Mary Coolidge Rentschler collection
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
The collection consists primarily of the papers of Mary Coolidge Rentschler (1892–1988), her extended Coolidge, Shepley, Shurtleff, and Clapp relatives, as well as the family of her first husband, Edwin Farnsworth Atkins Jr. (1892–1923), which was involved in sugar planting in Cuba. Mary's second husband, Gordon Sohn Rentschler (1885–1948), a descendant of 19th-century German immigrants (named Rentschler and Schwab) to Ohio, was chairman of National City Bank of New York (1940–1948).
Biographical and Historical Note
The materials are primarily the personal papers of Mary C. Rentschler (1892–1988). She was the eldest daughter of Charles Allerton Coolidge (1858–1936), a prominent Boston architect, and Julia Shepley Coolidge (1856–1935), the descendant of old New England, Missouri, and New York families. The family of her first husband, Edwin Farnsworth Atkins Jr. (1892–1923), was a leading North American sugar producer in Cuba. Her second husband, Gordon Sohn Rentschler (1885–1948), was the son of a successful Ohio industrialist. Gordon S. Rentschler became a prominent banker and Chairman of the National City Bank of New York from 1940–1948.
The smaller amount of materials within the collection are the personal papers of Helen Rentschler Waldon (1890–1967), Gordon S. Rentschler's sister and the wife of Sidney Dunn Waldon (1873–1945), a pioneer in the U.S. automotive and aeronautical industries.
The papers are an amalgam of the histories of the three dominant family groups within the collection: Americans of English descent (Coolidge, Shepley, Shurtleff, Clapp); New England sugar planters in Cuba (Atkins); and nineteenth-century German immigrants who became industrialists in Ohio (Rentschler, Schwab).
The period in United States history that is covered by the bulk of this collection, circa 1875–1950, witnessed the transformation of America into a leading industrialized nation, and the three businesses that form the backdrop to the collection: sugar, iron and steel, and banking were at the heart of this growth.
The lynchpin that connects the family to these three industries is Mary Shepley Coolidge Atkins Rentschler (Mary C. Rentschler). Mary C. Rentschler was the daughter of Julia Shepley and Charles Allerton Coolidge. Mary Rentschler's ancestors—the Shepley, Coolidge, and Shurtleff families—arrived in America in the 1630s from England, and were among the original colonizers of Watertown, Groton, and Salem, Massachusetts, as well as Livermore, Maine. For much of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries they were farmers, grocers, and selectmen (town officials). However, after the Revolution—in which Benjamin Shurtleff, David Hill, and two Shepley generations fought—family members became professionals and enjoyed distinguished careers. Ether Shepley (1789–1877) became a U.S. Supreme Court Judge in Portland, Maine. His son moved to Missouri where he became a successful lawyer and married the daughter of Benjamin Clapp, a prominent merchant employed by fur trader John Jacob Astor of New York. Mary C. Rentschler's grandfather, David Hill Coolidge (1833–1907), was a prominent Boston lawyer, and his son became one of the leading architects of his day. Charles Allerton Coolidge was a design partner for Coolidge, Shepley, Bulfinch & Abbott from 1886–1936. Among the approximately 370 buildings he designed (excluding alterations and additions) are Stanford University in California, the Public Library in Chicago and the Chicago Art Institute, Boston's South Station railroad terminal, Harvard University's Fogg Art Museum, New York Hospital, and buildings for the Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research in New York, and a hospital and medical school in Beijing, China.
Mary C. Rentschler's solid New England background formed the bedrock of her two marriages and subsequent connections to the sugar, iron and steel, and banking industries. The first of these marriages was to Edwin F. Atkins Jr., the son of a prominent sugar producer in Cuba. Both the Coolidge and Atkins families were based in Belmont, Massachusetts. Mary C. Rentschler married Edwin F. Atkins Jr. in 1916, beginning an association with Cuba that would last fifty years. The Atkins family's involvement with Cuba began in 1838 when Elisha Atkins started importing molasses and raw sugar from Cuba. In 1883, three years before the abolition of slavery, the family acquired Soledad. This 4,500-acre sugar estate was then modernized with new railroad track and plantings. By 1887 it produced 4,000 tons of sugar, and by 1888 Elisha Atkins had acquired the Bay State refinery in Boston. Having begun as an intermediary between Cuban planters and U.S. refiners, the firm of E. Atkins became a "vertically integrated" company owning all the means of production, from the raw material and plantations in Cuba, to the Boston refinery in the United States.
During the War of Independence (1895–98) insurgents decimated the sugar industry, and subsequently the United States acquired Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. Although Cuba gained independence in 1902, it remained under the tutelage of the United States, and North American sugar refiners gained easy access and control over much of the Cuban raw sugar industry. Increasingly, sugar refiners were joined by directors and members of banking institutions in controlling the sugar industry. Two of the most prominent United States banking houses involved were the House of Morgan and the National City Bank of New York. Complex holding companies were created to facilitate this practice.
During World War I, as the production of Central European beet sugar declined, Cuban cane prices skyrocketed, and a second wave of growth in the Cuban sugar industry took place. This period of prosperity, known as the Danza de Los Milliones, brought increased investment in sugar. The National City Bank of New York provided loans to construct more mills for sugarcane production, as well as to finance the new "colonos," or small farmers who cultivated cane. Twenty-two new NCB branches opened in Cuba in 1919 and one in 1920. U.S.-owned Centrales—large sugar estates—were built in the undeveloped provinces of Camaguey and Oriente in the eastern part of Cuba. However, in 1921, as European beet sugar recovered, the price of Cuban sugar plummeted, and only large U.S.-owned Centrales survived. E. Atkins's Punta Alegre Sugar Company was one of these.
In 1927 Mary C. Rentschler married Gordon S. Rentschler. Her first marriage to Edwin F. Atkins Jr. had ended in 1923 when her husband, their two young sons, and nanny, died in a plane crash off the coast of Cuba. She was the only family survivor. Pregnant at the time, she gave birth to a daughter, Faith Atkins Witter, on July 2, 1923. Mary C. Rentschler maintained a strong attachment to her mother-in-law and Cuba after she was widowed and remarried.
Gordon S. Rentschler was the son of George Adam Rentschler. Born in 1846 in Germany, George arrived in Newark, New Jersey, circa 1849–52. There he apprenticed as a molder and pattern maker for seven years from the age of eleven to eighteen. In 1864 he moved to Peru, Indiana, where he worked as a molder for a small plant. In 1875 he founded the firm of Sohn, Rentschler & Balle. A year later Balle withdrew, and Henry Sohn & George Adam Rentschler established the Ohio Iron Works and the Phoenix Caster Company. The Ohio Iron Works was the nucleus of subsequent Rentschler ventures. In 1892 he founded the Hamilton Foundry & Machine Company to produce castings. Ten years earlier, in 1882, the Hooven Owens Rentschler Company was formed. This company manufactured Corliss engines, marine engines, and sugar mill equipment. By 1913 Rentschler's factory housed the largest Corliss engine works in the world, and their marine engines were used in World War I. These engines produced a large part of the power used at the St. Louis World's Fair, as well as the energy for the Ford Motor Car Company power plant.
Twenty-seven "representative industries" are described in Hamilton's local newspaper, underscoring its position as a booming iron and steel town. It was home to the Beckett Paper Company, Champion Coated Paper Company, Mosler Safe Company, the Estate Stove Company, as well as factories producing farm equipment, knitting mills, and elevators. Also located in Hamilton was the Cincinnati Brewing Company, owned by George A. Rentschler's father-in-law, Peter Schwab. His beer, "Schwab's Pure Gold," was distributed nationwide.
On March 25, 1913, Hamilton, Ohio suffered a record flood. The town was submerged and a relief committee was created. Gordon S. Rentschler was appointed Chairman of the Miami Conservancy District Board, dedicated to the prevention of further floods. The Daily Republican News magazine of 1913 reported that the Hooven-Owens-Rentschler factory "saved the City of Hamilton from . . . disaster. The magnificent buildings, consisting of the foundry and machine shops, stood strong, as a mighty bulwark, against the onrushing waters." Gordon Rentschler worked closely with another member of the committee of the Miami Conservancy Board, Colonel Edward A. Deeds, executive of National Cash Register. In 1917 Rentschler became managing director of the Hooven Owens Rentschler Company, and in 1918 he became involved with NCB through his work with Charles E. Mitchell, Chairman, on a bond issue for the Miami, Ohio flood control program. Through Rentschler's business contacts as a producer of heavy sugar mill machinery, he visited Soledad, the Atkin's plantation in Cuba, and he became a friend of the Atkins family. Rentschler had sugar interests of his own in Cuba, and in 1921 he sought to recover debts owed him by Cuban planters. In his capacity as specialist in Cuban sugar and sugar mill machinery, he was hired by National City Bank Chairman Charles E. Mitchell to survey the bank's sugar properties and decide if they could be successfully overhauled and made profitable. He and Colonel E. A. Deeds traveled to Cuba in July 1921. Their report supported further investment in Cuban sugar. They believed that the industry would ultimately generate revenues to repay the bank's loans and turn a profit. However, this positive assessment proved incorrect. Efforts by the Cuban government failed to resuscitate the sugar industry, and the unforeseen 1929 stock market crash further weakened the industry. In 1933 revolution swept Cuba: rural and urban workers took over mills and overthrew the dictator Gerardo Machado. A nationalist government led by Ramon Grau San Martin took power. He was overthrown in a coup in January 1934 led by Fulgencio Batista.
National City Bank had a long history in Cuba. In 1837 Moses Taylor (president, 1856–1882) was heavily involved in trading Cuban sugar. In 1898, when the United States acquired Cuba and Puerto Rico in the Spanish American War, NCB president James Stillman helped underwrite a $200 million loan to finance the war. By 1931, years of investment in Cuba, coupled with the stock market crash, left the bank exposed to money advances and loans to Cuba worth $79 million, or 80 percent of the bank's capital. Government blamed the economic downturn on the banking industry's speculative practices and wide unregulated powers. In 1931 and 1933 Charles Mitchell, chairman of National City Bank, testified in front of the Senate Banking Committee in Washington, where he came under heavy fire for irresponsible banking practices. As a result, the government created the Banking Act of 1933, separating commercial and investment banking and thereby limiting the risk to which each bank was exposed. In addition, the Federal Reserve Board assumed greater power in controlling the amount and use of credit. In February 1933 Charles E. Mitchell resigned, and James H. Perkins, President of National City Bank's City Bank Farmers Trust Company succeeded him. The practical result for National City Bank was the liquidation of National City Company (securities division) and a return to a policy of "ready money." In addition, NCB closed unprofitable international branches, including twelve in Cuba. The bank now sought to lend to corporations that had excellent business prospects.
Gordon S. Rentschler rose through the ranks of National City Bank. In 1923 he was the youngest member on the bank's board of directors; in 1925 he was elected a vice president and assistant to President Charles Mitchell; in 1929 he was elected president; in 1940 he succeeded Perkins as chairman of the bank. Rentschler continued Perkins' return to conservative banking policy, and with his vice-chairman W. Randolph Burgess, he helped the Treasury sell bills and bonds to finance the war. In 1941 Rentschler toured the country, reassuring corporate clients that the bank would help them once the war ended. Rentschler and Burgess succeeded in restoring the bank's reputation. National City Bank branches were rebuilt after the war as the United States enjoyed an inflationary boom, however, the memory of the boom and bust economy that followed World War I produced a sense of unease, and Rentschler worked cautiously to rebuild the bank until his death in 1948.
Arrangement
The Mary Coolidge Rentschler Collection is organized in three series, each of which is further subdivided:
- Series I.
- Manuscripts and memorabilia
- Series II.
- Photographic prints and negatives
- Series III.
- Mary Rentschler Lowrey addition
Boxes are numbered according to a scheme devised by the archivist Helen Selsdon, who was hired by the donor to process the collection for the family several years before it came to the New-York Historical Society. Each format in the collection—manuscripts, oversize items, memorabilia, standard-size photographic prints, oversize photographic prints, photograph albums/framed photographs, and photographic negatives—is segregated in its own series of boxes, which are numbered from 1 through the end of that format. The portion of the collection assembled by Mary Rentschler Lowrey (Series III) is similarly numbered.
- Manuscripts
- = Man-1 through Man-24
- Oversize items
- = Ovz-1 through Ovz-5
- Memorabilia
- = Mem-1 through Mem-58
- Photographs (standard-size prints)
- = Pho (std)-1 through Pho (std)-15
- Photographs (oversize prints)
- = Pho (ovz)-1 through Pho (ovz)-4
- Photographs (albums/framed)
- = Pho (alb)-1 through Pho (alb)-12 [Album 10 in 4 parts: 10A through 10D]
- Photographs (negatives)
- = Pho (neg)-1 through Pho (neg)-9
- Mary Rentschler Lowrey addition
- = MRL-1 through MRL-5
Scope and Contents
Mary Coolidge Rentschler and Helen Rentschler Waldon appear to have collected personal and family papers throughout their lives (1892–1988 and 1890–1967 respectively). The bulk of the documents in this manuscript collection date from 1875–1950 (inclusive dates are 1793–2000). Approximately sixteen and a half linear feet of materials were received by Susan Rentschler Witter (Mary C. Rentschler's daughter and Helen R. Waldon's niece). These included minutes, wills, mortgages, correspondence, scrapbooks, publications, press clippings, memorabilia, blueprints, maps, photographic albums, loose photographic prints, and negatives.
The paper collection is housed in twenty-four manuscript boxes comprising ten linear feet of material. Oversized (non-photographic) documents, including legal agreements, maps, certificates, architectural drawings, and a lithograph, were transferred to three oversized horizontal storage boxes and two cylinders. Materials such as publications, diaries, in memoriam tributes, and 3-D artifacts and memorabilia were removed to 58 bully boxes of varying sizes. Photographic prints were transferred to fifteen print storage boxes and oversized images were transferred to three oversize print storage boxes and one cylinder. Photographic albums and framed photographs were placed in 12 boxes / archival photo albums. Negatives were removed to nine bully boxes.
The majority of the material is in good condition. However, eleven documents [Diary (1904); Diary (1912); Diary (1915); Wedding guest book (1927); Illuminated Pamphlets (1948); Corning Glass Works; Anaconda Copper Mining Co.; Citibank; Home Insurance Company; Consolidated Edison; Princeton University] suffered severe flood damage at Mary C. Rentschler's home at 770 Park Avenue and required professional cleaning and care by a paper conservator [Ms. Ursula Mitra)]. The archivist cleaned less severely damaged correspondence. A micro-particle vacuum cleaner was used to remove mold.
The materials came from two main locations. From the Rentschler home in New York came two record storage boxes and two metal blanket boxes containing predominantly David Hill Coolidge, Mary C. Rentschler, and Gordon S. Rentschler materials. From the Gordon Rentschler farm in Hamilton, Ohio, came two metal suitcases containing Rentschler family materials as well as Helen R. Waldon records. Although the records came from two different physical locations they were all the collection of Mary C. Rentschler. As such they form one series of material. Within this there are five groups denoting the five individuals that form the subject matter of the collection: David Hill Coolidge, Mary C. Rentschler, Gordon S. Rentschler, Helen R. Waldon, and Susan R. Witter. Materials were found arranged by type, e.g., personal correspondence, scrapbooks, photographs. There was little chronological order.
Subjects
Organizations
Families
Genres
People
Topics
Conditions Governing Access
Open to qualified researchers.
Conditions Governing Use
Photocopying undertaken by staff only. Limited to 20 exposures of stable, unbound material per day.
Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
The collection should be cited as: Mary C. Rentschler Collection, MS 2999, New-York Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift to the New-York Historical Society of Susan Witter, 2016 (accession no. MS-2016-06).
In 1988 Susan Rentschler Witter received two metal blanket boxes, two regular suitcases, two storage boxes, and one wooden chest of archival materials comprising approximately sixteen-and-a-half linear feet of papers. The papers belonged primarily to her mother, Mary Coolidge Atkins Rentschler. A smaller group of materials belonged to her aunt, Helen Rentschler Waldon.
After Mary C. Rentschler's death in 1988, the materials were transferred from her apartment and basement at 770 Park Avenue, New York, N.Y., to the apartment of Susan R. Witter at 1040 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. Materials concerning Rentschlers, Schwabs and Waldons were sent from Hamilton, Ohio in 1995.
In 2000 Susan R. Witter contributed some of her own papers concerning her mother's death to the collection. In 2001 Phoebe Rentschler Stanton, Mary C. Rentschler's second daughter, contributed a family genealogy (a bound volume created by Julia Shepley Coolidge, circa 1907; see Box 17 of memorabilia collection) from her home in New York, N.Y., and Mary Rentschler Lowrey, Mary C. Rentschler's third daughter, transferred a box of glass slides and a box of photographs belonging to Sidney Dunn Waldon, as well as newspaper clippings, from her home in San Francisco to her sister Susan R. Witter's home in New York, N.Y.
In October 2003 Mary Rentschler Lowrey contributed approximately 2 linear feet of print, news clippings, and photographic materials to the Mary Coolidge Rentschler collection. The print materials are housed in 2 manuscript boxes and are labeled as a contribution from Mary R. Lowrey. The photographs and oversize documents are integrated into the larger collection.
Bibliography
Published
Atkins, Edwin F. Sixty Years in Cuba (Riverside Press, 1926).
Ayala, Cesar J. American Sugar Kingdom: The Plantation Economy of the Spanish Caribbean, 1898–1934 (University of North Carolina Press, 1999).
Baker, Christopher P. Cuba [Moon Handbooks, 2nd edition] (Avalon Travel Publishing, 2000).
Becker, Carl M. and Patrick B. Nolan. Keeping the Promise: A Pictorial History of the Miami Conservancy District (Dayton, Ohio: Landfall Press, 1988).
Cleveland, Harold van B. and Thomas F. Huertas. Citibank, 1812–1970 (Harvard University Press, 1985).
Marcosson, Isaac F. Colonel Deeds, Industrial Builder (Dodd, Mead & Company, 1947).
McCormick, Harold W., Tom Allen, and William Young. Shadows in the Sea: The Sharks, Skates, and Rays (Chilton Books, 1963).
Weeks, Katharine Wrisely Claflin and Robert Freeman. A New England Family Revisited (circa 1994?).
Wicker, Elmus. The Banking Panics of the Great Depression (Cambridge University Press, 2000).
Witter, Harold John. The Descendants of William Witter and Hannah Churchman of Lynn, MA (Gateway Press, 1991).
Unpublished
Deane, Julia Coolidge. "China Letters," volume I (1921 April 14 – September 7).
Deane, Julia Coolidge. "China Letters," volume II (1921 September 21 – 1922 March 31).
Deane, Julia Coolidge. "China Letters," volume III (1922 April 1 – December 27).
Deane, Julia Coolidge. "China Letters," volume IV (1923 January 1 – October 22).
[Publications in the container list are not included here.]
About this Guide
Processing Information
Processed in April 2002 and March 2004 by Helen Selsdon, an archival consultant contracted by Susan R. Witter, donor of the collection. New-York Historical Society processing archivist Joseph Ditta migrated Selsdon's text-based finding aid and inventory to ArchivesSpace in March-May 2020.
Repository
Series I. Manuscripts and memorabilia
Subseries I.A. David Hill Coolidge Sr. (1833–1907) [DHC]
Language of Materials
Scope and Contents
These materials include wills, mortgages, correspondence, diaries, scrapbooks, and commission certificates mostly dating from the second half of the nineteenth century. They reflect both a huge pride and love for his family and a prominent standing and involvement in the legal profession and civic life.
Coolidge's papers include a large number of documents concerning his immediate and ancestral family. Numerous genealogies, obituaries, and historical letters written by distant family members attest to his interest and pride in the accomplishments of his family. The oldest documents in the entire collection are among these materials, they are a promissory note and mortgage dated 1793 and 1796, respectively. The realty document for a property on Milk Street in Boston belonged to his grandfather David Hill (Box Ovz-1). Other items of note include a copy of the will of his maternal grandfather, David Hill (1837 March 8), as well as an abstract of the will of his paternal grandfather, Jonas Coolidge (1860 March 16) (Box Man-2, Folder 5).
Three scrapbooks include invitations and press clippings surrounding events involving Coolidge's immediate family. Loose correspondence contained in the scrapbooks was removed to adjacent file folders. Among the correspondence are letters concerning the betrothal of his sons David H. Coolidge, Jr. to Harriet S. Crowninshield, and Frederick S. Coolidge to Elizabeth Sprague. Elizabeth Sprague's mother writes poignantly of her anxiety over separating from her daughter (Box Man-1, Folder 6). Correspondence from his son, David H. Coolidge, Jr., in the Caribbean in 1898 provides a glimpse of life there at the time of the Spanish-American War. The young Coolidge complains of his wife's extravagance (Box Man-1, Folder 3).
Civic involvement is attested to by the twenty commission certificates spanning from 1858 to 1906. These include appointments as Justice of the Peace, master of Chancery, and Commissioner of Insolvency in Massachusetts, as well as Commissioner for the States of Maine and Michigan, and membership of the Board of Trustees of the Hospital Cottages for Children in Boston (Box Ovz-1 and Ovz-2). Coolidge's three scrapbooks are filled with press clippings of local civic news, as well as domestic and foreign affairs. For example: a report of the battle of Gettysburg; an electricity exhibition conceived of by Coolidge and George S. Hale; administration of Boston's City Hospital with an item petitioning admission of female students; judicial abuses in Italy (Box Man-1, Folder 4). Finally, letters he received from Congressman W. W. Warren in 1875 and 1876 indicate firsthand knowledge of Washington politics. The letters discuss currency and the gold standard, as well as impeachment, corruption, and electioneering (Box Man-2, Folder 7).
The scrapbooks contain an eclectic group of materials. Aside from those previously mentioned, other items of interest include: a tiny and beautiful notebook of his scholastic record at his alma mater, Harvard University (Box Man-2, Folder 10); programs and press clippings concerning Arlington Street Unitarian Church to which he belonged (Box Man-2, Folder 15); a silk menu (Box Man-1, Folder 3); a handwritten poem to him on his seventeenth birthday, with miniscule photographs of women attached (Box Man-2, Folder 11); innumerable printed poems (Box Man-3, Folder 2), and a bill of safe passage for himself and R. C. Billings in the Civil War south (Box Man-1, Folder 4). (Billings became a very successful Boston businessman.)
His diverse interests and the papers he chose to keep reflect a civic-minded and successful Bostonian and provide a wealth of information from which to create a family genealogy.
