1826-2003
Guide to the Collection
Restrictions on Access
The Wright family papers are stored offsite and must be requested at least two business days in advance via Portal1791. Researchers needing more than six items from offsite storage should provide additional advance notice. If you have questions about requesting materials from offsite storage, please contact the reference desk at 617-646-0532 or reference@xlhl.net.
Abstract
This collection consists of the papers of the Wright family of Massachusetts, including the correspondence, autobiography, diaries, juvenilia, and other papers of Harvard French professor C. H. C. Wright and the papers of Elizabeth Woodman Wright, Walter Woodman Wright, Brooks Wright, and other family members.
Biographical Sketches
Below are brief biographical sketches of the Wright and Woodman family members most heavily represented in this collection, listed in chronological order by date of birth. For a Wright family genealogical chart, see Appendix 1 below. For the Woodman family genealogy, see Appendix 2.
Wright Family
Margaret B. Wright (1839-1919)
Margaret Barker "Bertha" Upham, the daughter of Sylvanus Kidder Upham and Marianne Brooks Upham, was born in Castine, Me., and spent most of her childhood in Dixon, Ill. At the age of 18, she married Zalmon McMaster, a Civil War army surgeon who died of tuberculosis a few years later. The couple had one child, Marian Lois McMaster. In 1868, Margaret Upham McMaster married Charles Henry Wright, who died a little over a year later, before the birth of their son Charles Henry Conrad Wright. She worked for many years as a journalist and magazine writer and was a supporter of women's suffrage. She died in 1919 of weakness of the heart.
Marian Lois Wright (1861-1888)
Marian Lois McMaster was born in Eureka, Ill., the daughter of Margaret Upham McMaster and Dr. Zalmon McMaster. (Her name was later changed to Wright after her stepfather Charles Henry Wright.) Her early artistic talent was encouraged by Irish-American artist William John Hennessy, and she went on to study at the Atelier Julien in Paris. On her return to the United States in 1880, she taught art and established a studio in Bethlehem, Penn. In 1887, she married Adolphe Cohn, a professor at Harvard University. Their son Albert Cohn was born in 1888, and Marian Lois Wright Cohn died nine days later of puerperal fever.
C. H. C. Wright (1869-1957)
Charles Henry Conrad Wright, the son of Margaret B. Wright and Charles Henry Wright, was born in Chicago in 1869, ten weeks after the death of his father. In 1874, he sailed with his mother and sister from Boston to Liverpool, England. From 1874 to 1884, he and his mother lived in various countries in Europe, including England, France (where he became fluent in French), and Italy. After returning to the U.S., they eventually settled in Cambridge, Mass., in 1886, and Wright attended Harvard. Upon his graduation in 1891, he was offered a position as instructor in French, but he decided to enroll at Trinity College, Oxford University, and set sail again for England in July of that year. After graduating from Oxford, he returned home in 1895 to take a position as French instructor at Harvard. He taught at Harvard for many years, finishing as Professor of French Language and Literature. In 1903, he purchased Windy Ledge, a farm in Maine where the family would spend its summers. Their neighbors included the Westons and the Thayers. In 1914, C. H. C. Wright married Elizabeth Woodman, and they had three sons: Walter Woodman Wright, C. Conrad Wright, and Brooks Wright.
For more information, see C. H. C. Wright's autobiography (Carton 15, Folder 1-16).
Elizabeth Woodman Wright (1885-1961)
Elizabeth Woodman Wright was the daughter of Walter Woodman and Mary Weston Woodman and the stepdaughter of Anna Cutler Woodman. She married C. H. C. Wright in 1914. A lifelong Unitarian, she was active in the First Parish in Cambridge for many years.
Walter Woodman Wright (1915-1995)
Walter Woodman Wright, the eldest son of C. H. C. Wright and Elizabeth Woodman Wright, earned his Harvard A.B. in 1937. He attended the Columbia University School of Library Service and worked as a librarian at Harvard College, the New York Public Library, the University of Pennsylvania, Ohio University, and Dartmouth College. Beginning in the 1930s, he developed an interest in the White Mountains, N.H., and collected books, manuscripts, photographs, and ephemera related to the history of the region. His bibliography, The White Mountains: An Annotated Bibliography, 1918-1947, was published in 1948. He married Aagot Horn in 1941.
Aagot Horn Wright (b. 1915)
Aagot Horn Wright was born in Bergen, Norway, and came to the United States in 1937 to attend the Columbia University School of Library Service. She married Walter Woodman Wright in 1941, and the couple had two children: Caroline Wright Kuhl and Eric Wright.
C. Conrad Wright (b. 1917)
For information about C. Conrad Wright, see the Charles Conrad Wright papers at the Massachusetts Historical Society (closed until January 1, 2029).
Brooks Wright (b. 1922)
Brooks Wright, the youngest of the three sons of C. H. C. Wright and Elizabeth Woodman Wright, was born in Cambridge, Mass. After earning his A.B. from Harvard, he was sworn into the army in December 1942 and landed at Karachi six months later. He served in the U.S. Army Air Forces as a cryptographer, spending ten months in India and fourteen in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) before being discharged in October 1945. Wright then went on to get his A.M. and Ph.D. from Harvard and to become a professor of English at City College of New York. He married Elizabeth "Betty" Rankin in 1955.
For more information, see Brooks Wright's memoirs (Carton 18, Folder 5-8).
Woodman Family
Cyrus Woodman (1814-1889)
Cyrus Woodman, the son of Joseph Woodman and Susanna Coffin Woodman, was born in Buxton, Me. He earned his A.B. from Bowdoin College in 1836 and married Charlotte Flint in 1842. He worked as a lawyer, land agent, and entrepreneur in Illinois and Wisconsin. In 1864, the family settled in Cambridge, Mass. Only four of the couple's six children survived to adulthood: Mary Woodman, Frank Woodman, Walter Woodman, and Edward Woodman.
For more information, see:
Gara, Larry. Westernized Yankee: The Story of Cyrus Woodman. Madison, Wis.: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1956.
Usher, Ellis B. "Cyrus Woodman: A Character Sketch." The Wisconsin Magazine of History. 2.4 (June 1919): 393-412.
Charlotte Flint Woodman (1814-1907)
Charlotte Flint Woodman, the daughter of Deacon Ephraim Flint and Phebe Thompson Flint, was born in Baldwin, Me. She married Cyrus Woodman in 1842.
Mary Woodman (1842-1928)
Mary Woodman, the daughter and oldest child of Cyrus Woodman and Charlotte Flint Woodman, was born in Winslow, Ill. She lived for many years in Cambridge, Mass., and took part in a variety of social and charitable activities. She moved to Portland, Me., in 1920.
Walter Woodman (1852-1928)
Walter Woodman, the son of Cyrus Woodman and Charlotte Flint Woodman, was born in Mineral Point, Wis. He graduated from Harvard in 1875 and from Harvard Medical School in 1883. After practicing medicine for a short time, he left the profession because of poor health. In 1883, he married his second cousin Mary Weston, who died in 1888. He re-married to Anna Cutler in 1890.
Anna Cutler Woodman (1854-1925)
Anna Cutler Woodman, the daughter of Joseph Cutler and Sarah Warland Cutler, was born in Cambridge, Mass. She was the second wife of Walter Woodman and the stepmother of Cyrus Woodman, Elizabeth Woodman Wright, Mary Woodman Mattison, and Anna Woodman Webster.
Collection Description
This collection consists of the correspondence, diaries, writings, and other papers of the Wright family of Massachusetts, 1826-2003. Represented most prominently in the collection are Harvard French professor C. H. C. Wright, Elizabeth Woodman Wright, Walter Woodman Wright, Aagot Horn Wright, Brooks Wright, Margaret B. Wright, and Marian Lois Wright. The collection also contains papers of the Woodman family of Maine, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts, related to the Wrights by marriage. These include the papers of lawyer and land agent Cyrus Woodman (1814-1889), Charlotte Flint Woodman, Mary Woodman, Walter Woodman, Anna Cutler Woodman, and others.
The bulk of the collection consists of family correspondence (Series I), primarily the correspondence of C. H. C. Wright and his immediate family members. Other papers of C. H. C. Wright (Series II) include his autobiography, diaries, essays, lectures, reviews, juvenilia, and other materials documenting his childhood in Europe, his education at Harvard and Oxford, and his career as a Harvard French professor and author of many books and articles.
The papers of Elizabeth Woodman Wright (Series III) include correspondence, papers related to the First Parish in Cambridge, and genealogical material. The papers of Walter Woodman Wright and Aagot Horn Wright (Series IV) also contain material concerning First Parish, as well as Harvard University. The bulk of the correspondence and papers of Brooks Wright (Series V) relate to his service as an army cryptographer in India and Ceylon during World War II. Also included are his memoirs, Harvard papers, and drawings. The diaries and writings of Margaret B. Wright (Series V) document her life abroad and her work as a writer.
The Woodman family papers (Series VII) consist primarily of family correspondence related to both personal and business matters. Other papers include a scrapbook containing letters from prominent Civil War figures, papers documenting Walter Woodman's land investments and mining operations in Missouri, and diaries of various Woodman family members.
