Search

Start Over Year 1850 to 1899

Main content

Olivia Stokes Hatch papers, 1859-1993 (inclusive)

Extent:
13 linear ft. (13 containers, 1 photograph)
Abstract:
The Olivia Stokes Hatch papers reveal the relief work of women during the early 20th century, as well as family relationships, largely illustrated through extensive family correspondence. Olivia Stokes Hatch (1908-1983) was born in New Haven, CT and attended Bryn Mawr College from 1925 to 1930. Prior to her marriage she was very active with the American Red Cross and American Conferences of Social Work. In 1939, Olivia Phelps Stokes married John Davis Hatch, Jr. an art collector, consultant, and museum director. They had four children: John Davis Hatch III, Daniel Lindley Hatch, James Stokes Hatch, and Sarah Stokes Hatch. Anna V.S. Mitchell, the sister of Caroline Mitchell Phelps Stokes, and the aunt of Olivia Stokes Hatch, spent most of her life engaged in relief work. Her career began in 1915 in Serbia and ended in 1936 in Constantinople. The Olivia Stokes Hatch papers, 1859 to 1993, is a collection that consists largely of correspondence between the Phelps, Stokes, Mitchell, and...(see more)

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Main content

Henry Nevill Sanders papers, 1851-1971 (inclusive) 1910-1937 (bulk)

Extent:
2.5 linear ft.
Abstract:
Henry Neville Sanders (1869-1943) studied at Edinburgh University, Gottingen, and the University of Toronto prior to joining joined the faculty of Bryn Mawr College in 1902. Sanders remained at Bryn Mawr until his retirement in 1935. Angela Darkow (AB – 1911; MA – 1912; PhD – 1919) studied Greek and Latin at Bryn Mawr College. Aditionally, her sister, Marguerite, received her AB from Bryn Mawr in 1915. The collection consists of correspondence and diaries of Henry Neville Sanders (1869-1943) and Angela Darkow documenting their lives at Bryn Mawr, careers and relationships. A small part of the collection pertains to Marguerite, the Ferris Family, and M. Carey Thomas, president of Bryn Mawr.

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Main content

Andrew H. Woods papers, 1885-1956 (inclusive)

Extent:
3.8 linear ft.
Abstract:
Andrew H. Woods (1872 – 1956) became vice president of Canton College in Guangzhou, China in 1899. He maintained his association with Canton Christian College throughout the Boxer Rebellion, or Yihetuan Movement, and the end of the Qing dynasty. Woods moved back and forth between China and the United States with his wife, Fanny Sinclair, who graduated from Bryn Mawr in 1901. In 1929, the couple and their children settled in Iowa. In Iowa, Woods worked as a professor and practitioner of neurology and psychology. Andrew H. Woods' papers include diaries which describe his personal life and professional life in China and in the United States, photographs and postcards, much of Agnes Sinclair's personal correspondence, his articles, and various papers.

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Main content

Florence Bascom papers, 1883-1938 (inclusive)

Extent:
5.5 linear ft.
Abstract:
Florence Bascom (1862-1945) was a noted American geologist, specializing in petrography. She attended the University of Wisconsin, receiving her BA degree in 1882 and her MA degree in 1884, and was the first woman to be granted a PhD from Johns Hopkins University in 1893. From 1895 to 1928, Bascom taught at Bryn Mawr College, where she established the Geology Department. In 1896, she became the first woman appointed to the United States Geological Survey. The Florence Bascom papers, 1862-1938, offer evidence of Bascom's career as a regarded geologist and petrographer, particularly her tenure with the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The papers allude to many of Bascom's geological interests and projects, but do not seem to offer comprehensive documentation of any. Her work for the USGS is by far the best represented of all her efforts. The collection is divided into five series: Correspondence, 1897-1937," "Research, 1892-1930" "Travel journal, 1883-1885," "United States...(see more)

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Main content

Mary Garrett family papers, 1874-1915 (inclusive)

Extent:
7 linear ft.
Abstract:
Mary Elizabeth Garrett (1854-1915) promoted women's education by founding the Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore, Maryland, helping to finance Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and ensuring that women were admitted to the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her family was prominent in Baltimore society, which allowed her to pursue her philanthropic activities. She was an active suffragist and financially helped that cause until her death in 1915. The Mary Garrett family papers houses the business and family papers of the Garrett family. This collection, which dates from 1874 to 1915, consists of correspondence, diaries, notebooks, biographical information, and business and estate records. The large number of family letters suggest a close relationship between its members.

