Domestic and Social Life II: K - Y

Abundant collections of diaries, correspondence, and related materials document the social life and customs, family relationships and routine domestic chores of traditionally "unemployed" women. These collections represent a wide range of economic classes and geographic locations. Holdings are particularly strong in Southern plantation materials, but also present are papers of rural Midwest and New England country women as well as urban aristocrats in the U.S. and abroad. The bulk of the collections are from the 19th or early 20th centuries.

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Kwilecki, Paul

Photographs, 1960-1991. 444 items. Bainbridge, Ga. Photographic prints made by documentary photographer Paul Kwilecki in Decatur County, Georgia. The prints relate to various aspects of life in Decatur County, including religion, agriculture, industry, commerce, courts, and recreation. Conditions of African Americans and women are reflected in this collection.

Leary, Josephine Napoleon

Papers, 1873-1987. 350 items. Edenton, N.C. Correspondence, legal and financial papers, maps and architectural drawings, photographs, newspapers, and miscellaneous papers of Josephine Napoleon Leary (1856?-1923), an African American resident of Edenton, N.C.; her daughter Clara Ryan; and other family members.

Loveland, Julia Lord

Papers, 1855-1965. 31 items & 2 vols. Wilkes-Barre, Penn. Included is a diary kept by Loveland describing two trips through the South with her cousin. The Richmond trip is well documented and includes many references to the religious practices and general condition of blacks in Richmond. Other entries make reference to short trips to the resort of Magnolia, Florida, Saint Augustine, Palatka, and Hibernia. There are also personal letters, clippings, obituaries, and poems.

Manning, Sarah

Papers, 1863-1920. 17 items. Boston, Mass. Chiefly love letters from Manning to Capt. John Partridge, her fiance, while he was stationed at St. Augustine, Fla., with the Union Army.

Massy, Lady Lucy Maria Butler, Baroness

Papers, 1828-1860. 34 items. Dublin, Ireland. Letters, mainly in French, to Massy from her cousin Anne Butler, describing the social and cultural life of Dublin. The collection also contains an incomplete, anonymous manuscript discussing the role of the mother in the family.

McKinnon, Inez Alexandria Stephens

Family papers, ca. 1821-1953. 2,500 items. Marianna, Fla. Correspondence with her sister, husband, other family members and friends, (ca. 1920s-1950s); letters and papers of her parents (late 19th and early 20th centuries); and papers of her father's family, the Stephens family (ca. 1820s-1880s). Also includes diaries, photographs, and scrapbooks.

Motsinger, Margaret K.

Papers, 1946. 2 items, 1 vol. Roaring Gap, N.C. Diary kept by an Englishwoman while aboard a ship as one of a group of war brides en route to New York. Entries describe her reactions to the accommodations, Negroes in the crew, and preparation for life in America provided through films and talks.

Munford-Ellis Family

Papers, 1777-1942. 12,522 items. Richmond and Lynchburg, Va. Letters of the women in an extended Virginia family contain information of the details of household economy and general social conditions. A scrapbook, 1861-1871, of Lizzie Ellis Munford contains Confederate verse and momentoes. Letters of Margaret Nimmo Ellis span from 1840-1877 and contain accounts of war activities and social changes resulting from the Civil War.

Murdoch, Susan Butterworth

Papers, 1894-1912. 5 items. Mainesville, Ohio. Diary of a Quaker homemaker discusses daily routines, family concerns, elections and women voting, and medical home remedies.

Murphy, Eliza Wright

Papers, 1847-1927. 950 items. Atkinson Co., N.C. Correspondence, school essays, poetry, receipts, printed materials, reports, and photographs comprise the personal papers of Eliza Murphy and her brothers, and document Eliza and friends personal life, education, work with literary societies and the Presbyterian Church.

Murray, Robert

Letters, 1842-1845. 15 items. New York, N.Y. Chiefly letters by Maria Murray to her husband, who was captain of the Avalanche. The letters focus on her life as a lonely wife waiting for her husband to return from the sea. All but one of the letters is posted from New York City.

Nicholson, William S.

Papers, 1852-1853. 6 items. Brewerville, Sumter Co., Ala. Letters from Nicholson's sister, Louisa Nicholson Gibbs, a teacher in Talladega Co., Ala., reflecting marital discord involving financial matters and the ownership of land and slaves, and alleged alcoholism and abuse of a wife by her husband.

North India

Diary, 1861-1865. 1 vol. (300 p.). Diary kept by the wife of an officer serving with the British Army in North India and what is now Pakistan, detailing the day-to-day life in both garrison and in traveling. Illustrated with sketches.