Promissory note and mortgage, 1793 February 20-1826 May 9, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Promissory note and mortgage, Milk Street property, David Hill, 1793-1796, and Indenture between Pratt & Hill, 1826, Boston, Massachusetts.
U.S. War Dept. Revolutionary claim, 1833 February 20
Scope and Contents
Pension certificate of David Hill for service in American Revolution.
Commissions, 1857 September 15, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Certificate for DHC to practice law in Massachusetts (dates do not correspond).
Commissions, 1858 February 9
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC Justice of the Peace, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1858 October 1-2
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC commissioner for the state of Maine, October 1-2, 1858 (dates do not correspond).
Commissions, 1859 March 24, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC a commissioner (in Massachusetts) for the state of Michigan.
Certificate of substitute furnished during rebellion, 1860-1865, Boston, MA, 1864 June 15
Scope and Contents
Commissions of David Hill Coolidge (1859-1927): "certificate of subsitute furnished during rebellion, 1860-1865." Certificate appointing Boulden Haney? as substitute for DHC in the Civil War.
Commissions, 1865 January 31
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC Justice of the Peace, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1865 December 6
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC commissioner of insolvency, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1868 November 20
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC commissioner of insolvency, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1871 November 24
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC commissioner of insolvency, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1872 January 26
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC Justice of the Peace, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1874 November 21
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC commissioner of insolvency, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1877 November 23
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC commissioner of insolvency, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1879 January 9
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC Justice of the Peace, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1879 January 15
Scope and Contents
Confirmation and notice of appointment of DHC as a Master in Chancery, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1879 January 15
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC as a Master of Chancery, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Stock certificate for 100 shares in Brayton Petroleum Engine Co., CT, 1880 February 26
Scope and Contents
Commissions of David Hill Coolidge (1859-1927): DHC stock certificate for 100 shares in the Brayton Petroleum Engine Company, Connecticut.
Commissions, 1884 January 11
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC as a Master of Chancery, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1885 December 23
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC Justice of the Peace, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1889 January 16
Scope and Contents
Notice of appointment of DHC as a Master of Chancery, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1889 January 16
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC as a Master of Chancery, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1892 December 14
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC Justice of the Peace, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1893 December 11
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Hospital Cottages for Children, Boston, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1894 March 15
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC as a Master of Chancery, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1899 January 12
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC as a member of the Board of Trustess of the Hospital Cottages for Children, Boston, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1899 December 6
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC Justice of the Peace, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Commissions, 1906 November 28
Scope and Contents
Certificate appointing DHC Justice of the Peace, County of Suffolk, Massachusetts.
Correspondence, 1927 January 27
Scope and Contents
Letter from John J. O'Conner to Charles A. Coolidge Sr. thanking him for being an excellent landlord during O'Conner's 50+ years as tenant, Boston, Massachusetts.
Legal Briefs, 1873?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Re: dispersal of trusts and property of Samuel A. Shurtleff. Subsequent legal dispute between siblings over bequest. Augustine Shurtleff, complainant; Helen S. Francis and Isabella S. Coolidge, defendants.
Correspondence, 1838 December 18
Scope and Contents
Letter from Amelia J. Behn in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Mrs. M. Cooke in St. Louis, Missouri (her mother/mother-in-law?). Life in New Orleans: clothing, politics.
Correspondence, 1838 December 27
Scope and Contents
Letter from Fanny in New Orleans, Louisiana, to her grandmother, V. M. Cooke, in St. Louis, Missouri. Social news at Christmas time.
Correspondence, 1839 March 31
Scope and Contents
Letter from Amelia J. Behn in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Mrs. M. C. Cooke in St. Louis, Missouri (her mother/mother-in-law?). Social news, including that her sister Caroline is dangerously ill. Mentions Mr. Clapp.
Correspondence, 1850 July 15-17, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Thank-you letter for silver inkstand presented to E. S. Dixwell, principal of Boston Latin School, from David H. Coolidge Sr., upon graduation.
Correspondence, 1858 December 23-1898 June 12, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence to David H. Coolidge Sr. and Isabella S. Coolidge from David H. Coolidge Jr. Trip with wife Harriet & daughter Constance to the Caribbean. Details wife's extravagence. 6/12/1898 letter re: marital problems. Silk menu.
Scrapbook I (part 1 of 8), circa 1848-1905, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Cover and blank pages.
Scrapbook I (part 2 of 8), 1848-1862
Scope and Contents
Pages containing Boston news clip inc. Ded. of Gettysburg Nat. Cemetery; DHC and George S. Hale creators of electric exhibition. Cert. of safe passage in Civil War South for DHC and R. C. Billings.
Scrapbook I (part 3 of 8), 1828 January 30-1865 May 12, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Misc. loose docs. Public Latin School and Harvard College programs. Public speaking text, 1850. Trial of U. H. Crocker. Corr. from James Walker re: Harvard protocol. Lincoln news clip, eulogy & poem. Valentine.
Scrapbook I (part 4 of 8), 1869 February 12-1899 February 22, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Misc. loose docs, mainly social corr. & programs. Corr. DHC re: betrothal of Harrist S. Crowninshield & Elizabeth Sprague to DHC sons (poignant Sprague letter). Thank-you note from newlywed cousin, Mary Moyer.
Scrapbook I (part 5 of 8), circa 1870-1890, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Misc. loose docs, inc. social corr.; ticket request from O. W. Holmes; letter of thanks and gratitude to DHC from retiring business colleague Chandler; thank-you note from Elizabth S. Coolidge; DHC Republican ticket.
Scrapbook I (part 6 of 8), 1900 March 7-1904 July 4, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Misc. loose docs, programs and news clips; Charles A. Coolidge Sr. French Legion of Honor; Bar Assoc. program; MA Sons of Amer. Rev. program; Abby Jaquith letter; Constance Coolidge Algeria postcard; DHC jockey photo.
Scrapbook I (part 7 of 8), 1852-1903, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous loose news clippings.
Scrapbook I (part 8 of 8), 1852-1905, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Misc. loose news clip; social & civic news; poems. Inc. Caspar Crowninshield & P. J. McPhall marriage; Boston Mem. Assoc. closes for subway construction; Elizabeth S. Coolidge piano recital.
Scrapbook II (part 1 of 2), 1865 June 3-1877 June 27, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Whole scrapbook and misc. loose news clips & flyers (Bsoton) re: social and civic events, inc. civic fundraising; Samuel S. Shurtleff lawsuit; Mason-Dixon line; loose printed poems; letter from John Hunti to sister Martha?, 1866.
Scrapbook II (part 2 of 2), 1864-1867, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous loose news clippings and 1872 map of Boston.
Scrapbook III (part 1 of 26), 1889-1894, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Cover and pages.
Scrapbook III (part 2 of 26), 1837 March 8-1860 March 16, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose copy of will and codicil of David Hill. Abstracts of will of Jonas Coolidge. (David Hill and Jonas Coolidge were the grandfathers of David Hill Coolidge Sr.)
Scrapbook III (part 3 of 26), 1842 January 1-1894 December 28, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Misc. loose social corr. and Christmas thank-you letters to DHC from family and friends, inc. parental letters advocating good behavior; A. A. Sprague letter in praise of future daughter-in-law Isabella C. Councilman.
Scrapbook III (part 4 of 26), 1875 December 29-1876 May 4, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose corr. to David H. Coolidge Sr. from congressman W. W. Warren. Life as a congressman in D.C., inc. currency and gold standard, impeachment, corruption, and electioneering.
Scrapbook III (part 5 of 26), 1897 March 6-1900 April 13, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Misc. loose social corr. and thank-you letters to DHC from family and friends, inc. Harriet C. Coolidge in Bermuda; Julia S. Coolidge as new daughter-in-law; Robert C. Billings; Severe fire damage to A. A. Sprague business.
Scrapbook III (part 6 of 26), 1844-1890, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Misc. loose printed materials, inc. v. small student publication; Frederic S. Coolidge patient appt. card; list of pupils who presented bible to teacher; menu; pharmaceutical co. product brochure; valentine.
Scrapbook III (part 7 of 26), circa 1850s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose tiny notebook detailing scholastic record of David H. Coolidge Sr. at Harvard University.
Scrapbook III (part 8 of 26), circa 1880-1893, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose printed and handwritten verses, inc. poem to David H. Coolidge Jr. on his 17th birthday, with miniature photographs attached.
Scrapbook III (part 9 of 26), 1869 June 19-1900 June 28, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Misc. loose programs; flyers; invitation for Boston social events; inc. Elizabeth S. Coolidge concert; George W. Sumner in-memoriam concert; Bar Assoc. dinner; E. E. Hale 70th birthday banquet; Harvard University program.
Scrapbook III (part 10 of 26), 1875 October, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose reprint from American Law Review by Uriel H. Crocker. Empty envelope annotated "Letter of my father C. L. Coolidge to John G. Lock"?
Scrapbook III (part 11 of 26), 1884 June-1887 June, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose Harvard University curricula; class day invitations and program.
Scrapbook III (part 12 of 26), 1889-1893, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Arlington Street Church programs.
Scrapbook III (part 13 of 26), 1891 November 12-1899 October 11, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose wedding invitations re: Isabella C. Councilman; William T. Councilman; Elizabeth S. Coolidge; Frederic S. Coolidge; Elsie W. Francis; Carleton S. Francis; Mary K. Lathey; Myron A. Lathey.
Scrapbook III (part 14 of 26), 1896 October 19-1900 September 26, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose programs and membership certificate from the Massacusetts Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Scrapbook III (part 15 of 26), 1897 October 14-15, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose materials re: death of General Francis Amasa Walker, inc. invitation and newspaper obituary.
Scrapbook III (part 16 of 26), 1900 February 22-23, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose materials re: Massacusetts Society of the Cincinnati, inc. letter approving DHC membership, program, newsclipping.
Scrapbook III (part 17 of 26), 1873 February 11-1901 September 27, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Misc. loose news clip re: family events, inc.: Samuel A. Shurtleff, Frederic S. Coolidge, Mary H. Coolidge, George H. Francis, Hiram S. Shurtleff, Benjamin Shurtleff, Isabela C. Councilman, Edward J. Hill, C. Crowninshield.
Scrapbook III (part 18 of 26), 1890-1895, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose newsclippings re: architecture, inc. architectural designs of Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge for Chicago Art Institute and Chicago Public Library.
Scrapbook III (part 19 of 26), circa 1840s-1890s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose newsclippings of poetry.
Scrapbook III (part 20 of 26), circa 1880-1901, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose newsclippings of obituaries and weddings (alphabetical order by person), inc. John C. Bancroft, Robert C. Billings, Peleg Chandler, Oliver Ditson, Charles D. Homans, Lucy W. Jaquith, Jonathan A. Lane, Daniel w. Salisbury.
Scrapbook III (part 21 of 26), circa 1890s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose newsclippings re: wealthy Bostonians.
Scrapbook III (part 22 of 26), circa 1880-1900, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose newsclippings re: individuals in the news.
Scrapbook III (part 23 of 26), circa 1880-1900, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose newsclippings re: general news/items of interest.
Scrapbook III (part 24 of 26), 1883-1900, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous loose news clippings (oversize).
Scrapbook III (part 25 of 26), circa 1880-1900, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose newsclippings re: pastors of Arlington Street Unitarian Church.
Scrapbook III (part 26 of 26), circa 1890s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose newsclippings re: disabled steamship Pavonia; legal claims re: accident.
Scrapbook IV, circa 1909?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Small notebook/scrapbook containing newsclippings re: area of Boston and building where he (David H. Coolidge Sr.) was born.
Diary, 1865, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Entries re: death of Abraham Lincoln.
Diary, 1898, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Boston. Entries re: weather reports and appointments.
Diary, 1899, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Boston. Entries re: weather reports and appointments.
Diary, 1900, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Boston. Entries re: weather reports and appointments.
Diary, 1901, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Boston. Entries re: weather reports and appointments.
Diary, 1902, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Boston. Entries re: weather reports and appointments.
Diary, 1903, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Boston. Entries re: weather reports and appointments.
Diary, 1904, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Boston. Entries re: weather reports and appointments.
Diary, 1905, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Boston. Entries re: weather reports and appointments.
Diary, 1907, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Boston. Entries re: weather reports and appointments.
Harvard University, 1866, 1885, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Harvard University catalog, 1866; Harvard University publication: Beta Psi Quarterly, 1885.
Harvard University, 1886 April 21
Scope and Contents
Harvard University card to Frederic S. Coolidge. Notice that the university faculty object to reading in Chapel.
Chicago World's Fair catalog, 1892, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Publication of the 1892 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
Harvard University, 1894 June 27
Scope and Contents
Harvard University card to David H. Coolidge Sr., acknowledging receipt of yearbook for Class of 1854. Gift to library.
Bostonian Society, 1902 January 13
Scope and Contents
Certificate electing David H. Coolidge Sr. as a life member of the Bostonian Society.
Society of the Cincinnati, 1923
Scope and Contents
Society of the Cincinnati membership roster.
Carleton family, circa 1840-1900, inclusive
Scope and Contents
News clippings.
Cooke family, circa 1896, inclusive
Scope and Contents
News clippings.
Coolidge family, circa 1907-1908, inclusive
Scope and Contents
News clippings. Includes notation of what might be David H. Coolidge Sr.'s assets at his time of death.
Shurtleff family, circa 1856-1891, inclusive
Scope and Contents
News clippings. Includes a description of Dr. Benjamin Shurtleff's home in Shasta, California, March 15, 1856.
News clippings, 1851-1898, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous press clippings, including genealogy.
Lithograph of a Roma piazza, 1849, inclusive
Subseries I.B. Mary Coolidge Rentschler (1892–1988) [MCR]
Language of Materials
Scope and Contents
Mary Shepley Coolidge Atkins Rentschler amassed an extraordinary wealth of family materials during her lifetime. Subseries I.B materials include copies of wills, correspondence, diaries, publications, drawings, memorabilia, blueprints, photographic albums, and photographic prints and negatives. The bulk of the written material falls into five main categories: early correspondence and documents, including love letters from Charles A. Coolidge to Julia S. Coolidge (1874–1900); diaries and correspondence from Mary's youth and marriage to Edwin F. Atkins, Jr. (1904–1923); general correspondence and love letters between Mary C. Rentschler and Gordon S. Rentschler (1923–1927); general correspondence to and from Mary C. Rentschler (1927–1974); genealogical material.
Correspondence, 1874–1900
In October 1889 Charles A. Coolidge married the sister of George Foster Shepley, one of the original partners of the architectural firm of Shepley Rutan and Coolidge. The love letters from Charles A. Coolidge to Julia Shepley written from February to April 1889 provide insight into a passionate and creative man and a leader in the field of architectural design.
His passion for art and architecture runs through the correspondence. He read Burkhardt and books about the Italian Renaissance over American literature (1889 March 20; Box Man-4, Folder 1), and describes sketching a Turner painting hanging opposite his bed (1889 March 15; Box Man-3, Folder 22). his firm was busy with many architectural commissions, including the Ames building (the first skyscraper in Boston), and Boston's Trinity Church: "I am going to take up the porch and front of Trinity Church and see if I cannot put it through as I do not know of anything that would be more of an improvement to the City" (1889 April 5; Box Man-4, Folder 1); and Stanford University in California "I spent all day with the Governor and Mrs. Stanford and I think we have finally settled the dormitory. Mrs. S. wanted to talk about you & the engagement & kept interrupting the business talk; you would have been amused and angry at the same time. . ." (1889 April 7; Box Man-4, Folder 1).
In another letter he writes "Mr. Olmsted telegraphed me today that the Governor will be here" (1889 April 3; Box Man-4, Folder 1). This was, perhaps, Frederick Law Olmsted. The letters suggest a lack of bureaucracy surrounding the construction of so many important buildings, and reflect Coolidge's pivotal involvement in creating the urban landscape of his day.
His letters are filled with yearning for Julia and a desire for a meaningful relationship (1889 February 27; Box Man-3, Folder 22; and 1889 March 19; Box Man-4, Folder 1). The letters convey an enormous respect, however their passion is not colored by sentimentality. On the contrary, it is the straightforward, almost "modern" quality of the correspondence that is most striking. Although we do not have Julia's letters, the responses in his letters suggest that she is less certain of marriage than he is. In a reply as to whether or not he would take care of her in her old age he says of course, and "as for your having always hated the idea of passing long, long years with one person, I should think that was an argument why you should now make up your mind to leave your mother" (1889 April 3; Box Man-4, Folder 1). He morbidly jokes that with all the traveling he makes to visit her she will soon have her freedom as a young widow, implying that he will die of exhaustion. In another letter he writes "cheer up dear you are not [to] be married yet never if you do not want to be and you need not be married for 'all your life' as you can kill me off very easily afterwards if you want to. Saturday Eve" (1889 circa April 5; Box Man-4, Folder 1).
This candid attitude reverberates throughout his letters. He is forthright in his dismissal of frivolous socializing and heaps scorn on the temperance movement:
"I have been holding forth on the false name and position of these temperance people, in the first place no sensible person can help acknowledging that temperance means a moderate & uninjurious use of whatever food or liquid that you may be discussing & when a total abolitionist objects to be called that & says he is simply promoting temperance I feel like telling him he is a liar" (1889 April 8; Box Man-4, Folder 1).
Correspondence, 1904–1923
The second group of documents amongst the Mary C. Rentschler material is the diaries and correspondence of her youth and first marriage to Edwin F. Atkins, Jr. (1904–1923). Mary C. Rentschler's diaries span from 1904–1917 (from twelve to twenty-five years of age). Covering her childhood in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, to her life in Cuba as a young bride, they provide a glimpse of Boston's youthful high society in 1915 and the life of a young bride and expatriate in Cuba two years later. In 1917 her husband joined the signal corps preparing for action in World War I France. The letters from the soldier to his parents as well as from Mary to her mother-in-law provide descriptions of army life. Finally, the death of Edwin F. Atkins, Jr. and the two sons is recorded in condolence letters to Charles A. Coolidge, Sr. in 1923.
Mary Rentschler's 1915 diary indicates a life focused on theatre engagements and her fiancé, Edwin F. Atkins, Jr. (Box Man-4, Folder 4). What appears is a headstrong young woman who by 1917 is married and pregnant and is thoroughly enjoying the adventure of life in Cuba. The diaries and letters concerning Cuba provide wonderful primary source material of life as the wife of a North American sugar planter. They document the political and social upheaval of the times, as well as the domestic life of a plantation. Mary C. Rentschler describes the arson, robberies, shootings, and kidnapping of a colleague (Mr. Van Petten) that the Atkins plantations endured during various insurrections. New of visits by senior United States officials to Soledad underscore Edwin F. Atkins Sr.'s prominent position. In an entry in her diary Mar C. Rentschler notes: "Heigh-ho, it's a funny family in a funny country. But we are all so pleased that the troops are sent & that it was Pa [Edwin F. Atkins, Sr.] who sent them!" (1917 March 9; Box Man-4, Folder 7). (The troops are United States forces sent to protect North American property.) The anxiety of the events is overcome by a great sense of adventure: "Grand excitement! Yesterday Pa received a letter from Bob [probably Robert Atkins] saying they had received order from rebs. to stop grinding & notification that the cane would be burned & mill blown up. Pa & Ma planned to leave this a.m. for P.A. [Punta Alegre]" (1917 March 6). Soledad is full of conversation about Cuban politics and the blundering and corrupt presidencies of Jose Miguel Gomez and General Mario Menocal (the former was president 1909–1913, the latter, 1913–1921).
Amid the chaos in 1917 she writes about the surge in sugar production: "We had a record run last week. Not one engine was stopped from the time it started till we stopped at 7 p.m. last night. It's never been done here before. The week before we stopped only once for 15 minutes. Isn't that pretty good?" (1917 February 26; Box Man-4, Folder 5). The texts corroborate this period as one of thriving industry despite the political upheavals. Her descriptions of sounds, people, and life in Soledad are beautifully evocative; she pens her letters to the noise of the sugar mill and a bustling household, which included her mother-in-law, Ma (Katherine W. Atkins), her father-in-law, Pa (E.F.A., Sr.), her sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Helen and Bill (Claflin), Mr. Hughes (plantation manager), and her sister, Julia (Coolidge Deane). When Rentschler is not writing of attacks on the batey (the village around the sugar mill) she describes the sewing classes that she and her mother-in-law give, as well as the movies and parties and horse riding expeditions. However, by 1921, the tone has altered. In a letter to Edwin F. Atkins, Sr., Mary write: "The atmosphere seems to be rather that of 'the morning after,' everyone awake again to the cold reality of life after the rosy colors of the last two years." (Saturday, 1921?; Box Man-4, Folder 13). The price of sugar has plummeted and will never fully recover.
Correspondence, 1923–1927
The love letters of Mary C. Rentschler and Gordon S. Rentschler are passionate and powerful. The letters offer an empathetic portrait of Gordon Rentschler providing a tender and intimate portrayal of a man at the heart of American big business. Mary gratefully acknowledges a letter from Gordon on the first anniversary of the death of her original family, January 1924: "You know, Gordon, you are the only one, except his mother, who ever speaks to me of Ted. To have him dropped out so completely is almost the hardest part of all" (1924 January 2; Box Man-4, Folder 17). His sensitivity to her personal loss and the acknowledgement of her past are very much appreciated by her. He appears to recognize the symbiotic relationship between mother and daughter and sensitively appeals to the adoration Mary has for her child: "Faith is even better than we always think she is. I wish Ted could see her, as he would be delighted with her. I can almost see his eyes dance and hear his great laugh as he would play with her" (1925 November 1; Box Man-5, Folder 4).
Their letters are full of the details of daily life. Mary describes life on the plantation in Cuba and on holiday in Marion, Massachusetts, and Gordon describes the world of high finance that he moves in. On a whirlwind business tour of Europe in the summer of 1925, Gordon describes staying at the Hotel Ritz in Barcelona: "tell Faith that my room has a big Russian Bath which one gets into by walking down three steps and when it is all full of water a girl as big as xx could take a good swim in it. It is my first experience with such a luxury so I played in it like any other farmer boy would" (undated; Box Man-5, Folder 3). His letters provide a tantalizing glimpse at the world of high finance and high society in the 1920s. At a dinner at the Ritz Hotel in New York Gordon writes: "Alex Moore of Spanish Ambassador fame and Charlie Chaplin ate next door to us and bickered back and forth between courses, and nearby sat Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte—nice but the water is too deeply mixed with the wine of one-time greatness" (1927 June 8; Box Man-8, Folder 4). Indeed, his correspondence indicates a firsthand knowledge of international politics:
"Charlie Mitchell [NCB Chairman] and I had a pleasant time bickering and dining and then gossiping with Averell Harriman about his dealings with the Russian Bolsheviks in his new xx in Georgia. He seems to have his things all set well, but I question how well any of us can get on with the Bolsheviks in their present frame of mind" (1925 June 19; Box Man-5, Folder 2).