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Main content

Bryn Mawr College photo archives inventory, 1885-2000s

Extent:
53 linear ft.
Abstract:
The Photo Archives comprises photographs, slides, transparencies, and negatives depicting the history of Bryn Mawr College from 1885 to the early 2000s. The majority of prints are in black-and-white, though there are a few in color from the late 1960s through the 1980s. Older prints range from carte-de-visite, cabinet cards, cyanotypes and some other early photomechanical processes. Photos are organized in three sub-collections: People; Buildings and Campus; and Events and Groups. The sub-collection People contains photos of notable and miscellaneous persons from the College. The Buildings group includes images of past and current campus buildings, including exterior and interior views. The Events and Groups sub-collection comprises events, campus happenings, and student life. There are also portraits of early alumnae, yearbook photographs, Bi-Co news photographs, and images from the Summer School of Women Workers in Industry (SSWWI). Digitized materials can be found at:...(see more)

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Main content

Emmy Noether materials, 1885-1935 (inclusive) 1920-1935 (bulk)

Extent:
1 linear ft.
Abstract:
Born in Germany, Emmy Noether was a distinguished mathematician who immigrated to the United States as a refugee Jewish scholar in the 1930s where she took a teaching position at Bryn Mawr College. During the 1934-1935 academic year Noether taught one graduate level course in Algebra in the department of mathematics. Noether died suddenly in 1935 at the Bryn Mawr Hospital. The collection consists mainly of material written about Noether and memorializing Noether.

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Main content

Lily Ross Taylor papers, 1886-1969 (inclusive)

Extent:
3.5 linear ft.
Abstract:
Lily Ross Taylor was Professor of Latin and Dean at Bryn Mawr College, Director of the American Academy in Rome, and a renowned Classicist. Her papers include lecture notes, correspondence, and personal memorabilia.

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Main content

Mary C. Davidow collection of research materials on the life and career of Charlotte Mew (1869-1928), 1869-1928 (inclusive)

Extent:
2 boxes
Abstract:
Charlotte Mary Mew (15 November 1869 – 24 March 1928) was an English poet. She contributed a number of short stories to the Temple Bar as well as the Yellow Book. She is best known for her book of poems The Farmer's Bride, published by Harold Monro's Poetry Bookshop in 1916. She committed suicide while depressed. These materials were collected by Mary C. Davidow in the process of writing her Ph.D. dissertation at Brown University (1960) on the life and work of Charlotte Mew. The collection includes correspondence, miscellaneous notes, and over 100 photocopies of letters written by Mew to Hardy, Cockerell, Alida Monro, May Sinclair, and others.

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Main content

Grace de Laguna papers, 1899-1969 (inclusive)

Extent:
5 linear ft.
Abstract:
Grace de Laguna was a professor of Philosophy at Bryn Mawr, a past president of the American Philosophical Association, and mother of Frederica de Laguna, the noted anthropologist. This collection consists of Personal Material, Correspondence, Reprints, and Typescripts.

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Main content

Mabel H. Austin (Converse) diaries, 1897-1905 (inclusive)

Extent:
9 volumes
Abstract:
Mabel H. Austin was a student at Bryn Mawr from 1901 to 1905. The Mabel H. Austin (Converse) diaries is comprised of nine volumes spanning from 1897-1905. The diaries chronicle her daily life, from her years at Friends Central School to her career at Bryn Mawr College.

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Main content

Jane Browne Haines scrapbook, 1888-1930s (bulk)

Extent:
1 volumes
Abstract:
Jane Haines was a member of the class of 1891 and the founder of the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women. The Jane Haines scrapbook contains Haines' one volume scrapbook. The scrapbook, which ranges from 1888-1930s, contains a large volume of personal memorabilia.

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Main content

Sylvia Scudder (Bowditch) scrapbook, 1895-1906 (inclusive)

Extent:
1 volumes
Abstract:
Sylvia Scudder (later Bowditch) was born in 1875. She was prepared by the Cambridge School for Girls in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She matriculated with the Bryn Mawr class of 1899, but received her degrees—in Greek and French—in 1901. From 1901-1902, she did graduate work in Greek at Radcliffe College. She taught Greek and English as the Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore, Maryland from 1902-1904. She married Ingersoll Bowditch in 1904. For 21 years, she was the treasurer of the Bryn Mawr Club of Boston, as well as being the collector and editor for her class. She passed away in 1964. The Sylvia Scudder Bowditch scrapbook houses Scudder's one volume scrapbook. The scrapbook contains materials from 1895 to 1906 and primarily contains photographs and other Bryn Mawr memorabilia.