Arrangement
When the Wright family papers were acquired by the Massachusetts Historical Society, much of the correspondence, primarily family correspondence (Series I) and C. H. C. Wright personal correspondence (Series II.A.), had been arranged and annotated by Walter Woodman Wright. Letters from individual correspondents were tied together in bundles with brief notes of identification. Where possible, this arrangement has been preserved in the processing of this collection.
Acquisition Information
Gift of C. Conrad Wright, Brooks Wright, and Mrs. Aagot Wright, Dec. 1997, Dec. 1999, Dec. 2000, and Nov. 2001, with additional material from Dr. C. Conrad Wright, Jan. 2007, and Mrs. Elizabeth R. Wright, Mar. 2007. Letters from Brooks Wright to Robert Day Kemble were donated by the children of Robert Day Kemble, Sep. 2023. Letters from Elizabeth Woodman Wright to her sons and other papers were donated by Caroline W. Kuhl, Oct. 2023.
Restrictions on Access
The Wright family papers are stored offsite and must be requested at least two business days in advance via Portal1791. Researchers needing more than six items from offsite storage should provide additional advance notice. If you have questions about requesting materials from offsite storage, please contact the reference desk at 617-646-0532 or reference@xlhl.net.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Expand allI. Family correspondence, 1875-1996
This series is arranged by primary correspondent(s) into four subseries: C. H. C. Wright family correspondence, Elizabeth Woodman Wright family correspondence, Walter Woodman Wright and Aagot Horn Wright family correspondence, and Brooks Wright family correspondence.
A. C. H. C. Wright family correspondence, 1875-1947
The bulk of C. H. C. Wright's correspondence consists of letters from Margaret B. Wright. Other significant correspondents include Marian Lois Wright, Conrad Edick Wright, Martha Wright, and Nellie Wright Allen.
Correspondence with Margaret B. Wright, 1875-1913
The bulk of this correspondence consists of letters from Margaret B. Wright to C. H. C. Wright at Honfleur, France, 1881-1884; Pennsylvania, 1884-1886; Oswego, N.Y., 1889; and Oxford, England, 1891-1895. The earliest correspondence describes her work on her writing at the Reading Room of the British Museum; financial troubles; sightseeing trips and social activities; C. H. C. Wright's education; and news and letters from Marian Lois Wright, the Hennessys, the Pognons, and other mutual friends. Other subjects include the war against the British occupation of Egypt in 1882; Wright's impressions of actors Henry Irving, [Edwin] Booth, and Sarah Bernhardt; and her visit to the House of Commons to see William Gladstone speak in 1884.
Letters from 1884-1886 deal with Margaret B. Wright's re-adjustment to life in America; her impressions of Adolphe Cohn; Marian Lois Wright's engagements to Mr. Legrot and Adolphe Cohn; C. H. C. Wright's professional and educational prospects; arrangements for him to leave Smethport, Pa.; and other subjects. Beginning in 1889, subjects include C. H. C. Wright's job teaching at Cohn's summer school in Oswego, N.Y.; Margaret B. Wright's experiences as caretaker of her grandson Albert Cohn; conflicts between her and Adolphe Cohn; and the town and inhabitants of Cape Rosier, Me.
Margaret B. Wright's letters to C. H. C. Wright at Oxford, 1891-1895, relate to her writing; social activities, including plays, dinners, and concerts; news of friends and family; her grief over the death of Marian Lois Wright; and arrangements for renting cottages in the summers of 1893 and 1894. Correspondence from C. H. C. Wright during this period describes Oxford, his living arrangements, studies, and classmates, as well as his stay in Germany during the summer of 1892, the fear of cholera there, and a lecture by William Gladstone that he attended.
Additional correspondence consists of letters from C. H. C. Wright in Genoa and Siena, Italy, 1899, and letters from Margaret B. Wright at Honfleur about mutual friends and current events, 1908.
Included in this correspondence are enclosed letters from C. E. Wright, Charlotte Hennessy, Marian Lois Wright, Helen C. Taylor, Noah Brooks, William John Hennessy, William B. Howland, Frank Upham, Lucy Garnett, Ethel Grandgent, Hannah Ware, Katherine L. Mullen, Juliette Pognon, Frederick C. de Sumichrast, J. H. N. Stephenson, Dora Thayer, and others.
Some letters are written in French.
1875-1894
1895-1913
Correspondence with Marian Lois Wright, 1877-1887
The bulk of the correspondence between C. H. C. Wright and Marian Lois Wright consists of letters written after she moved back to the U.S. in 1880. Letters from C. H. C. Wright describe his studies; his travels throughout Europe with Margaret B. Wright; his life in Smethport, Pa.; and plans for his future education. Letters from Marian Lois Wright describe various towns in New England and the Midwest, including Dixon, Ill.; her living arrangements and work as an art teacher; news of family and friends, including Mr. Legrot and his daughter Carmen; social activities; and her efforts to get C. H. C. Wright a job teaching French. Some of her letters contain sketches. Other subjects include the election of Grover Cleveland, women's suffrage, immigration, James Garfield and Rutherford B. Hayes, and tensions between the Irish and African Americans. Included is some correspondence between Margaret B. Wright and Marian Lois Wright.
Correspondence with Conrad Edick Wright and Martha Wright, 1875-1889
C. H. C. Wright's letters to his grandparents Conrad Edick Wright and Martha Wright describe his education in France, activities with friends, Margaret B. Wright's work as a writer, Marian Lois Wright's art studies, and the family's extensive travels in Europe. Letters from Conrad Edick Wright and Martha Wright describe their homes at Allegany Bridge, Coleville, and Smethport, Pa.; oil wells, saw mills, and other industry in the area; their health; plans for C. H. C. Wright to visit; Conrad Edick Wright's work as a newspaper man and a justice of the peace; current events; and local politics. Other subjects include C. H. C. Wright's acceptance into Harvard, the engagement of Marian Lois Wright to Mr. Legrot, her marriage to Adolphe Cohn, and her death in 1888. Enclosed are a few "newsletters" written by C. H. C. Wright. Also included is some correspondence of Margaret B. Wright with Conrad Edick Wright and Martha Wright.
Some letters are written in French.
Letters from Nellie Wright Allen, 1885-1929
Nellie Wright Allen was the adopted daughter of Charles K. Wright and the first cousin of Conrad Edick Wright, C. H. C. Wright's grandfather. Allen wrote to Wright about family news; her social activities; her travels in the U.S., Europe, the Bahamas, and other places; the 1893 Chicago World's Fair; the death of Marian Lois Wright; and the stone for Conrad Edick Wright's grave. Other subjects include C. H. C. Wright's life in Smethport, Pa.; his job teaching French there; his studies at Harvard and Oxford; and his publications.
Other family correspondence, 1885-1947
Included is correspondence from E. A. Wright, F. K. Upham, Noah Brooks, Charles K. Wright, W. Upham Jones, Maria G. Wright (Mrs. James H. Wright), Charles O. Wright, James P. Wright, Brooks Upham, Charles Upham, Anna Cutler Woodman, Anna St. J. Upham, Thomas A. Perkins, Laura Edick (Mrs. C. J. Edick), and Florence J. Gates. Many of the letters deal with genealogical matters and family history. Additional subjects include the death of Martha Wright in 1890 and other family deaths; financial and inheritance matters; the disposition of family heirlooms; and the publications of C. H. C. Wright. Correspondence with Adolphe Cohn and Albert Cohn relates to the death of Marian Lois Wright and the estrangement between the Cohns and Margaret B. Wright.
Some letters are written in French.
B. Elizabeth Woodman Wright family correspondence, 1892-1962
The primary correspondents of Elizabeth Woodman Wright are C. H. C. Wright, Walter Woodman Wright, C. Conrad Wright, and Brooks Wright. Additional correspondents include Walter Woodman, Anna Cutler Woodman, Anna Woodman Webster, and other members of the Woodman family. This subseries also contains letters and other papers related to the death and funeral of Elizabeth Woodman Wright.
Correspondence with C. H. C. Wright, Walter Woodman Wright, C. Conrad Wright, and Brooks Wright, 1909-1961
The earliest of these letters consists of correspondence between C. H. C. Wright and Elizabeth Woodman Wright. Included are letters from C. H. C. Wright during their courtship and engagement, 1913-1914, and letters from Elizabeth Woodman Wright while she was in the hospital, 1920. Correspondence from C. H. C. Wright during his trip to Europe, 1927, describes the ocean passage; sights seen in England, France, and Switzerland; meetings with old friends, including the Pognons; plans for his sons to attend Château Riant in Geneva; reactions to the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti; and other subjects. Elizabeth Woodman Wright, writing from Paris, Me., describes the activities of their sons and household matters. Included are letters from Walter Woodman Wright and C. Conrad Wright to C. H. C. Wright.
Also included is the correspondence of Elizabeth Woodman Wright and C. H. C. Wright with Walter Woodman Wright, C. Conrad Wright, and Brooks Wright at Château Riant, 1928. Subjects include the boys' activities, studies, and various illnesses; complaints about Captain and Mrs. Fox, headmasters of the school; differences between European boarding schools and American schools; visits with Meriel Dimick Weston and Soeur Hilda Steinmann; and other subjects. Elizabeth Woodman Wright and C. H. C. Wright, traveling through Europe at the time, describe sights they've seen in Italy, France, and England and offer advice on adjusting to the school. Later correspondence consists of letters written during trips to Europe, 1931 and 1935; Bermuda, 1950; and the Caribbean, 1952.
