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Bookworm & Silverfish

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New York)(Ephemera)(Correspondence) WILLIAMS-LEWIS ARCHIVE FROM RHODE ISLAND TO NEW YORK

. Collection of correspondence, financial records and social memorabilia c. 1880-1900. Miss Abby and Miss Mildred Williams, daughters of Fielding Williams, lived sometimes in Bristol, RI and sometimes at 15 W. 22 St. in NYC, descended from the Townes, Maclin, and Boyd families which saw marriages into the Williams, Calhoun, Lyne, Lewis, Bullock, Johnson and Swepson families (a genealogical record is included). Relatively affluent, the Misses Williams were able to make the European tour, participate in the DAR, and receive invitations to events as well as to receive an abundance of the black-bordered sympathy cards so in vogue at that time. Special mention should be made about the many stamped envelopes in the collection and the over 50 dance cards (as in "my card is full"). Social correspondence includes over 450 items, some sent home from the Grand Tour, some family matters, etc. Financial Records include many cancelled checks (watch for endorser AUTOGRAPHS and revenue stamps), bills from Grand Tour, nine check registers with nearly 600 check stubs (and a comparable number of deposit details with a balance running frequently in four figures), two small expense registers, estate settlement details and more. Social Memorabilia can be evaluated from over 1100 "at home" cards, black bordered sympathy cards, invitations to various activities, and those highly important dance cards (over 50). Names include Seabury, de Peyster, Ms. Westmoreland Davis, Governor Brown of Rhode Island (?) and other names such as Coit, Coles, Flanagan, and many more. In all, some 2000 documents and ephemera relating to a family in the midst of the social whirl of the gay nineties. Extra shipping. For the collection
  • $2,500
  • $2,500