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Main content

Bertha Szold (Levin) scrapbook, volume 1: 1891-1893 volume 2: 1893-1895 (inclusive)

Extent:
2 volumes
Abstract:
Bertha Szold (Levin) was a member of the Bryn Mawr College class of 1895. After graduation, she taught English at St. Timothy's School in Baltimore. She later married Hiram Levin in 1901 and had five children. She was highly involved in Jewish charities and organizations, and was the cofounder of Hadassah, a women's Zionist organization. This collection contain's Szold's two volume scrapbook. The first scrapbook covers Szold's freshman and sophomore years, from 1891-1893, while the second scrapbook covers Szold's junior and senior years, from 1893-1895. The scrapbooks were arranged by Szold's daughter-in-law, Alexander Lee Levin '33, and primarily contain typed transcripts of letters written by Szold to her family.

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Main content

Evangeline Walker (Andrews) scrapbook, 1890-1893 (inclusive)

Extent:
1 volumes
Abstract:
Evangeline Walker (later Andrews) was a member of the class of 1893. She was one of the founders of the Alumnae Association and the organizer of the first May Day at Bryn Mawr. The Evangeline Walker (Andrews) scrapbook contains Walker's one-volume scrapbook. The scrapbook covers Walker's sophomore-senior years at Bryn Mawr, from 1890-1893, and consists primarily of Bryn Mawr memorabilia.

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Main content

Hermann Collitz papers, 1869-1913 (inclusive)

Extent:
2 containers (1 document box, 1 oversized letter file)
Abstract:
Dr. Hermann Collitz was a professor of Philology and German, author, and editor of the American Journal of Philology and The Journal of English and German Philology. The Hermann Collitz Papers, which ranges from 1869-1913, contains Collitz' personal correspondence and other miscellaneous papers.

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Main content

Mildred Fairchild Woodbury papers, 1894-1975 (inclusive)

Extent:
7 boxes
Abstract:
Mildred Fairchild Woodbury was a noted labor economist and educator. Her collection contains materials from 1894-1975 and includes a variety of materials related to the Department of Social Work and Social Research at Bryn Mawr College, the American Association of University Women Philadelphia, the YWCA, the Pennsylvania Advisory Committee for Public Assistance, and the Southeast Regional Planning Council, the Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Planning Board, and some personal materials.

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Main content

History of Philadelphia Collection, nineteenth century (inclusive)

Extent:
1 linear ft.
Abstract:
This collection contains prints and photographs from 19th Century Philadelphia, mostly derived from the collection of Seymour Adelman. This collection will be useful as historical documentation of commerce and daily life in Philadelphia, as well as how the history of photography proliferated in East Coast cities in the mid-19th Century. the photographs are landscapes, rather than portraits or other genres. Few of the photographers are noted in the materials. The prints are also mostly landscapes or specific places.

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]

Main content

Charlotte Isabelle Claflin papers, 1870-1964 (inclusive)

Extent:
1 boxes
Abstract:
A member of Bryn Mawr's class of 1911, Charlotte Claflin had a 47-year career in social work. Her collection, which ranges from 1870-1964, consists of personal and published writings, newspaper clippings, essays, poetry, presentations, book reviews, photographs, letters, and bibliographic material.

Held at: Bryn Mawr College [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

Asylum Company papers, 1794-1820 (bulk) 1773-1851, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
0.8 linear feet (; 2 boxes (350 items))
Abstract:
Robert Morris, John Nicholson, and others organized the Asylum Company in April 1794 to develop and sell land in several unsettled areas of Pennsylvania. The land speculation venture was ultimately a failure and dissolved partially circa 1820 and fully in the 1830s. The Asylum Company papers include administrative and financial records as well as correspondence, title papers, shares of the company’s stock, and published material from 1773-1851.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

John Rutter Brooke papers, 1861-1902 (bulk) 1767-1918, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
13.9 linear feet (; 27 boxes, 37 volumes, 6 flat files)
Abstract:
The papers of John Rutter Brooke include correspondence, accounts, regimental reports, military orders, and pamphlets that primarily pertain to his career in the United States Army, 1861-1902. Brooke’s military papers document the activities of the 53rd Pennsylvania volunteer regiment during the Civil War; the 3rd Infantry division and 7th Cavalry during the Indian Wars; the 1st Corps of the Army during the Spanish-American War; and Brooke’s service as military governor of Puerto Rico and Cuba, as well as his service in the Departments of the Missouri, the Platte, the Gulf, and the East. The collection is particularly rich in its documentation of the United States Army’s “Sioux Campaign” during 1890-1891, containing extensive correspondence during the height of the Ghost Dance on the Standing Rock and Pine Ridge reservations, and the ensuing military build-up, which escalated into the massacre at Wounded Knee on December 29, 1890.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