1913-June 1935
July 1935-1961
1909-1940
These papers were given to the MHS by Caroline W. Kuhl in Oct. 2023.
The bulk of these papers consist of letters from Elizabeth Woodman Wright to her sons, C. Conrad Wright and Brooks Wright, written on trips across the country to California in 1939 and to the south in 1940, as well as some travel ephemera. Other items include a child's crayon drawing of Windy Ledge, the family home in Paris, Maine; "A Book of Stars," drawn by Brooks Wright as a child; one letter by C. H. C. Wright; and Elizabeth's undated notes from a course on "What Every Woman Should Know About an Automobile."
Other family correspondence, 1892-1961
The bulk of this correspondence consists of letters to Elizabeth Woodman Wright from Woodman family members, primarily Anna Cutler Woodman, Walter Woodman, and Anna Woodman Webster. Other correspondents include Edward Woodman, Mary Woodman, Mary Woodman Mattison, Cyrus Woodman (1883-1967), Frances Billings Woodman, many of Wright's nieces and nephews, Brooks Upham, members of the Cutler family, and others. Also included are some outgoing letters of Elizabeth Woodman Wright.
Most of the correspondence deals with family matters, including the deaths of Mary Woodman Mattison, Anna Cutler Woodman, and Mary Woodman; the religious views of Anna Woodman Webster and her interest in Vedantist philosophy; the marriage of Helen Webster, 1937; the outbreak of World War II and Brooks Wright's military service; the separation and divorce of Anna Woodman Webster and David Webster, 1950-1951; the death of Rev. Walter Woodman, 1955; Elizabeth Woodman Wright's genealogical research; and objections to Larry Gara's 1956 biography of Cyrus Woodman (1814-1889). Also included is correspondence between Elizabeth Woodman Wright and Walter Woodman while Wright was in Europe, 1927-1928, and letters to Walter Woodman from Walter Woodman Wright and C. Conrad Wright at boarding school in Switzerland; papers and correspondence related to the estate of Mary Woodman; and letters of condolence to Elizabeth Woodman Wright on the death of C. H. C. Wright in 1957.
Funeral notes and correspondence, 1946-1961
These notes by Elizabeth Woodman Wright contain instructions to her family for her funeral, possible readings, and a list of people to be notified of her death. Also included is the certificate for her burial at Mount Auburn Cemetery and correspondence from Dr. Charles F. Walcott about her final illness.
Letters of condolence to Walter Woodman Wright, C. Conrad Wright, and Brooks Wright on the death of Elizabeth Woodman Wright, 1961-1962
Included are letters from Anna Woodman Webster, Frances Billings Woodman, Frances Wesselhoeft, Edith Boyers, Gertrude B. Ellis, Ruth Beach, Gladys Livermore Lahee, Anna Fenn, Samuel Waxman and Bashka Paeff (Waxman), Mary Weston Goehring Brinkerhoff, Bernice Cutler, Constance H. Hall, Helen Feeley, Madame Dussarps, Rita Chick, and other friends, family members, and colleagues.
C. Walter Woodman Wright and Aagot Horn Wright family correspondence, 1927-1996
The primary correspondents of Walter Woodman Wright and Aagot Horn Wright are Elizabeth Woodman Wright and C. H. C. Wright. This subseries also contains correspondence with Caroline Wright Kuhl and Eric Wright, as well as other family members and friends.
Correspondence between Walter Woodman Wright, Aagot Horn Wright, Caroline Wright Kuhl, and Eric Wright, 1938-1977
The bulk of this correspondence consists of letters between Walter Woodman Wright and Aagot Horn Wright, including frequent letters written during their courtship, 1938-1941. Letters from Walter Woodman Wright describe his daily activities; classes and lectures; work; and excursions to Canada and the White Mountains, N.H. Letters from Aagot Horn Wright describe her job at St. Clements Castle on the Connecticut River, 1938; her studies at Columbia University; her job at Mount Holyoke Library, where she worked with librarian Flora Belle Ludington; and her studies at the University of Vermont. Other subjects include their social engagements, family matters, efforts by Aagot Horn Wright to improve her English, news from Norway during World War II, and arrangements for their marriage. Later letters discuss the health and activities of their children Caroline Wright Kuhl and Eric Wright.
Letters after 1963 consist primarily of Caroline Wright Kuhl's correspondence with Aagot Horn Wright and Walter Woodman Wright about her wedding plans, her studies at the University of Pittsburgh, her husband Andrew Kuhl's military service, and other subjects.
Some letters are written in Norwegian.
Apr.-Sep. 1938
Oct. 1938-Oct. 1940
Nov. 1940-1964
1965-1977
Correspondence of Walter Woodman Wright and Aagot Horn Wright with Elizabeth Woodman Wright and C. H. C. Wright, 1938-1961
The earliest of these letters consist of correspondence between Aagot Horn Wright and her future mother-in-law Elizabeth Woodman Wright, 1938-1941. Subjects include invitations to visit, exchanges of gifts, wedding plans, and differences between American customs and those of Aagot Horn Wright's home country of Norway. Some letters written by Aagot Horn Wright between 1941 and 1945 describe the impact of World War II on Norway and news of family members there.
Beginning in 1941, the primary correspondents are Aagot Horn Wright, Walter Woodman Wright, and Elizabeth Woodman Wright. The bulk of the correspondence concerns family and work matters, including the activities of Caroline Wright Kuhl and Eric Wright; holidays, anniversaries, and birthdays; visits with friends and family; the cruise taken by Elizabeth Woodman Wright and C. H. C. Wright in 1952; the death of Rev. Walter Woodman in 1955; the illness and death of C. H. C. Wright in 1957; and the adoption of Anne Elizabeth Wright by Brooks Wright and Elizabeth Rankin Wright in 1960. Other subjects include church activities, financial matters, and the devastation of Hurricane Carol in 1954. Also included is some correspondence of Caroline Wright Kuhl and Eric Wright with their grandparents. Enclosed in later correspondence from Walter Woodman Wright, 1958-1961, are Ohio University Library newsletters written by him and bulletins of the Unitarian Fellowship of Athens (Ohio) during his tenure as president.
1938-June 1945
Aug. 1945-Sep. 1950
Oct. 1950-Apr. 1955
May 1955-Oct. 1958
Nov. 1958-1961
Letters to Aagot Horn Wright from family in Norway, 1937-1950
Correspondents include Aagot Horn Wright's mother, father, sisters Kari and Tutte Horn, and others. Most of these letters are written in Norwegian.
Correspondence of Walter Woodman Wright and Aagot Horn Wright with miscellaneous family members, 1929-1996
Included are holiday cards, thank you notes, and other correspondence of Walter Woodman Wright and Aagot Horn Wright with miscellaneous Wright and Horn family members, primarily discussing family matters. Among the correspondents are several of Walter Woodman Wright's first cousins on his mother's side and their spouses and children, including Ruth Mattison Ebling, Gillian Feeley-Harnik, Anna Mattison Murray, Alice Woodman Rossiter, Trufonda Bjornson Webster, Helen Webster Wheelwright, Charles Billings Woodman, and Walter Woodman. Other correspondents include Bernice Cutler, Eva Horn, Frances Billings Woodman, C. Conrad Wright, Conrad Edick Wright, Elizabeth L. Wright, and Nielson Wright.
Some letters are written in Norwegian.
1929-1984
1985-1996
Correspondence and papers related to Frank Brooks Upham, 1927-1962
Included is correspondence between Walter Woodman Wright and Admiral Frank Brooks Upham, his first cousin once removed; two cards written by Upham's wife Clara Mabel Hartwell Upham; photocopies of correspondence; a photograph of Frank Brooks Upham, Oct. 1927; and other material. One letter dated 18 Dec. 1927 describes Adm. Upham's meeting with and impressions of Charles Lindbergh.
D. Brooks Wright family correspondence, 1932-1995
The bulk of this subseries consists of letters from Brooks Wright to his family written while he was serving overseas in World War II. The subseries also contains later correspondence of Brooks Wright and Elizabeth Rankin Wright and some incoming letters from Elizabeth Woodman Wright.
World War II correspondence, 1942-1945
Included is Brooks Wright's frequent and detailed correspondence with his family during his three years of military service in World War II. Letters between December 1942 and May 1943 describe his induction at Cambridge, Mass., and his experiences at the Recruit Reception Center, Fort Devens, Mass.; basic training, Miami Beach, Fla.; technical training, Pawling, N.Y.; overseas replacement training, Atlantic City; and Camp Kilmer, N.J., the port of embarkation for New York. Wright describes other servicemen, training drills and assignments, military life, and other subjects, including a suicide he witnessed in April 1943 and his bout with German measles. Incoming correspondence during this period consists primarily of letters from Elizabeth Woodman Wright. Also included are typescript transcriptions of some of Brooks Wright's letters.
Correspondence between June 1943 and June 1945 consists of Brooks Wright's letters to his family while serving abroad. Wright was stationed in Karachi, India (now in Pakistan), June-Aug. 1943; Kolkata, India, Aug. 1943-May 1944; Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), May 1944-June 1945; and at bases in the U.S. before being discharged in October 1945. He describes the people of India and Ceylon; their customs, beliefs, and languages; local politics and history; cities and landscapes; and plant and animal life, as well as his sightseeing excursions, fellow servicemen, and details of military life. Many of the letters are in v-mail form. Included are some manuscript transcriptions by C. H. C. Wright and Elizabeth Woodman Wright.