By March 1927, four months before their marriage, Mary's letters have become familiar, tender, and humorous. Gordon writes to Mary of a dinner he attended with Kerensky and Mary replies:
"There are moments when I do wish I were a man, to be in on such like meetings. There are so few people who will give a woman credit for owning any brains & using them, or being interested in anything but clothes, houses, or babies! That's one of the nice things about you, you do. One of the best compliments I ever had paid me, was when one of Ted's friends heaved a sigh & said 'Isn't it great to be out with just a bunch of fellows!' (Me being the only lady present.) On the other hand there are moments when I would not be a man for anything—unless you were a lady—which really stretches the imagination further than it will go" (1927 March 29; Box Man-6, Folder 6).
Her love for "my Man," as she address him, is wholeheartedly reciprocated; Gordon writes to her in Cuba from his home at 933 Fifth Avenue, New York:
"Tonight again I've watched the moon come over the park. It's a great moon here but of course not like it is sifting through xx palm trees because some where beyond the palms is my Mary, lovely happy and gay . . . as I watch this moon night after night I see my own little Mary. And some times she seems so very close. But always she is the same wonderful girl, lovely, sensible human" (1927 March 19; Box Man-6, Folder 8).
The reader is left with an image of a man utterly in love, who displays an almost childlike pleasure at his good fortune and who is enormously grateful for the opportunities that have been presented to him. Mary, raised in a sophisticated New England home, displays a level-headedness and personal fortitude that enable her to create a new life with the man from Ohio. "On the whole I'm glad my future doesn't seem to be about to include the spending of the rest of my life with a dyed-in-the-wool & never-exported Bostonian" (Wed. eve., 1927; Box Man-6, Folder 6).
Correspondence, 1927–1974
The majority of this correspondence is to Mary C. Rentschler, from Katherine W. Atkinks, Julia C. Deane, and Isabel Coolidge. Other significant letters were written by Llewelyn (Daddy) Hughes, Julia S. Coolidge, and Faith A. Witter. The bulk of the material was written from 1929 to 1941. The letters bear witness to the flamboyance of the 1920s and the subsequent Depression. We read about Gordon's appearance in Senate hearings in Washington, D.C., Cuba's self-imposed cane production quotas, and the approach of war. The letters, particularly those of Daddy Hughes and Katherine W. Atkins in Cuba, provide wonderful firsthand knowledge of a country suffering from poverty and the legacy of colonial domination. But above all we learn about the daily lives of Mary and her family.
Faith A. Witter, Mary's third child, is a seminal character within Mary's correspondence and life. The collection contains a diary of Faith's progress from the age of nine months to four years of age, written by the child's nanny, Mary Goode McLaughlin, as well as many of her daughter's letters (Box Man-4, Folder 16). [The file containing McLaughlin's notes is contained in the 1923–1927 group of materials.] Mary frequently wrote about her children's progress, and in particular about her feelings for Faith:
"I am glad you find her sweet, for, to me, of course, she is unique. She is so much a part of me that I really cannot express myself intelligently—We frequently read each others' thoughts & when she is by me there is a contentment that nothing else brings. I couldn't bear for you not to like her rather especially" (Long Island, 1929; Box Man-9, Folder 11).
In another letter written that summer to her mother-in-law, Katherine Atkins, Mary writes again of Faith. In this letter a powerful image is drawn of a life of ease for America's affluent society:
"Charlie Mitchell & Sloan Colt arrived off Charlie's vessel, chartered for the summer, & ate us out of house & home. . . I am going into town tomorrow—like Adelina Pati, for the 'last time.' Each time I swear I'll not go again & then I get so bored & so many things need doing, that I have to go—This time a wedding present for young Margaret Sims, and, very important but what I'd entirely forgotten, some furniture for the new infants' nursery. . . There goes Webb, exercising Mr. Cravath's horse. I expect he'll be glad to have his Miss Chatterbox back. He found it much more amusing dragging Popcorn & the conversational Faith on a leading rein, than going alone—We are suffering from a most objectionable son of a most objectionable father. The son is learning to fly & he flies right over our chimneys all day long. . ." (Summer 1929? Tuesday, Long Island; Box Man-9, Folder 11). [Adelina Pati might be a reference to the diva Adelina Patti, a singer from Wales who was a superstar of the second half of the 19th century.]
Charles Mitchell, the Chairman of National City Bank, and Gordon's mentor, arrives for dinner by boat to their Locust Valley home on Long Island; Mary is so bored she goes to town to shop; Cravath, of the law firm of Paul Cravath, lives next door, and the Rentschler's groom leads Faith around on her horse named Popcorn; in addition, a neighbor's son practices his flying lessons overhead.
By the fall/winter of 1929 the situation has changed:
"C.W.A. has just laid off 40% of its workers. Much of its last appropriation has to go for back pay, I understand. It is a ghastly mess—and all the money which might have kept us going for two or three years—spent & nothing but debts in its place. . . I can hardly keep my mind off it what these people who have to say 'no' all day go through makes me shiver. On the other hand you get so annoyed with people who have lived & worked here 30 years & never paid a tax or taken out citizenship papers even. Well—fortunately we are having a meeting of our local committee tomorrow—our private unemployment Comm.—not C.W.A." (Friday Locust Valley, NY, Fall/Winter 1929; Box Man-9, Folder 11).
The disastrous economic condition of the country, although acknowledged and bemoaned in the letters, does not appear to affect the family materially. Details of family life continue with news of birthdays, sickness, parties, and vacations. Mary writes to Katherine from the Moisie River Fishing Club in Quebec, Canada, where the family loved to vacation. Referring to Faith, Mary writes: "She has Gordon right under her thumb—he is very weak minded. He loved her before but since Phoebe has been talking & calling him "Daddy" Faith—very tentatively at first—tried it, & that completely finished his subjugation" (1931 July 10; Box Man-10, Folder 7).
By 1933 the banking scandals are seeping into the correspondence and provide evidence of the agony that Gordon Rentschler suffered. Mary writes to her mother-in-law in Belmont, Massacusetts, from New York's Savoy Plaza:
". . . if it only weren't for the hurt of the injustice to Charlie & Hugh. It is sort of like the war—if you were there, there is no need to explain & if you weren't there is no use trying to explain the feelings & experiences of that kind of an investigation by a group of men—a jury maybe?—who have already said 'guilty' (February 1933; Box Man-10, Folder 9).
The sometimes strained letters from her family in North America are in contrast to the letters from the Atkins plantation in Cuba of the same period. The correspondence reflects a life divided between a love of Cuba and her native home in North America. In March of 1933, shortly after the birth of her daughter Susan Helen, she received the following letter from "Daddy" [Llewelyn] Hughes, the plantation manager:
"My dear Mary, We were all delighted at hearing from you, it is fine that you and little Susan Helen are getting on so well. Gordon was very kind, as he always is, in sending us the cable and you may be sure we were all so glad to hear that everything was well. Mummy & I are 'thinking' of returning north but so far we have not got beyond that stage, it is so lovely here, we have had a few showers and the fields are turning green once more. Spring time in Cuba and particularly in Soledad cannot be beaten, the nights & early mornings are cool even if the days are a bit hot. How happy we'd be if conditions were better— Our crop came to a forced stop last Friday, we had finished our quota, 53,000 bags, only three years in the last 40 has Soledad had such a small crop, they were 1896, '97 & '98. The revolution days, and even then we made over 47,000 bags and a profit! In 1893 Soledad made 56,164 and went to nearly 70,000 the next year—well, it is no use worrying over spilt milk, we must see what can be done for the future. Things certainly look brighter than a year ago and we all feel encouraged, even though we cannot step-out much this summer. Our trouble here is that we have so very little work for the people, we have not finished cutting the fields that were not cut in 1932, so cannot do much field work as, I suppose, we will have another restricted crop in 1934, for 1935 Soledad and everyone else that is still in the ring will have to prepare a crop of moderate proportions. My guess is that nobody will go wild planting for some years. I hope not anyway. I have given Bill Leonard your message about the Beef, he will attend to it and many thanks Mary on behalf of the poor people that will get one square meal that day. It surprises me that the country people are as well as they certainly look. There has been some difficulty about clothes & shoes but Mrs. Atkins has done a lot and I don't believe there has been any real hunger, at least on Soledad, these early rains will allow people to get in their corn & other plantings a month earlier than last year. You would be astonished to see the amount of stuff that is grown by the work? people and if they only keep it up after conditions improve the depression will have done much good, it has always been so difficult to get people to plant for themselves as you will remember. Sincerely yours, Daddy Hughes" (1933 April 11; Box Man-10, Folder 12).
This letter beautifully evokes the arrival of spring in Cuba as well as the growing economic and political crisis that by August would become a Revolution. The figures provide useful statistics to measure sugar cane production. The restricted crop refers to the quotas on sugar manufacture, the result of government efforts to stem the falling price of sugar.
Daddy Hughes and Katherine W. Atkins wrote descriptive accounts of Cuba from 1933–1941. In a letter written in April 1938 Hughes expresses his concern that family-run plantations will disappear as Government-run organizations will take over the sugar industry. In response to a request as to what Mary can do to help rural women, he suggests teaching them hygiene and childcare. He also suggests paying to transport children to the church schools in the local large town of Cienfuegos as the local government schools are unsatisfactory. We read that as Cuban law prohibited the employment of children under the age of sixteen and children finished school at about fourteen years of age, the estate might hire teachers to instruct the children for the interim. After all, the boys who were "running wild" would be their "future workmen" (1938 April 19; Box Man-10, Folder 12).
The rural poverty is even more evident in the letters of Katherine W. Atkins. Her in-depth descriptions provide a dramatic, clear picture:
"I was told in fact the grandmother who is the caretaker in the school begged me for shoes for the family of her son. The men told me they were no good, had had shoes and didn't come then so I went up to the house to investigate. They live in the last house on the ridge as you go out to the crossing. There was the sickest baby there you ever saw the head looked like a skull with the skin drawn over it and one leg was swelled to double its size with what looked like a gigantic water blister. Four other children, a small girl and three older boys, the house a mess and a big plank gone from the porch. Slack beyond words of course but could you blame them, they say he is always empanado in the store and as soon as he gets out of debt there is a bill for medicine. Mr. Mackenzie spoke as if he blamed him for that but what can the poor people do. I saw at least four bottles of patent medicine and baby food in the house, I would do it myself if my baby was ill. . . .the doctor is coming to inject the whole school for typhoid this morning so Good bye lessons and I think sewing class, last week when they had the first injection they were 'fainting and writhing in coils' all over the Batey poor little things. . . . One old nig, one of the two or three very old ones had her house blown down in the cyclone. I don't know why they promised to rebuild that house (there were two living in it then) as it was in Cienfuegos but they apparently did. Before it was begun one died and the other one has been here at intervals ever since. I though she wanted a place at Rosario where she is now living with her daughter and the other day we met up with Fernando while she was talking and much to my surprise he offered to take her to the store with my vale and then told her he could see to the house. Yesterday he denied having ever told her anything when asked by Bill or Wilfrid I am not sure of many things but I know I heard him tell her he would fix it for I was greatly surprised. We may get something for her later" (1940 March 13, Wednesday; Box Man-10, Folder 12).
The letters remain interspersed with news of the family. The letters reveal that Mary and Gordon assisted many members of their family when the occasion arose. Julia C. Deane enlisted her sister's help when Isabel needed medical assistance (1936 January 18; Box Man-9, Folder 12). Mary collected correspondence that was written to her by her children and the collection contains a large number of letters written from 1935 to 1947 by Faith, Phoebe, Mary (Mimi), and Susan. In 1938 Faith went on a summer vacation to the Diamond G. Ranch in Dubois, Wyoming. A wonderful glimpse of the young elite is provided by Faith's letters home from her vacation. In addition, there are interesting letters from the children's aunt and uncle, Helen and Sidney Waldon, with whom they often stayed for summer holidays. In one instance, Sidney write:
"Yesterday I saw Sue putting the dice in the box with the 1's upward. She would then shake the box sideways so as not to disturb the arrangement, and then upend the box so that she had double 6's. She varied the technique by sometimes using double 3's or 5's. Naturally she beat her sisters all to pieces. Later on she confided to me that if she used that trick with other people it would be cheating, but of course it was quite all right in playing against Mimi and Phoebe who are so much larger than she" (1939 July 14; Box Man-11, Folder 8).
The arrival of war barely changes the tone or content of the letters in the collection, with the exception of Katherine Atkins, who remarks on war work and takes an interest in the news:
". . . the Duponts came over in the morning for breakfast, they wanted to go to the Garden but a heavy shower came up right after breakfast and they concluded to go home for fear they could not get there later. . . .The Radio news that we can get is most disturbing, the only consolation is that it may not be true, peace with Finland, Turkey wavering toward Germany, the Balkans forced to throw in their lot with Russia, England torn by internal dissension, and only Sumner Welles to stem the tide" (1940 March 13; Box Man-10, Folder 12). [The Duponts were manufacturers of munitions. Edwin F. Atkins, Sr. created a garden in 1901 near the Soledad plantation to study sugarcane. The garden was donated to Harvard University in 1919 and operated by them until after the U.S. embargo was imposed in 1961. Sumner Welles (1892–1961) was an American diplomat. In 1940 Welles was the Undersecretary of State and took part in the mid-Atlantic meeting between Churchill and Roosevelt. In 1933 he was unable to mediate an agreement between the opposing groups in the revolution against Gerardo Machado in Cuba.]
Other correspondence of interest includes: a fascinating travel diary by Benjamin Clapp, 1811–1812 (Box Man-13, Folder 6); a letter from Dr. Josephine Kenyon, Mary's doctor, recommending thyroid medication, exercise, and painting (1938 February 4; Box Man-11, Folder 7); letters from Charles A. Coolidge, Jr. and Julia C. Deane describing a September 1938 storm that hit the northeast coast of the United States (Box Man-11, Folder 6); correspondence from Mary to Gordon from Helen Waldon's home in Michigan, upon the death of Sidney D. Waldon in January 1945 (Box Man-12, Folder 10); correspondence to and from Frederick B. Rentschler, a founder of the Pratt & Whitney aircraft company and Gordon Rentschler's brother (1948–1956; Box Man-12, Folder 14); a letter sent from Cuba by Helen Claflin describing the dangers of childbirth in that country in 1958 (Box Man-13, Folder 4); finally, individual letters from Winston Churchill's secretary (Box 12, Folder 16), J. C. Penney (Box Man-13, Folder 3), and Bernard Baruch (Box Man-12, Folder 15).
Genealogical material
Genealogical materials related to Mary Rentschler's branch of the family, i.e., Atkins, Carleton, Coolidge, Shepley, Shurtleff, have been amassed at the end of Subseries I.B materials. Folders 2 and 8 in Box Man-14 originated with the David H. Coolidge, Sr. materials and were added to these records for ease of access.
These materials provide biographical materials necessary to construct the family tree and chronological information on the family. Box Man-14, Folder 11, contains a photographic copy of an essay written by Louise Lionberger Amory (no date) about summer vacations at the turn of the 19th century in Marion, Massachusetts, at the home of Mary Augusta Clapp Shepley (also known as Ama), Mary C. Rentschler's grandmother.
Legal documents, 1916-1960, inclusive
Scope and Contents
1) Marriage certificate of Edwin F. Atkins Jr. and Mary C. Rentschler, 1916
2) Marriage certificate of MCR and Gordon Sohn Rentschler, 1927
3) Copy of MCR birth certificate, 1942
4) Copy of GSR death certificate, [1960?]
Copy of Will, 1947 October 29, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Copy of last will and testament of Gordon S. Rentschler, October 29, 1947 (papers came with MCR materials).
Certificate of free passage for Julia Shepley Coolidge, issued in Rome, Italy, 1879 May 25
Scope and Contents
Certificate of free passage (a passport) provided to Julia Shepley (Coolidge) by the Legation of the United States in Rome, Italy.
Correspondence, 1889 February 24-March 17, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Love letters from Charles A. Coolidge Sr. to Julia S. Coolidge. Social engagement; Louis Brandeis, February 24, 1889; Mr. Olmsted, March 5, 1889; temperance, February 25, 1889; successful business, March 9, 1889.
Correspondence, 1889 March 19-1908 November 4, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Love letters from Charles A. Coolidge to Julia S. Coolidge. Implied resistance by JSC to marriage and monogamy. Various architectural projects (New York stations; Stanford University; Sanitarium). Mention of Olmsted. Prohibition and anti-temperance attitude.
Checks, 1898 July 12-1900 June 13, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Checks paid to beneficiaries of the will of James Mulligan: Lucy Hennessey, John J. McNally, and City of Boston. Signed by executors of the will E. F. Atkins and James O'Brien.
Diary, 1904 December 25-1906 April 15, inclusive
Scope and Contents
"A Line a Day" diary.
Diary, 1912, inclusive
Publication, 1913, inclusive
Scope and Contents
"A Message to Garcia" by Elbert Hubbard. Moralizing tract on virtues of initiative and hard work vs. laziness and ineptitude.
Diary, 1915, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Daily Reminder.
Diary, circa 1915 January-February, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Social life; theatre engagements and relationship with fiance, Edwin F. Atkins.
Correspondence, 1916 June 7-1917 May 7, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Corr. from Mary C. Rentschler in Bsoton and Cuba to father and mother, Charles A. and Julia S. Coolidge. Disbelief at upcoming marriage to Edwin F. Atkins. Announcing pregnancy; desire for a boy. Political turmoil and domestic/social life of Cuba.
Wedding invitations, 1916 June 7
Scope and Contents
Invitations to the wedding of Mary C. Rentschler to Edwin F. Atkins.
Diary, 1916 June 7-1917 March 25, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Honeymoon in the USA. Social life in Cuba interwoven with political turmoil and violence. Reports of burned sugarcane crops and rebel attacks.
Correspondence and photograph, 1917 Januar 28
Scope and Contents
Letter and photograph from Isabel Coolidge in Vosges, France, to her sister, Mary C. Rentschler (in the USA?). IC is a nurse. CHristmas in WWI French hospital. The party was courtesy of MCR. Photograph of the Christmas tree.
Correspondence, 1917 March, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Letter from Mary C. Rentschler to her father, Charles A. Coolidge, re: political turmoil in Cuba. Kidnapping of Mrs. Van Petten (sp?). (See diary in Box 4, Folder 7, for more on this.)
Diary and cartoon, 1917 March 27-April 17, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Diary of Mary C. Rentschler in Cuba. Sugarcane production. Political turmoil: reports of murder and rebels threatening to burn cane crops if they are not paid ransom money. Mention of Edwin F. Atkins Sr., Edwin F. Atkins Jr., Mr. Hughes. Cartoon.
Correspondence, 1917 July 31-1918 July 5, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Edwin F. Atkins Jr. and Mary C. Rentschler to Edwin F. Atkins and Katherine W. Atkins. EFA and MCR report on army life -- as soldier and army wife. Food, sickness -- EFA tonsils removed. Sympathetic attitude of female Dr. to child rearing.
Correspondence, 1917 October 5
Scope and Contents
Letter from ? to Llewellyn F. Hughes re: arranging a tennis party at Soledad?
Correspondence, circa 1918-1921, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Edwin F. Atkins Jr., in signal corps, to mother re: army politics; wishing for transferral; tonsils to be removed; missing new baby. Correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler in Cuba to Katherin Atkins re: social life; sugar industry; Buzzards Bay affair.
Correspondence, 1923 January 11-12, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler, Edwin F. Atkins III, and David C. Atkins, to Julia C. Coolidge just before the fatal plane crash. MCR describes the rigors of traveling with two young sons. Sightseeing in Washington, D.C. Sons letters to their grandmother.
Correspondence, 1923 January 11-March 9, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Condolence letters to Charles A. Coolidge upon fatal plane crash of son-in-law, Edwin F. Atkins Jr., and grandsons, Edwin F. Atkins III and David C. Atkins.
Correspondence, 1923 August 8-1963 August 30, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Diary and correspondence of B. E. McLaughlin, nanny to Faith A. Witter. Faith aged 9 months to 4 years. Excellent diary of infant growth, eating habits, learning to walk age 18 months. Letter detailing chronology of events re: Atkins family.
Correspondence, 1923 October 20-1924 December 30, inclusive
Scope and Contents
General correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler in Belmont, Massachusetts, to Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City. (Stationery with black border; MCR in mourning.) Social news. Thank-yous for gifts. MCR grateful to GSR for speaking of former husband Edwin F. Atkins Jr.
Correspondence, 1925 January 7-December 30, inclusive
Scope and Contents
General correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler in Massachusetts to Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City, London, and Paris. (Stationery with black border; MCR in mourning.) Social news: Faith Witter vis-a-vis GSR; GSR vaccination against typhoid; ducking hunting in Virginia. MCR botany class.
Correspondence, 1925 June 19
Scope and Contents
Letter from Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City to Mary C. Rentschler in Belmont, Massachusetts. Social news. Princeton commencement dinner with Charles Mitchell (president of NCB of New York) and Harriman, discussion re: Russian Bolsheviks.
Correspondence, 1925 August 20-October 19, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Gordon S. Rentschler to Mary C. Rentschler. GSR on business trip around Europe. Wonderful descriptions of places, foreign dignitaries, bankers. Luxury bathroom in Barcelona; motoring around Lake Como; Parisian nightlife; love of UK; gossip re: Rasputin.
Correspondence, 1925 November 1-1927 March 12, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Gordon S. Rentschler and Alison Coolidge to Mary C. Rentschler, includes descriptions of business trips to South & Midwest; attitudes to Civil War, sensitive comment -- E. F. Atkins Jr. would be pround of Faith; mention of Brady, Chapin, Koniger.
Correspondence, 1926 January 28-May 21, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler in Cienfuegos, Cuba, to Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City. Daily life in Cuba; politics, hardships for general population, sugarcane industry, guao [guano?] poisoning?, presents for Faith A. Witter, social engagements, illness, Llewellyn Hughes.
Correspondence, circa 1926 January-May, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Tender love letters from Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City and Cuba to Mary C. Rentschler in Cuba. GSR opinions on world politics & economics. Suggestions to MCR re: Cuban Public Works Projects. Hectic social life. Redecoration of 933 5th Avenue, New York City.