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Oakley, Lady Charlotte Francoise Augusta Gisberte

Autograph album, 1830-1841. 1 vol. (103 pp.) France. Noblewoman. Album contains mostly French and English poetry, prose, and a song, contributed by various persons in France, Belgium, and England. Includes poem addressed to Lady Oakley by Lord Byron, as well as autographs and personal messages.

Paton, Margaret

Diaries, 1849-1872. 16 items. Montrose, Scotland. Sixteen diaries beginning seven months after her marriage and continuing with little interruption for 23 years. She chiefly records her thoughts and moods, how she spends her days, and various events such as the marriages and deaths of persons she knows.

Patten, Mary Elizabeth

Diaries, 1913-1943. 13 vols. Washington, D.C. Entries of Washington society leader describing her daily activities and social functions and the people who attended them.

Person, Presley Carter

Papers, 1767-1915. 2,500 items. Louisburg, N.C. This collection includes letters from Harriet Person Perry who was in Texas during the Civil War; letters from various family members while attending Raleigh Female Classical Institute in 1835 and the Warrenton Female Academy in 1860; and an 1869 diary of Harriet Perry.

Pigot, Emily Georgiana Elise Benyon, Lady

Diary, 1849-1870. 1 vol. (330 p.) England. Begun shortly before her marriage in 1850, the diary is a mixture of passionate narrative, meditation, plans, and longings. Entries during the mid to late 1850s reflect her obsession with a lover and at the same time her feelings of guilt. Her lover was killed in India in 1858 and later entries chronicle a wearisome existence with a husband she did not love.

Pollard, Josephine

Papers, 1862-1897. 25 items. Poet and author of children's books. Letters and poetry to Pollard's brother, a soldier.

Ponton, Huge N.

Papers, 1859-1864 44 items. Nelson Co., Va. Correspondence of Ponton and his wife Frances Thompson Ponton during the Civil War show the difficulties of a young wife left to manage a farm and family.

Poppenheim, Louisa Bouknight and Mary Barnett Poppenheim

Papers, 1871-1955. 955 items and 34 vols. Charleston, S.C. Correspondence relating to their education and their leadership in women's social organizations. Includes information on the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the General Federation of Women's Clubs, social life in Charleston. Volumes are primarily penmanship and spelling exercise books of the four Poppenheim daughters during their early education in Charleston.

Post Card Collection

ca. 1910-present. 10,000+ items. U.S. and International. The postcard collection consists of cards indexed geographically and by subject matter, and images or portraits of women can be found throughout. Such images range from work scenes to pinups to stereotypical and "humorous" comments on women's place in society.

Pyles, Abner

Papers, 1842. 2 items. Newberry Co., SC Autobiography of Pyles describing his education and other events in his life; but focussing largely on his 4 marriages. Includes a photocopy of the testimony of Dr. J. H. Davis during the lawsuit between Pyles and his fourth wife.

Pulliam, Sarah Jane Clopton

Account Book, 1859-1861. 1 vol. (68 pp) Richmond, VA [?] Housekeeping accounts.

Annie Stevens Ramsey

Typescript, 1938. 1 item. (19 p.) Chapel Hill, N.C. Typescript of A Georgia Plantation by Ramsey describing life on the Woodmanston Plantation in Liberty Co., Ga. Ramsey indicates at the beginning of the document that she has based much of her information upon Dr. Joseph LeConte's autobiography (he was the son of Louis LeConte, who came to Georgia in 1810 to manage the plantation) and the recollections of her mother who was a niece of LeConte.

Richer Family

Diary, 1871. 1 item. (90 p.) Shelby Co., Ill. Manuscript pocket diary of Christian and Martha Richer. Entries alternate between husband and wife.

Ringgold, Elizabeth

Diaries, 1910-1924. 4 vols. Oklahoma. Chronicle of routine farm activities in rural northeastern Oklahoma. Daily entries document family and social life and more broadly the effects of World War I, the intrusion of the oil industry, and socialist and Ku Klux Klan activities.

Ripley, William Y.

Papers, 1843-1933. 419 items. Centre Rutland, Vt. Correspondence and other papers of Ripley (b. 1797) and his family, including his daughters, Mary Ripley Fisher and Julia Caroline Ripley Dorr. Letters of a his wife to her sons stationed in the Vermont Infantry concern personal matters and document Mrs. Ramsey's efforts to raise supplies for the U.S. Sanitary Commission. Also includes letters home from Ripley's daughter while she was in London, 1864-1873.

