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Josiah W. Leeds scrapbooks
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Held at: Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections [Contact Us]370 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
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Josiah Woodward Leeds (1841-1908) was the son of Benjamin S. Leeds. Born in Philadelphia, he moved to West Chester, Pa. in 1868 and joined the Society of Friends in 1870. In 1871 he married Deborah Ann Crenshaw of Virginia and they moved to Germantown (Philadelphia, Pa.). In 1877 he published a United States history textbook notable for its lack of battle illustrations. This volume was followed in 1882 with a smaller version suitable for intermediate grades. Leeds moved to "Rocouncey," near Birmingham Meeting House, Chester County, Pa. in 1890. He was the author of numerous tracts and was active in his opposition to what he perceived as damaging to the public welfare.
Twenty-two scrapbooks of correspondence of Josiah Woodward Leeds with persons involved in the social reform movements of the late 19th century as well as clippings from newspapers, periodicals and journals of articles and editorials written by Leeds and articles on topics of interest to him.
Correspondence (ca. 2,000 letters) relates to his reform activities and includes letters from John Bellows, George Dana Boardman, Gertrude Whittier Cartland, Anthony Comstock, Wilbur F. Crafts, John H. Dillingham, Neal Dow, Elizabeth E. Flagg, Anna A. Gordon, William Torrey Harris, Herman Haupt, Alfred H. Love, Thomas Meehan, Clement B. Penrose, Jonathan E. Rhoads, Theodore Roosevelt, George J. Scattergood, Isaac Sharpless, Clarkson Sheppard, Hannah Whitall Smith, William Tallack, William P. Townsend, Benjamin Franklin Trueblood, John Wanamaker, Herbert Welsh, John Greenleaf Whittier, Frances E. Willard, Julia McNair Wright and others.
Tracts written by Leeds are also to be found in these books. Leeds's scrapbooks reflect his views on what was wrong with society at the end of the 19th century. The topics represented in the scrapbooks cover a wide variety of "vices" and their proposed remedies.
Some areas of interest to Leeds included temperance work, peace, crime, prison reform and the abolition of the death penalty, plain attire, John Wycliffe, simplicity of worship and legislation to control "vice."
He was also a crusader for "social purity" and some of the areas he saw danger in included the following: novels and other "pernicious literature," "immoral" post cards, posters and handbills, the theater, ballet and opera, "wild west shows" and their relationship to Native Americans, paintings and statues, all forms of gambling (especially lotteries, horse-racing, contests and card games), the use of "charity balls" as fund-raisers and the propriety of accepting "tainted" money for charity work, college football, bicycle riding, boxing, tobacco, secret societies (especially the Masons, Elks and fraternities) and the glorification of the military (especially with young people as in military exercises at West Point and the formation of organized "boys' brigades").
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The collection is open for research use.
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Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).
Collection Inventory
159 p., inside front cover inscribed "For private reference" "Volume I." Binding broken.Newspaper and periodical clippings [chiefly of his own writings from "Friends' Review" and other journals], includes "The monthly olivebranch," articles on Indigenous Americans, public libraries, prisons, temperance, William Penn, various tracts ("Come in and look! You will not beexpected to buy," "The presentment of the Grand Jury. October term, 1882"), issues of "The Freedman's Friend," poem "The `constellation'warship" (and list of where published), illustrations for his "smaller history," lists of books for the Emlen Institution, Institute for Colored Youth. Also material related to the publication and sale of his history books "Leeds' United States History," and "Leeds smaller history of the United States."
137 p.This volume is chiefly correspondence, with some clippings from newspapers of articles written by Leeds ("The monthly olive branch"), other articles on peace, against "charity balls," household games and gambling, temperance, "pernicious literature."Also issues of "The Freedman's Friend," various tracts by Leeds ("The dress parade at West Point," "Concerning the charity ball," "The primitive peace principles of John Wiclif," "Illiteracy in the South," the preceding with lists of who were sent copies; also "Some helpful sentences," "The Theatre").