James Buchanan papers, 1815-1868 (bulk) 1783-1895, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
35.0 linear feet (74 boxes, 25 volumes)
Abstract:
The James Buchanan papers span the entirety of Buchanan's legal, political and diplomatic career, including his service as Pennsylvania assemblyman, U.S. representative, minister to Russia, U.S. senator, secretary of state, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Great Britain, and president of the United States. The collection consists primarily of correspondence, but also includes speeches, notes, business papers, legal papers, manuscript drafts, pamphlets, books, newspaper clippings, and scrapbooks. The most significant groups of materials in this collection are related to Buchanan's time as secretary of state, 1845-1849; minister to Great Britain, 1854-1856; and the growing differences between the North and South before the Civil War, 1857-1861.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Salmon P. Chase Papers, 1850-1872 (bulk) (1824-1884, undated) (inclusive)

Extent:
12.0 linear feet (; 43 boxes; 16 volumes; 10 flat files)
Abstract:
Salmon P. Chase (1808-1873) was a career politician and an influential Union decision-maker during the Civil War. He served as governor of Ohio, U.S. senator, secretary of the Treasury, and Supreme Court chief justice. The Salmon P. Chase Papers, which span the years 1824-1884, provide tremendous insight into the professional life of Chase and provide information on the National Bank and specie debates, as well as the abolition movement from the early 1820s through the Civil War. This collection contains correspondence, speech notes, newspaper clippings, biographical material, court opinions, financial papers, and a myriad of miscellaneous items. In addition to containing Chase's papers, this collection also contains the papers of J. W. Schuckers, Chase's personal secretary and biographer. Schuckers’s papers give further insight into the economic situation immediately following the Civil War and include correspondence, newspapers, investments records, and other financial papers.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Lewis S. Coryell papers, 1806-1872, undated

Extent:
1.0 linear feet (; 5 boxes)
Abstract:
The papers of Lewis S. Coryell, lumber dealer and political leader in Pennsylvania consist mostly of correspondence related to state and national politics. There are also some letters related to Coryell's lumber business at New Hope, Pennsylvania, as well as on the construction of canals, railroads, and roads.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Horace Howard Furness collection on the Great Central Fair, 1861-1867, undated

Extent:
3.7 linear feet (; 10 boxes, 13 volumes, 1 flat file)
Abstract:
Best known as a prominent nineteenth-century Shakespearean scholar, Horace Howard Furness served an active role in the United States Sanitary Commission during the Civil War. This collection contains Furness' papers and ephemera from the U.S. Sanitary Commission's Great Central Fair held in Philadelphia in June 1864, as well as other materials from the Sanitary Commission and related aid organizations. The collection includes correspondence, meeting minutes, receipts, ticket vouchers, circulars, broadsides, ribbons, tickets, stamps, photographs, ephemera, pamphlets, newspapers, and reports, and offers insights into the planning and implementation of the Great Central Fair, women's aid efforts during the Civil War, and medical practices and sanitation in the 1860s.

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

Henry Family papers, 1759-1914

Extent:
1.25 linear feet (; 9 volumes)
Abstract:
William Henry (1729-1786) was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, but lived most of his life in Lancaster County, where he raised a family and led successful business and military ventures. Before the Revolutionary War, he ran a hardware business from 1759 to 1773, and he was a dealer in supplies to Indian traders. During the war, Henry was a strong proponent of independence and was appointed to many public offices. He served on the board of war, was named the superintendent of arms and accoutrements, and held the office of assistant commissary general to the Continental Army to help supply arms. In Lancaster, he was also the fiscal agent of Pennsylvania and the United States and later served nine years as county treasurer. After his death in 1786, his wife, Ann Wood Henry took over in his position as Lancaster County treasurer, making her the first woman in the state of Pennsylvania to hold public office. The Henry family papers contain correspondence and other documents...(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

