Holmes-Keyes Children's letters, 1896

Summary

Creator:

Anonymous

Abstract:

Three young girls named Lillian Holmes Keyes, "Mildred," and "Edith" wrote these 6 letters to their grandparents in the summer of 1896. Edith's letters were penciled by her mother, Fannie. The girls wrote on illustrated children's stationery and commented on scenery, wildlife, health, and family news. Mildred addressed one of her letters from East Tilton, New Hampshire.

Extent:

6 items

Language:

English

Authors:

Collection processed and finding aid created by Cheney J. Schopieray, June 2006, and Meg Hixon, May 2012

Background

Scope and Content:

Three young girls named Lillian Holmes Keyes, "Mildred," and "Edith" wrote these 6 letters to their grandparents in the summer of 1896. Edith's letters were penciled by her mother, Fannie. The girls wrote on illustrated children's stationery and commented on scenery, wildlife, health, and family news. Mildred addressed one of her letters from East Tilton, New Hampshire.

Lillian Holmes Keyes wrote 2 letters to her grandparents on July 19 and 22, 1896, about her ongoing recovery from scarlet fever. Though she could not interact with other children, she did enjoy a trip to a nearby lake with her Aunt Alice. "Mildred" sent 2 letters (July 9, 1896, and undated), describing a picnic and other outdoor activities such as swimming. She also thanked her grandmother for throwing her a 7th birthday party. The final 2 letters are attributed to a child named Edith, though they are written by her mother, Fannie. The first letter reports family news, such as the recent sale of their store and an anticipated August vacation. The second offers greetings to various family members and bears scribbled drawings by a young child (possibly Edith).

Each letter is written on illustrated children's stationery with images of children writing, accepting a letter from a dog, riding in a cart, and repairing a doll.

Biographical / Historical:

Lillian Holmes Keyes wrote two letters to her grandparents in July 1896. Other members of her family included Mildred (b. ca. 1889), Edith, Edith's mother Fannie, and an older man named Frank. Edith had aunts named Lily and Grace, and she and Lillian shared an aunt named Alice. The Holmes family owned a store, which was sold to another family member in the summer of 1896.

Acquisition Information:

2004. M-4350.1 .

Processing information:

Cataloging funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). This collection has been processed according to minimal processing procedures and may be revised, expanded, or updated in the future.

Arrangement:

Undated items are placed at the end of the collection.

Rules or Conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Subjects

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Subjects:

Children and animals.
Children--Correspondence.
Children--Health and hygiene.
Scarlatina.
Children.

Formats:

Letters (correspondence)

Names:

Holmes family.
Keyes family.
Keyes, Lillian Holmes.

Places:

New Hampshire--Description and travel.
Tilton (N.H.)