1942-May 1943
Miscellaneous items, 1943
June 1943-1945
Correspondence of Brooks Wright and Elizabeth Rankin Wright with C. H. C. Wright and Elizabeth Woodman Wright, 1947-1961
The bulk of this correspondence consists of letters from Brooks Wright and Elizabeth Rankin Wright to Elizabeth Woodman Wright and C. H. C. Wright dealing primarily with family matters, including visits, illnesses, the birth of Aldrich Wright, and the adoption of Anne Elizabeth Wright. Other subjects include Brooks Wright's job as a teacher at City College of New York, politics among the faculty there, work on his book Interpreter of Buddhism to the West: Sir Edwin Arnold, church activities and organizational problems at the church, and his interest in botany.
Among the correspondence from Elizabeth Woodman Wright are letters describing a Caribbean cruise in 1952 and a trip to Nova Scotia in 1954.
Correspondence of Brooks Wright and Elizabeth Rankin Wright with Walter Woodman Wright and Aagot Horn Wright, 1932-1995
Included are letters discussing family activities, the property at Windy Ledge, local church news, the travels of Brooks Wright and Elizabeth Rankin Wright, and the disposition of family papers. This correspondence also contains legal and financial papers related to Windy Ledge and some letters of Aldrich Wright, Anne Elizabeth Wright, and Martha Grace Wright.
II. C. H. C. Wright papers, 1876-1964
This series contains the personal papers of C. H. C. Wright, including correspondence with friends and colleagues, diaries, writings, juvenilia, financial papers, and printed matter. The bulk of the material relates to his childhood in Europe, his education at Harvard and Oxford, his work as a professor of French at Harvard, and his many publications.
A. Personal correspondence, 1876-1957
This subseries consists of the non-family correspondence of C. H. C. Wright. The correspondence is arranged into two sections. Letters from those individuals with whom Wright exchanged a significant amount of correspondence are arranged by individual or subject in the first section. The rest of the correspondence, consisting of personal and business letters from miscellaneous correspondents, is arranged chronologically.
Correspondence by individual or subject, 1880-1955
Letters from Kathleen, Moya, and Philip Hennessy, 1880-1937
Kathleen, Moya, and Philip Hennessy, the children of artist William John Hennessy, were friends of C. H. C. Wright at Honfleur, France, and members of the Pennedepie Scapegraces. Kathleen Hennessy died of tuberculosis in 1892 at the age of 21.
Letters from Daniel Bouret, 1884-1894
Daniel Bouret was a French schoolmate of C. H. C. Wright at the Collége de Honfleur. His letters are written in French.
Letters from Albert Brument, 1884-1892
Albert Brument was a French schoolmate of C. H. C. Wright at the Collége de Honfleur. His letters are written in French.
Letters from Juliette and Marie Pognon, 1884-1889
C. H. C. Wright lived with the Pognon family while attending the Collége de Honfleur from 1881 to 1884. Their letters are written in French.
Letters of condolence on the death of Marian Lois Wright, 1888
Correspondence with Charles L. Slattery, 1889-1932
Charles L. Slattery was a close friend of C. H. C. Wright at Harvard and later became the bishop of Massachusetts. Slattery's letters describe Harvard classmates Reed, Robinson, Gulick, and Briggs, as well as professors George Lyman Kittredge, Josiah Royce, Morris Hicky Morgan, and others. Included are Wright's letters to Slattery.
Letters from Adeline Pellissier, 1890-1918
Adeline Pellissier was a teacher at Wellesley and a friend of C. H. C. Wright. Wright met Pellissier when he was teaching at Adolphe Cohn's summer school in Oswego, N.Y. Her letters are written in English and French.
Letters from Ferdinand Bôcher and Frederick C. de Sumichrast, 1891-1912
Ferdinand Bôcher and Frederick C. de Sumichrast were professors of C. H. C. Wright at Harvard. Subjects include Wright's studies at Oxford, his appointment as instructor in French at Harvard, and Edward Perry Warren.
Letters from Edward Perry Warren, 1891-1926
Edward Perry Warren was the wealthy son of Samuel Dennis Warren, founder of the S. D. Warren Paper Company. At the recommendation of Ferdinand Bôcher, E. P. Warren financed C. H. C. Wright's education at Oxford. Warren's letters offer advice and encouragement and discuss Wright's education and writings.
Letters from Fred N. Robinson, 1891-1895
Fred N. Robinson was a Harvard classmate of C. H. C. Wright who wrote to Wright at Oxford. Subjects include Harvard classmates and events and the Chicago World's Fair in 1893.
Letters from Katherine Mullins, 1891-1895
Katherine Mullins, a proofreader who worked with C. H. C. Wright on the Cambridge Tribune, wrote to Wright at Oxford with news of mutual friends.
Letters from Johanna Theodora Orthmann, 1892-1895
C. H. C. Wright boarded with Johanna Theodora Orthmann and her husband, a Lutheran minister, in Ilsenburg, Germany, during the summer of 1892. Most of her letters are written in German.
Letters from J. H. N. Stephenson, 1893-1919
J. H. N. Stephenson, son of the vicar of St. Botolph at Boston, Lincolnshire, was a classmate and close friend of C. H. C. Wright at Oxford. Subjects of his letters include the English educational system and American intervention in World War I.
Letters from L. C. H. Weekes, 1895-1937
L. C. H. Weekes was a classmate of C. H. C. Wright at Oxford and Wright's roommate during his last year there. The son of a master at Charterhouse School, Weekes later became secretary of the Civil Service Commission. Many of his letters discuss international political matters related to France, Russia, the Philippines, and South Africa.
Letters from Raymond Weeks, 1896-1934
Raymond Weeks was a professor of Romance Languages at Columbia University and wrote to C. H. C. Wright primarily about Wright's various publications.
Letters from Bernard Allen, 1896-1898
Bernard Allen was a classmate of C. H. C. Wright at Oxford and Wright's roommate during his last year there. Allen wrote to Wright from India while serving in the Indian Civil Service, and his letters describe the fears of cholera and famine there.
Letters from Grace Norton, 1902-1920
Grace Norton, the sister of Charles Eliot Norton, wrote to C. H. C. Wright primarily about Montaigne, Wright's book Selections from Montaigne, and related literary matters.
Letters from Maud E. Temple, 1910-1930
Maud E. Temple, a former student of C. H. C. Wright, wrote to him about literary subjects, politics at Columbia University, and personal matters. Included are poems by Temple.
Letters of congratulations on his engagement and marriage to Elizabeth Woodman, 1914
Included are letters from many former classmates, relatives, Cambridge friends, and colleagues, as well as a poem by Maud E. Temple and a letter from Margaret B. Wright to both C. H. C. Wright and Elizabeth Woodman Wright.
Letters of condolence to C. H. C. Wright and Elizabeth Woodman Wright on the death of Margaret B. Wright, 1919-1920
Letters from O. F. W. Ellis, 1922-1938
O. F. W. Ellis wrote to C. H. C. Wright for educational and career advice.
Letters from Robert E. Pike, 1932-1950
Robert E. Pike wrote to C. H. C. Wright about literary matters and with news of his career.
Letters from Wayne C. Temple and Beatrice H. Lanphier, 1951-1955
Wayne C. Temple wrote to C. H. C. Wright requesting information for a proposed biography of Noah Brooks. Subjects of Temple's letters include the history of the Brooks family, the locations of records and photographs, and the progress of his book. Included are genealogical charts and letters from Beatrice H. Lanphier, a distant relative of C. H. C. Wright living in Dixon, Ill.
Chronological correspondence, 1876-1957
Included are both personal and business letters, primarily incoming correspondence but also a few drafts of outgoing letters by C. H. C. Wright. The bulk of the correspondence is related to Wright's publications, including letters from publishers (D. C. Heath, Oxford University Press, Harvard University Press, Ginn & Co., and others) and congratulations from friends and colleagues on his books. Other correspondence concerns Wright's various appointments, the purchase of Windy Ledge in 1903 (with plans of the site), his work as a Harvard French instructor, his retirement in 1936, and many other subjects.
Correspondents include friends, colleagues, current and former students, and teachers at other universities. Among them are Nellie Linton, a friend from Pennedepie, France; Willard Reed; John Powers, who describes the 1893 Chicago World's Fair; Francis K. Ball; Oxford friends Robinson Ellis and Francis Todhunter; Charles W. Eliot; Susan Child Scoggin; C. H. Grandgent; R. L. Hawkins; A. Lawrence Lowell; E. K. Rand; Thomas E. Oliver; Gustave L. van Roosbroeck; E. W. Greene; Hyme Loss; J. D. M. Ford; Horatio Smith at Brown University; and many others.
Also included is some correspondence of C. H. C. Wright and Margaret B. Wright with their landlords in Cambridge.
1876-1926
1927-1957
B. Diaries, 1879-1957
C. H. C. Wright's early diaries describe his childhood in Europe, including his friendship with the Hennessys at Pennedepie, sightseeing trips, and his education at the Collége de Honfleur. Diaries kept during his Harvard and Oxford days describe his studies and social activities; books and articles he has read; friends, classmates, and professors; his work on the Cambridge Tribune and Harvard publications; the differences between Harvard and Oxford; letters written and received; sightseeing trips; and expenses. Later diaries detail his work as a Harvard professor of French, including meetings with colleagues, conferences, and his professional writings. Entries written during World War I report on the progress of the war and major battles in Europe. Other subjects include plays and lectures attended, the purchase of Windy Ledge in 1903 and subsequent work done on the house, visits with friends, travels abroad, Wright's courtship of and marriage to Elizabeth Woodman Wright, the births of their sons, and family summers in Maine.