Correspondence, topics include the theater, "pernicious literature," charity balls, military statues, fox hunting, flowers at funerals, tobacco, temperance, "social purity," case of M.A. Martin vs. Burnet county school trustees [use of Leeds's History of the United States in the school system]. Also various tracts by Leeds ("Concerning printed poison," "Prospectus of the silvertrack dramway of Pennsylvania," "Simplicity of attire; anessential to the promotion of social purity," "Once more the charity ball").
123 p., crumbling edges of pages, many page numbers missing. Correspondence, newspaper and periodical clippings of articles written by Leeds as well as of interest to him on such topics as: temperance, charity balls, "pernicious literature," "pernicious prints," legislation related to "vice," tobacco, ballet, theater, volumeing, capital punishment, secret societies, military exercises at West Point, plain attire, New Year's Eve celebrations. Also various tracts by Leeds ("Social purity Series, no. 4, Simplicity of attire an essential to social purity," "Fruit eating," "Some quiet ways of dealing with pernicious prints," "Sunday papers again," "Taking risks," "Juvenile periodical literature").
89 p., in good condition. Correspondence, clippings of newspaper and periodical articles written by Leeds, as well as articles of interest to him on topics such as: tobacco, legislation relating to "vice," charity balls, temperance, "wild west shows," theaters. Also various tracts by Leeds ("A warning concerning a proposed act for legalizing poolselling on horseraces," "Simplicity of attire, as related to the promotion of social purity,"), and "The Swedes' last night at Pultowa" by Charles Shieldstream.
133 p.Correspondence, clippings of newspaper and periodical articles written by Leeds, as well as articles on topics of interest to him, such as: ballet,Sarah Bernhardt, charity balls, tobacco, temperance, "French" art, "French" novels, gambling, death penalty, lotteries, U.S. navy, New Year'sEve celebrations, "pernicious literature," "indecent posters," horserace betting, volumeing, secret societies, theater, peace, oppressed Russian Jews, legislation relating to "vice," genealogy of William F. Cody ("Buffalo Bill") prepared by Gilbert Cope, guns and gun advertisements.Also various tracts written by Leeds ("The cigarette, some sober words about it," "Purity in the art exhibits at the Columbian Exhibition,""The menace of the theater"
115 p.Correspondence, clippings of newspaper and periodical articles written by Leeds as well as articles of interest to him on topics such as charity balls, tobacco, theater, peace, secret societies, gambling, "indecent posters," "The fall of Babylon" (a painting by Rochegrosse which Leeds felt obscene and sought to keep out of the U.S. in 1891), lotteries, New Year's Eve celebrations, music in schools, prohibition, race tracks, education, volumeing, death of Whittier, "wild west shows."Also tracts written by Leeds ("Educators should bear witness against pernicious reading matter").
113 p.Correspondence, clippings of newspaper and periodical articles written by Leeds as well as articles on topics of interest to him such as: crime, capital punishment, ballet, "immoral" art, race tracks, "indecent" posters and handbills, nude art at the Columbian Exposition, peace, lotteries and contests, Siberian exiles, temperance, "Pernicious" literature, theater, tobacco, "purity," football, secret societies, charity balls, crime [as a consequence of "indecent" writing and pictures]. Also tracts written by Leeds ("Our free institutes for the promotion of brutality and burglary," "The dress parade at West Point," "The titleReverend," "Writing for the public," "Ought Christians to engage in war?," "Prospectus of the silvertrack dramway of Pennsylvania").
109 p., p.71 contains 2 cyanotypes of bean teepees and unidentified persons, also of carriage in country lane. Correspondence, clippings of newspaper and journal articles written by Leeds as well as clippings of articles on topics of interest to him such as: secret societies, football, "Round about Rocouncey" [articles in the Friend about his home grounds], "pernicious" literature, "boys'brigade," tobacco, military training in schools, horticulture, peace, music, temperance, Alaska, photography, crime against women. Also tract written by Leeds ("The common weal vs. the newsstand").