George G. Meade collection, 1845-1872 (bulk) 1811-1897, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
9.0 linear feet (11 boxes, 36 volumes, 29 flat files)
Abstract:
George G. Meade's career in the military began during his student years at West Point, where he studied topographical engineering. He served in the Mexican-American War and went on to become a celebrated Union general in the Civil War, where his son George served under his command. This collection covers all aspects of Meade's career, including his student work, his work as a cartographer while working for the U.S. coastal survey and during the Civil War, and his service as commander of the Army of the Potomac. In addition to his military papers, there are a significant group of letters to Meade's wife Margaretta and their children, which document his family relationships and his feelings about his military service during the Mexican-American and Civil wars. Also included in this collection are letters compiled by Meade's son George while he was writing a biography of his father, titled The Life and Letters of General Meade. The manuscripts for this work make up...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Peale family papers, 1794-1858, undated

Extent:
1.2 linear feet (; 2 boxes, 7 volumes, 1 flat file)
Abstract:
Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827) was a well-known Philadelphia artist, educator, and polymath in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He is best known for his portraits of George Washington and other revolutionary figures, and for establishing the Philadelphia Museum, a natural history and art museum. He outlived three wives and many of his children. Several of his sons followed in their father’s footsteps, becoming artists and scientists and taking various roles in the family’s museum. Rembrandt Peale (1778-1860) was a respected portrait artist, best known for his “Porthole Portrait” of George Washington. Titian Ramsay Peale (1799-1885), the youngest of Peale’s sons, was a scientific illustrator, naturalist, and explorer who participated in many expeditions, including the U. S. Exploring Expedition of 1838-1842. Established in 1786, the Philadelphia museum displayed portraits and exhibits related to science and natural history, including a mastodon skeleton. The museum...(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]

Main content

Read family letters, 1716-1872 (inclusive)

Extent:
0.4 linear feet (; 1 box)
Abstract:
The Read manuscripts collection contains information on the many facets of George Read’s far-reaching lifework, and includes significant material on the development of Delaware. The correspondence dates from April 23, 1716 (predating George Read’s life) to March 9, 1872. Read’s varied career encompassed, but was not limited to, participation in the Continental Congress as a representative from Delaware (1774-1777), President of Delaware (1777-1778), and membership in the United States Senate (1789-1793). The collection gives the reader insight into Read’s participation at the 1787 Constitution Convention as a representative from Delaware. Some day-to-day details of a personal nature are also reflected in letters to friends and family.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Jonathan Roberts papers, 1780-1930

Extent:
3.5 linear feet (; 8 boxes)
Abstract:
These papers relate particularly to state and national political history during the Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe presidential administrations. Among the subjects dealt with in the papers from 1780-1848 are: Pennsylvania legislation, political affairs at Lancaster, Republican and Adamite factions, promotion of manufacture, controversies over the charter of the United States Bank, embargoes, the British orders in council, agitation for war with England, opposition of the Federalists to government war loan; French decrees affecting American ships and commerce, foreign trade, New England political factions, land claims, Andrew Jackson's conduct in Florida and New Orleans, restoration of the Capitol, political appointments, the Missouri question, ratification of the Spanish treaty, Marquis de Lafayette's reception at Harrisburg, presidential elections, religion, Texas slavery contest, California, Roberts's appointment as collector of the Port of Philadelphia, his dismissal by President...(see more)

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

William H. L. Smith papers, 1836-1869 (inclusive)

Extent:
2.5 linear feet (; 5 boxes)
Abstract:
Mr. William Henry Leland Smith was born in Vermont and received his bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College, and his law degree from Harvard University. In the 1860s, he became the first mayor of Corry, Pennsylvania, shortly after oil was discovered in Pennsylvania and the oil industry grew in the commonwealth. For much of his life, he managed the Corry plant of the Downer Kerosene Oil Company. The collection is arranged into three series: incoming correspondence, miscellaneous business records, and miscellaneous legal records.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

United States Sanitary Commission Philadelphia Branch collection, 1861-1865 (bulk) 1861-1875, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
7.5 linear feet (19 boxes, 21 volumes, 2 flat files)
Abstract:
The United States Sanitary Commission Philadelphia Branch collection includes materials on several humanitarian efforts made by this association during the Civil War. The collection consists primarily of bills, vouchers, receipts, checkbooks, and other financial papers, but also includes the correspondence of Mrs. Thomas P. James, relating to her work as chair of the Ladies' Committee on Relics, Curiosities & Autographs for the Great Central Fair held in 1864, as well as ephemera from the fair. The collection includes a small amount of materials from other Philadelphia war relief efforts, including the Pennsylvania Relief Association for East Tennessee and the Testimonial Fund for Major General David B. Birney.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Felton family papers, 1839-circa 1922

