlin, Benjamin in New York, and A.S.W. Rosenbach in Philadelphia. The records of his transactions survive from 1861 to 1925 in his "Autograph Journals." On January 1, 1925, Gratz noted that his collection had, because of astute sales and exchanges, "cost less than nothing." Gratz acquired his collection by exchange with and purchase from a...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Simon Gratz autograph collection, 1517-1925 (inclusive)

Extent:
130.4 linear feet (; 326 boxes)
Abstract:
This autograph collection was created by Simon Gratz, starting in his late teens. A myriad of documents are included and represent Gratz’s philosophy of collecting and the many relationships he formed with other collectors in the United States and abroad. Contained here are autographed letters, legal documents, and artifacts from many prominent and well known figures and personalities in the arts, religion, government, education, and military. While there are some non-substantive letters written to Gratz much of the collection includes correspondence between prominent women and men across classes, professions, and nationalities. The collection dates from the sixteenth century to the early twentieth century. Besides date range, this collection differs slightly from the Simon Gratz collection (#250A) in its alphabetical arrangement, compared to the arrangement by categories/subjects (Case) in #250A. One other distinction in this collection are the personal letters and papers of Simon...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Andrew Atkinson Humphreys papers, 1850-1879 (bulk) 1708-1930, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
69.0 linear feet (120 boxes, 76 volumes, 15 flat files)
Abstract:
The papers of Andrew Atkinson Humphreys span the course of Humphreys's career, including his service in the Second Seminole War, his work as a civil engineer on surveys along the U.S. coast and the Mississippi River, as chief of staff for General George Meade; and as head of the United States Corps of Topographical Engineers. The collection consists of correspondence, orders, reports, payment vouchers, ephemera, maps, survey data, drafts and published works. The most significant groups of materials in this collection are documents from the Civil War, including muster rolls, reports, orders, and payment vouchers, which may have been collected when Humphreys served in the Army of the Potomac; and papers related to the survey of the Mississippi River in the 1850s and 1860s. Also of interest are Humphreys's later reflections on the Civil War in his notes and manuscripts for Gettysburg to the Rapidan and The Virginia Campaign. Also included in this...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Robert Proud collection, 1681-1811 (bulk) 1681-1903 (inclusive)

Extent:
2.8 linear feet (; 7 boxes and 1 flat file)
Abstract:
Robert Proud was born on May 10, 1728 in Yorkshire England, and was trained formally in a Quaker school in classical studies. He moved to Philadelphia in 1759, and by 1761 was teaching Latin at the Friends School. Proud was a staunch Loyalist. From 1775 to 1780, Proud left his teaching post and went into seclusion, where he began writing on various subjects. Most of his writings were never published. Also during these years, he worked extensively on what became his most best-known work, The History of Pennsylvania in North America. The book was highly unsuccessful, due to its Loyalist leanings, and some very strong inaccuracies. Robert Proud died in 1813 at the age of 85. The collection is arranged into two series, the first consisting mostly of handwritten copies and drafts of The History of Pennsylvania in North America, and primary source materials used in the book. The second series consists of memoranda, poetry, and other personal papers.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Limit your search

more »

more »

more »

more »

more »

more »

more »

more »

more »

Current results range from 100 to 2023

View larger »