Correspondence, 1926 May 21-1928 January 22, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Gordon S. Rentschler on trip to Europe to Mary C. Rentschler and Charles A. Coolidge in Massachusetts. Abstract of log from Atlantic crossing. Optimistic views of world affairs (1926 Sunday). Thank you to CAC. Condolence re: E. F. Atkins.
Correspondence, 1926 May 24-October 14, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler in Belmont, Massachusetts, to Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City. Daily life; social engagements; arrangements to see each other; explosion in MCR's chemistry class (July 28, 1926); sudden death of Ralph Crewes; Faith A. Witter drawing (September 17, 1926).
Correspondence, 1926 October 15-December 28, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler in Massachusetts to Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City. Daily life; social engagements; Faith Witter's progress; thank-yous for gifts from GSR. Watching "Soledad movies" (November 18, 1926). Asks if GSR involved in political appointment of Schumanan (sp?).
Correspondence, 1927 January 8-February 28, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler in Massachusetts and Cuba to Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City. Daily life of social engagments. MCR recuperating after he appendectomy. Thank-yous for constant gifts of chocolates and flowers from GSR.
Correspondence, 1927 February 19-March 9, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Love letters from Gordon S. Rentschler to Mary C. Rentschler in Cuba. Written while traveling north from Cuba to New York City. Writes of the joy her love has brought him.
Correspondence, 1927 February 26-July 8, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Helen R. Waldon and Sidney D. Waldon. Letters of utter devotion and joy from HRW to her brother, Gordon S. Rentschler, upon his betrothal to MCR. Incredible letter from SDW to GSR re: SDW's love for HRW and request for permission to marry her.
Correspondence, 1927 March 1-14, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Love letters from Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City to Mary C. Rentschler in Cienfuegos, Cuba. Longs for MCR (March 11). Social life in New York City. Work at the bank--locating new branches in Queens (March 5). Eminent Dutch banker dr. Vissemig? (March 11).
Correspondence, 1927 March 1-31, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Joyous, teasing love letters from Mary C. Rentschler to Gordon S. Rentschler. Life in Cuba. Joy breaking news of their betrothal. Advantages of being a man (March 29). Unlikely social gatherings (March 8); GSR with two mothers-in-law (March 30). Joyce Hughes death (March 2).
Correspondence, 1927 March 8-April 10, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Letters of congratulations to Mary C. Rentschler on betrothal: Julia S. Coolidge, Helen R. Waldon, Julia C. Deane & telegram from Atkins. Letters from JSC re: death of Joyce Hughes. Faith Witter's excitement to see her mother, from nanny C. Holmes.
Correspondence, 1927 March 15-25, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Passionate love letters from Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City to Mary C. Rentschler in Cuba. Full desire for MCR. Dinner with Kerensky (March 25). Walking downtown to the bank. Life at the bank. Watching the moon rise over Central Park (March 19).
Correspondence, 1927 March 26-31, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Passionate love letters from Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City to Mary C. Rentschler in Cuba. Arrangements for rendezvous (March 26). Social life in New York City. High-powered dinner (March 29).
Correspondence, 1927 April 1-16, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Passionate love letters from Gordon S. Rentschler in New YOrk City to Mary C. Rentschler. Breaking news of engagement to family; meeting CAC to ask for MCR's hand; warm reception for GSR at Coolidge's (April 2-3); MCR resembles GSR's mother (April 8); Mrs. G. Cleveland (April 16?).
Correspondence, 1927 April 1-27, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler in Cuba and Massachusetts to Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City. Joy at breaking news of their betrothal (April 2). Engagement ring (April 27). Life in cuba: running plantation, sewing classes. Mr. Ford in accident (April 4). Hilarious pork indigestion story (April 4).
Correspondence, 1927 April 1-27, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Telegrams of congratulation to Gordon S. Rentschler upon news of his engagement to Mary C. Rentschler.
Correspondence, 1927 April 2-17, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Letters of congratulation to Gordon S. Rentschler from family and friends upon the news of his engagement to Mary C. Rentschler (April 1-17).
Correspondence, 1927 April 2-23, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Letters of congratulation to Mary C. Rentschler from close family and friends upon the news of her engagement to Gordon S. Rentschler.
Correspondence, 1927 April 17-June 13, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Letters of congratulation from family and friends of Gordon S. Rentschler upon the news of his engagement to Mary C. Rentschler.
Correspondence, 1927 April 19-May 14, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City to Mary C. Rentschler in Belmont, Massachusetts, prior to their marriage. Wedding arrangements and arrangements to meet. Social life, including dinner with Baruch and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson? (May 3); dinner with G. Buckly (May 13).
Correspondence, 1927 April 25-29, inclusive
Scope and Contents
News clippings of the engagement of Mary C. Rentschler and Gordon S. Rentschler.
Correspondence, 1927 May 1-June 15, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Letters of congratulation from friends to Gordon S. Rentschler upon the news of his engagement to Mary C. Rentschler.
Correspondence, 1927 May 2-31, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler in Belmont, Massachusetts, to Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City. Arrangements for imminent betrothal and honeymoon. Moving her belongings to New York City. MCR chemistry classes.
Correspondence, 1927 May 17-28, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City to Mary C. Rentschler in Belmont, Massachusetts. Daily social and business life. Litany of people, including Bernard Baruch (May 19). Prize fight in Philadelphia (May 19). Parties, many with Charles Mitchell, NCB bank colleague.
Correspondence, 1927 June 1-22, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Love letters from Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City to Mary C. Rentschler in Massachusetts and Colorado. Constantly waiting for her letters. Endless dinner parties and names. Dinner at Ritz -- saw Charlie Chaplin. Jerome N. Bonapart (June 8). Princeton reunion (June 17-20).
Correspondence, 1927 June 1-July 2, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler in Colorado to Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City & Ohio prior to GSR's traveling to Colorado for wedding. Beautiful descriptions of landscape, hiking, and riding. Faith A. Witter learning to ride (June 29). Isabel Coolidge marital problems (June 18).
Correspondence, 1927 June 15-July 17, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Helen Claflin, Julia S. Coolidge, and Charles A. Coolidge, to Mary C. Rentschler on MCR's impending marriage. Joy at upcoming wedding mixed with sadness of parents being unable to attend.
Correspondence, 1927 June 23-July 10, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Love letters from Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City and Ohio to Mary C. Rentschler in Colorado, just prior to their marriage. GSR explains that his middle name honors his father's business partner Henry Sohn (June 25). Work at the bank. Visiting dignitaries.
Correspondence, circa 1927 June-July?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Letter from Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City to Katherine W. Atkins in Massachusetts. Reiterates MCR's and GSR's continued love for KWA in light of imminent marriage. Travel arrangements to Colorado for the wedding.
Correspondence, 1927 July 3-20, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler in Colorado to Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City and Colorado just prior to their marriage. Wedding arrangements and marriage issues re: Faith Witter.
Correspondence, 1927 July 11-21, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Love letters from Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City and Colorado to Mary C. Rentschler in Colorado just prior to their marriage. Inscribed ring: GSR-MCA (July 14). GSR visit with Coolidges (July 16). (Honeymoon flyer from the Redstone Club removed to Oversize Box 3.)
Flyer from the Redstone Inn, Colorado, circa 1927, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Flyer from The Redstone Inn, Redstone, Colorado (where Gordon S. Rentschler and Mary C. Rentschler stayed on their honeymoon?).
Correspondence, 1927 July 18-August 30, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Letters of congratulation to Gordon S. Rentschler upon his marriage to Mary C. Rentschler. Letters are from business (Midwest) and personal friends.
Invitation, 1927 July, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Invitation to the wedding of Mary C. Rentschler and Gordon S. Rentschler in Denver, Colorado.
Wedding list, 1927 July, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Wedding list for the wedding of Mary C. Rentschler and Gordon S. Rentschler in Denver, Colorado.
Wedding guest book, 1927, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Wedding guest book for the wedding of Mary C. Rentschler and Gordon S. Rentschler in Denver, Colorado.
Marriage program, 1927 July 23
Scope and Contents
Bound marriage service of Gordon S. Rentschler and Mary C. Rentschler, St. John's Cathedral, Denver, Colorado.
Telegram, 1927 July 23-August 23, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Telegrams of congratulation to Gordon S. Rentschler and Mary C. Rentschler upon their marriage.
Receipt / invoice, 1927 September 14, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Receipt or invoice to Mary C. Rentschler probably for clothing worn during her wedding ceremonies.
Correspondence, circa 1927, inclusive
Scope and Contents
General correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler in Cuba to her daughter, Faith A. Witter, in Massachusetts.
Correspondence, 1927 April 11-1939 February 9, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence between Mary C. Rentschler and her daughter, Faith A. Witter. Mainly from FAW to MCR, detailing her school and social life.
Correspondence, circa 1927-1929, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Fabulous letters from Mary C. Rentschler in Cuba, New York City, and Long Island, mainly to Katherine W. Atkins. Social and economic lives of rich; parties; spoiled Phoebe; relationship with Faith; imminent Stock Market Crash; moving letter re: dead EFA Jr. to EFA Sr.
Correspondence, 1927 July 15-1938 June 27, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Julia C. Deane in Massachusetts to her sister, Mary C. Rentschler, in New York City and Long Island. Deane and Rentschler private lives: health, financial worries, including Supreme Court rulings on Dick Whitney and Charlie Mitchell (March 8, 1938). Frederick on verge of breakdown? (June 27, 1938).
Correspondence, 1928 August 28-September 4, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Letters from Nancy Goode McLaughlin, Faith A. Witter's nanny, to Mary C. Rentschler. McL first describes missing Faith, who is with her mother (in Ohio?), and then writes from Nantucket in late summer, where she is looking after Faith on vacation.
Correspondence, 1929 February 2-1935 November 28, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence and telegram mainly from Julia S. Coolidge to daughter Mary C. Rentschler. Daily lives at onset of Depression; distress of GSR in D.C. hearings (March 8, 1933); health; congratulations from Charles A. Coolidge at birth of Susan R. Witter; family gatherings.
Correspondence, 1929 April-1931 September, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous correspondence from Helen R. Waldon, Sidney D. Waldon, Mary C. Rentschler, and Mary Schwab, to Gordon S. Rentschler. Series of letters re: HRW's stillbirth of a baby boy. Congratulations on GSR as NCB President. MS on status of lost heirloom. SRW re: horse feed costs.
Correspondence / cartoon, 1929 May 9
Scope and Contents
Letter from William A. Ireland to Mary C. Rentschler. Humorous, illustrated letter, thanking MCR and Gordon S. Rentschler for a wonderful dinner party.
Correspondence, 1929 July 11-1937 August 23, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous correspondence from Gordon S. Rentschler to Mary C. Rentschler. Response to MCR's letter of January 16, 1932 re: Phoebe shooting fish. Susan R. Witer (September 18, 1935). Hamilton Farm and GAR Jr. building a car (August 23, 1937). New Year's Eve letters from GSR & MCR to CAC Sr.
Correspondence, 1929 July 19-22, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler to Gordon S. Rentschler. Embarking on a summer vaction to Marion, Massachusetts. Descriptions of happy children on vacation.
Correspondence and hair, 1930 May 14-1931 June 24, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Locks of hair from Phoebe R. Stanton and Mary R. Lowrey. Poem by Mrs. Talbott Sr. about three little piggies (i.e., the children).
Correspondence, circa 1931?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous social correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler to Katherine W. Atkins, includes MCR sadness after death of sons and husband (Saturday, Book Cadillac Hotel, Detroit). Relationship between granddaughter (Faith Witter) & stepfather (GSR) vis-a-vis KWA (July 10).
Correspondence, 1932 January 8-1933 November 25, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Social correspondence from Helen R. Waldon and Mary C. Rentschler to Gordon S. Rentschler. HRW: letters of adoration; treasury bonds (June 8, 1932); Hamilton Farm news (January 17, 1933); MCR: vacation stories, including Phoebe fishing (January 16, 1932). GSR letter re: Hoover, Mary Pickford?
Correspondence, circa 1932-1940, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler to Katherine W. Atkins. Private & public lives: MCR pregnancy, CAC death, Atkins family finances, attitudes re: social etiquette & chaperoning Faith. GSR banking turmoil & Senate hearings: sale of Trinidad plantation.
Correspondence, 1933 February 9; 1935 January 14, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler to her father, Charles A. Coolidge Sr. 1st letter: thank you re: book; details of completion of CAC chapel (February 9, 1933). 2nd letter: thank you re: paint set; Gordon S. Rentschler on witness stand re: Management Fund (January 14, 1935).
Correspondence, 1933 March 29-April 7, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Letters and a telegram of congratulations to Mary C. Rentschler and Gordon S. Rentschler on the birth of Susan R. Witter (March 28, 1933). Letter from SRW's namesake, Mommer Brant.
Correspondence, 1933 March-1940 March, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Katherine W. Atkins in USA and Cuba to Mary C. Rentschler. Family/community news; USA: amateur dramatics, local bank closure, Hitler on radio. Cuba: schooling for poor children, WWII. Llewellyn Hughes in Cuba, economic hardship, very poor crop.
Correspondence, circa 1934-1946, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler in Massachusetts, Georgia, and new YOrk, to Gordon S. Rentschler in New York. Social engagements. Children's daily lives. Mother's failing health. Birth of George Adam Rentschler Jr. (December 2, 1937).
Correspondence, card, valentine, 1935 June-1938 December, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence and cards from Faith A. Witter, Phoebe R. Stanton, Mary R. Lowrey, and Susan R. Witter to Mary C. Rentschler and Gordon S. Rentschler. Children's letters and handmade cards to their parents (FAR's stepfather). Letter from nanny Camilly to MCR.
Correspondence, 1935, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Thank you letters from Wm. C. Osborn (sp?) and Henr W. Hobben (sp?) to Mary C. Rentschler.
Correspondence, 1936 November 25
Scope and Contents
Letter from David H. Coolidge to Mary C. Rentschler. Probably DHC Jr. to his niece. Describes his trip to the South of France, accompanied by a nurse on board ship.
Correspondence, 1936 December 14-1954 June 11, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Letters of interest selected by Mary C. Rentschler:
1) A. Lawrence Lowell thanking MCR for 80th birthday wishes
2) From Norcott re: engagement in Cuba
3) Condolences to widow of Harvey S. Firestone Jr.
4) Thank you from British Queen re: gift
Correspondence, 1937 September 25-1943 March 2, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Social correspondence mainly from Isabel Coolidge and Charles A. Coolidge Jr. IC re: family news; attitudes of the younger gengeration to war (June 25, 1941). CAC and Julia C. Deane re: storm damage at Marion (September 1938).
Correspondence, 1938 February 4
Scope and Contents
Letter from Josephine H. Kenyon, M.D., to Mary C. Rentschler. Medical report to MCR, recommending thyroid and intestinal medication as well as exercise and painting.
Correspondence, 1938 June 10-1941 January 2, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Helen R. Waldon and Sidney D. Waldon to Mary C. Rentschler & Gordon S. Rentschler: Rentschler girls on vacation in Michigan. Wing Lakers parties. Detroit subway construction bid by SDW. Joy at Republican victories, upset at Roosevelt re-election.
Correspondence, 1938 June 27-August 21, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Faith A. Witter to Mary C. Rentschler, Gordon S. Rentschler, Helen R. Waldon, and Sidney D. Waldon. FAW at Diamond Ranch, Wyoming. Wonderful descriptions of young elite on holiday: escapades in an exquisite setting.
Correspondence, 1939 January 31-December 4, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence mainly from Julia C. Deane to her sister, Mary C. Rentschler. Also letters from Frederick Deane and Julia c. Crowley. Family news, domestic life: children, health, thankyous for gifts, MCR moving to E. 72nd St. from 933 5th Ave.
Correspondence, card, valentine, 1939, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Phoebe R. Stanton, Mary R. Lowrey, Susan R. Witter, Agnes Campbell "Camilly" to Mary C. Rentschler, Gordon S. Rentschler, and Faith A. Witter. Letters and greeting cards from home, school, and vacation. Letters from the nanny to MCR and GSR.
Correspondence, card, valentine, 1940-1947, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Phoebe R. Stanton, Mary C. Lowrey, Susan R. Witter, Faith A. Witter, and Mary Boyer to Mary C. Rentschler and Gordon S. Rentschler. Letters and cards to the parents, including holiday adventures at ranch in Wyoming, with staff reports on the children.
Correspondence, 1940 January 17-December 29, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence mainly from Julia C. Deane to Mary C. Rentschler. Family news: her children & MCR's children, social events. 81st birthday party of Katherine W. Atkins. Isabel Coolidge financial situation. Camilly's letter re: children in fancy dress in Michigan (July 9).
Correspondence, 1940 May 4-1941 October 26, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Katherine W. Atkins to Mary C. Rentschler from Massachusetts & Cuba beginning of WWII. Massachusetts: strep throat, shipment of British children. Cuba: wedding, sickness, Marciol [Martial] Facio decorating a dead man, cultural attitudes vis-a-vis British.
Correspondence, 1940 August 9
Scope and Contents
Letter from John F. Neylan to Mary C. Rentschler, humourously encouraging Gordon S. Rentschler to take a vacation from work and visit him and his family in San Francisco and on their ranch.
Correspondence, 1941 January 30-1942 April 2, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Julia C. Deane in Massachusetts to Mary C. Rentschler in Ohio and New York. Social correspondence and thankyou letters. Children's lives, including coming out parties. MCR and GSR funded parties.
Correspondence, 1942 March-April, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Katherine W. Atkins in Cienfuegos, Cuba, to Mary C. Rentschler in New York. Social life in WWII Cuba. Frequent mention of daughter Helen Atkins and son-in-law William Claflin.
Correspondence, 1942 March 6-29, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous correspondence to Mary C. Rentschler in New York from family members at the time of her hysterectomy. Letters from Charles A. Coolidge Jr., Mary C. Lowrey, Phoebe R. Stanton, Susan R. Witter, Helen R. Waldon, Helen A. Claflin, Louise M. Mills.
Correspondence, circa 1942 April-1943 March, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Katherine W. Atkins in Belmont, Massachusetts to Mary C. Rentschler in Locust Valey, New York. Social life of upper-class woman during WWII. Red Cross work, fund raisers, political opinions of KWA. News of daughter Helen and son-in-law William Claflin.
Correspondence, 1942 June 7-1947 April 6, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Helen R. Waldon in Ohio to Mary C. Rentschler in New York. Social news and life in Ohio, including Wing Laker group gatherings.
Correspondence, 1943 January 26
Scope and Contents
Letter from C. Scott White (artist) to Mary C. Rentschler re: commission of a pastel drawing for her brother, Charles A. Coolidge Jr. [This letter was removed from the painting by Susan R. Witter and transferred to the present collection in April 2000.]
Correspondence, 1945 January 30-March 13, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Mary C. Rentschler & Helen R. Waldon in Hamilton, Ohio, to Gordon S. Rentschler in New York. Correspondence from MCR in Ohio after death of Sidney D. Waldon. Emotional crisis of HRW. Illegitimate children? (February 2, 1945). Susan R. Witter at Chapin (January 1945).
Correspondence, circa 1945-1950, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous social correspondence between Mary C. Rentschler, Faith A. Witter, and Katherine W. Atkins, mainly Locust Valley, Long Island (also Bay Shore, New York, and Cuba).
Correspondence, publication, circa 1945-1952, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Book: "Tell the People: Talks with James Yen About the Mass Education Movement" by Pearl S. Buck. And letter by the author soliciting Mary C. Rentschler to help finance the American Chinese Committee of the Mass Education Movement.
Correspondence, circa post-1946?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Letter from Faith A. Witter to Mary C. Rentschler, post-1946. This torn piece of a letter describes the enormous regard she has for her husband, Dean Witter, explaining that marrying him was the best thing she ever did.
Correspondence, news clippings, 1948 April 3-1956 May 15, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence and news clipping re: Frederick B. Rentschler:
1) RBR election to Board of Directors of NCB in honor of GSR
2) Award citation for service in aeronautics industry
3) Reminiscences, including GSR testifying in 1930s; WWII aero engines
4) Eisenhowever condolence letter
Correspondence, circa 1948-1956, inclusive
Scope and Contents
1) Annotated business card from Bernard M. Baruch to Mary C. Rentschler and gordon S. Rentschler
2) Letter from Bernard M. Baruch to Mary C. Rentschler congratulating her on the announcement of Susan R. Witter's marriage
Correspondence, 1949 April 10
Scope and Contents
Letter from Winston Churchill's private secretary, Elizabeth Gilliatt, in London, UK, thanking Mary C. Rentschler for cigars.
Correspondence, 1951 March 8
Scope and Contents
Letter from Amon G. Carter to Mary C. Rentschler re: gift of steak from a champion steer.
Correspondence, 1953 June 13
Scope and Contents
Letter from Edith Dent to Mary C. Rentschler requesting membership to Colony Club for friend Mrs. E. Cuyler Hammond.
Correspondence, 1955-1956, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous items, including:
1) letter from J. C. Penney to Mary C. Rentschler, thanking her for social engagement. Penney sending MCR a copy of his autobiography and other books
2) copy of Gettysburg address
3) humorous statistic of U.S. (non) working population
Correspondence, 1958 February 13
Scope and Contents
Letter from Helen A. Claflin in Cuba to Mary C. Rentschler (probably in New York or Massachusetts). Daily life in Cuba: poor crop, sickness, dangers of childbirth.
Correspondence, 1974 January 16
Scope and Contents
Memorandum and notes re: porphyria (blood disease). MCR writes that the disease is carried in the Shepley bloodline.
Revolutionary War uniform decorations, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
"US army uniform decoration. Inherited through CAC Sr., who got them in a collection of 'curios' inherited from his stepfather Francis (last name) or from his own father DHC, depending on date used." [Medal from Order of the Cincinnati?] Undated, but commemorates the 1776 Revolutionary War.
Miscellaneous: Diary, correspondence, 1811-1821, 1980 November 16-21, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Travel diary of Benjamin Clapp, 1811-1821 (great-grandfather of Mary C. Rentschler); Biography of Benjamin Clapp and correspondence between Mary C. Rentschler and Hayden shepley, 1980 (great-great-grandson of Benjamin Clapp?).
