The Richard John Levy and Sally Waldman Sweet Collection contains letters and documents signed by prominent political figures, military leaders, authors and scientists. The date span of the collection is from 1766-1935, with the bulk of the items being from the 19th century. Notable individuals include Susan B. Anthony, Robert Browning, Henry Clay, Charles Darwin, George Gissing, Ernest Hemingway, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, James Madison, James Monroe, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, George Washington, Daniel Webster and Woodrow Wilson. There are many items of exceptional content, such as a letter by Thomas Jefferson regarding financial support for a female slave freed by Jefferson's lifelong friend George Wythe, a letter by Robert Browning on the subject of Darwinism, a letter by Charles Darwin concerning his book On The Origin of Species and a letter by Susan B. Anthony on women's suffrage.
Unpublished finding aid available at repository and on the Internet.
Provenance (note)
According to Sally Waldman Sweet, the items in this collection were acquired primarily by her first husband, Richard John Levy, and mostly by purchase from various manuscript dealers and auction houses. The donors reported that they added no items to the collection for several decades prior to its acquisition by The New York Public Library in 2000.
Processing action (note)
Cataloged.
Author
Levy, Richard John. Collector
Title
Richard John Levy and Sally Waldman Sweet collection, 1766-1935
Restricted access
Restricted access; Manuscripts and Archives Division; Permit must be requested at the division indicated.
Indexes
Unpublished finding aid available at repository and on the Internet.
Provenance
According to Sally Waldman Sweet, the items in this collection were acquired primarily by her first husband, Richard John Levy, and mostly by purchase from various manuscript dealers and auction houses. The donors reported that they added no items to the collection for several decades prior to its acquisition by The New York Public Library in 2000.