A few of the diaries, 1885-1887, are written almost entirely in French. Also included in this subseries is a separate volume recording plays Wright saw between 1924 and 1932.
Diary, 1879-1883
Diary, 1883
Items removed from Vol. 2
Diary, 1883-1884
Diary, 1884-1885
Items removed from Vol. 4
Diary, 1885
Items removed from Vol. 5
Diary, 1885-1886
Items removed from Vol. 6
Diary, 1886-1887
Items removed from Vol. 7
Diary, 1890-1891
Items removed from Vol. 8
Diary, 1891-1894
Items removed from Vol. 9
Diary, 1903
Diary, 1904
Items removed from Vol. 11
Diary, 1905
Diary, 1906
Items removed from Vol. 13
Diary, 1907
Items removed from Vol. 14
Diary, 1908
Items removed from Vol. 15
Diary, 1909
Items removed from Vol. 16
Diary, 1910
Items removed from Vol. 17
Diary, 1911
Diary, 1912
Items removed from Vol. 19
Diary, 1913
Items removed from Vol. 20
Diary, 1914
Items removed from Vol. 21
Diary, 1915
Diary, 1916
Items removed from Vol. 23
Diary, 1917
Diary, 1918
Items removed from Vol. 25
Diary, 1919
Items removed from Vol. 26
Record of plays seen, 1924-1932
Diary, 1925
Diary, 1926
Items removed from Vol. 29
Diary, 1927
Items removed from Vol. 30
Diary, 1928
Diary, 1929
Diary, 1930
Diary, 1931
Items removed from Vol. 34
Diary, 1932
Diary, 1933
Diary, 1934
Diary, 1935
Diary, 1936
Diary, 1937
Diary, 1938
Diary, 1939
Diary, 1940
Diary, 1941
Diary, 1942
Diary, 1943
Diary, 1944
Diary, 1945
Diary, 1946
Diary, 1947
Diary, 1948
Diary, 1949
Diary, 1950
Diary, 1951
Diary, 1952
Diary, 1953
Diary, 1954
Items removed from Vol. 57
Diary, 1955
Diary, 1956
Diary, 1957
C. Writings, 1889-1944
Autobiography, 1922-1944 [manuscript and typescript]
C. H. C. Wright's autobiography contains descriptions of his life and education until 1909. Also included is information on Wright's ancestors and a detailed genealogy going back to the 17th century.
Harvard writings, 1889-1892 [photocopies]
Included are copies of stories and essays by C. H. C. Wright published in the Harvard Advocate and The Harvard Monthly.
Poem read at Harvard Crimson dinner, 1891
"Impressions of English and French Education," ca. 1896
This piece is written in French.
Miscellaneous professional writings, 1900-1935 [photocopies]
Included are copies of essays, translations, and reviews by C. H. C. Wright published in The International Monthly, Current History, Modern Language Notes, The Modern Language Journal, and other journals. These pieces are written in English and French.
Molière lecture, ca. 1930s [photocopy]
This lecture was one of a series of lectures on great authors delivered by various Harvard professors as an introduction for undergraduates. The lectures were repeated in successive years.
Original located at the Harvard University Archives.
D. Juvenilia, 1877-1889
The bulk of this subseries consists of records of the Pennedepie Scapegraces, or P.S., a secret society organized by C. H. C. Wright and Kathleen, Moya, and Philip Hennessy, 1882-1884. Members chose pseudonyms from the works of Sir Walter Scott, contributed stories or poems to be read aloud at weekly meetings, and kept detailed minutes. This subseries contains both the story books and the minutes books of the Pennedepie Scapegraces, as well as stories, poems, riddles, drawings, plays, mock "newsletters," and other childhood manuscripts of C. H. C. Wright.
Pennedepie Scapegraces minutes book, vol. 1, with constitution and first annual report, 1882-1883
Pennedepie Scapegraces minutes book, vol. 2, 1883-1884
Pennedepie Scapegraces story book, vol. 1, undated
Pennedepie Scapegraces story book, vol. 2, undated
Pennedepie Scapegraces story book, vol. 3, undated
Book of poems and riddles, undated
"Newsletters," 1877-1879
"The Franco-American," 1880
This "newsletter" written by C. H. C. Wright contains references to important news items of the day and family events.
Plays and concerts, 1880-1883
Miscellaneous papers and correspondence, 1881-1889
Stories and poems, undated and 1885
E. Papers related to "The Bandbox," 1877-1941
This subseries contains papers related to a poem called "The Bandbox," written by Robert Louis Stevenson for C. H. C. Wright when Wright was a boy. Included are copies of the 1921 printing of the poem, correspondence about Stevenson and his papers, notes for a lecture given by Wright, and clippings and other printed matter.
The original verse in Robert Louis Stevenson's own hand has been removed from the collection and cataloged separately.
F. Financial papers, 1881-1964
Bills, 1891-1956
Contracts with publishers, 1898-1939
Papers related to 9 Lowell St., Cambridge, Mass., 1881-1964 [some photocopies]
Included are deeds, mortgage records, a 1961 appraisal, and other papers related to the Wright house in Cambridge.
Stock certificates, 1921-1943
Accounts with Eaton & Howard, 1929-1939
Papers regarding estate of C. H. C. Wright, 1924-1958
Included are letters, accounts, life insurance and annuity contracts, an appraisal of property, and a copy of C. H. C. Wright's will.
G. Printed matter, 1886-1958
Harvard printed matter, 1886-1942
Included are appointments, certificates, programs, memorabilia, and other printed matter related to Harvard College.
Miscellaneous printed matter, 1893-1951
Reviews of C. H. C. Wright's works
Selections from Rabelais' Gargantua (1903), 1904
Racine's Les Plaideurs (1906), 1908
A History of French Literature (1912), 1912-1925
These reviews are written in English and French.
Selections from Montaigne (1914), 1914
A History of the Third French Republic (1916), 1916
French Verse of the Sixteenth Century (1916), 1916
Les Femme Savantes (1920), 1920
French Classicism (1920), 1921-1922
These reviews are written in English and French.
The Background of Modern French Literature (1926), 1926-1932
These reviews are written in English and French.
Obituaries and funeral service, 1957-1958
Included are obituaries and printed notices of C. H. C. Wright's death, copies of his funeral service and committal, and a brief biography of Wright.
III. Elizabeth Woodman Wright papers, 1895-1985
This series contains the personal papers of Elizabeth Woodman Wright. The bulk of the series consists of correspondence documenting her childhood in Cambridge, Mass.; family life; charitable activities; and other subjects. Also included are papers related to her work at the First Parish in Cambridge, genealogical material tracing the history of the Woodman family, and other papers.
A. Personal correspondence, 1895-1961
This subseries consists of the non-family correspondence of Elizabeth Woodman Wright.
Correspondence with Elizabeth Bolles, 1895-1906
Elizabeth Bolles was a childhood friend of Elizabeth Woodman Wright from Miss Ingols' School (a.k.a. Berkeley Street School). Bolles and her mother moved to Europe in 1905, and the girls exchanged lengthy, detailed letters about their daily activities, friends, family, classes, parties, and dances. Bolles died in San Remo, Italy, on May 2, 1906.
Other personal correspondence, 1901-1961
Included are both personal and business letters, primarily incoming correspondence but also a few outgoing letters by Elizabeth Woodman Wright. The bulk of the correspondence is related to personal matters, including births, marriages, illnesses, and deaths. Early correspondence consists primarily of postcards from friends abroad. Other correspondence concerns the Wrights' trips to Europe in 1928 and 1935, Elizabeth Woodman Wright's work with the First Parish in Cambridge, her charitable activities, her interest in botany, the purchase of land in Maine from the Westons in 1947, the death of C. H. C. Wright in 1957, and other subjects. Also included are letters from or about World War II servicemen, 1943-1945, and letters from Mary Weston Goehring (later Brinkerhoff), who served in the WAVES, 1943.
Among the correspondents are Evelyn Bolles; Claire [von Dael Slomeyer?]; Gladys Livermore Lahee; the Foxes and Beatrice Stocker at Château Riant (Geneva, Switzerland); Soeur Hilda Steinmann; Madame [Lily?] Dussarps; Frances Wesselhoeft; Ruth Carpenter; members of the Thayer family; Meriel Dimick Weston, wife of Harvard professor George B. Weston and the Wrights' neighbor in Maine; Bashka Paeff, sculptor of a bust of C. H. C. Wright; Bob and Ginny Kemble; Mrs. Thomas Tileston Baldwin, a.k.a. "Baldy"; Rita Chick; the Avon Home, an orphanage for local children; and many others.
Financial correspondence includes letters regarding Elizabeth Woodman Wright's account with Eaton & Howard.
Some letters are written in French.
1901-1957
1958-1961
B. Volumes, 1901-1928
Address book, undated
Birthday record book, 1895
Items removed from Vol. 66
Line-a-day diary, 1901-1905
This diary contains brief entries by Elizabeth Woodman Wright about her daily activities, school work, church, friends, parties, the weather, and other subjects.
