The papers, 1840s-1980, document the lives of three generations of the Emerson family. Included are correspondence, diaries, accounts, school records, poetry and writings, art work, photographs, legal and financial records, printed material, sound recordings, and memorabilia. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence among members of the family in Europe, the U.S. and Japan, and with friends and colleagues. Topics discussed include politics, current events, religion, archaeology, and business and economic trends. Also included are papers of the Ingham family, related to the Emersons by the marriage of Edwin Emerson and Mary Ingham in 1850.
The Emersons were an American family who lived in Europe and Japan and travelled widely during the second half of the 19th century. The family consisted of Edwin Emerson (1823-1908), his wife Mary Ingham Emerson (d. 1883), their six children, and the children of their son Alfred. Edwin Emerson was a journalist, professor of English literature and amateur photographer. His children and grandchildren were artists, writers, teachers, bankers, lawyers, journalists, engineers, and archaelogists.
Language
Some letters in French, German and shorthand.
Finding aids
Collection guide available in repository and on internet.