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Conversational Club of Norristown papers

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Held at: Bryn Mawr College [Contact Us]Bryn Mawr College Library, 101 N. Merion Avenue, Bryn Mawr 19010

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Bryn Mawr College. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

The Conversational Club of Norristown is a women's education club founded in 1885 by Isabella Smith. Under her direction, the members met unofficially until October 1887 when they adopted a constitution. The club's purpose was the "Study of History, Literature, and Art, and the promotion of intelligent thought and conversation." The group held weekly meetings from November to March where members explored an agreed upon topic for the current year. These topics were split into sections for individual meetings. At each meeting, two members gave essay presentations of twenty minutes, then a third member read an excerpt of some relevant published text for ten minutes. This was followed by a discussion session.

A majority of the original members were wives of doctors, factory owners, and clergymen. They met in members' homes in downtown Norristown; membership was initially limited to thirty members but that number was reduced, first to twenty-five, then to twenty. Besides regular thematic programs, club activities have included biannual dinner parties and occasional outings.

The club, now more than twenty-five years past its centennial anniversary, continues to meet, and keeps many of the same traditions. They have made small changes over the years like reducing their meetings to twice a month in 1969 but nevertheless, they continue in their core purpose of women's education and maintain the same meeting format, yearly topics, and winter and spring dinner parties.

The Conversational Club of Norristown Papers consists of records of the meetings and activities of the club. The collection is arranged in three categories: "Records of Meetings", "Business and Financial Records", and "Club History".

Records of Meetings includes the yearly programs - comprehensive records of the topics studied at the meetings from 1890-91 to 2012-13; minutes of the meetings from 1890 to 2007 (with some missing years); essays that were presented at meetings between program years 1939-40 and 1994-95; photographs taken at dinners within the last thirty-five years; menus from several annual dinners; and a box of various trinkets distributed when responsibilty for the year's presentations was assigned.

Business and Financial Records includes correspondence from 1935-2005, primarily RSVPs for dinners, membership acceptances, and member resignations. The financial records include treasurer's reports, receipts, a few returned checks, and records of dues and contributions.

Club History includes publications on the club's history, clippings from newspapers and other primary sources about members of the club (1935-2003); various obituaries and funeral programs for members of the club; awards programs for the Norristown Area High School where the club gave a yearly award; records on similar organizations; and maps with directions to the homes of members.

This collection was a gift from the Conversational Club of Norristown

Publisher
Bryn Mawr College
Finding Aid Author
Jo Dutilloy, Toby Makowski
Finding Aid Date
2015 June, edited 2017 June
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

The Conversational Club of Norristown papers are the physical property of Special Collections Department, Bryn Mawr College Library. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns.