Rutherfoord, John

Papers, 1754-1931 2,743 items. Richmond, Va. Family, business, personal and political correspondence of Rutherfoord, who was governor of Virginia, and his family. Includes domestic letters of the women in the family including Jane Rutherfoord Meade, Sarah Coles Stevenson, and especially Anne Seddon Roy Rutherfoord (courtship letters and letters among family and friends discussing treatment of and loyalty to slaves and hardships during the war).

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Salmon, Ann Louise

Papers, 1870-1912. 17 items, 1 vol. Camden, S.C. Diary, cards, poems, photograph, and the constitution, membership list, and minutes of the Ladies Sewing Society of the Presbyterian Church in Camden, 1870-1872. Volume is an address delivered by a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

Scott, Mary French

Papers, 1857-1904. 88 items. Granville Co. and Onslow Co., N.C. Chiefly correspondence, 1860-1865, of family and friends of Scott and her husband. Letters relate to life and events during the Civil War and includes some legal and financial papers, passes, clippings, and miscellaneous items.

Sheet Music Collection

ca. 1820-1940. 7,000+ items. United States. Sheet music of various musical styles the majority of which have cover illustrations. Many of the illustrations reflect a full range of stereotypical popular culture and include images of women from mothers and mammies to "jezebels" and "vamps."

Simpson, Emma Glover

Papers, 1862-1953. 410 items. Nelson Co., Va. Correspondence, legal and financial papers, photographs, a memoir, and other papers concerning Simpson and family members. Letters, ca. 1890s-1901 consist chiefly of letters to Emma or her sisters discussing family news and their lives in Midway Mills, Nelson, Co., Va. Correspondence 1910-1914 consists of courtship and early marriage letters between Emma and her husband.

Smith, Florence Moss

Correspondence, 1916-1973. 4800 items. Elberta, Ala. Chiefly correspondence between Smith and her husband during his enlistment as a Lt. in the U. S. Navy during WWII. Also includes correspondence with other family members such as her son while her served in the Army during the Vietnam Conflict and her daughter while a student at Duke. Some correspondence dates from Smith's own student years at Duke in the 1920s as well as her employment at the Duke University Press and as Director of Religious Activities.

Smith, Washington M.

Papers, 1831-1916. 8,578 items. Selma, Ala. Personal, legal, and financial papers of Washington M. Smith (d. 1869), lawyer, banking specialist, slave owner, and planter. Included are personal correspondence between Smith and his wife, Susan Parker Smith, relating to the family life and running the plantation. After Smith's death in 1869, the papers chiefly relate Susan Smith's efforts to educate their seven children at various schools and academies; to a family quarrel between Smith and her children over disposal of the property in Minnesota; and to the children's efforts at various occupations.

Smyth, Sir James Carmichael, First Baronet

Papers, 1785-1952. 309 items and 9 vols. Nutwood, Surrey, Eng. Papers of a British army officer and governor of the Bahamas (1825-1833) include the diary of Lady Carmichael-Smyth which records her activities and life in the Bahamas. Collection also includes latter diaries (through the 1860s) and a memoir (55 pp.) which focuses on the Lady's life through 1810.

Spalding, Mrs. Charles

Recipe book, 1871. 1 vol. (88 pp.) Sapelo Island, Ga. Contains recipes of traditional Georgian coastal cuisine along with medical home remedies.

Stereographic card collection

1898-1925. 525 items. Stereoscope and view cards produced by various companies depicting a wide range of geographic, subject, and comic series, includes images of Victorian domestic life.

Stewart, Harriet Sanderson

Diaries, 1906-1911. 5 items. Three diaries: "Westwards Wanderings 1906-1907" (2 v.) describing travels in the West Indies, the United States, and Canada, including interleaving maps, menus, and illustrations; "Eastern Impressions, 1907-1908" (2 v.) describing travels principally in India, also heavily interleaved with photographs, drawings, maps, menus, passenger lists, etc.; and "Scenes in Southern Spain" (1 v.) describing travels in Spain between March and April, 1911, and interleaved with photographs and picture postcards.

Strangford, Viscountess Emily Anne Beaufort Smyth

Travel Journals, 1859-1860. 2 items. England. Journal (1859-1860) covers trip made to Lebanon, starting in Smyrna, with much of the travel made on horseback. Contains descriptions of social life and customs of the Lebanese people. Journal (1860) describes her trip to Greece and Turkey. Illustrated with a few drawings as a well as several items laid in including a photograph of herself.