Benjamin Clapp miniatures and wedding ring, 1823 February 15
Scope and Contents
Wedding ring of Benjamin Clapp and Mary C. Behn, February 15, 1823. (From either New York, N.Y., or St. Louis, Missouri?) Also, miniature portraits (paintings?) of Benjamin Clapp and Mary C. Behn in separate lockets with hair braid in a recess in the back mourning hair?), circa 1823?
Misc. loose maps, 1839-1964, inclusive
Scope and Contents
1) Manhattan, New York (1839, copy?)
2) Cape Cod, Massachusetts (undated?)
3) Rogue River, Oregon (1964)
Miscellaneous: Correspondence, 1857 May 23
Scope and Contents
Copy of a letter from Lord Macauley in UK to H. E. Randall in New York. Anti-Jeffersonian text detailing danger to liberty and civilization of a strictly democratic society.
Mary C. Rentschler brass [bronze?] baby shoes, 1892, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Brass? mould of Mary C. Rentschler's baby shoes.
Miscellaneous: Drawing, correspondence, 1906-1936, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Drawing by Mary C. Rentschler (1906). Accompanied by a letter (1936) from Charles A. Coolidge Jr. to Gordon S. Rentschler, explaining that he found the image among his father's possessions.
Julia S. Coolidge genealogy, circa 1907, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Genealogy of the Shepley, Coolidge, Clapp, Wyeth, Hill, Walker, Behn, Shurtleff, Cushman, Atwood, Shaw, Carleton, Gibson, and Goss families.
Miscellaneous: News clipping, circa 1910/1911, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Press clipping re: debutante ball for Mary C. Rentschler at Copley Hall, Boston, Massachusetts. Mentions Mrs. Winston Churchill.
Miscellaneous: Cooking recipes, circa 1910-?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous loose cooking recipes belonging to Mary C. Rentschler.
Mary C. Rentschler cooking recipes, circa 1916-1965, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Bound volume, alphabeticaly indexed, of cooking recipes collected by Mary C. Rentschler.
Edward Ayer travel reminiscences, circa 1918?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Gift to Charles A. Coolidge Sr. of a travel log by Edward E. Ayer describing his journeys around the globe, 1860-1918 (many by automobile).
Miscellaneous: Notebooks, 1923-1932, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Notebooks of Mary C. Rentschler listing Christmas gifts given and gifts to send.
Miscellaneous: Diary / notebook, circa 1924-, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Diary used as record of birth dates. The diary is from 1924 with G. S. Rentschler embossed on the front, however, the handwriting inside is Mary C. Rentschler's.
Miscellaneous: Drawing / portrait, 1925, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Pencil drawing of head of Mary C. Rentschler (in Havana, Cuba).
Miscellaneous: Scrapbook (photographs), 1931, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photographic scrapbook of the rules and regulations of the Meadow Island Yacht Club, Marion, Massachusetts. (Shepley family offspring.)
Miscellaneous: Gardening log, 1931-1939, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Notebook and correspondence of Mary C. Rentschler concerning her garden at Locust Valley, Long Island. Includes lists of seed and bulb purchases, and color schemes for plant beds.
Miscellaneous: Bound volume of verse, circa 1933-1935?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Bound volume of "Rhymes For my Grandchildren" by Julia S. Shepley. Annotated as follows: "To my daughter Mary and to her daughters Faith, Phoebe, Mary, Susan from Julia Shepley Coolidge."
Miscellaneous: Membership card, 1934 March 27
Scope and Contents
Membership card of Mary C. Rentschler to the National Society of Colonial Dames of America in Massachusetts.
Mary C. Rentschler Women's City Club Cookbook, 1935, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Spiral bound volume of the Women's City Club Cook Book, Detroit, Michigan.
Miscellaneous: Servant list, 1937, inclusive
Scope and Contents
List of servants at the home of Mary C. Rentschler and Gordon S. Rentschler in Locust Valley, Long Island. (Some of these servants date to 1926, pre-MCR and GSR marriage; were they MCR's servants?).
New York World's Fair catalog, 1940, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Masterpieces of Art catalogue from an exhibition at the New York World's Fair, 1940, in which the Rentschlers' lent an artwork. Letter from Waegen thanking them for their donation.
Miscellaneous: Gardening log, circa 1940-1945, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose pages of a gardening log kept by Mary C. Rentschler for her Locust Valley, Long Island, garden. Includes lists of purchases for flower and vegetable plantings; also a Victory Garden plan.
Mary C. Rentschler Book of Common Prayer (bible), 1944 Christmas, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Bible. Book of Common Prayer from Gordon S. Rentschler, Faith A. Witter, Phoebe R. Stanton, Mary R. Lowrey, and Susan R. Witter to Mary C. Rentschler.
Miscellaneous: Certificate, 1945 December 6
Scope and Contents
Certificate from the American National Red Cross to Mary C. Rentschler for her WWII work.
Mary C. Rentschler keys, circa 1880-1950?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Small keys belonging to Mary C. Rentschler? Undated, but anywhere from 1880 to 1950?
Mary C. Rentschler "Treasures" wooden box, circa 1950s?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Wood box, "Treasures" painted on lid. Box has children's photographs attached to the inside of the lid. The box contains a (Parisian?) wallet with "filigree" type decoration. (Is the wallet much older than the box?)
Miscellaneous: Publication, 1976 November-December, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Copies of Angler magazine article "Mary Rentschler: A Blue Ribbon Fishing Partner" by Dan Abrams.
Miscellaneous: Publication, 1979, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Copy of an article in Town and Country magazine by John Heminway re: Mary C. Rentschler and angling.
Genealogy / History: Atkins family (18th century), undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
News clipping re: larceny by Manuel Alvero, an employee of E. F. Atkins.
Genealogy / History: Carleton & Shurtleff, 1919, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence and genealogical lists.
Genealogy / History: Claflin, William III, 1980 February 6
Scope and Contents
Obituary.
Blueprint: plan of land in Marion, Massachusetts, 1954 August, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Plan of land in Marion, Massachusetts. Coolidge family property.
Genealogy / History: Coolidge, Charles A. Jr., 1999 December 6
Scope and Contents
Obituary.
Genealogy / History: Coolidge, Charles A. Sr., 1936 April 2-3, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Obituaries.
Genealogy / History: Coolidge, Charles A. Sr., 1936, 1972, 1988, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Lists, publications, and articles re: architectural projects involving CAC Sr.
Genealogy / History: Coolidge, Charles A. Sr., 1951 Summer, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Publication, "The American Society Legion of Honor Magazine," with a tribute to CAC Sr.
Genealogy / History: Coolidge & Rouse, circa 1770-1860, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Front page of the "Family bible of Jonas & Sarah Coolidge."
Genealogy / History: Coolidge / Shepley; Clapp / Behn, 1880s-1930s?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Genealogical materials and obituaries, including a form for entry to the Massachusetts Society of the Colonial Dames of America (for Julia S. Coolidge).
Genealogy / History: Nagel, Charles, 1940 January 6-7, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Obituaries.
Shepley family tree, 1855-1955, inclusive
Genealogy / History: Shepley, Mary Augusta Clapp (20th century), undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photograph of a paper written by Louise Lionberger Amory, "Reminiscences by Louise Lionberger Amory: The Love: Ama," about summer vacations in Marion, Massachusetts, at the home of matriarch Mary Augusta Clapp Shepley, a.k.a., Ama, circa 1900.
Genealogy / History: Shurtleff & Allerton, 1973 June 11
Scope and Contents
Correspondence and miscellaneous documents re: Shurtleff nd Allerton genealogies.
Subseries I.C. Gordon Sohn Rentschler (1885–1948) [GSR]
Scope and Contents
For ease of access, business and family records of the Rentschler family from Hamilton, Ohio, were combined with Gordon S. Rentschler death paper and genealogical materials that originated in New York. However, the death papers are listed separately within Series III.
The materials include minutes, business records, personal correspondence, certificates, diplomas, news clippings, memorabilia, photographic prints, and maps. They are a disparate body of documents, lacking in in-depth information. There is a dearth of material produced by Rentschler himself. However, when viewed in their entirety they provide a picture of a man from a successful mid-western family who entered the world of high finance and rose to the top of his profession as a result of unyielding hard work.
The business documents include minutes of the George A. Rentschler Company from 1925–1944 (Box Man-14, Folder 13–15), as well as a letter written in 1885 concerning the company's castor patent (Box Man-14, Folder 20). The growth and scope of the Rentschler foundry is visible in a draft of the Hooven Owens Rentschler Company publication on heavy-duty engines (1919; Box Man-14, Folder 17). Product specifications, pricelists, and advertising provide useful information on production and marketing within the industry from 1923–1938 (Box 14, Folder 18). Excellent background information on the history of Butler County and Hamilton, Ohio, including the Great Flood of 1913 is found in the genealogical/historical group of documents at the end of Subseries I.C (Box Man-21, Folder 13).
Material from the childhood and young adulthood of the Rentschler siblings consists of letters (from George to his mother), valentines (from George to his mother and Robert to his sister and brother George), essays, school reports, and yearbooks. Gordon's Hamilton High School reports and Princeton University reports (1898–1907) are found in Box Man-15, Folder 4. A train trip by Thomas A. Dorsey, Howard See, Frederick B. Rentschler, Robert P. Rentschler, and Gordon S. Rentschler to the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair provides an interesting travelogue (Box Man-15, Folder 11). The death of Robert P. Rentschler in 1915 at the age of thirty-one is recorded in a condolence letter from Louis D. Froelick, the Princeton Class Secretary, to Phoebe S. Rentschler, and in a bound resolution from his class (Box Man-15, Folder 17). The collection also contains letters from three female friends of Gordon Rentschler's: Dorothy McKinney, Antoinette C. Hearne, and Helen Marie Brant, written from 1910 to 1912 (Box Man-15, Folder 7). Brant's letters in particular contain a vivid description of a road trip across the Southwest of the United States.
Later correspondence (circa 1918–1948) is an eclectic mix of letters recording the milestones in Rentschler's life and his personal and public service. These include: Sidney Waldon's praise for Rentschler's unsung war efforts in 1918 (Box 15, Folder 18); thankyou letters for gifts and employment assistance (Box 15, Folders 20 & 22); a tribute from his Princeton University Class of 1907, honoring his appointment as National City Bank President (Box 16, Folder 2); correspondence from James M. Cox, Governor of Ohio and 1920 presidential running mate to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, awarding him a "Rentschler Badge" for his role in breaking up a gang of horse thieves in Butler County, Ohio (1931; Box 16, Folder 7). An annotated note attached to another medal reads "struck in memory of the wash-room episode Aug 26 1933 on L.I. when some 'hero' socked the 'Kingfish'—Huey Long—in much needed retribution." Huey Long was a controversial Senator from Louisiana. The badge and the event that the note refer to are unknown. However, this was the period of banking Senate Committee Hearings in Washington, D.C. (Medal removed to Box Mem-38).
In 1947 he was presented with the Belgian Order of the Crown, and in 1949 he was appointed Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE), both awards honored his work during World War II, the latter was awarded for his efforts in the Lend Lease program. (The correspondence suggests that he was awarded the CBE in 1947, but the medal was received posthumously by Mary C. Rentschler in 1949. The correspondence can be found in Box 16, Folders 18 & 20. The medals were removed to Boxes Mem-40 and Mem-41.) Similarly, he received certificates signed by New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia (1941) and United States President Harry Truman (1946). (Removed to oversize print material Box 3). All of these letters, certificates, and medals reflect a life of public service as the leader of one of America's largest banking institutions. This is firmly underscored by the large number of condolence letters received by his wife and National City Bank at the time of his death in 1948. Correspondents include: Ralph S. Danon, Abraham Flexner, B. C. Forbes, James Forrestal, Bernard F. Gimbel, John D. Rockefeller, Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., Robert M. Sohngen, and Cardinal Spellman. Gordon Rentschler's death papers also include beautiful, illuminated testimonials from companies and institutions associated with him, as well as correspondence surrounding the creation of a Gordon S. Rentschler memorial professorship at Princeton University. (The death papers are in Boxes Man-18 & Man-19.)
The documents demonstrate Rentschler's stature in the business world. However, this knowledge is balanced with a few other, more private artifacts in the collection. Rentschler's bible contains selected correspondence, such as the following letter from Mary C. Rentschler at the time of her first husband's death:
"If it were not for friends like you, I do not know how I could go on. But I draw strength from the love I know you bore Ted—& that I feel you will always bear him—for that is the kind of friend you are, as he often told me. Ted's friendship with you was one of his most cherished possessions. I hope I may be allowed to keep it and guard it always. Most devotedly yours, Mary C. Atkins" (1923 January 30; The bible and letters are housed together in Box Mem-30).
Financial: Minutes, 1925 January 20-1944 September 21, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Minutes of the George Adam Rentschler Company, Hamilton, Ohio.
Incorporation papers, 1904 October 11-1935 January 7, inclusive
Scope and Contents
G. A. Rentschler Co., Hamilton, Ohio.
Financial: Legal agreement, 1928 November 28
Scope and Contents
Legal agreement transferring capital stock in the G. A. Rentschler Company from Henry A. Rentschler (father) to Peter E. Rentschler and Walter A. Rentschler (sons).
Stock certificates (GSR & MCR), 1935-1950, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Cancelled Hamilton Corporation stock certificates made out to Mary C. Rentschler, gordon S. Rentschler, Frederick B. Rentschler, Helen R. Waldon.
Financial: Document, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
1) List of the stocks of Gordon S. Rentschler
2) Distribution of the shares of the G. A. Rentschler estate
Financial: Book draft, 1919 September 1
Scope and Contents
Book draft about the Hooven Owens Rentschler Company, Hamilton, Ohio.
Financial: publication, 1919, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Dummy book "Seventy Years of Growth: The Modern Development of Heavy Duty Engines," the Hooven Owens Rentschler Company, Hamilton, Ohio.
Financial: Correspondence, documents, 1923 December 1-1991 August 21, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Specifications, price lists, sales and advertising correspondence for the Hooven Owens Rentschler Company and Niles Tool Works Company (predecessors to the Baldwin-Hamilton Company).
Financial: Document, 1946 October 15
Scope and Contents
Resolution of the George A. Rentschler Company honoring Thomas A. Dorsey as a lifelong employee of the company.
Correspondence, 1885 July 18-December 15, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Joseph B. Hughes to George A. Rentschler Sr. re:
1) birth of Gordon S. Rentschler
2) castor patent
Correspondence, notebook, news clip, 1896 January 20-1922 November 4, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Notebook and correspondence re: purchase and maintenance of the Rentschler farm, Hamilton, Ohio.
Correspondence, 1896 July 1
Scope and Contents
Letter from P. P. Hunter in Dresden, Germany, to Henry Sohn and George A. Rentschler Sr. in Hamilton, Ohio. Description of European vacation destinations, including pen illustrations.
Essays, 1897-1900, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Essays by Robert P. Rentschler (high school, etc?).
Document, valentine, news clip, 1898-1903, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous items from Robert P. Rentschler
1) valentines to Helen R. Waldon and George A. Rentschler Sr.
2) bithday greetings to Phoebe S. Rentschler
3) news clippings re: RPR educational progress
Correspondence, circa 1898-1923, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence and valentine from George A. Rentschler Jr., including
1) his first letter
2) valentine from GAR Jr. to his mother
3) letter to his parents from Princeton University
4) letter from Sweden re: European travel destinations
Document, 1898 April 25
Scope and Contents
Mayoral proclamation to organize a war committee in Hamilton, Ohio. Signatures of the committee members include Peter Schwab Sr., George P. Sohnigen, Adam Rentschler (i.e., George A. Rentschler Sr.?).
School reports, 1898-1907, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Gordon S. Rentschler's school reports from Hamilton High School, Hamilton, Ohio, and Princeton University, New Jersey.
[Princeton material], 1907-1916, inclusive
Scope and Contents
(1) Daily Princetonian, 1907
(2) Western Association of Princeton Clubs, Chicago, 1916
(3) Photograph of Isabella McCosh Infirmary, Princeton
Check, invoice, 1899 June 3-1910 April 4, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Checks from Gordon S. Rentschler to "Republican News" and to GSR from Rentschler Bros. Also an invoice to GSR from James W. See, mechanical engineer, re: bed patents, Hamilton, Ohio.
Document, 1900 September 17
Scope and Contents
Front page of inscribed bible. From Phoebe S. Rentschler to her son, Robert P. Rentschler.
Correspondence, photograph, telegram, program, 1900 December 26-1912 February 6, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence to Gordon S. Rentschler as student. Congratulations on Hamilton High School speech; Commencement program; correspondence from Dorothy McKinney; later correspondence from Helen M. Brant traveling across southwestern United States.
Essays, circa 1901-1903, inclusive
Scope and Contents
School essays and speeches, hand- and typewritten by Gordon S. Rentschler, including farewell address to seniors at Hamilton High School (includes party expense list). Essays on "The Power of Influence," "Abraham Lincoln," "George Washington," and "Literature."
Greeting card, circa 1903-1907, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Greeting cards and notes to (and from?) Gordon S. Rentschler.
Invitation, marriage announcement, news clip, circa 1903-1940, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Marriage announcement of Mary Ridgely to Gordon Taylor Hughes, 1903. 1940s press clipping explaining that Gordon S. Rentschler was named after Gordon T. Hughes.
Diary, 1904 August 3-14, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Travel diary to the St. Louis World's Fair, Missouri. Written by either Robert P. Rentschler or Gordon S. Rentschler. Members of the trip included Thomas A. Dorsey, Howard See, and Frederick B. Rentschler.
Correspondence, 1908 March 11
Scope and Contents
Letter from new editor of the Daily Princetonian, Grant Straus, to Gordon S. Rentschler, outgoing editor, thanking him for his guidance.
Correspondence, 1908 November 27
Scope and Contents
Social correspondence from Alice? in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Mabel Dorsey in Hamilton, Ohio (wife of Thomas A. Dorsey).
Correspondence, 1909 August 16
Scope and Contents
Photocopy of a letter from Dr. Dan Millikin in Hamilton, Ohio, to Phoebe S. Rentschler? re: naming an automobile.
Draft of speech, 1911 November 4-1912 February 21, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Gordon S. Rentschler draft of Princeton University reunion speech, 1912? Miscellaneous check and calculations.
Correspondence, 1912 March 26-1995 May 10, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopies of correspondence and I.O.U. re: sale of car by Gordon S. Rentschler and Frederick B. Rentschler for the Republic Motor Car Company, Hamilton, Ohio, to Charles (Carl) Bartels of Mosler Safe Company.
Correspondence, bound volume, 1916 January 14-February 21, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Condolence letter from Louis D. Froelick, Princeton class secretary, to Phoebe S. Rentschler, upon death of Robert P. Rentschler; PSR reply. Bound resolution from 1906 class at Princeton University honoring RPR.
Correspondence, 1918 December 24
Scope and Contents
Letter from Sidney D. Waldon in Detroit, Michigan, to Gordon S. Rentschler in Hamilton, Ohio, praising him for his unsung WWI war effort, his fine character, and their friendship.
Correspondence, 1925 January 8-1956 September 21, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Humorous correspondence between Henry Breckenridge and Gordon S. Rentschler upon the election of GSR to NCB. Also lists identifying people in a family photo (which family photo?).
Correspondence, telegram, news clip, 1925-1927, inclusive
Scope and Contents
General correspondence from family and friends to Gordon S. Rentschler. Mainly thankyou letters for gifts received. Also list of major booksellers in Germany. Isabel Coolidge re: world stability.
Correspondence, 1927-1957, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Letter from Gordon S. Rentschler to Thomas A. Dorsey in praise of Mary C. Rentschler, his fiancee, just prior to their marriage. Also an accompanying note from GSR's secretary, Alfreada Link, sending the letter to MCR.
Correspondence, 1928-1929, inclusive
Scope and Contents
General corresponcence, mainly thankyou letters and requests for job assistance, including
1) Roy Dickinson comical request for job as writer
2) Helen R. Waldon for Lincoln auto
3) Gift of watch from Charles A. Coolidge Sr. to GSR
Correspondence, 1929 January 5-1941 November 23, inclusive
Scope and Contents
General correspondence to Gordon S. Rentschler:
1) Peter E. Rentschler re: Rentschler finances
2) Helen R. Waldon description of the Hamilton, Ohio farm (June 29, 1932); meeing King and Queen of United Kingdom (June 16, 1939); death of Henry A. Rentschler (1941).
Bound volume / testimonial, 1929 April 6
Scope and Contents
Tribute (bound volume) to Gordon S. Rentschler from his 1907 classmates at Princeton University upon his appointment as president of the National City Bank of New York.
Correspondence, document, 1929 April 26-1954 February 5, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence to Gordon S. Rentschler, selected by Mary C. Rentschler. Mainly from colleagues in banking, politics, education, and medicine. Confidential memo re: Hearst finances; state of medical profession; Deeds birthday tribute by MCR; GSR to MCR re: WWII news.
Correspondence, 1930 June 26
Scope and Contents
Letter to Gordon S. Rentschler from Dean? re: 1753 lottery ticket for construction of Nassau Hall [Princeton University]. Donated to GSR?
Correspondence, 1931 July 31
Scope and Contents
Letter from Clarence H. Mackay to Gordon S. Rentschler re: transferral of a labrador puppy (called Deep River Diver) to GSR.
Correspondence, 1932 February 13
Scope and Contents
Letter from a Hamilton, Ohio factory worker to Gordon S. Rentschler describing his physical problems that prevent him from working.
Correspondence, 1932 June 3-24, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence between Jack Howard, Lee Olwell, and James M. Cox re: "Rentschler Badge" awarded to Gordon S. Rentschler for service in breaking up gang of horse thieves in Butler County, Ohio.
Gordon S. Rentschler medal, 1932 June, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Badge inscribed "Special Officer" awarded to Gordon S. Rentschler for service in breaking up a gang of horse thieves in Butler County, Ohio (see letter in Box Man-16, Folder 7).
Correspondence, 1932 August 8
Scope and Contents
Letter from W. H. Reinhart, Commissioner, Division of Conservation, to E. A. Deeds re: Ohio State Coon Farm. A loose note was included in this file as possibly connected with letter; includes annotated racist comment.
Correspondence, 1932 December 22-24, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence between William F. Carey and Gordon S. Rentschler re: gift of limited edition book sent to GSR.
Document, publication, 1933-1935, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Moisie Salmon Club, Canada, score sheet of fish caught. Also fish and game laws of New York State.
Correspondence, 1934 December 20-24, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Christmas greetings and thanks from friends of Gordon S. Rentschler: E. H. Brinker of General Machinery Corp., Hamilton, Ohio, and? of New York City.