Collection Inventory

Archival Resource Key. DELETE THIS SUBSERIES! Trinkets.
Archival Resource Key. Program Committee - Members and Responsibilities.
Box 1 Folder 1
Archival Resource Key. Skits, (2007-2015).
Box 1 Folder 2
Archival Resource Key. Programs, 1890 November-1893 April.
Box 1 Folder 3
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1893 November-1898 April.
Box 1 Folder 4
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1898 November-1902 April.
Box 1 Folder 5
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1902 November-1907 April.
Box 1 Folder 6
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1907 November-1910 April.
Box 1 Folder 7
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1910 November-1913 April.
Box 1 Folder 8
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1913 November-1916 April.
Box 1 Folder 9
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1916 November-1919 April.
Box 1 Folder 10
Archival Resource Key. Programs, 1919 November-1923 April.
Box 1 Folder 11
Archival Resource Key. Programs, 1923 November-1929 April.
Box 1 Folder 12
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1929 November-1933 April.
Box 1 Folder 13
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1933 November-1936 April.
Box 1 Folder 14
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1936 November-1938 April.
Box 1 Folder 15
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1938 November-1941 April.
Box 1 Folder 16
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1941 November-1944 April.
Box 1 Folder 17
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1944 November-1947 April.
Box 1 Folder 18
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1947 November-1950 April.
Box 1 Folder 19
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1950 November-1953 April.
Box 1 Folder 20
Archival Resource Key. Programs, 1953 November-1957 April.
Box 1 Folder 21
Archival Resource Key. Programs, 1956 November-1959 April.
Box 1 Folder 22
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1959 November-1962 April.
Box 1 Folder 23
Archival Resource Key. Programs, 1962 November-1965 April.
Box 1 Folder 24
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1965 November-1968 April.
Box 1 Folder 25
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1968 November-1971 April.
Box 1 Folder 26
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1971 October-1974 April.
Box 1 Folder 27
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1974 November-1977 May.
Box 1 Folder 28
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1977 October-1980 May.
Box 1 Folder 29
Archival Resource Key. Programs, 1980 October-1984 May.
Box 1 Folder 30
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1983 October-1987 May.
Box 1 Folder 31
Archival Resource Key. Programs, 1987 October-1989 April.
Box 1 Folder 32
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1990 October-1993 May.
Box 1 Folder 33
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1993 October-1996 May.
Box 1 Folder 34
Archival Resource Key. Programs, 1996 October-1999 May.
Box 1 Folder 35
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 1999 October-2003 May.
Box 1 Folder 36
Archival Resource Key. Programs , 2003 October-2007 May.
Box 1 Folder 37
Archival Resource Key. Programs, 2007 Octoer-2012 May.
Box 1 Folder 38
Archival Resource Key. 2011 Immigration Exhibit, 2011.
Box 1 Folder 39
Archival Resource Key. Programs, 2012 October-2016 May.
Box 1 Folder 40
Archival Resource Key. Minutes , 1887-1891.
Box 1 Folder 41
Archival Resource Key. Minutes, 1891-1896.
Box 1 Folder 42
Archival Resource Key. Minutes , 1896-1902.
Box 2 Folder 1
Archival Resource Key. Minutes, 1901-1910.
Box 2 Folder 2
Archival Resource Key. Minutes , 1910-1919.
Box 2 Folder 3
Archival Resource Key. Minutes, 1922-1928.
Box 2 Folder 4
Archival Resource Key. Minutes (1 of 2), 1928-1933.
Box 2 Folder 5
Archival Resource Key. Minutes (2 of 2), 1928-1933.
Box 2 Folder 6
Archival Resource Key. Minutes , 1935-1938.
Box 2 Folder 7
Archival Resource Key. Minutes (1 of 2), 1938-1944.
Box 2 Folder 8
Archival Resource Key. Minutes (2 of 2), 1938-1944.
Box 2 Folder 9
Archival Resource Key. Minutes , 1944-1947.
Box 2 Folder 10
Archival Resource Key. Minutes (1 of 2), 1947-1951.
Box 2 Folder 11
Archival Resource Key. Minutes (2 of 2), 1947-1951.
Box 2 Folder 12
Archival Resource Key. Minutes (1 of 2), 1953-1962.
Box 2 Folder 13
Archival Resource Key. Minutes (2 of 2), 1953-1962.
Box 2 Folder 14
Archival Resource Key. Minutes (1 of 2), 1962-1974.
Box 2 Folder 15
Archival Resource Key. Minutes (2 of 2), 1962-1974.
Box 2 Folder 16
Archival Resource Key. Minutes , 1974-1976.
Box 2 Folder 17
Archival Resource Key. Minutes , 1976-1978.
Box 2 Folder 18
Archival Resource Key. Minutes, 1978-1980.
Box 2 Folder 19
Archival Resource Key. Minutes , 1980-1982.
Box 2 Folder 20
Archival Resource Key. Minutes , 1982-1984.
Box 2 Folder 21
Archival Resource Key. Minutes, 1984-1987.
Box 2 Folder 22
Archival Resource Key. Minutes , 1987-1989.
Box 2 Folder 23
Archival Resource Key. Minutes, 1989-1991.
Box 2 Folder 24
Archival Resource Key. Minutes, 1991-1995.
Box 2 Folder 25
Archival Resource Key. Minutes , 2000-2004.
Box 3 Folder 1
Archival Resource Key. Minutes , 2004-2005.
Box 3 Folder 2
Archival Resource Key. Minutes , 2005-2007.
Box 3 Folder 3
Archival Resource Key. Minutes, 2011-2015.
Box 3 Folder 4
Archival Resource Key. Minutes, 2015-2017.
Box 3 Folder 5
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1939-1940.
Box 3 Folder 6
Archival Resource Key. Essays , 1940-1941.
Box 3 Folder 7
Archival Resource Key. Essays , 1941-1942.
Box 3 Folder 8
Archival Resource Key. Essays , 1942-1943.
Box 3 Folder 9
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1944-1945.
Box 3 Folder 10
Archival Resource Key. Essays , 1945-1946.
Box 3 Folder 11
Archival Resource Key. Essays , 1948-1949.
Box 3 Folder 12
Archival Resource Key. Essays , 1949-1950.
Box 3 Folder 13
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1950-1951.
Box 3 Folder 14
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1951-1952.
Box 3 Folder 15
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1952-1953.
Box 3 Folder 16
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1953-1954.
Box 3 Folder 17