113 p.Correspondence, clippings of newspaper and journal articles written by Leeds as well as articles on topics of interest to him such as: "boys'brigades," peace, "Round about Rocouncey" [articles in the Friend re his home grounds], Alaska, gambling, volumeing, John Wycliffe, legislationto control "vice," lotteries, secret societies, newsdealers, temperance, theater, Yvette Guilbert [singer].Also tracts by Leeds ("The smoker and his 'resolute will'," "The highwaymen of the railway, and a few related remarks," "Relation of the pressand the stage to purity"). Lists of names with note of tracts sent to them in front and back of volume
89 p.Correspondence, clippings of newspaper and journal articles written by Leeds as well as articles on topics of interest to him such as: peace, lotteries, charity balls, tobacco, gambling, Armenia, theater, Sarah Bernhardt, legislation on "vice," opium, fox hunting, teaching war inhistory texts, secret societies, vegetarianism, National Congress of Jewish Women, intercollegiate sports. Also tracts by Leeds ("The help of Armenia," "Against the teaching of war in history textbooks," "Silvertrack dramways, state and national, The waste of 'personal liberty' versus the winnings of abstinence for the public good").
119 p.Correspondence, clippings of newspaper and journal articles written by Leeds, as well as articles on topics of interest to him such as: tobacco,charity balls, horse racing, New Year's celebrations, "progressive euchre" [card game], prisons, Elihu Burritt, Neal Dow, "immoral" art, newspapers, simplicity, gambling, lotteries, secret societies, "vice" legislation, volumeing, bicycling, crime, U.S. currency designs, missing letterscontests, resignation of Theodore B. Stulb as Health Officer of Philadelphia. Also tracts by Leeds ("The place of progressive euchre," "Need of faithful testimony against impurity," "Our free institutes for the promotionof brutality and burglary," "Relation of the press and stage to purity," "The cigarette, some sober words about it," "An examen of the boy'sjob of train derailment near Rome, N.Y."). List at back of volume giving names, addresses and tracts sent.
107 p.Correspondence, clippings of newspaper and journal articles written by Leeds as well as articles of interest to him on topics such as: peace, volumeing, bicycles, tobacco, Czar Alexander I, Czar Nicholas II, vice in the military, "pernicious" literature, Free Masonry, secret societies, gambling, Gladstone, N.P. Hobson, lawyers, simplicity of attire, Theodore B. Stulb, theater, train robbers, dancing classes, relationship of sensational literature and crime, "A trip to North Carolina" [Leeds's series in The Friend], Silas C. Swallow, "manifest destiny."Also tract by Leeds ("The wheel out of place"). List at back of volume with names, addresses and tracts sent.
81 p.Correspondence, clippings of newspaper and journal articles written by Leeds as well as articles on topics of interest to him such as: simplicity of worship, charity balls, clerical titles, Samoa, novels, peace, Boar War in South Africa, "progressive euchre," plain language, vice in the army, temperance, volumeing, Joseph Sturge (extracts from his memoirs), gambling, secret societies, Doukhobors, Bingham H. Roberts, Finland,"wild west shows."
113 p.Correspondence, clippings of newspaper and journal articles by Leeds as well as articles on topics of interest to him such as: peace, Samoa, Boar War in South Africa, "wild west shows," trip of Deborah Leeds to West coast, secret societies, fox hunting, daily newspapers, football, theater, "The confessors of peace" [series by Leeds in the "Christian Neighbor"], Doukhobors, Abraham L. English, U.S. soldiers in the Philippines, vice in the army, Prohibition party, "Roosevelt's charge against the Quakers" ["investigated by a committee of the Jefferson and Lincoln Legion, Indianapolis, Ind."], West Point hazing and alcohol. Also tract by Leeds ("The Pacific position of the China Inland Mission").
85 p., photograph of "farmer's cottage at Rocouncy, Autumn, 1901" on p.77. correspondence [includes birthday letters], clippings of newspaper and journal articles written by Leeds and other articles on topics of interest to him such as: West Point hazing, theater, peace, military drills in public schools, U.S. Navy, tobacco, crime, secret societies, gambling, John Wiclif, contests and lotteries, Egypt, child labor, militarism [on p. 8485, 12 p. holograph essay "Remedies for the prevailingmilitarism"], also tract by Leeds ("Wiclif's antiwar views: an obstructed or nearly suppressed ray from 'The morning star of the reformation' that should now shed forth its light").
