Philadelphia Area Archives

Start Over Repository University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts Subject Authors, American -- 20th century Subject Women authors Form Drafts (documents)

Catherine Drinker Bowen drafts of John Adams and the American Revolution, 1946-1950 (inclusive)

Extent:: 5.6 linear feet (7 boxes)
Abstract:: Catherine Drinker Bowen (1897-1973) was an American writer best known for her popular (and occasionally controversial) biographies of prominent American and English historical figures. Her books were great successes in the popular market, but sometimes received criticism from academics for their occasional re-imagining of historical occurrences. This collection includes 5 boxes of material related to her 1950 biography of John Adams, John Adams and the American Revolution. It includes two full drafts of the book, organized by chapter, with each chapter containing various revisions. It also includes various versions of the book's prologue, source notes, and bibliography, as well as notes and corrections, along with a statement by Drinker Bowen explaining her biographical methods.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Margaret Deland manuscript and draft of Golden Yesterdays, 1935-1936 (inclusive)

Extent:: 0.4 linear feet (1 box)
Abstract:: Margaret Deland (1857-1945) was American novelist and poet. This collection includes the original manuscript and drafts for Deland's final book, Golden Yesterdays, a memoir published in 1941 when she was 84 years old and which follows her early life from her teens through her courtship and relationship with her husband, Lorin Deland.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Chava Weissler papers, circa 1982-1999 (inclusive)

Extent:: 6.75 linear feet (8 boxes)
Abstract:: Dr. Chava Weissler has been the Philip and Muriel Berman Professor of Jewish Civilization in the Religion Studies Department of Lehigh University since 1988. Her areas of interest are women in Jewish history, Jewish folklore, classical Jewish texts, and Jewish and American popular religion. This collection, dating from 1982 to 1999, contains writings by Dr. Weissler, as well as her personal notes and research documents. The bulk of the materials document the research and writing of Dr. Weissler's first book, Voices of the Matriarchs: Listening to the Prayers of Early Modern Jewish Women, published in 1998.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Esther B. Aresty papers, 1937-1989 (inclusive) 1963-1989 (bulk)

Extent:: 7 linear feet (14 boxes)
Abstract:: Esther B. Aresty (1908-2000) was a cookbook collector and culinary historian who wrote on food, cooking and etiquette. This collection documents Aresty's personal and professional activities, primarily through correspondence, publication drafts, and research materials regarding her books, entitled The Grand Venture (1963), The Delectable Past (1964), The Best Behavior (1970), and The Exquisite Table (1980).

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]

Helen, Ira, and Michael Wolfert papers, 1920-2001 (inclusive)

Extent:: 33 linear feet (35 boxes)
Abstract:: This collection includes material related to the lives and work of Helen (1901-1985), Ira (1908-1997), and Michael Wolfert (1936-2001). It contains correspondence between the family and others; manuscripts by all three subjects, as well as others; financial documents; personal documents; photos taken by and of the family; newspaper clippings collected by Helen and Ira; and notes and miscellanea from all three subjects.

Held at: University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts [Contact Us]