Items removed from Vol. 67
Christmas memoranda book, 1908-1916
C. Conrad Wright baby book, 1917
Included are sporadic notes by Elizabeth Woodman Wright about C. Conrad Wright's birth, growth, and activities.
Items removed from Vol. 67A
Diary of trip to Europe, 1928
This diary describes sights seen by Elizabeth Woodman Wright and C. H. C. Wright in Italy, London, and Paris, as well as some family news. Also included are entries written during their side trip to Château Riant in Geneva, Switzerland, detailing Brooks Wright's treatment for mastoiditis.
Items removed from Vol. 68
C. First Parish in Cambridge papers, 1932-1985
This subseries contains papers of Elizabeth Woodman Wright related to the First Parish in Cambridge, a.k.a. First Church (Unitarian), including her writings about the history of the church, the First Parish Women's Alliance, and other subjects.
List of pictures for party, undated
"A Short History of the First Parish," by Elizabeth Woodman Wright, undated
Women's Alliance talk: "Alliance Atmosphere," by Elizabeth Woodman Wright, 1932
Women's Alliance talk: "What Religion Has Meant in My Life," by Elizabeth Woodman Wright, 1934
Correspondence regarding 10 Dec. 1934 Women's Alliance talk, 1934-1935
Women's Alliance devotional service on prayer, [1942?]
"Recollections of the First Parish, 1905-1906," by Elizabeth Woodman Wright, 1942 and 1985 [typescript and printed]
Women's Alliance programs and devotional on India, 1944-1945
Report to Women's Alliance on Star Island Conference, 1947
D. Genealogy and personal history, 1920-1970
Genealogical memos, 1920-1953
Included are transcriptions of Flint family grave markers in West Baldwin, Me.; genealogical charts, including one tracing the descent of the Woodman family back to the Mayflower; and the birth certificate of David Ebling.
The Descendants of Joseph Woodman (1783-1857) and Susanna (Coffin) Woodman (1783-1833) of Buxton, Maine, 1970
Vol. 69 has been removed from the collection and cataloged separately.
"Recollections of Miss Ingols' School on Berkeley Street," by Gladys Livermore Lahee, undated [photocopy]
This manuscript, written by Gladys Livermore Lahee, contains descriptions of Miss Ingols' School (a.k.a. Berkeley Street School), Cambridge, ca. 1900. Included are references to Elizabeth Woodman Wright, Elizabeth Bolles, and other students and teachers in the school at the time.
E. Financial papers, 1928-1965
Accounts with Eaton & Howard, 1928-1963
Accounts of the estates of Elizabeth Woodman Wright and C. H. C. Wright, 1957-1965
Items removed from Vol. 70
Papers regarding estate of Elizabeth Woodman Wright, 1961-1965
F. Printed matter, 1896-1961
Miscellaneous printed matter, 1896-1961
Included are programs, clippings, newsletters, advertisements, and other printed items.
Memorabilia, 1928-1952
Included are guidebooks, menus, maps, blank postcards, programs, catalogs, and other printed items collected by Elizabeth Woodman Wright on trips to Europe, 1928, and Bermuda, 1950, and on a Caribbean cruise, 1952.
IV. Walter Woodman Wright and Aagot Horn Wright papers, 1921-1993
This series contains non-family correspondence and other personal papers of Walter Woodman Wright and Aagot Horn Wright. Included are papers documenting Walter Woodman Wright's education at Harvard University (Class of 1937), his continuing connection to the university, and his decades-long relationship with the First Parish in Cambridge, as well as holiday cards, thank you notes from friends to both Walter Woodman Wright and Aagot Horn Wright for visits and gifts, and letters of congratulations on the birth of Caroline Wright Kuhl in 1945. Papers related to the First Parish include services Walter Woodman Wright wrote as an adolescent in 1927 and correspondence to and from Aagot Horn Wright about her decision to join the church in 1941.
Some letters are written in Norwegian.
V. Brooks Wright papers, 1922-2003
This series contains the personal papers of Brooks Wright. Among the papers in this series are correspondence, memoirs, religious writings, Harvard essays, and genealogical material, as well as drawings, clippings, and other papers from Wright's service abroad during World War II.
A. Personal correspondence, 1928-1982
This subseries consists of the non-family correspondence of Brooks Wright.
Letters from Soeur Hilda Steinmann, 1928-1939
Soeur Hilda Steinmann was the visiting nurse at Château Riant, the boarding school in Geneva, Switzerland, where Brooks Wright and his brothers stayed while their parents toured Italy in 1928. When Wright became ill, he was removed from the school and lived with Steinmann at the Geneva Red Cross headquarters. Her letters are written in English and French.
Miscellaneous personal correspondence, 1929-1982
The bulk of Brooks Wright's miscellaneous correspondence consists of letters and extracts of letters from Wright to his close friend Robert D. Kemble, 1943, copied by C. H. C. Wright and Elizabeth Woodman Wright. Wright describes the famine in India and speculates about his post-war plans, the long-term effects of the war on soldiers' attitudes, and other subjects.
Letters to Robert Day Kemble, 1939-1945, 1968
These letters were given to the MHS by the children of Robert Day Kemble in Sep. 2023.
Brooks Wright's letters to his friend Robert Day Kemble discuss his interests, including trains and botany; summer activities with family in Paris, Maine; the rise of Adolf Hitler and the outbreak of World War II; his anger at isolationists and pacifists in the U.S.; and a riverboat trip. Letters from 1968 discuss his work as a writer and teacher, his wife Betty and their children, aging, and the "hippie generation." Included are various sketches.
Letters regarding Interpreter of Buddhism to the West: Sir Edwin Arnold, by Brooks Wright, 1957-1958
B. Writings, 1922-2003
"Memoirs of Brooks Wright, 1922-1950," undated, with corrections by C. Conrad Wright, 1997
Brooks Wright's memoirs describe his childhood in Cambridge, Mass.; his experiences at the boarding school Château Riant in Geneva, Switzerland; family life at Windy Ledge; church activities; the social and political scene; his education at Harvard; the outbreak of World War II and his service abroad; and other subjects.
Juvenilia, stories, and notes, 1922-1932
Miscellaneous writings, 1938-1958 [manuscript and printed]
Music written by Brooks Wright and C. Conrad Wright, 1941
Religious writings, 1942-2003
Included are collects, orders of worship, programs, sermons, and the manuscript: "The Shape of Unitarian-Universalism," by Brooks Wright, 1999. These pieces are written in English and Latin.
Harvard undergraduate thesis, 1942
Items removed from Vol. 71
Harvard graduate school essays, 1946
Harvard graduate school essays, 1946-1947
Harvard graduate school essays, 1947-1948
Original and translated poems, 1958-1988
Wright family genealogy, 1970s [photocopy]
This genealogy, based on the memoirs and genealogical research of C. H. C. Wright, includes information on the related Edick and Whitaker families.
C. Materials from India and Ceylon, 1943-1945
Drawings and botanical studies, 1943-1944
The bulk of Brooks Wright's drawings consists of annotated botanical studies from Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) and India. Also included are annotated drawings of Wright's barracks and the code room at the Army Airways Communications System (AACS) station at Dum Dum, India.
Miscellaneous notes and correspondence, 1944-1945
Clippings of sites in India, annotated by Brooks Wright, [1945]
VI. Other Wright family papers, 1868-1920
The bulk of this series consists of the personal papers of Margaret B. Wright, including correspondence, diaries, writings, and other papers. The series also contains a small childhood diary of Marian Lois Wright.
A. Margaret B. Wright papers, 1868-1920
This subseries contains the correspondence, diaries, and writings of Margaret B. Wright documenting her life in the U.S. and Europe and her career as a writer. Also included are papers related to her estate.
Personal correspondence, 1868-1919
Included are letters from Marian Lois Wright, Martha Wright, Conrad Edick Wright, Lillie Wright, Noah Brooks, Frank K. Upham, Brooks Upham, Charles Upham, W. Upham Jones, the Hennessys, the Pognons, and other family members and friends. Correspondence between Margaret B. Wright and Marian Lois Wright discusses financial matters, the activities of C. H. C. Wright, and Marian Lois Wright's engagement to Mr. Legrot. One long letter by Margaret B. Wright describes a visit to Pompeii, Italy, 1878, and contains a sketch of her by Marian Lois Wright. Also included is correspondence related to Charles Henry Wright's death, as well as letters about the deaths of Marian Lois Wright and Martha Wright, the education of C. H. C. Wright, family history, and Adolphe Cohn.
Diaries, 1898-1917
Margaret B. Wright's diaries were kept primarily in Cambridge, Mass., and Paris, Me. Entries describe Wright's daily activities, social visits, and travels; letters written and received; plays, lectures, church services, and other events; births and deaths of friends and family; books and articles she has read; her own professional writing; and her interest and participation in the cause of women's suffrage.