Extent:
2.4 linear feet (; 5 boxes, 4 volumes)
Abstract:
The Felton family papers consist primarily of correspondence, telegrams, memoranda, and reports of Samuel Morse Felton (1809-1889) and his son Samuel Morse Felton II (1853-1930), both civil engineers who became prominent railroad executives. Samuel Morse Felton rescued the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Philadelphia Railroad from financial ruin in the 1850s and made it into an important transportation route for Union troops during the Civil War. Felton also played a role in thwarting an assassination attempt on President Lincoln in February 1861. He went on to work for several railroad companies. Samuel Morse Felton II also forged a highly successful career in railroads, particularly with the Chicago Great Western Railroad during the late 1800s. Felton II was eventually named director general of military railways during World War I.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Jefferson Justice papers, 1862-1864 (bulk) 1862-1891 (inclusive)

Extent:
1.2 linear feet (4 boxes)
Abstract:
This collection consists of a small group of reports, correspondence, and inventories collected by Lieutenant Jefferson Justice during his service as regimental quartermaster for the 100th Pennsylvania Volunteers Regiment during the Civil War.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Citizens' Permanent Relief Committee records, 1885-1923, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
16.5 linear feet (34 boxes, 61 volumes, 10 flat files)
Abstract:
The Citizens' Permanent Relief Committee was a local philanthropic group which aided the sufferers in many disasters between 1878 and 1900, notably the Johnstown Flood, the Russian famine, the Armenian massacres, and other disasters that took place during the final decade of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth. During the Spanish-American War the Committee under the name National Relief Commission, helped soldiers, sailors, and their families. The collection consits of correspondence, business papers, magazines, clippings, applications for relief, treasurer's reports, minutes, investigations, and field reports related to each disaster for which the committee provided relief.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Philadelphia Cricket Club records, 1854-1921, undated

Extent:
1.2 linear feet (; 3 boxes, 5 volumes)
Abstract:
The Philadelphia Cricket club, founded in 1854, is one of the oldest clubs in the country devoted to cricket, a game that began as a pastime for children in the 16th century. International competitions of the game as we know it today have been played since 1844, just ten years prior to the founding of the Philadelphia Cricket Club. The Philadelphia Cricket Club collection includes four albums with photos and newspaper articles. These make up the bulk of the collection. The vast majority of the newspaper clippings describe the matches played by the club. One of the albums is devoted to a tour of Great Britain in 1889. Another, covering the 1897 tour of Great Britain, includes individual photo portraits of men on the Cricket Club team. Also included are annual reports dated from 1883 to 1921, by-laws dated 1883 to 1911, and two minute books of the Philadelphia Cricket Club from the years 1854–1864 and 1865-1879.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Coles Family Papers, 1819-1870 (bulk) 1760-1921, undated (inclusive)

Extent:
1.6 linear feet (; 3 boxes, 5 volumes, 4 flat files)
Abstract:
Edward Coles was the governor of Illinois from 1822 to 1826. Prior to that position, he was private secretary to President James Madison and special envoy to Russia. Coles was a staunch abolitionist and worked against the legalization of slavery in Illinois. The Coles family papers provide insight into the private and political life of Edward Coles, as well as glimpses of the lives of several other family members, including his son Edward Coles Jr. and brother John Coles. The collection provides information about planter family life, politics in Illinois, and the politics of abolition in general, as well as the personal activities of Edward Coles throughout his life. This collection contains correspondence, land deeds, ledger books, newspapers, scrapbooks, speech notes, tax forms, tariff papers, government appointment papers, certificates, and various miscellaneous material.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Main content

Waln family papers, 1759-1888 (inclusive)

Extent:
5.6 linear feet (; 14 boxes)
Abstract:
The Walns were a family of prominent Quaker merchants in Philadelphia. In 1774, Richard Waln, moved the family to Crosswicks, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, where he purchased "Walnford" and established a flour mill. The Waln family papers document primarily the family's business activities. Richard Waln (1737-1808) who was engaged in the milling business in Walnford, New Jersey, also was involved with financial concerns in Philadelphia. His nephew Robert (1765-1836) was the director of the Philadelphia Insurance Company from 1804 to 1813. Robert a successful merchant, joined into a partnership with his cousin Jesse, and traded with England and the West Indies, and later with East India and China. The collection consists largely of correspondence and financial records.

Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]

Limit your search

more »

more »

more »

more »

more »

more »

more »

more »

more »

more »

Current results range from 100 to 2023

View larger »