Correspondence, 1938 October 12, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Letter from Charles Nagel in St. Louis, Missouri, to Gordon S. Rentschler in New York City, thanking him for wine shipment.
Correspondence, 1942 December 28
Scope and Contents
Letter from E. A. Deeds to Gordon S. Rentschler expressing serious concern for the latter's health.
Correspondence, 1943 August 26
Scope and Contents
Letter from L. Birdsong to Gordn S. Rentschler re: reunion picnic for General Machinery Corporation employees, Hamilton, Ohio?
Correspondence, 1944 November 29
Scope and Contents
Letter from Faith A. Witter to Gordon S. Rentschler, includes
1) theater arrangements
2) The Ritz, Boston, agreeing to cash checks after hours as GSR is her stepfather
3) Lowell lectures
Correspondence, 1945 March 19
Scope and Contents
Letter from Mrs. Randolph (Mary?) Burgess to Gordon S. Rentschler. Burgess writes as a professional statistician and creator of growth/weight charts. Explains the importance of teaching children personal responsibility, as well as intellectual knowledge.
Correspondence, 1945, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Condolence letter from Dr. Burton J. Lee to Gordon S. Rentschler upon the death of Sidney D. Waldon.
Correspondence, 1946 November 14-1947 September 26, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence re: award to Gordon S. Rentschler of the Order of the Crown of Belgium. Correspondents include E. Van Der Heist, Robert Pearce, and Baron Silvercruys.
Gordon S. Rentschler Belgian Order of the Crown (medal), circa 1946, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Medal of Commander of the Order of the Crown, awarded to Gordon S. Rentschler from Charles, Prince of Belgium, for his work during WWII.
Correspondence / poem, 1947 January 8
Scope and Contents
Copy of Christmas poem written by W. Cameron Forbes for the Tavern Club and sent to Gordon S. Rentschler.
Correspondence, telegram, 1947 May 23-1949 March 10, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Materials concerning Gordon S. Rentschler's appointment as Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE). Including letter from H. R. F. Brett to Mary C. Rentschler on behalf of deceased husband.
Gordon S. Rentschler Commander of the British Empire (medal), circa 1947-1949, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Medal awarded to Gordon S. Rentschler by King George VI for his assistance to Great Britain during WWII (CBE--Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire). (See Box Man-16, Folder 20, for details.)
Correspondence, document, 1948 January 15
Scope and Contents
Proposal for a study of education and training for business by Wyman P. Fiske. Sent to Gordon S. Rentschler.
Christening certificates, Rentschler family, Hamilton, Ohio, 1884-1894, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Christening certificates for Robert P. Rentschler, Gordon S. Rentschler, Frederick B. Rentschler, Helen D. Rentschler, and George A. Rentschler.
Children's books, 1888-1889, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Four children's books: "A Snow Baby" and "Christmas Tree Fairy" for Gordon S. Rentschler; "Round the Hearth" for Robert P. Rentschler; and "Fun and Frolic" (not dedicated).
Gordon S. Rentschler autograph book, 1893, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Autograph book froom Phoebe S. Rentschler to her son, Gordon S. Rentschler.
Gordon S. Rentschler bible, misc. personal correspondence, gold tooth filling, circa 1896-1935, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Bible of Gordon S. Rentschler (1896). Childhood letter and poem by MCR (circa 1900-1904); correspondence to GSR from MCR upon death of husband and boys (1923); Charles A. Coolidge Sr. to GSR; valentine from Faith A. Witter; gold tooth filling.
Robert P. Rentschler flower book, 1898 April 5
Scope and Contents
School composition book about plants, seeds, and flowers, by Robert P. Rentschler, containing pressed flowers.
Peter Schwab brewery beer bottle, circa 1900, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Bottle from the Peter Schwab brewery in Hamilton, Ohio.
Confirmation certificates, Rentschler family, Hamilton, Ohio, 1900, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Confirmation certificates for Robert P. Rentschler and Gordon S. Rentschler.
Gordon S. Rentschler High School Diploma, Hamilton, Ohio, 1903 June 9
Scope and Contents
Hamilton High School diploma for Gordon S. Rentschler.
Gordon S. Rentschler Princeton yearbooks and publication, 1905-1916, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Publications/programs from Princeton University:
1) The Daily Princetonian dinner program, 1905, 1907
2) Princeton Class Day publication (yearbook?), 1906, 1907
3) Western Association of Princeton Clubs dinner program
Frederick B. Rentschler High School Diploma, Hamilton, Ohio, 1905 June 13
Scope and Contents
Hamilton High School diploma for Frederick B. Rentschler.
Princeton University publication, 1907, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The Princeton Bric a Brac, published by the Class of 1907. Belonged to Frederick B. Rentschler.
Gordon S. Rentschler ephemera, 1778, 1910-1943, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Various membership and identification cards, including gun license: postal telegraph cable company cards; 40-dollar bill dated 1778; Young Men's Christian Association cards.
Miscellaneous: scrapbook contents, 1929-1948, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Scrapbook belonging to Gordon S. Rentschler. Mainly invitations, ephemera, and news clippings re: Forbes magazine 30th Anniversary banquet in honor of foremost business leaders, 1947. Also jewelry theft, 1929.
Gordon S. Rentschler medal re: Huey Long, 1933 August 26
Scope and Contents
Medal probably awarded to Gordon S. Rentschler. Note in box reads "Medal struck in memory of the wash-room episode, Aug. 26, 1933 on Long Island when some 'hero' socked the 'Kingfish' Huey Long in a much needed retribution."
Miscellaneous: document, 1933 September 23
Scope and Contents
Copy of a document sent by Charles Penrose (a Princeton classmate of Gordon S. Rentschler's) to his son, future Princeton freshman Julian d'Este Penrose. The document describes changes since he was a freshman in 1903.
Miscellaneous: program / menu, 1938 March 4
Scope and Contents
Cuban Organization of the National City Bank of New York banquet menu. Banquet in honor of NCB President, Gordon S. Rentschler, in Havana, Cuba.
Miscellaneous: invitation, 1939 June 8-10, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Reception invitation for the New York World's Fair, 1939, from its president and Mrs. Whalen to Gordon S. Rentschler and Mary C. Rentschler. The reception was in honor of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Copy of acceptance telegram from the Rentschlers.
Certificate from New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, 1941 May 28
Scope and Contents
Certificate from New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia appointing Gordon S. Rentschler a member of the Mayor's Business Advisory Committee.
Certificate from U.S. Secretary of the Navy, 1942 June 15
Scope and Contents
Certificate to Gordon S. Rentschler from U.S. Navy for WWII work. Signed by Frank Knox, Secretary of the Navy; Ernest J. King, Admiral, U.S. Navy; Commandant of the Marine Corps; and ? Commandant of the Coast Guard.
Miscellaneous: program / menu, 1943 January 29
Scope and Contents
Program/menu for Princeton Library Trustees dinner.
Miscellaneous: program, 1945 June 19
Scope and Contents
Program for dinner in honor of General of the Army, Dwight D. Eisenhower, at the Waldorf-Astoria.
Miscellaneous: program, 1945 September 9
Scope and Contents
Dinner program in honor of the Admiral of the Fleet, Chester W. Nimitz, Waldorf-Astoria.
[Scrapbook], 1945-1947, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Gordon S. Rentschler scrapbook:
1) Whimsical map of MIT, 1945
2) Newspaper and magazine articles re: Forbes Magazine 50th Anniversary celebration of the 50 most successful U.S. business leaders, November 1947
Miscellaneous: program, 1946 January 1
Scope and Contents
Bicentennial Announcement, Princeton University, 1746-1946.
Miscellaneous: bound volume, 1946 February 2
Scope and Contents
Testimonial from New York Chapter, American Institute of Banking, conferring honorary membership upon Gordon S. Rentschler.
Miscellaneous: bound volume, 1946 March 15
Scope and Contents
Program for a dinner in honor of Winston S. Churchill, Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York City.
Certificate from U.S. President Harry S. Truman, 1946 May 15
Scope and Contents
Certificate from U.S. President Harry Truman to Gordon S. Rentschler for his WWII war relief work.
Certificate from Forbes Magazine of Business, 1947, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Forbes Magazine of Business certificate awarded to Gordon S. Rentschler as one of the 50 foremost business leaders in the U.S.
Miscellaneous: program, 1949 April 7
Scope and Contents
Program for a dinner honoring Air Force crew members for the first non-stop flight around the world, Fort Worth, Texas. (GSR deceased by then.)
Roll of Citicorp Board of Directors, 1987, inclusive
Scope and Contents
A poster listing the Citicorp Board of Directors, 1910-1987.
Gordon S. Rentschler Ex Libris stamp, undated, inclusive
Gordon S. Rentschler misc. magazines, 1927-1947, inclusive
Scope and Contents
1927 September 17: Publications, photographs, and certificates from Gordon S. Rentschler and Mary C. Rentschler's trip to South America, september-October 1927. Includes "Number Eight" NCB magazine.
1930: Fortune Magazine re: article on Rentschler brothers Gordon S. Rentschler and Frederick B. Rentschler, November 1930. Also 2 photographs: GSR, Orville Wright, Edward Deeds, Chas. Kettering, Sidney Waldon, John Hayard?, Edith Deeds.
1937 June 8: Nation's Business publication, "These Tremendous Years, 1912-1937," published by the Chamber of Commerce of the U.S., Washington, D.C. Includes letter from Bird Rees, advertising manager of NB giving the book to GSR.
1944 January 10: "Finance" magazine with photograph of Gordon S. Rentschler on the cover and article titled "How the 25 Largest Banks Rank."
1946 January 7: "Life" magazine article featuring Gordon S. Rentschler titled "Wall Street bull market gives new life to citadel of U.S. capitalism."
1947 December: National City Bank in-house magazine, "Number Eight" featuring a photograph of a luncheon in honor of Gordon S. Rentschler's birthday.
Miscellaneous: news clip, 1915 January 27
Scope and Contents
Photocopy of a news clipping from "The Republican News" re: the appointment of Gordon S. Rentschler as a director of the Hooven, Owens, Rentschler Company.
Miscellaneous: publication, 1916 May 31
Scope and Contents
Photocopy of "Princeton Alumni Weekly" re: Gordon S. Rentschler's work for the Miami Conservancy District.
Miscellaneous: news clip, early 1920s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopies of news clippings re: job appointment for Gordon S. Rentschler to
1) Miami Valley National Bank
2) Director, then vice president of National City Bank of New York
Miscellaneous: news clip, 1927 February 23
Scope and Contents
Photocopy of news clippings in the Hamilton Evening Journal re: Gordon S. Rentschler as presidential heir apparent to the National City Bank of New York.
Miscellaneous oversize news clippings re: GSR, 1927 July 24-1949 December 4, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous oversize news clippings re: Gordon S. Rentschler.
Farmer's and Loan Co. clippings, 1929 March-May, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Bound volume of original photocopies (?) of publicity clippings announcing the affiliation (merger) of the Farmer's Loan and Trust Company with the National City Bank of New York.
Miscellaneous: news clip, 1929 March-May, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopy of publicity clippings announcing the affiliation (merger) of the Farmer's Loan and Trust Company with the National City Bank of New York.
Miscellaneous: news clip, 1929, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopy of press clipping re: appointment of Gordon S. Rentschler as president of National City Bank of New York.
Miscellaneous: news clip, circa 1935?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopy of news clipping re: Bernard Baruch asking Gordon S. Rentschler to lease the Hippodrome, owned by National City Bank, to show the Billy Rose production, "Jumbo."
Miscellaneous: news clip, 1938 March 10-11, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopies of press clippings electing Gordon S. Rentschler a life member of the Corporation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. With Colonel Edward Deeds filling the vacated position as president of the National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio.
Miscellaneous: news clip, 1940 July-September, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopies of news clippings re: election of Gordon S. Rentschler as National City Bank Chairman of the Board (includes original cartoons).
Miscellaneous: publication, 1947 November 15, inclusive
Scope and Contents
B. C. Forbes article on the fift foremost business leaders in the U.S.A., including Gordon S. Rentschler.
Miscellaneous: news clip, publication, circa 1940s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Publication: "The Story of the Miami Conservancy District" by the Hamilton Foundry & Machine Company. Also news clipping re: liquidation of the Miami Conservancy debt.
Miscellaneous: news clip, 1959 June 4
Scope and Contents
News clipping featuring a copy of the 1903 Hamilton High School commencement program (commencement of Gordon S. Rentschler).
Miscellaneous: news clip, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopy of news clipping re: Gordon S. Rentschler's resignation from the Miami Conservancy Board, Hamilton, Ohio.
Death papers: correspondence, legal documents, 1947 March 22-1948 March 18, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, medical documents, and copy of death certificate related to Gordon S. Rentschler's health and voyage to Cuba at the time of his death.
Death papers: condolence correspondence, 1948 February 23-May 16, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Condolence correspondence to Mary C. Rentschler at the time of Gordon S. Rentschler's death.
Corning Glass Works testimonial, 1948 March 4
Scope and Contents
In memoriam illuminated pamphlet for Gordon S. Rentschler.
Death papers: condolence correspondence, 1948 March 4-April 22, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Condolence correspondence to Mary C. Rentschler upon the death of Gordon S. Rentschler. Correspondents are Walter Miller, J. G. Krug, Robert A. Lovett, Henry Morgenthau Jr., Cardinal Spellman, Thomas S. Lamont, Thomas Molloy, and Eugene D. Millikin.
Death papers: condolence correspondence, 1948 March 4-May 10, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Condolence letters to Mary C. Rentschler upon the death of Gordon S. Rentschler. Correspondents include Donald Aldrich, Arthur Ballantine, Chauncey Belknap, Eleanor Ford, Robert W. Kean, John D. Rockefeller Jr., Alex Smith, and Ethel Stringfellow.
Death papers: condolence correspondence, 1948 March 5
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Caroline Hewitt, head of Miss Hewitt's Classes, to Mary C. Rentschler. Condolence letter re: death of Gordon S. Rentschler, including information that GSR was a founder of the school. Newsletter re: state of the school and its history.
Death papers: condolence correspondence, 1948 March 5-16, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence surrounding the death of Gordon S. Rentschler. Correspondents include Louis Naetzker, vice president National City Bank; J. P. Carter, president National City Bank; Jose Suarez; and Mary C. Rentschler.
Death papers: correspondence, 1948 March 5-May 27, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Letters of praise to David Lawrence, journalist, in response to article/obituary he wrote about Gordon S. Rentschler. Including letters from James Forrestal, Secretary of Defense; Cardinal Spellman; Robert M. Sohngen, Justice; and George A. Brakeley.
Death papers: condolence correspondence, 1948 March 8
Scope and Contents
Condolence letter to Frederick B. Rentschler from Ralph S. Danon, president of American Airlines, upon the death of Gordon S. Rentschler.
Death papers: condolence correspondence, 1948 March 8, 11, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Letter of condolence from Alfreada Link, including arrangements for Gordon S. Rentschler's funeral, Hamilton, Ohio.
National City Bank testimonial, 1948 March 9
Scope and Contents
In memoriam illuminated bound volume for Gordon S. Rentschler.
City Bank Farmers Trust Co. testimonial, 1948 March 10
Scope and Contents
In memoriam bound volume for Gordon S. Rentschler.
Death papers: correspondence, document, 1948 March 11
Scope and Contents
Tribute/ eulogy to Gordon S. Rentschler by Grace Reah Johnson upon his death. Covering note to Mary C. Rentschler.
Consolidated Edison testimonial, 1948 March 12
Scope and Contents
In memoriam illustrated bound volume for Gordon S. Rentschler.
Anaconda Copper Mining Company testimonial, 1948 March 17
Scope and Contents
In memoriam illustrated bound volume for Gordon S. Rentschler.
Princeton University testimonial, 1948 March 22
Scope and Contents
In memoriam illuminated pamphlet for Gordon S. Rentschler.
Union Pacific Railroad testimonial, 1948 March 25, April 14, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Memorial tribute (bound volume of minutes) from the Union Pacific Railroad in honor of Gordon S. Rentschler.
Death papers: minutes, program, correspondence, 1948 March 25-June 17, inclusive
Scope and Contents
National Cash Register Company extract from minutes of meeting of board of directors in honor of Gordon S. Rentschler. Also condolence letters upon the death of Gordon S. Rentschler from Ralph H. Tapscott and ?.
Death papers: condolence correspondence A-B, 1948 March, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Condolence letters (A-B) upon the death of Gordon S. Rentschler from worldwide business colleagues to the chairman of the board, National City Bank, William G. Brady Jr., and vice president W. Randolph Burgess.
Death papers: condolence correspondence C-D, 1948 March, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Condolence letters (C-D) upon the death of Gordon S. Rentschler from worldwide business colleagues to the chairman of the board, National City Bank, William G. Brady Jr., and vice president W. Randolph Burgess.
Death papers: condolence correspondence E-H, 1948 March, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Condolence letters (E-H) upon the death of Gordon S. Rentschler from worldwide business colleagues to the chairman of the board, National City Bank, William G. Brady Jr., and vice president W. Randolph Burgess.
Death papers: condolence correspondence K-R, 1948 March, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Condolence letters (K-R) upon the death of Gordon S. Rentschler from worldwide business colleagues to the chairman of the board, National City Bank, William G. Brady Jr., and other NCB executives.
Death papers: condolence correspondence S-W & miscellaneous, 1948 March, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Condolence letters (S-W and miscellaneous) upon the death of Gordon S. Rentschler from worldwide business colleagues to the chairman of the board, National City Bank, William G. Brady Jr., and other NCB executives.
Death papers: condolence telegrams, 1948 March, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Condolence telegrams sent to National City Bank executives, New York City, upon the death of Gordon S. Rentschler.
Death papers: condolence correspondence, 1948 April 4-October 29, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Condolence correspondence from fellow alumni of Gordon S. Rentschler's at Princeton University. Dinner program in honor of GSR by Class of 1907 at Princeton University.
Death papers: condolence correspondence, 1948 April 6-November 23, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Condolence letter and reminiscence letter (April 5, 1929?) about Gordon S. Rentschler by Edward Antrim and Thomas A. Dorsey of Hamilton, Ohio, on behalf of Mary C. Rentschler.
Death papers: document, 1948 April 9
Scope and Contents
Resolution by the Miami Conservancy District of Dayton, Ohio, in honor of Gordon S. Rentschler for his work on flood control. Document signed by Edward A. Deeds.
Death papers: correspondence, 1948 April 15-19, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopies of legal correspondence re: will and petition of probate for Gordon S. Rentschler. Correspondents: John B. Hollister for Taft, Stettinius & Hollister or Cincinnati, Ohio, and Guy Cary of Shearman & Sterling & Wright, New York City (will & probate not included).
Death papers: correspondence, document, 1948 April 15-1950 December 28, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, programs, and documents re: tributes and the creation of a Princeton University memorial professorship in honor of Gordon S. Rentschler.
Death papers: condolence correspondence, 1948 May 10
Scope and Contents
Condolence letter from Edward A. Deeds, president of the National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, to Mary C. Rentschler on behalf of the company, upon the death of Gordon S. Rentschler.
Home Insurance Co. testimonial, 1948 May 10
Scope and Contents
In memoriam illuminated bound volume for Gordon S. Rentschler.
Death papers: minutes, 1948 May 12
Scope and Contents
Minutes of the Ford Foundation paying tribute to Gordon S. Rentschler upon his death.
Death papers: correspondence, 1948 June 1
Scope and Contents
Letter from James M. Cox, publisher, to William S. Lambie, commiserating upon the death of Gordon S. Rentschler.
Death papers: correspondence, 1948 June 4
Scope and Contents
Letter to Mary C. Rentschler and memorial tribute to Gordon S. Rentschler from the Young Men's Christian Association of Hamilton, Ohio.
Death papers: document, 1948 June 11
Scope and Contents
Memorial tribute to Gordon S. Rentschler by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Death papers: correspondence, 1948 June 29
Scope and Contents
Leter from William G. Brady Jr., chairman of the board of National City Bank of New York, to Mary C. Rentschler, informing her of the appointment of Frederick B. Rentschler to the board of directors (in honor of Gordon S. Rentschler).
Death papers: correspondence (Adler-Hart), 1948 December 21-1950 July 19, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence (Adler-Hart) to Henry B. Guthrie, secretary, Organization Committee of the Friends of Gordon S. Rentschler re: amounts offered (or declined) for the creation of a memorial fund, in alphabetical order by donor.
Death papers: correspondence (Henninger-Ziegler), 1948 December 21-1950 July 20, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence (Henninger-Ziegler) to Henry B. Guthrie, secretary, Organization Committee of the Friends of Gordon S. Rentschler re: amounts offered (or declined) for the creation of a memorial fund, in alphabetical order by donor.
Death papers: correspondence, 1948 December-1950 December, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence and a list of contributors (including amounts) to the Gordon S. Rentschler professorship memorial fund.
Death papers: correspondence, 1949 February 10
Scope and Contents
Photocopy of documents re: creation of plaque honoring Gordon S. Rentschler for the Princeton University faculty lounge. Letter from Donald Scott to Robert B. O'Connor.
Death papers: correspondence, 1950 April 27-1951 November 13, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence to and from James H. Townsend, Eastham, Virginia, re: creation of the Gordon S. Rentschler professorship memorial fund.
Death papers: correspondence, 1955 Feb. 26; 1981 Mar. 30; 2000 Jan. 7, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopy of documents re: recipients of Gordon S. Rentschler professorship, Princeton University. Professors are
1) Lester V. Chandler
2) Burton G. Malkiel
3) Alan S. Binder
Death papers: publication, 1967 June 9
Scope and Contents
Booklet commemorating Princeton University 60th reunion class of 1907.
Genealogy / History: BUCKLEY, George, 1935 December-1936 January, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Obituaries for George Buckley, National City Bank executive. Bound volume of photocopied news clippings; NCB "Number Eight" publication dedicated to him.
Genealogy / History: CASSADY, Ann Rentschler, 1994, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Funeral service program, Boca Raton, Florida.
Genealogy / History: DEEDS, Edward A., 1986-1996, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous correspondence, news clippings, and publications re: the Deeds home, Moraine Farm, in Keetering, Ohio.
Genealogy / History: RENTSCHLER (General), circa 1830s-1980s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Historical research by various family members.
Genealogy / History: RENTSCHLER (Holzaepfel), circa 1896-1965, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopies of family tree originally commissioned by George A. Rentschler Sr. (1896), and subsequently translated. Also a listing of Rentschler names throughout the United States.