95 p.Correspondence, clippings of newspaper and journal articles written by Leeds as well as articles on topics of interest to him such as: gambling, theater, Wiclif, crime, music, peace, tobacco, prohibition, curvilinear boundaries between counties in Tennessee, euchre, Indigenous Americans, lotteries, New Hebrides, Sunday newspapers. Also tracts by Leeds ("The case of a friend of the Commonwealth versus the Sunday newspaper with special relation to the Public ledger,""Wiclif's antiwar views: an obstructed or nearly suppressed ray from `The morning star of the reformation' that should now shed forth its light")
105 p., 3 photographs on p. 80 taken at Geneva, Switzerland. Correspondence, clippings of newspaper and journal articles written by Leeds as well as articles on topics of interest to him such as: Sunday newspapers, theater, University of Pennsylvania, war, peace, gambling "investments," "indecent" posters, capital punishment, secret societies, the Masons, George Washington [his views on war, etc.], volumeing, Indigenous people of Alaska, gambling, "wild west shows," "The confessors of peace from the second century to the era of Mahomet" [series by Leeds in The Friend], various lynchings around the country, travel letters of Deborah Leeds, Welsh Mountain Industrial Mission, "indecent" medical advertisements, temperance, "blue" laws, contests. Also tract by Leeds ("The element of sacrifice in the Christian's daily paper"). List of names, addresses in back with tracts sent
91 p., p. 69 photograph of Friends' Select School personnel (J. Henry Bartlett, Joseph S. Elkinton, Ruth Chambers, Elizabeth Smedley, W.F.Wickersham, Charles Wagner, Prof. Koenig, Edward Smedley). Correspondence, clippings of newspaper and journal articles written by Leeds as well as articles on topics of interest to him such as: theater, safety of theaters, crime, Indigenous Americans, temperance, card games, peace, "Merle d'Aubigne's testimony for peace" [series by Leeds in The Friend], horse racing, objectionable advertising, dancing, hazing, Mormons. Also tract written by Leeds ("A voice from home"). List of names, addresses with tracts sent in back of volume.
115 p.Correspondence, clippings of newspaper and journal articles written by Leeds as well as articles on topics of interest to him such as: cruelty to animals, temperance, peace, Indigenous Americans, hazing, tobacco, secret societies, Welsh revival, Mary Anderson (actress), gambling, fraudulent "investments," Carlisle Indian School, theater, Army canteens, misleading advertisements, accepting "illgotten" proceeds for charity [inparticular Rockefeller's gift to the American Board of Foreign Missions], lawyers, "vulgar" postal cards, cartoons, football, Quay statue, Boer relief work. Also tracts by Leeds ("The blessing of the `Royal Arthur'" [poem], "The `Constellation' warship" [poem], "An open letter to John Weaver, mayor of Philadelphia, concerning a corrupt condition"). List in back of volume of names, addresses and tracts sent.
79 p., 5 photographs found loose in back of book of Philippolis [?] rugmaking work room [some kind of relief work?] and Margaret Clark. Correspondence, clippings of newspaper and journal articles written by Leeds as well as articles on topics of interest to him such as: football reform, divorce, theater, war, peace, "indecent" post cards, crime, tobacco, gambling, card games, secret societies, Upton Sinclair's "Home Colony" [JWL's son to join], capital punishment, Mary Dyer, Boer relief. List at back of volume of names, addresses and tracts sent
81 p.Correspondence, clippings of newspaper and journal articles written by Leeds as well as articles on topics of interest to him such as: dirty streets, theater, Boer relief, "Salome" [opera], tobacco, Japan, temperance, "immoral" postcards, Masonry, Senator Smoot of Utah, gambling, penny arcades, clerical titles, the Elks, lawyers, opium, secret societies and fraternities, Christmas customs, football, "Kinglsey Centre" [a brochure put out by John B. Leeds telling of a plan to end the "servant problem" through "Cooperative Housekeeping"]. List at back of book with names, addresses and tracts sent