Terrell, William Eliza Rhodes

Papers, 1838-1866, and n.d. 47 items. Letters to Eliza Rhodes from her friend, Mary Telfair of Savannah, Ga., which contain much gossip about mutual friends, including the scandalous conduct and lesbian tendencies of one of Telfair's relatives.

Thomas, Ella Gertrude Clanton

Diaries, 1848-1889. 13 vols. Augusta, Ga. Restricted. Detailed descriptions of Thomas' readings; studies at the Macon Female College; class reunions; her conversion to Methodism; clothing and dress of friends; gossip and social life; concerts, lectures, and entertainment; courtship and marriage; plantation life; relations between white men and Negro women; Civil War military activity; the state of the Southern society after the war; labor and servant problems; financial losses and poverty.

Thomson, Kate

Autograph album, 1876-1880. 1 vol. (30 pp.) "Bonnywood," Hampton Co., S.C. Autographs of friends and relatives, with verses conveying sentiments of affection; and small pictures of flowers and birds pasted in.

Tillinghast family

Papers, 1765-1945. 4,909 items. Fayetteville, N.C. Large collection of family papers include the 1861 journal of Emily Tillinghast, which describes homelife during the early months of the Confederacy. A long letter (56 p.) of Sarah Ann Tillinghast describes making clothes for the local infantry. An account by Robina Tillinghast gives her reaction to Sherman's march through Fayetteville. Papers prior to 1850 document the lives of Jane Norwood and Robina Norwood, both wives of Samuel Tillinghast. Papers after 1900 are primarily those of Anne Wetmore Tillinghast and her daughter and pertain to public schools and education in N.C. and nursing with the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe during WWI.

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Weld, Manchester Ward

Papers, 1847-ca.1870. 1 Item & 1 Volume. New York, N.Y. Volume contains a compendium of lawsuits and cases aired before agents of the Freedmen's Bureau, 1865-1868. Disputes include wages and several involve the efforts of black men to recover their wives from white owners who refused to set them free. Also listed is the amount of rations given both to poor whites and ex-slaves.

West, George W.

Papers, 1785-1910. Polk Co., Ga. Letters of Josephine West and her friends concern social life just before the Civil War and the difficulties of managing slaves during the Civil War.

Wetherell, Annie H.

Diary, 1887-1919. 1 vol. Massachusetts. Accounts of pleasure trips taken throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states including Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, and Canada. Extensive descriptions of Civil War sites, Luray Caverns, and Indian school in Carlisle Pa., and the funeral of General Samuel Armstrong, founder of the Hampton Institute.

Willard, Margaret Bradley

Papers, 1856-1907. 452 items. Madison, New Haven County, Conn. Letters to Margaret from her family and friends - mostly rural farmers - reveal family relationships, especially the devotion of the Bradley children to their mother. After Margaret's husband's death, she is encouraged to go into the business of selling patent medicine. Legal papers such as wills, deeds and insurance policies, document Margaret's financial survival.

Wilson, Eliza

Journal, 1854-1860. 1 vol. Liverpool, Eng. Diary of Wilson while a companion to General and Mrs. Cragie and their two daughters during their travels to Egypt and India reflects British social life, local schools and politics, and customs and manners of the Indian people.

Wilson, Jemima Lea

Diary, 1812-1865. 1 item. England. Written in Beckenham, Kent, England, entries are closely written, melancholy, and introspective in tone, describing death and illness of family members and reflect religious convictions.

Withrow, Elvira

Papers, 1864. Banks Co., Ga. Letters concerning the evacuation of women from Cass Station, Ga., to Atlanta, to Athens, and finally Banks Co. during the Civil War.

Woodforde, Thomas, Mrs.

Diary, 1839, Jan. 1 - June 28. 1 item (52 p.). Plymouth, England Records social and family life of Mrs. Woodforde and her daughters at Plymouth, Eng., within upper class society including visiting, concerts, theater, games, etc.

Woodring, Rebecca

Diary, 1872-1873. 1 vol. Flint Rock, N. C. Diary of a young girl containing information on social life and customs, religious life, and the weather.

Yonce, William B.

Papers, 1827-1893. Wytheville, Va. Personal and family correspondence of Yonce include Civil War letters, many of which were written by his sisters, showing the reaction of Southern white women to the war.

Young, Julia Nash

Journal, 1832. 1 vol. (42 pp.) Louisiana. Chronicle of a young wife's religious and social life.

See: Domestic and Social Life part I: A-H