Original architectural plans for Locust Valley, Long Island home (Paul D. Cravath name on plan), 1929, inclusive
Scope and Contents
RENTSCHLER family. Architectural plans for home on Duck Pond Road, Long Island, New York.
Genealogy / History: RENTSCHLER (General), 1939 August 14
Scope and Contents
Photocopy of news clipping re: Rentschler home at 933 Fifth Avenue, New York City, that was demolished.
Surveys, subdivisions, maps, and architectural drawings, circa 1923-1961, inclusive
Scope and Contents
RENTSCHLER - maps of properties belonging to Gordon S. Rentschler and Mary C. Rentschler in Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio, including subdivisions of land among family members.
Map of Butler County, OH, 1961, 1967, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Rentschler family. Two maps:
1) Rentschler property in Butler County, Ohio
2) Butler County, Ohio
Genealogy / History: RENTSCHLER, Frederick B., 1920-1996, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous materials re: FBR's work in aeronautical industry and Renbrook home, Connecticut:
1) News clipping re: FBR involvement in early aero industry (1920)
2) Obituary
3) Pamphlet commemorating FBR's work (1985)
4) News clipping re: Renbrook home
Genealogy / History: RENTSCHLER, Frederick B., 1945 September 1-1951 March 31, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopies of correspondence found with publication (Box Man-19, Folder 15):
1) James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy, thanking FBR for WWII work
2) Letters congratulating FBR on Pratt & Whitney book
3) Legion d'Honneur awarded to FBR by Henry Bonnet, Ambassador
Frederick B. Rentschler The Pratt Law & Whitney Story, 1950, inclusive
Frederick B. Rentschler bound obituaries, 1956, inclusive
Genealogy / History: RENTSCHLER, George, 1949 March 31
Scope and Contents
Photocopy of an obituary.
Genealogy / History: RENTSCHLER, George A., Jr., circa 1920s?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
News clipping re: appointment of George Adam Rentschler Jr. as Director of Miami Conservancy District, Ohio.
Genealogy / History: RENTSCHLER, George A., Sr., 1923, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Bound volume of obituaries. Photograph.
Genealogy / History: RENTSCHLER, George A., Sr., 1923, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Bound volume of obituaries.
Genealogy / History: RENTSCHLER, George A., Sr., 1923, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopies of bound volume of obituaries.
Genealogy / History: RENTSCHLER, George A., Sr. / SCHWAB, Phoebe, 1916-1923, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Bound volume of obituaries with photographs.
Genealogy / History: RENTSCHLER, George A., Sr. / SCHWAB, Phoebe, 1916-1923, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Bound volume of obituaries with photographs.
Genealogy / History: RENTSCHLER, George A., Sr. / SCHWAB, Phoebe, 1916-1923, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopies of obituaries and testimonies.
Genealogy / History: RENTSCHLER, Gordon S., 1948 March, inclusive
Scope and Contents
News clippings of obituaries.
Gordon S. Rentschler bound obituaries, 1948 March, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Bound volume of newspaper obituaries re: death of Gordon S. Rentschler.
Genealogy / History: RENTSCHLER, Gordon S., 1948 March-May, inclusive
Scope and Contents
National City Bank in-house publication, "Number Eight," in memory of GSR. Also, National Cash Register Company obituary.
Genealogy / History: RENTSCHLER, Henry A., 1941, inclusive
Scope and Contents
In memoriam booklet honoring HAR. Photograph inside.
Genealogy / History: RENTSCHLER, Peter E., 1970 July 8
Scope and Contents
Correspondence re: 50 years of PER at Hamilton Foundry. Biographical notes on his life.
Genealogy / History: RENTSCHLER, Robert P., 1915 June 30
Scope and Contents
Photocopy of obituary.
Genealogy / History: SCHWAB, Mary, 1964, inclusive
Scope and Contents
News clippings re: 90th birthday of Mary Schwab (Mrs. Peter E. Schwab).
Genealogy / History: SCHWAB, Peter, 1913, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Obituaries for Peter Schwab.
Newspaper obituary re: Peter Schwab, 1913 September 15
Genealogy / History: SOHN, Henry, 1915, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopy of obituary. See Box Osz-3, Folder # for originals.
Newspaper obituary re: Henry Sohn, 1915 January 18
Genealogy / History: Butler County and Hamilton, Ohio histories, circa 1913-1996, inclusive
Scope and Contents
General historical information re: Butler County and Hamilton, Ohio, including the Great Flood of 1913; a historical sketch by Dan Millikin; obituary of Edward Antrim; publication--"Ohio, the Buckeye State" (1935).
Subseries I.D. Helen Rentschler Waldon (1890–1967) [HRW]
Language of Materials
Scope and Contents
Helen Rentschler Waldon was born in 1890, the only daughter of Phoebe Schwab Rentschler and George Adam Rentschler Sr. The bulk of the correspondence in this group was written to her by her family and reflects her primary role as a dutiful daughter and loyal sibling and wife. On September 29, 1906, Phoebe wrote to Helen at the Ogontz School in Pennsylvania: "Well my dear daughter be a good child as you always have been let no one lead you astray, but be the same true simple little girl you always have been" (Box Man-22, Folder 2). Helen's formal education, away from home, indicates an egalitarian attitude toward a female child, albeit couched in traditional patronizing language. Three years later her mother counsels thriftiness in economic hard times, and we indirectly learn that her father, George Adam Rentschler Sr., enjoyed privileged information as a bank official:
"You know Papa is always much concerned about his people especially the little shop & he takes it upon himself to help them keep the wolf from their doors. No doubt there will be much suffering among the working classes. In fact money is so scarce that it is wise for all classes to be watchful & saving. Things are more serious than the newspapers tell, but it is wise for the papers to make light of it, for it would scare those who have their savings in the banks & cause much trouble. The banks of Hamilton are solid & people have no need to fear, but then it is hard to make them understand & believe when they have their all placed in safe keeping. Papa is in a position to know the circumstances, as he is a director in two Hamilton banks & on the inside workings of the other three. . . . So my dear child do your share of economical financing too" (circa 1908/9; Box Man-22, Folder 2).
Helen's own letters to Gordon and Mary (in other parts of the collection) are often sentimental, and although there is a dearth of information, one senses that duty to her family superseded personal aspirations for many years; especially perhaps as she was the first female of the house after her mother died in 1916. There is a paucity of correspondence from non-family members. Extant letters include correspondence from Ohio friends Don and Cyrus Fitton and Brant Elliott, stationed in Europe during World War I (Box Man-22, Folder 3); as well as colorful letters written by Lee Olwell traveling in Singapore and China in 1926 (Box Man-22, Folder 8).
In August 1922 her father wrote to her in Biddeford, Maine:
"Everything is going along nicely. I am feeling about the same as I did when you left. The house is very lonesome without you. Gordon hasn't come back yet, and Bud is away most of the time. I hope you will enjoy every minute of your stay there, in as short a time as you can. You can't come home any too son. With my sincere love to you" (Box Man-22, Folder 5).
Her absence is keenly felt and the letter contains a barely disguised command to return home. Again, it suggests that Helen's first obligation is to her father and her home. Helen had a particularly strong relationship with her brother Gordon. In 1927, a month before his wedding to Mary, Gordon wrote the following:
"Nothing can ever take you away from me. Mama gave you to me when we started off to country school one bright May day away back in 1896 when you were a wee small girl. And ever since and always you will be my own dearest Diddy, baby sister, dearest daughter & great life inspiration. God has given three great women to my life. Our dear little Mama, my own darling Diddy and my Mary. . . . You know how proud I am of you and how I adore you. . . ." (Box Man-22, Folder 9).
It is as a mirror to others that her material is so valuable. Subseries I.D contains the only notable letters from her eldest brother, Robert P. Rentschler. In 1906 Robert wrote to his sister about a parade at Princeton University attended by United States President Theodore Roosevelt and University President Woodrow Wilson, the future President of the United States. He jokes at the "comic" seriousness of the parade (Box Man-22, Folder 2). Similarly, in the summer of 1927, Gordon wrote a letter to his sister referring to their brother Bud's (George Adam Rentschler Jr.) marriage to a stage performer. [George Adam Rentschler Jr. divorced his first wife, Joan Baker, in 1936, and subsequently married Rita Rend Mitchell, the daughter of National City Bank Chairman Charles Mitchell.] This letter is unusual as it articulates Gordon's sadness and intimate feelings—a rare occurrence within this body of materials (other than love for Mary). In addition, we indirectly learn of Gordon's sense of responsibility toward his siblings and witness a measure of self-reflection (B Box Man-22, Folder 9). The insight that this letter affords is repeated on a happier occasion aboard an ocean liner traveling from New York to Europe:
"We duly celebrated the advance beyond the dear old Goddess of Liberty by holding quite a ceremony over Marion's caviar and the things that she told me that really belonged with good caviar, and inasmuch as this was good caviar, and had a long hard trip all the way from Russia in order to attend our party, we saw to it that its good friends, Gordon Gin and Bacardy attended the party. I think Marion is really responsible for giving this whole party a good start, because it was the excuse to get the crowd down in my room and get on a basis in ten minutes, which ordinarily requires the most serious part of ten days. . . . the friends are the kind I usually find, the ones who look slick and come by it naturally" (On board the SS Majestic, 1926 September 1; Box Man-22, Folder 8).
The polite and conventional voice that resonates in Helen's letters remains largely intact after she marries and continues with her own life. However, the treatment her brother received during the banking scandals of the 1930s enraged her:
"It is all so unfair, and of course what sticks out foremost in my mind is that awful statement made by that dreadful person called Senator Cousins, and made to me by him in my house. I wish I could testify to that extent. I have Mary Crews to bear witness to his statement about what he proposed to do to make votes for 'we senators.' Cousins is about as popular as a rattlesnake in Detroit right now, since he has to xxx record, the fact that he was the sole member of the committee who refused to sanction the R.F.C. [Reconstruction Finance Committee] loan to save our banking situation. May justice be dealt him some day!" (1933 February 27; Box Man-10, Folder 8—Mary C. Rentschler materials).
In 1928, at the age of thirty-eight, Helen married Sidney Dunn Waldon, an expert in the aeronautical and automotive industries. [This was Sidney D. Waldon's second marriage. His first marriage was to Lois Burton of Erie, Pennsylvania. They had a daughter, Maunee (Mrs. Maunee Streit).] Born in Great Britain in 1873, Sidney D. Waldon emigrated to America in 1893. He subsequently had a long engineering career. Helen R. Waldon's papers include photocopies of letters from several of the companies that Waldon worked for, including photocopies of letters from J. M. Packard of the Packard Motor Car Company, 1900–1919 (Box Man-22, Folder 1). He joined the company in 1902 and became a vice president at Packard in 1910. In 1933 Henry B. Joy, a Packard Car Company executive, wrote the following to Sidney: "A certain manufacturing outfit would not be on the map today if it were not for you good self, chiefly, and the other good soldiers who enabled me to win the undying fame (now forgotten) of having put Packard out in front" (1933 November 24; Box Man-22, Folder 12). After the Packard Motor Car Company moved to Detroit, Michigan, from Warren, Ohio, circa 1903, Waldon became interested in the street railway system of that city and fought vigorously, but unsuccessfully, to have a subway system built.
In 1915 Waldon resigned from Packard to become an executive and an engineer with the Cadillac Motor Company, where he remained for a year. In 1916 he left Cadillac to aid the Government, and during 1917 and 1918 he was one of the principal engineering aides in the nascent United States air force. He helped design the Liberty Engine in Washington, D.C. in 1916. Through his enthusiasm for aviation he became a friend of Orville Wright. [News clippings of a committee to create landing strips and airports, headed by Orville Wright in 1919, are in Box Man-24, Folder 3. Orville Wright was also a friend of Gordon S. Rentschler and Colonel E. A. Deeds. They all drove across the United States in 1919.] Helen Waldon's letters include a personal one from Katherine Wright, Orville's sister, who describes a comical boating mishap on vacation in Ontario, Canada, in August 1922 (Box Man-22, Folder 5). Throughout his life, Sidney D. Waldon was an avid "amateur" photographer. Beautiful panoramic photographs from a 1919 Packard road trip out west can be found in Box Man-5-through-9 (albums/framed photograph boxes); and extraordinary photographs from a road trip across Africa, 1924–1925, are located in Box Man-10 of the same group. Diaries from the African trip were removed to Box Mem-55 and Box Mem-56, and related correspondence is found in Box Man-22, Folder 7, of the manuscript collection.
Sidney D. Waldon and Helen R. Waldon built a home they named Pine Knob in Clarkston, Michigan, in 1928, the year they were married. [A diary written by Sidney D. Waldon describing the construction of Pine Knob in 1928 can be found in Box Man-22, Folder 10. Dedication booklets for the home are in Box Man-22, Folder 21.] The main building of this 820-acre estate was in the style of an English manor. Pine Knob was the focal point of many social gatherings of their group of friends called the "Wing Lakers," as well as a summer destination for their nieces—Phoebe, Mary (Mimi), and Susan Rentschler. The Waldons lived here until 1941, when they moved to Hamilton, Ohio. In Ohio Sidney worked as a treasurer and director for the General Machinery Corporation (a Rentschler concern) until he died in 1945. Four years later, Helen sold Pine Knob to the Henry Ford Hospital [see Box Man-23, Folder 7, for the real estate brochure advertising Pine Knob] and moved into the Hamilton, Ohio farm that she leased from her sister-in-law, Mary C. Rentschler [see Box Man-22, Folder 17, for the lease]. The farm reverted back to Mary C. Rentschler in 1967, when Helen died. [An inventory of furnishings and art at Pine Knob and the Hamilton Farm can be found in Box Man-23, Folders 5 & 6, and Parke-Bernet, New York auction catalogs list items sent to auction.]
Correspondence, postcard, 1900 July 3-1927 April 5, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopies of correspondence and documents re: Sidney D. Waldon's work in the early U.S. auto indsutry:
1) working for J. W. Packard
2) road trip across the U.S.A. (1919)
3) road trip from Egypt to South Africa (1925), including original postcards and list of lantern slides
Correspondence, 1905 October 8-1909 February 18, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence to Helen R. Waldon from brothers and mother, including
1) RPR at Princeton University parade attended by President Theodore Roosevelt and Princeton President Woodrow Wilson
2) PSR re: proper behavior
3) PSR re: economic hard times; GAR Sr. privy to information as a bank director
Correspondence, postcard, telegram, 1916 July 2(?)-1919 March 25, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence and postcards to Helen R. Waldon from U.S. servicemen Don Fitton, Cyrus Fitton, and Brant Elliott serving in WWI France. Also
1) condolence letter from Don Fitton upon death of Phoebe S. Rentschler
2) telegram re: WWI Red Cross work
Correspondence, circa 1920-1940, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Rita M. Rentschler to Helen R. Waldon. Social correspondence, including birth of RMR's twin boys. Letter of May 7, 1940 re: raising money for the Modern Art Society of Cincinnati & "problem . . . with the Jews"; also attitudes to WWII allies and Roosevelt.
Correspondence, 1922 August 9-1923 June 13, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous correspondence to Helen R. Waldon from
1) Katharine Wright (sister of Orville Wright) re: boating mishap
2) George A. Rentschler Sr. missing his daughter and urging her home
3) From ? condolence letter upon death of GAR Sr.
Correspondence, 1923 December 25
Scope and Contents
Letter of good wishes from Helen Facio (a nun?) in Cuba to Helen R. Waldon in Baltimore, Maryland.
Correspondence, documents, 1923-1965, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence and notes found with Sidney D. Waldon African Expedition diaries (see Box Mem-55 and Box Mem-56). Also printed prayer sheet.
Sidney D. Waldon Africa trip diary, 1924 December 14-1925 March 31, inclusive
Scope and Contents
First of two diaries of Sidney D. Waldon's expedition through Africa. [See Box Photographs (albums/framed)-10 for photoprints.]
Sidney D. Waldon Africa trip diary, 1925 March 31-July 20, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Second of two diaries of Sidney D. Waldon's expedition through Africa. Envelope in binder contains stamps. [See Box Photographs (albums/framed)-10 for photoprints.]
Correspondence, postcard, circa 1926-1930, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Social correspondence from family and friends to Helen R. Waldon, including
1) death of Faye and Frederick Rentschler's daughter
2) wonderful travel letters from Lee Olwell in the Dutch East Indies and China
3) Gordon S. Rentschler life on ocean liner to Europe
Correspondence, 1927 June 22-July 28, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence from Gordon S. Rentschler to his sister, Helen R. Waldon:
1) letters expressing filial devotion to HRW just prior to his marriage
2) letter re: upsetting disagreement with GAR Jr. & responsibility his mother placed in him to look after his siblings
Diary, photographs, 1928 January 1-August 24, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Diary of Sidney D. Waldon. Construction of "Pine Knob," Clarkston, Michigan, home of SDW and Helen R. Waldon; honeymoon in Europe. Photographs of Pine Knob under construction.
Correspondence, 1928 April 24-1929 February 1, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence between and to Helen R. Waldon and Sidney D. Waldon. Congratulations on engagement from Mary C. Rentschler, Gordon S. Rentschler, Mr. and Mrs. Deeds, Frederick B. Rentschler, Henry B. Joy. Also Godparent certificate of HRW for Sidney W. Witter.
Correspondence, 1932 February 1-1942 September 15, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence to Helen R. Waldon and Sidney D. Waldon in Clarkston, Michigan. Outrage and support for Gordon S. Rentschler testifying during 1930s banking investigation; social news; childhood stories re: Susan R. Witter and Phoebe R. Stanton; SRW animal cemetery.
Correspondence, circa 1935-1940, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Children's letters to Helen R. Waldon from Phoebe R. Stanton, Mary R. Lowrey, Susan R. Witter, Craig Knowlton Mitchell?, and Hubner family.
Correspondence, 1939 May 11
Scope and Contents
Letter to Mrs. Cooper Proctor in Cincinnati, Ohio, from Sidney D. Waldon re: gardening and birds.
Document, 1945 January 23
Scope and Contents
Funeral sermon and list of attendees and flowers at the funeral service for Sidney D. Waldon.
Correspondence, 1945 March 11-27
Scope and Contents
Condolence letter from P. W. Willis in South Africa upon death of Sidney D. Waldon. New Year's greetings letter from Major Duly to Helen R. Waldon and Sidney D. Waldon (SDW had died by then, March 1945).
Lease, correspondence, 1949 March 21-July 15, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Lease and correspondence for the Hamilton, Ohio farm. Helen R. Waldon leasing it from Mary C. Rentschler.
Correspondence, 1951 January 24-1966 May 13, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous correspondence to Helen R. Waldon from family and friends, including Mary C. Rentschler, Priscilla Keely, Mrs. Alexander King, Sandy Etherington, George A. Rentschler Jr.
Document, 1966 December, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Christmas newsletter from Helen R. Waldon to her family and friends, informing them of events of the past year.
Greeting card, booklet, 1922, 1924, 1926, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Season's greeting cards/booklets from Sidney D. Waldon.
Greeting card, booklet, 1928?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Dedication booklet/greeting card from Sidney D. Waldon and Helen R. Waldon for their Pine Knob home in Clarkston, Michigan.
Greeting card, booklet, 1930-1945, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Season's greeting cards from Sidney D. Waldon and Helen R. Waldon from their Pine Knob home in Clarkston, Michigan.
Poem, circa 1930s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous poems by various (Wing Laker?) authors. Surprise birthday card invitation from Marin N. O'Brien (Mrs. John J. O'Brien).
Poem, circa 1937-1961, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Loose-leaf verses/poems composed by Helen R. Waldon, Sidney D. Waldon, and other Wing Lakers?, circa 1937. Also a text by Cassandra Franklin, 1961.
Publication, poem, 1937 April, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Handwritten poem by Edgar A. Guest (chosen by Mrs. Francis McMath?) attached to Engineering Society of Detroit publication "Foundation" on Robert R. McMath.
Inventory, correspondence, 1929-1953, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Inventory of household possessions of Helen R. Waldon (mainly at the Hamilton, Ohio farm). Bulletin of the Detroit Institute of Arts, including a depiction of a Flemish tapestry, "The Procession of Gula," gift of HRW.
Various planting plans for the gardens of Helen R. Waldon, circa 1930, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Garden plans for homes in Hamilton, Ohio, and Clarkston, Michigan.
Inventory, circa 1940?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Inventory of the Pine Knob residence of Sidney D. Waldon and Helen R. Waldon, Clarkston, Michigan.
Brochure, circa 1950s/60s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Real estate prospectus/brochure for the Pine Knob, Clarkston, Michigan, home of Sidney D. Waldon and Helen R. Waldon.
Letterhead, circa 1950s/60s?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Letterhead for the Henry Ford Hospital at Pine Knob, Clarkston, Michigan.
Death certificate, correspondence, document, 1967 September 11-1968 January 20, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Copy of death certificate, obituaries, funeral programs, re: death of Helen R. Waldon. Including letter from Mary C. Rentschler re: circumstances of death, funeral & removal of Aunt Mary to Westover Retirement Home (fees/brochure for home). Letter re: HRW relatives - Tilley.
Correspondence, catalogs, 1968 April 22-September 28, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Auction catalogs, lot listings, and sale invoices of items belonging to Helen R. Waldon sold at Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York City. Also correspondence between the Gallery and Susn R. Witter re: sale of estate items.
Catalog, document, 1968 October 12-1970 June 8, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Auction catalogs and lot listings of items belonging to Helen R. Waldon sold at Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York City.
Helen R. Waldon bible, circa 1901, inclusive
Misc. newspaper clippings re: Sidney D. Waldon, circa 1912-1933, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Oversize news clippings re: Sidney D. Waldon. SDW's photographs of the West; pioneering the aeronautical industry; SDW as astronomer.
News clip, 1915 August 4?
Scope and Contents
Photocopy from "The Republican News" re: Helen R. Waldon breaking her right arm, circa 1915?
News clip, 1919, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopies from San Francisco, California, newspapers "The Bulletin" and the "San Francicsco Call" re: the Orville Wright Committee to create landing strips/airports. Includes reference made to Sidney D. Waldon.
News clip, 1928, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopy of news clipping re: marriage of Helen R. Waldon and Sidney D. Waldon, New York City.
News clip, circa 1930s-1990s?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous news clippings and articles re: Sidney D. Waldon's involvement in the automotive and subway industries.
News clip, circa 1935-1958, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous news clippings re: social events involving Helen R. Waldon. Featured in the "Detroit Free Press," "Hamilton Journal," and the "Middletown, Ohio, Journal."
