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Samuel Woodfill Correspondence
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Held at: Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division. 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
Consists of 64 pictorial postcards written by Samuel Woodfill, mostly addressed to Miss Lorena "Blossom" Wiltshire. Written during Woodfill's time serving in the U. S. Army, the postcards feature images of San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston, Laredo, and Mexico and its inhabitants. Woodfill writes of camp life, daily activities, weather, training, and conflicts on the Texas-Mexican border.
A small number of postcards are printed with pictures from the Mexican Revolution, including "After the Battle - Ravine Where the Dead Have Been Thrown" and "Carranza at the Front Eating Hot Tamales." Other postcards picture Mexican subjects and street scenes, and also American military personnel while "Drilling" and at "Mess hour in camp at Ft. Sam Houston." Woodfill wrote the first two letters in this collection from Oklahoma and nearly all others in Laredo, Texas.
Most of the postcards are addressed to his future wife, Blossom, in Cinncinati. Two are addressed to William Wiltshire, who he writes to as "Dad". His correspondence also mentions receiving letters from Blossom and visiting the Wiltshires.
The postcard "After the Battle - Ravine Where the Dead Have Been Thrown," dated November 3, 1914, features a photograph image of dead bodies.
Materials were arranged in chronological order.
Purchased from McBride Rare Books in 2022 (AM 2023-105).
For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.
This collection was processed by Lauren C. Williams in June 2023.
Finding aid written by Lauren C. Williams in June 2023, incorporating some description provided by the dealer.
No materials were removed from the collection during 2023 processing.
People
Subject
Place
- Publisher
- Manuscripts Division
- Finding Aid Author
- Lauren C. Williams
- Finding Aid Date
- 2023
- Access Restrictions
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The collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
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Single copies may be made for research purposes. No further duplication of copies of material in the collection can be made when Princeton University Library does not own the original. Inquiries regarding publishing material from the collection should be directed to Special Collections Public Services staff through the Ask Us! form. The library has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.
Collection Inventory
1 box