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1954-1955.
Box 3 Folder 18
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1955-1956.
Box 3 Folder 19
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1956-1957.
Box 3 Folder 20
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1957-1958.
Box 3 Folder 21
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1958-1959.
Box 3 Folder 22
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1959-1960.
Box 3 Folder 23
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1960-1961.
Box 3 Folder 24
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1961-1962.
Box 3 Folder 25
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1962-1963.
Box 3 Folder 26
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1963-1964.
Box 3 Folder 27
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1964-1965.
Box 3 Folder 28
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1965-1966.
Box 3 Folder 29
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1966-1967.
Box 3 Folder 30
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1967-1968.
Box 3 Folder 31
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1968-1969.
Box 3 Folder 32
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1969-1970.
Box 3 Folder 33
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1970-1971.
Box 3 Folder 34
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1971-1972.
Box 3 Folder 35
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1973-1974.
Box 3 Folder 37
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1974-1975.
Box 3 Folder 38
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1975-1976.
Box 3 Folder 39
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1976-1977.
Box 3 Folder 40
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1977-1978.
Box 3 Folder 41
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1978-1979.
Box 3 Folder 42
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1979-1980.
Box 3 Folder 43
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1980-1981.
Box 3 Folder 44
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1981-1982.
Box 3 Folder 45
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1982-1983.
Box 3 Folder 46
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1983-1984.
Box 3 Folder 47
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1984-1985.
Box 3 Folder 48
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1985-1986.
Box 3 Folder 49
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1986-1987.
Box 3 Folder 50
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1987-1988.
Box 3 Folder 51
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1988-1989.
Box 3 Folder 52
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1989-1990.
Box 3 Folder 53
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1990-1991.
Box 3 Folder 54
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1991-1992.
Box 3 Folder 55
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1992-1993.
Box 3 Folder 56
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1993-1994.
Box 3 Folder 57
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1994-1995.
Box 3 Folder 58
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1995-1996.
Box 3 Folder 59
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1996-1997.
Box 3 Folder 60
Archival Resource Key. Essay, 1997-1998.
Box 3 Folder 61
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1998-1999.
Box 3 Folder 62
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 1999-2000.
Box 3 Folder 63
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 2000-2001.
Box 3 Folder 64
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 2001-2002.
Box 3 Folder 65
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 2002-2003.
Box 3 Folder 66
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 2003-2004.
Box 3 Folder 67
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 2004-2005.
Box 4 Folder 1
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 2005-2006.
Box 4 Folder 2
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 2006-2007.
Box 4 Folder 3
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 2007-2008.
Box 4 Folder 4
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 2008-2009.
Box 4 Folder 5
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 2009-2010.
Box 4 Folder 6
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 2010-2011.
Box 4 Folder 7
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 2011-2012.
Box 4 Folder 8
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 2012-2013.
Box 4 Folder 9
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 2013-2014.
Box 4 Folder 10
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 2014-2015.
Box 4 Folder 11
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 2015-2016.
Box 4 Folder 12
Archival Resource Key. Essays, 2016-2017.
Box 4 Folder 13
Archival Resource Key. Essays Undated.
Box 4 Folder 14
Archival Resource Key. Photographs, 1979-1984.
Box 4 Folder 15
Archival Resource Key. Photographs, 1986.
Box 4 Folder 16
Archival Resource Key. Photographs, 1991-1992.
Box 4 Folder 17
Archival Resource Key. Photographs, 1992-1994.
Box 4 Folder 18
Archival Resource Key. Photographs, 1994-1995.
Box 4 Folder 19
Archival Resource Key. Photographs, 1995-1996.
Box 4 Folder 20
Archival Resource Key. Photographs, 1996-1997.
Box 4 Folder 21
Archival Resource Key. Photographs, 1997-1998.
Box 4 Folder 22
Archival Resource Key. Photographs, 1999-2000.
Box 4 Folder 23
Archival Resource Key. Photographs, 2001.
Box 4 Folder 24
Archival Resource Key. Photographs, 2002.
Box 4 Folder 25
Archival Resource Key. Photographs, 2003.
Box 4 Folder 26
Archival Resource Key. Photographs, 2006-2008.
Box 4 Folder 27
Archival Resource Key. Photographs, 2010-2011.
Box 4 Folder 28
Archival Resource Key. Photographs Undated.
Box 4 Folder 29
Archival Resource Key. Spring and Winter Dinner Menus, 1957-2016.
Box 4 Folder 30
Archival Resource Key. Conversational Club Trinkets.
Box 4 Folder 31
Archival Resource Key. DELETE THIS.
Archival Resource Key. DELETE THIS SUBSERIES! Programs.
Archival Resource Key. DELETE THIS! Minutes.
Archival Resource Key. DELETE THIS, 1939-1995.
Archival Resource Key. DELETE THIS Photographs, 1979-2006.
Archival Resource Key. DELETE THIS Ephemera.

Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1919.
Box 4 Folder 32
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1935-1941.
Box 4 Folder 33
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1994-1996.
Box 4 Folder 34
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1946-1948.
Box 4 Folder 35
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1949-1951.
Box 4 Folder 36
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1952-1955.
Box 4 Folder 37
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1959-1962.
Box 4 Folder 38
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence (1 of 2), 1962-1963.
Box 4 Folder 39
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence (2 of 2), 1962-1963.
Box 4 Folder 40
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence (1 of 2), 1964-1965.
Box 4 Folder 41
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence (2 of 2), 1964-1965.
Box 4 Folder 42
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1966-1968.
Box 4 Folder 43
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1968-1970.
Box 4 Folder 44
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1970-1972.
Box 4 Folder 45
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1976-1981.
Box 4 Folder 46
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1982-1984.
Box 4 Folder 47
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1984-1986.
Box 4 Folder 48
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1986-1989.
Box 4 Folder 49
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1990-1992.
Box 4 Folder 50
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1993.
Box 4 Folder 51
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 1994-1996.
Box 4 Folder 52
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 2000-2006.
Box 4 Folder 53
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence, 2010-2015.
Box 4 Folder 54
Archival Resource Key. Correspondence Undated.
Box 4 Folder 55
Archival Resource Key. Financial Records: Treasurer's Reports.
Box 4 Folder 56
Archival Resource Key. Financial Records: Receipts of Expenditures.
Box 4 Folder 57
Archival Resource Key. Financial Records: Returned Checks.
Box 4 Folder 58
Archival Resource Key. Financial Records: Records of Dues and Contributions.
Box 4 Folder 59
Archival Resource Key. DELETE THIS SUBSERIES! Correspondence, 1919-2005.
Archival Resource Key. DELETE THIS SUBSERIES! Financial Records.

Archival Resource Key. Club Histories (1 of 2).
Box 4 Folder 60
Archival Resource Key. Club Histories (2 of 2).
Box 4 Folder 61
Archival Resource Key. Clippings on Club Undated.
Box 4 Folder 62
Archival Resource Key. Clippings on Members and Families, (1980-1989).
Box 4 Folder 63
Archival Resource Key. Clippings on Members and Families, (1990s).
Box 4 Folder 64
Archival Resource Key. Clippings on Members and Families, (2000s).
Box 4 Folder 65
Archival Resource Key. Memorials.
Box 4 Folder 66
Archival Resource Key. Awards Programs: Norristown Area High School.
Box 4 Folder 67
Archival Resource Key. Similar Organizations.
Box 4 Folder 68
Archival Resource Key. Maps and Directions.
Box 4 Folder 69
Archival Resource Key. DELETE THIS Clippings on Members and Families, 1980-2006.

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