Diary, 1898
Items removed from Vol. 75
Diary, 1899
Items removed from Vol. 76
Diary, 1900
Diary, 1901
Diary, 1902
Diary, 1903
Items removed from Vol. 80
Diary, 1904
Items removed from Vol. 81
Diary, 1905
Items removed from Vol. 82
Diary, 1906
Items removed from Vol. 83
Diary, 1907
Items removed from Vol. 84
Diary, 1908
Items removed from Vol. 85
Diary, 1909
Items removed from Vol. 86
Diary, 1910
Items removed from Vol. 87
Diary, 1911
Items removed from Vol. 88
Diary, 1912
Items removed from Vol. 89
Diary, 1913
Items removed from Vol. 90
Diary, 1914
Items removed from Vol. 91
Diary, 1915
Items removed from Vol. 92
Diary, 1916
Items removed from Vol. 93
Diary, 1917
Items removed from Vol. 94
Writings, 1874-1902 [some photocopies]
Included are articles by Margaret B. Wright published in Scribner's Monthly, Lippincott's Magazine, The Daily Inter-Ocean, The Atlantic Monthly, The Overland Monthly, The Chautauquan, Temple Bar, and other magazines and newspapers. Wright describes sights in Europe, art and art education, literature, theater, fashion, etiquette, and others subjects primarily drawn from her life abroad and the boyhood of C. H. C. Wright. Some articles were published under pseudonyms, including Margaret Bertha, Bertha Dayne, and Deliverance Dingle, and many are illustrated with sketches by William John Hennessy, Belle Osbourne, Marian Lois Wright, and others. Also included are a few of Wright's typescript drafts and reviews of her work Hired Furnished: Being Certain Economical Housekeeping Adventures in England (1897).
Among the writings are a New England Magazine article by Wright describing the landscape and inhabitants of Cape Rosier, Me.; responses to that article printed in the Belfast Age; and "The Dragon's Teeth," an essay by Agnes Repplier probably inspired by Wright's "Our Curse from Cadmus."
Legal, financial, and miscellaneous papers, 1878-1920
Bills, undated and 1878
Copyright contract with Roberts Brothers for Hired Furnished: Being Certain Economical Housekeeping Adventures in England, 1897
Miscellaneous papers, 1911-1916
Papers regarding estate of Margaret B. Wright, 1912-1920
Included are Margaret B. Wright's will, burial records, and other papers.
B. Marian Lois Wright diary, 1870
This small volume contains brief entries written by Marian Lois Wright when she was a girl living in Dixon, Ill. Subjects include school work, household chores, visits with friends and family, and the weather.
VII. Woodman, Weston, and Cutler family papers, 1826-1956
This series contains papers of the Woodman family, related to the Wrights by marriage, and the Weston and Cutler families, related to the Woodmans by marriage. (For the Woodman family genealogy, see Appendix 2.) The individuals most heavily represented in this series include Cyrus Woodman (1814-1889), Charlotte Flint Woodman, Mary Woodman, Frank Woodman, Walter Woodman, Mary Weston Woodman, Anna Cutler Woodman, and Edward Woodman. The bulk of the papers consists of correspondence between Woodman family members. The series also contains a scrapbook of documents related to Horatio Woodman, including letters from prominent Civil War figures; personal correspondence, diaries, and other papers of Mary Woodman, Walter Woodman, and Anna Cutler Woodman; material related to the estates of various family members; and engravings and paintings.
A. Woodman family correspondence, 1843-1928
This subseries contains correspondence between Woodman and related family members. Among the earliest correspondence are letters from Charlotte Flint Woodman to her sister Hepzibah "Fanny" Flint and her brother John Flint, Jr., but the bulk of the early correspondence consists of letters between Charlotte Flint Woodman, Cyrus Woodman (1814-1889), and Mary Woodman. The majority are from Cyrus Woodman to Charlotte Flint Woodman about household matters, the education of the children, his professional and social activities, and his travels; and to Mary Woodman with advice about her health, education, and other subjects. Other significant correspondents include Frank Woodman, Walter Woodman, Edward Woodman, Mary Weston Woodman, Anna Cutler Woodman, Cyrus Woodman (1883-1967), Mary Woodman Mattison, and Anna Woodman Webster. The subseries also contains some letters of George Woodman, Nannie Cotton Woodman, Eliza Woodman Weston, James P. Weston, Charlotte Flint Woodman's aunt Charlotte F. Rice, and other members of the Flint family. Most of the letters concern personal and family matters.
Beginning in 1894, the bulk of the correspondence consists of letters from Edward Woodman, Frank Woodman, and Mary Woodman to Walter Woodman regarding financial matters. Edward Woodman is the primary correspondent. This later correspondence also contains personal letters of these and other family members, including Charlotte Flint Woodman, Anna Cutler Woodman, Cyrus Woodman (1883-1967), Mary Woodman Mattison, and Anna Woodman Webster; correspondence of Walter Woodman and Anna Cutler Woodman about a Nov. 1901 railroad accident involving the train on which Walter Woodman was riding; letters to members of the Cutler family, including Christina Cutler, Warland G. Cutler, and Bernice Cutler; and letters from sculptor Leila Usher to Walter Woodman about her bust of Booker T. Washington, 1905.
B. Woodman family scrapbook, 1857-1879
This scrapbook, compiled and annotated by Cyrus Woodman (1814-1889), contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, and printed matter primarily related to Horatio Woodman. The majority of the papers date from the 1860s, including letters to Horatio Woodman from Samuel Hooper, John S. Holmes, Richard Henry Dana, Sr., Ebenezer R. Hoar, John Quincy Adams (1833-1894), Richard Henry Dana, Jr., Christopher P. Cranch, and Charles Francis Adams, Jr. Other items of interest include a letter from George William Curtis to Horatio Woodman discussing the U.S.S. Merrimack and praising Abraham Lincoln; a confidential letter from Horatio Woodman criticizing Gen. George B. McClellan; a note from Wendell Phillips about the resignation of Lt. Thomas Earle because of the "waste & folly" of the wartime government; Horatio Woodman's obituary in the Boston Advertiser; and printed matter related to the anti-slavery and political activities of Horatio Woodman's brother William H. Woodman.
C. Mary Woodman papers, 1899-1921
Personal correspondence, 1899-1920
Included are letters from Priscilla Jonett about Mary Woodman's move to Portland, Me., and the work of the Welfare Union, as well as other correspondence.
Diaries, 1902-1921
Mary Woodman's diaries, kept primarily in Cambridge, Mass., and Portland, Me., contain brief daily entries about the weather, visits with friends, errands, church activities, books she is reading, plays she has seen, and her health.
Line-a-day diary, 1902-1905
Items removed from Vol. 96
Line-a-day diary, 1907-1911
Line-a-day diary, 1912-1916
Items removed from Vol. 98
Line-a-day diary, 1917-1921
Items removed from Vol. 99
D. Walter Woodman papers, 1869-1928
Personal correspondence, 1894-1928
The bulk of Walter Woodman's personal correspondence relates to his land deals and mining investments in Missouri, including letters from Burt W. Lyon, George W. Layne, Charles Moore, John Durby, W. H. Whitlock, R. M. Bailey, R. H. Love, H. G. Geyer, and others. Also included is financial correspondence with J. S. Draper and Sanford & Kelley, as well as letters from A. Lawrence Lowell about the range lights at Cotuit Harbor, the depth of the harbor entrance, and other subjects. Among Woodman's other correspondents are Charles Warren Stoddard, Henry Oscar Houghton, John S. Richardson, Curtis Guild, Jr., and Ben B. Lindsey.
Diaries, 1869, 1899
Diary, 1869
This diary, kept in Cambridge, Mass., contains entries describing Walter Woodman's daily activities, visits with friends and family, school work, weather, and gardening.
Diary, 1899
This diary, kept in Cambridge, Mass., contains sporadic entries by Walter Woodman about the weather, visits with friends and family, and his children's illnesses and activities.
Writings, 1876-1920
"The Cruise of the Banshee," 1876 [photocopy]
"Voyage to Buenos Ayres," 1886 [photocopy]
"Log of the Dorothy Q," 1889-1893 [photocopy]
Genealogical notes, 1914-1920
Poems, undated and 1915
Printed matter, 1883-1885
Included are the marriage certificate of Walter Woodman and Mary Weston Woodman and Walter Woodman's passport.
E. Anna Cutler Woodman papers, 1882-1924
Personal correspondence, 1892-1919
Anna Cutler Woodman's personal correspondence consists primarily of letters from Mary Sanger about Mary Woodman Mattison, her death, and her husband and children.
Diaries, 1896-1924
These diaries, kept in Cambridge, Mass., contain daily entries by Anna Cutler Woodman describing visits with friends and family, weather, the activities of her children, births, weddings, illnesses, deaths, and other subjects.
Diary, 1896
Diary, 1897
Diary, 1898
Items removed from Vol. 104
Diary, 1899
Items removed from Vol. 105
Diary, 1900
Items removed from Vol. 106
Diary, 1901
Diary, 1902
Items removed from Vol. 108
Diary, 1903
Items removed from Vol. 109
Diary, 1904
Items removed from Vol. 110
Diary, 1905
Items removed from Vol. 111
Diary, 1906
Diary, 1907
Items removed from Vol. 113
Diary, 1908
Items removed from Vol. 114
Diary, 1909
Items removed from Vol. 115
Diary, 1910
Items removed from Vol. 116
Diary, 1911
Items removed from Vol. 117
Diary, 1912
Items removed from Vol. 118
Diary, 1913
Items removed from Vol. 119
Diary, 1914
Items removed from Vol. 120
Diary, 1915
Items removed from Vol. 121
Diary, 1916
Items removed from Vol. 122
Diary, 1917
Items removed from Vol. 123
Diary, 1918
Items removed from Vol. 124
Diary, 1919
Diary, 1920
Items removed from Vol. 126
Diary, 1921
Diary, 1922
Items removed from Vol. 128
Diary, 1923
Diary, 1924
Miscellaneous papers, 1882-1899
Drawings, poems, and other papers, undated and 1882
Some items in this folder have been removed from the collection and are stored onsite. See the Curator of Art for more information.
"Children's Sayings," 1890-1894
This small notebook contains memoranda by Anna Cutler Woodman about the activities and sayings of her children.
"The Mother's Record," 1892-1899
This volume describes the various illnesses and activities of Anna Cutler Woodman's children.
Items removed from Vol. 131
Accounts of the birthdays of Elizabeth Woodman Wright and Mary Woodman Mattison, 1894-1898
F. Miscellaneous family papers, 1826-1956
Miscellaneous empty envelopes, 1826-1855
Most of these envelopes are addressed to Horatio Woodman and were sent by Edward Everett, Rufus Choate, Joseph Story, and others.
James P. Weston diary, 1840-1860
James P. Weston was the father of Mary Weston Woodman, Walter Woodman's first wife. Weston's diary, kept primarily in Maine and Illinois, describes his daily activities, visits with friends, letters received and sent, his education at Bowdoin College, his courtship of and marriage to Eliza Woodman Weston, his career as a pastor and educator, and other subjects.
Charlotte Flint Woodman personal correspondence, 1846-1885
Included are two letters from suffragette Lucy Stone, 1884-1885, regarding Charlotte Flint Woodman's support of women's rights.
Mary Weston Woodman papers, 1860-1885
Included are a "book of thanks," a poem entitled "One of Many," and a letter from Mary Weston Woodman to a classmate.
Papers regarding ordination and death of Rev. Walter Woodman (1916-1955), 1954-1956
G. Estate and property papers, 1872-1947
This subseries contains papers related to the property of various Woodman, Weston, and Cutler family members and the disposition of that property to heirs. Included are inventories, deeds, receipts, trust agreements, statements, correspondence, wills, bank notes, powers of attorney, appraisals, accounts, and other papers.
Inventories of Woodman family personal property, undated
Papers regarding James P. Weston property, 1872-1894
Papers regarding Cyrus Woodman property, 1880-1918
Papers regarding Walter Woodman property, 1883-1942
The bulk of Walter Woodman's property papers relate to his real estate holdings in Cambridge, Mass., and Neosho, Mo.
Papers regarding Eliza Woodman Weston property, 1892
Papers regarding Charlotte Flint Woodman property, 1896-1903
Papers regarding Anna Cutler Woodman property, 1907-1925
Papers regarding estate of Sarah B. Cutler, 1925-1929
Papers regarding estate of Nora Durand Woodman, 1931-1947
H. Graphic material, 1828-1867
The material in this subseries has been removed from the collection and is stored onsite. See the Curator of Art for more information.
Asher B. Durand engravings, 1828-1867
Asher B. Durand was an American engraver and painter of the Hudson River School. His daughter Lucy Durand married George Woodman, the brother of Cyrus Woodman (1814-1889). These examples of Asher B. Durand's early engravings include his designs for bank notes.
Nora Durand Woodman paintings, undated
Nora Durand Woodman was the daughter of George Woodman and Lucy Durand Woodman and the niece of Cyrus Woodman (1814-1889). She painted miniature seascapes, sunsets, and other natural scenes.
Painting by Mary Weston Woodman of Deering Universalist Church, Deering, Me., undated
VIII. Oversize material, 1858-1975
This series consists of miscellaneous plans, contracts, financial records, printed matter, deeds, and other oversize papers that have been removed from Series I-VI. A note has been inserted at the original location of each item indicating its removal to oversize. Papers in this series are arranged in the order in which they appear in the collection.
Appendix 1: Wright Family Genealogy
Expand allThis genealogy includes only the names of Wright family members represented in this collection.
Margaret Barker "Bertha" Upham (1839-1919)
m. first Dr. Zalmon James McMaster
m. second in 1868 Charles Henry
Wright (1838-1869), son of Conrad Edick Wright (1814-1889) and Martha "Patty" Wright
(1815-1890)
1. Marian Lois McMaster (later Wright) (1861-1888)
m. in 1887 Adolphe Cohn (1851-1930)
Albert Cohn (b. 1888) (later Albert Marian McMaster)
2. Charles Henry Conrad Wright (1869-1957)
m. in 1914 Elizabeth Longfellow Woodman (1885-1961) (see the Woodman family genealogy below)
1. Walter Woodman Wright (1915-1995)
m. in 1941 Aagot Caroline Horn (b. 1915)
1. Caroline Aagot Wright (b. 1945)
m. in 1966 Andrew D. Kuhl (b. 1943)
2. Eric E. Wright (b. 1948)
2. Charles Conrad Wright (b. 1917)
m. in 1948 Elizabeth Jane Hilgendorff (b. 1925)
1. Conrad Edick Wright (b. 1950)
2. Nielson Wright (b. 1953)
3. Elizabeth Longfellow Wright (b. 1957)
3. Brooks Wright (b. 1922)
m. in 1955 Elizabeth "Betty" Rankin (b. 1927)
1. Aldrich Wright (b. 1957)
2. Anne Elizabeth Wright (b. 1959) (adopted)
3. Martha Grace Wright (b. 1964) (adopted)
Appendix 2: Woodman Family Genealogy
Expand allThis genealogy includes only the names of Woodman family members represented in this collection.
Cyrus Woodman (1814-1889)
m. in 1842 Charlotte Flint (1814-1907)
1. Mary Woodman (1842-1928)
2. Frank Woodman (1844-1845)
3. Frank Woodman (1846-1918)
m. in 1884 Nannie Maria Cotton (1856-1948)
1. Ashton Fitzhugh Woodman (1886-1966)
m. in 1924 Perceval Reniers (b. 1893)
2. Charlotte Woodman (b. 1888)
m. in 1911 Herrold Sterrett (b. 1886)
3. Unnamed daughter (1891-1891)
4. Mary Woodman (1894-1895)
5. Frances Cotton Woodman (1896-1897)
4. Walter Woodman (1849-1850)
5. Walter Woodman (1852-1928)
m. first in 1883 Mary Emeline Weston (1849-1888), daughter of Rev.
James Partelow Weston and Eliza Elden Woodman Weston
m. second in 1890 Anna Cora Cutler
(1854-1925)
1. Cyrus Woodman (1883-1967)
m. in 1913 Frances Billings (b. 1891)
1. Alice Billings Woodman (b. 1915)
m. Peter Rossiter
2. Rev. Walter Woodman (1916-1955)
3. Charles Billings Woodman (b. 1919)
4. Elizabeth Weston Woodman (1925-1925)
2. Elizabeth Longfellow Woodman (1885-1961)
m. in 1914 Charles Henry Conrad Wright (1869-1957) (see the Wright family genealogy above)
3. Mary Weston Woodman (1887-1919)
m. in 1910 Joseph Mattison (1884-1963)
1. Anna Cutler Mattison (b. 1911)
2. Mary Woodman Mattison (1912-1919)
3. Ruth Mattison (b. 1914)
4. Joseph Mattison, Jr. (b. 1917)
4. Anna Cutler Woodman (b. 1888)
m. in 1912 David Locke Webster (b. 1888)
1. Nancy Webster (1913-1969)
2. Helen Webster (b. 1915)
3. David Locke Webster III (b. 1917)
4. Cutler Webster (b. 1920)
6. Edward Woodman (1855-1939)
m. in 1883 Caroline Bowers (1856-1929)
1. Hannah Woodman (b. 1884)
2. Paul Woodman (1885-1930)
3. Edward Woodman (1888-1913)
Preferred Citation
Wright family papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.
Persons:
Organizations:
Subjects:
Materials Removed from the Collection
Photographs
Photographs from this collection have been removed to the MHS Photo Archives. Two oversize photograph albums have also been removed to the Wright family photographs (Photo. Coll. 48).
Printed Items
The following printed item has been removed from this collection and cataloged separately:
The Descendants of Joseph Woodman (1783-1857) and Susanna (Coffin) Woodman (1783-1833) of Buxton, Maine, compiled by Elizabeth Woodman Wright, edited and revised by Conrad Wright, 1970.
Artifacts
The following artifacts have been removed to the MHS Artifacts Collection:
One piece of 19th-century paper currency (removed from Carton 15)
Locks of hair of
Woodman children, undated
Wildflower from Saint-Castin, 1927
Rubber and incense from
India and/or Ceylon, 1944
Bermudan leaf, 1950
Black ribbon printed with S.S. Nebraska, undated
Artwork
The following artwork has been removed from this collection (see the Curator of Art for more information):
Anna Cutler Woodman drawings, poems, and other papers, undated and 1882 (select items)
(Carton 21, Folder 38)
Asher B. Durand engravings, 1828-1867 (Carton 21, Folder
72)
Nora Durand Woodman paintings, undated (Carton 21, Folder 73)
Painting by Mary
Weston Woodman of Deering Universalist Church, Deering, Me., undated (Carton 21, Folder 74)
Special Collections
The original manuscript poem "The Bandbox," by Robert Louis Stevenson, has been removed from the collection and cataloged separately.