Helen R. Waldon publication Mind Your Own Business, 1943, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Book of records, including a "dwarf" family tree.
News clip, publication, 1945, inclusive
Scope and Contents
News clipping of obituaries and "Motor News" publication re: death of Sidney D. Waldon.
Publications / tributes re: Sidney D. Waldon, 1945, inclusive
Scope and Contents
In memoriam publications honoring Sidney D. Waldon.
Newspaper clippings re: open house event, 1954 June 2
Scope and Contents
Oversize news clipping of Open Day of Hamilton, Ohio, homes and gardens, including the home of Helen R. Waldon.
News clip, 1968 September 18-21, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Photocopies of "Hamilton Journal and Daily News" clippings re: the donation of Helen R. Waldon's book collection to Miami University, Ohio, and the reported value of the Waldon estate.
Subseries I.E. Susan Rentschler Witter (1933– ) [SRW]
Language of Materials
Scope and Contents
This very small group of materials consists of condolence letters to Susan R. Witter upon the death of her mother, Mary C. Rentschler, in 1988, and two notes from LMC? concerning the death of Susan R. Witter's aunt, Isabel Coolidge, the following year.
Correspondence, 1988 August 30-October 4, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Condolence letters and cards to Susan R. Witter upon the death of her mother, Mary C. Rentschler.
Correspondence, bound volume, news clip, 1988 August-December, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneous items re: death of Mary C. Rentschler, including
1) list of funeral attendees
2) bound volumes of religious offers of prayer for MCR
3) thankyou notes acknowledging letters of sympathy
4) in memoriam donations
5) condolence letters
Correspondence, 1989 April 17
Scope and Contents
Note from LMC? to Susan R. Witter re: the funeral of Isabel Coolidge.
Series II. Photographic prints and negatives
Subseries II.A. Standard print boxes
Standard prints (box 1 of 15)
Scope and Contents
• Atkins. Soledad sugar plantation, Cuba, inc. Atkins family photographs, circa 1920s
• Atkins. Cuban sugar plantations (Soledad?), mills, and industrial plants, circa 1926–1927. Misc. Cuban Christmas greeting cards to Mary Atkins/Mary Rentschler? (undated)
• Atwood/Shurtleff. Photographs of portrait paintings of Atwood and Shurtleff family members of 18th and 19th centuries
• Coolidge. Gravestones (dated 17th & 18th centuries)
• Coolidge & Shepley. Marion, Massachusetts, 1892–1895
• Coolidge. Chicago, IL, 1894 (mainly Mary C. Rentschler)
Standard prints (box 2 of 15)
Scope and Contents
• Coolidge. Winnetka, IL, July–August 1894 (mainly Mary C. Rentschler)
• Coolidge. Marion, Massachusetts, 1897
• Coolidge. Miscellaneous images of urban buildings. Possibly taken by Charles A. Coolidge, circa 1900
• Coolidge. Marion, Massachusetts, 1901–1903
• Coolidge. Architecture: Portland Bank, ME, 1916
• Coolidge. Marion Massachusetts, circa 1916? (family and house)
• Coolidge & Shepley. Marion, Massachusetts, inc. yacht club, 1925–1938
• Coolidge. Architecture: 82 Marlborough Street, Boston, Massachusetts, exterior and interior, 1932?
Standard prints (box 3 of 15)
Scope and Contents
• Coolidge. Architecture: 567 Concord Avenue, Belmont, Massachusetts, exterior, February 1950
• Coolidge. Marion, Massachusetts, aerial photograph, 1959
• Coolidge. Shepley descendants family gathering, Marion, Massachusetts, 1960
• Coolidge. Marion, Massachusetts, 1967–1979
• Rentschler. Painting portrait, annotated "Cincinnati Historical Society"
• Rentschler. Architecture: Hamilton, Ohio farm, circa 1870–1920. MRL items integrated into this folder, inc. print of Rice Family—earlier occupants of farm, undated; image of Little farm building—suspected station on underground railroad, undated.
• Rentschler. Rentschler/Sohn miscellaneous family photographs and newspaper photoprints, Hamilton, Ohio, circa 1897–1902
• Rentschler. Photographs found in the Hamilton Ohio Journal, circa 1897–1933 (newspaper clippings)
• Rentschler. Architecture: Photograph of a drawing of the Sohn & Rentschler factory, Hamilton, Ohio, circa 1900?
• Rentschler. Hamilton, Ohio Foundry, circa 1904?
• Rentschler. Architecture: Exterior view of George A. Rentschler Sr. residence during flood, Hamilton, Ohio, 1913
• Rentschler. Architecture: Exterior view of Rentschler office building during flood, Hamilton, Ohio, 1913
• Rentschler/Atkins. Trip to Media Luna, Cuba, 1921
• Rentschler. Architecture: Hamilton, Ohio farm, circa 1921–1943
• Rentschler. Press photograph of Swedish royalty attending wedding of Ailsa Mellon, daughter of Andrew Mellon, to David Este Bruce, circa 1926
• Rentschler. Gordon S. Rentschler & Mary C. Rentschler trip to Latin America, including Brazil, 1927
• Rentschler. Hamilton Rentschlers in front of Dayton Street home, circa 1920s
• Rentschler. Jekyll Island, GA (Go-Kart), circa 1930s
• Rentschler. Moisie Salmon Fishing Trip, Quebec, Canada, circa 1930s
• Rentschler. Emma & Minnie Prior preparing the farm hams, 1933 January 13
• Rentschler. Locust Valley, Long Island home in winter, 1934?
Rentschler. Function: National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, 1938–1947
Standard prints (box 4 of 15)
Scope and Contents
• Rentschler. Coronation of King Ah-Sar-Ben XLVI Wm. Martin Jeffers (Pres. U.P.R.R.), Queen Gwendolyn Ruth Sacks, Omaha, NB, October 1940
• Rentschler. Captions to Dayton, Ohio, street scenes, 1940? Photographs are missing
• Rentschler. Architecture: Locust Valley, Long Island home, 1940s
• Rentschler. Function: Oberlin College Anniversary, 1940s?
• Rentschler. Architecture: Replanting garden at Hamilton, Ohio farm, 1941
• Rentschler. Trip out West, inc. image of Humphrey Bogart, 1941
• Rentschler. Hamilton, Ohio farm, pre-1942
• Rentschler. Function: 70th Birthday of Harry Wolfe, Dayton, Ohio, 1942 April 26
• Rentschler. Function: United Aircraft Corporation dinner, circa 1946–1948?
• Rentschler. Hamilton, Ohio farm. House of John and Clara Smith, 1947
• Rentschler. Trip to Matanzas Branch of National City Bank, Havana, Cuba, 1948
• Rentschler. Hubner house fire on the farm, Hamilton, Ohio, circa 1940s?
• Rentschler. Function: American Institute of Banking annual banquet. Gordon S. Rentschler receiving honorary membership, 1946 February 2
• Rentschler. The farm, Hamilton, Ohio, circa 1950
• Rentschler. Architecture: Exterior views of Hamilton, Ohio house on 105 South "D," 1950s
• Rentschler. Function: Thanksgiving, New York, 1963
• Rentschler. Hamilton Farm, Ohio, 1966–1972, inc. Mary H. Schwab's 93rd-95th birthdays
Standard prints (box 5 of 15)
Scope and Contents
• Rentschler. Function: Mary C. Rentschler 80th birthday party, New York, 1972 June 15
• Rentschler. Architecture: Exterior views of Hamilton, Ohio farm, 1976
• Rentschler. Architecture: Exterior views of Little Farm, Ohio, circa 1970s
• Rentschler. Architecture: Demolition of buildings at Little Farm, Ohio, 1976
• Rentschler. Function: Mary C. Rentschler funeral, Hamilton, Ohio, 1988 August 29
• Rentschler. 20 color prints of the Safe from the S.S. Maine, Hamilton, Ohio Farm, undated
• Shepley. Boats, Marion, Massachusetts, circa 1901
• Shepley. Architecture: Exterior view of home of Chief Justice Ether Shepley, Portland, Maine, circa 1920
• Shepley. Meadow Island Yacht Club, Marion, Massachusetts, 1931
• Shurtleff, Barnabas. Gravestones
Standard prints (box 6 of 15)
Scope and Contents
Allen, Anne Claflin
Allen, Margaret Shepley
Amory, John Austin
Amory, Louise Lionberger
Atkins, David
Atkins, Edwin Farnsworth
Atkins, Edwin Farnsworth Jr.
Atkins, Edwin Farnsworth III
Atkins, Robert Wrisley
Baldwin
Barrett, Anne Dorothea Nagel
Beeler, C. S.
Benedict, Susan Stanton
Benninghofen, Elsa
Benzing, Andy
Brakley, George
Brant
Breeden, Faith Atkins Witter
Brennan, Eugene
Briggs, Mary Merwin Shepley
Buckley, George D.
Bullard, Hilda Greenleaf
Bunsen, Mrs. Julius
Burzing, Andy
Cassady, Ann Rentschler
Claflin, Helen Atkins
Coolidge, Albert Sprague
Coolidge, Alison Jones
Coolidge, Alison Richardson
Coolidge, Charles Allerton Sr.
Coolidge, Charles Allerton Jr.
Coolidge, Charles Allerton III
Coolidge, Constance Crowninshield
Coolidge, David Hill Jr.
Standard prints (box 7 of 15)
Scope and Contents
Coolidge, David Hill Sr.
Coolidge, Elizabeth
Coolidge, Elizabeth Sprague
Coolidge, Family Group
Coolidge, Dr. Frederick Shurtleff
Coolidge, Isabel
Coolidge, Isabella Shurtleff
Coolidge, Julia Shepley
Councilman, Christina Drummond
Councilman, Elizabeth L.
Councilman, Family Group Councilman, Isabella Coolidge
Councilman, Dr. William
Crowley, Julia Coolidge Deane
Cullen, Will
Cunningham, Charles
Cunningham, Louise Mills
Cunningham, Thomas Jr.
Cutler, Donald F.
Cutler, Donald F. Jr.
Cutler Family Group
Standard prints (box 8 of 15)
Scope and Contents
Cutler, Margaret Lionberger
Cutler, Philip
Daire, Sidney W.
Deane, Family Group
Deane, Frederick
Deane, Frederick Jr.
Deane, Julia Shepley Coolidge
Deeds, Mrs. Edith
Deeds, Colonel Edward
Dorn, Esther
Dorn, Fred
Dorn, Mina
Dorn, Reverend
Dorn, Mrs.
Dorsey, Tommy A.
Elliott, Brant
Fishback, Elizabeth (Tinnie)
Ford, Edsel
Ford, Henry
Ford, Henry, Mrs.
Grant, Julianna Sweetser
Hart, Boies C.
Hitchcock, Ethan Allen
Hobart, Janet Elliott
Hollister, Ellen Rollins
Hooper, Jack
Hooper, Margo
Hughes, Llewellyn Frederick
Hutchinson, Charles L.
Standard prints (box 9 of 15)
Scope and Contents
Kehrn [Kehm?], Charles
Kehrn [Kehm?], Mrs. Charles
Kehrn [Kehm?], Family Group
Kehrn [Kehm?], Henry
Kehrn [Kehm?], Katherine Schwab
Kennett, Alfred (sp?)
Kettering, Charles
Keyes, Emily Catlin Shepley
Kolbenstetter, Ray
Lehrmann(?), Anne Shepley Lionberger
Leomis, Violet Amory
Leonard, Bill
Lionberger, Arthur David
Lionberger, Family Group
Lionberger, Isaac Henry
Lionberger, John Shepley Sr.
Lionberger, John Shepley Jr.
Lionberger, Mary Louise Shepley
Lionberber, Mary Ruth
Lowrey, Charles Frederick
Lowrey, Mary Coolidge Rentschler
Mathews, Susan Anderson Sweetser
Mayer, Elizabeth Tacy W.
McGuider, Esther Hosmer?
McKinney, Dorothy
Mead, George H. Jr.
Millikin, Dan
Morey, Madge
Morgan, J. P.
Morrison, Suzanne
Nagel, Anne Shepley
Nagel, Charles
Standard prints (box 10 of 15)
Scope and Contents
Nagel, Charles Jr.
Nagel, Family Group
Patch, Helen Rentschler
Post, Charles
Prior, Emma & Minnie
Putnam, Anne Shepley
Putnam, Edith Nagel
Rentschler, Barbara Schlosser
Rentscher, Charles Mitchell
Rentschler, Elizabeth Hemann
Rentschler, Family Group
Rentschler, Frederica Schlaff
Rentschler, Frederick Brant
Rentschler, George Adam Sr.
Rentschler, George Adam Jr. (Bud)
Rentschler, George Adam III
Standard prints (box 11 of 15)
Scope and Contents
Rentschler, Gordon Sohn, 1890–1929
Rentschler, Gordon Sohn, 1930–1939
Rentschler, Gordon Sohn, 1940–1948
Rentschler, Henry Adam
Rentschler, Henry and Peter Earl (Family Group)
Rentschler, Mary Coolidge, 1892–1904
Standard prints (box 12 of 15)
Scope and Contents
Rentschler, Mary Coolidge, 1905–1919
Rentschler, Mary Coolidge, 1920–1949
Rentschler, Mary Coolidge, 1950–1979
Rentschler, Mildred Rebekah Parrish
Rentschler, Peter R.
Rentschler, Phoebe Schwab
Rentschler, Rita Mitchell
Rentschler, Robert Peter
Standard prints (box 13 of 15)
Scope and Contents
Rentschler, Suzanne Snowden
Rentschler, Walter
Ryerson, Martin A.
Ryerson, Mrs. Martin A.
Schwab, Mary Hemann (Aunt Mary)
Schwab, Peter
Schwab, Phoebe
Schwenn, Mary Elizabeth
Shaw, Abby Shurtleff
Shaw, Ichabod
Shaw, Priscilla Atwood
Shepley (2 unidentified family portraits; maybe a Clapp and John Rutledge Shepley?)
Shepley, Arthur Behn
Shepley, Emily Kayser Catlin
Shepley, Ethan Allen Hitchcock
Shepley, Family Group (Arthur Behn)
Shepley, Family Group (George Foster)
Standard prints (box 14 of 15)
Scope and Contents
Shepley, Family Group (John Foster)
Shepley, George Foster Sr.
Shepley, George Foster Jr.
Shepley, Hayden Richardson
Shepley, Henry Richardson Sr.
Shepley, Henry Richardson Jr.
Shepley, John Foster
Shepley, John Rutledge
Shepley, Julia Hayden
Shepley, Julia Hayden Richardson
Shepley, Mary Augusta Clapp
Shepley, Philip
Shepley, Robert Gardiner
Shepley, Sarah Hitchcock
Shurtleff, Abigail Atwood
Shurtleff, Benjamin II (copy of photograph of painting)
Shurtleff, Benjamin III (copy of photograph of painting)
Shurtleff, Eliza Carleton
Shurtleff, Sally Shaw
Sizer, Carolyn Foster
Skinner, Margaret Clarkson Lionberber
Smith, Clara and John
Sohn, Mrs. Henry
Sprague, A. A.
Sprague, Mrs. A.
Stanton, Gordon Rentschler
Stanton, L. Lee
Stanton, Louis L. Jr.
Standard prints (box 15 of 15)
Scope and Contents
Stanton, Phoebe Rentschler
Sturgis, R. Clipston
Sullivan, Bridget
Sweetser, Family Group
Sweetser, John Anderson
Sweetser, Mrs. John A. (who is this?)
Sweetser, Mary Nagel
Sweetser, Violet Shepley
Taylor, Eunice
Viera, Frank
Wakefield, Albert
Waldon, Helen Rentschler
Waldon, Sidney Dunn
Wesco, Thomas
Wigglesworth, Constance
Wigglesworth, Isabella Councilman
Witter, David G.
Witter, Dean III (Kip)
Witter, Rebekah Ferran
Witter, Susan Rentschler
Witter, William D.
Witter, William Perkins
Woods, Virginia Ann
Wright, Orville
Subseries II.B. Oversize print boxes
Oversize prints (box 1 of 4)
Scope and Contents
• Atkins, Edwin Farnsworth, Jr.
• Coolidge, Charles Allerton, Jr.
• Coolidge, Charles Allerton, Sr. (including oversize photograph of monument designed by Daniel Chester French circa 1922—photograph taken by / belonging to CAC, Sr.?)
• Facio, Marcial Humberto Francisco de Paula
• Lowrey, Mary Coolidge Rentschler
• Rentschler, Family Group
• Rentschler, Frederick Brant
• Rentschler, George Adam, Sr.
• Rentschler, Gordon Sohn, 1930–1939
• Rentschler, Gordon Sohn, 1940–1948
• Rentschler, Gordon Sohn (6 portrait folders, undated)
• Rentschler, Gordon Sohn (misc. panoramic images of official functions)
• Rentschler, Gordon Sohn (caricature; drawing)
• Rentschler, Mary Coolidge 1916 (wedding to E. F. Atkins)
• Rentschler, Mary Coolidge
• Rentschler, Phoebe Schwab
• Schwab, Mary Hemann (Aunt Mary)
• Schwab, Peter
Oversize prints (box 2 of 4)
Scope and Contents
• Waldon, Helen Dorothy Rentschler (3 folders, including Steichen prints)
• Waldon, Sidney Dunn (6 folders, inc. Sequoia? Road trip print)
Oversize prints (box 3 of 4)
Scope and Contents
• Waldon, Sidney Dunn (Sequoia and Sage Brush road trip, 1919, taken by SDW. Folder includes photocopies of correspondence from SDW to Gordon S. Rentschler, Colonel E. A. Deeds, and Edie Odell. Also "Desert Rats First Annual Assembly 1920" leather-bound document.)
• Waldon, Sidney Dunn (Miscellaneous landscape photographs taken by SDW. Also 1 photograph of SDW [in Egypt?].)
• Hamilton, Ohio Farm (undated)
Misc. newspaper clippings (inc. images of Mrs. G. A. Rentschler, Mrs. Sohngen, and the Hamilton, Ohio flood, 1913.)
Oversize prints (box 4 of 4) [cylinder]
Scope and Contents
• Aerial photograph of Hamilton farm, Ohio.
Subseries II.C. Albums / framed photographs
Coolidge, Family group. Coolidge family album, circa 1890s, inclusive
Renstchler, Mary Coolidge. House at Marion, MA (inc. construction), 1893-1931, inclusive
Rentschler, Mary Coolidge, 1904-1918, inclusive
Shepley, Mary A. C. & Shepley, John R., circa 1870s?, undated, inclusive
Waldon, Sidney Dunn. Sequoia and Sage Brush road trip (album 1 of 5), 1919, inclusive
Waldon, Sidney Dunn. Sequoia and Sage Brush road trip (album 2 of 5), 1919, inclusive
Waldon, Sidney Dunn. Sequoia and Sage Brush road trip (album 3 of 5), 1919, inclusive
Waldon, Sidney Dunn. Sequoia and Sage Brush road trip (album 4 of 5), 1919, inclusive
Waldon, Sidney Dunn. Sequoia and Sage Brush road trip (album 5 of 5), 1919, inclusive
Waldon, Sidney Dunn. Africa road trip (volume 1 of 4), 1924-1925, inclusive
Waldon, Sidney Dunn. Africa road trip (volume 2 of 4), 1924-1925, inclusive
Waldon, Sidney Dunn. Africa road trip (volume 3 of 4), 1924-1925, inclusive
Waldon, Sidney Dunn. Africa road trip (volume 4 of 4), 1924-1925, inclusive
Young, Caroline & Schwab, Phoebe? Ambrotype / tintype?, circa 1860?, inclusive
Rentschler, Gordon S. Photograph album of friends; also certificates, 1930s-1940s, inclusive
Subseries II.D. Negatives
Coolidge, Charles A., Sr. Leland Stanford negatives of the construction of Stanford University, California, 1887, inclusive
Coolidge, Charles A., Sr. Varied, inc. regiments, boat trips (smaller of 2 boxes), 1918-1919, inclusive
Coolidge, Charles A., Sr. Varied, inc. regiments, boat trips. Includes original album and index. (larger of 2 boxes), 1918-1919, inclusive
Waldon, Sidney D. Sage Brush and Sequoia road trip, 1919, inclusive
Waldon, Sidney D. Pack trip (out West), 1919, inclusive
Waldon, Sidney D. Trip to Europe, 1928, inclusive
Waldon, Sidney D. Photopositives & negatives inc. Pine Knob, MI; Marion, MA; Locust Valley, NY, 1928-1940, inclusive
Waldon, Sidney D. Pine Knob, MI; Locust Valley, NY, 1929-1940, inclusive
Miscellaneous, 1920s-1988, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Nitrate, glass plate negative, kodachrome color slides (Mary C. Rentschler funeral, 1988).
Series III. Mary Rentschler Lowrey addition
Separated Materials
Loose material integrated into Series I:
1) The Daily Princetonian, June 12, 1907
2) Western Association of Princeton Clubs, Chicago, May 5-6, 1916
3) Fortune, November 1930
4) GSR newspaper obituaries, 1948
5) Surveyor's maps of Butler County, Hamilton, Ohio, 1961
6) Architectural blueprints for remodeling of GSR farm, 1977
Subseries III.A. Print [sic] Collection
Real Estate, Hamilton, Ohio, 1968-1978, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Hamilton, Ohio Farm: real estate correspondence and deeds (see large cylinder for oversize maps and blueprints).
Real Estate, Hamilton, Ohio (continued), 1971-1994, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Hamilton, Ohio Farm: real estate correspondence.
Real Estate, Hamilton, Ohio (continued), 1978-1982, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Hamilton, Ohio Farm: correspondence and photographs for repairs and renovations to farm.
Real Estate, Hamilton, Ohio (continued), 1993 June, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Hamilton, Ohio Farm: newspaper clippings re: sale of farm.
Cincinnati Art Museum, 1942-1989, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence and photographs re: restoration of painting of Schwab family members.
Cincinnati Art Museum (continued), 1986, 1988, 1992, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Artist entries in biographical dictionaries (photocopies). Bulletins from Cincinnati Art Museum.
Cincinnati Art Museum (continued), 1991-1993, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence and appraisal of clothing and furniture (inc. photographs) belonging to Helen R. Waldon; Deed of gift for clothing to CAM.
Hillforest Historical Foundation, Aurora, N.Y., 1991-1995, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, photographs, and information packet re: gifts to the Foundation from MRL.
Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, 1995, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Correspondence re: gift from MRL.
Correspondence re: Republic Motor Car Co.; SDW packing list for Sagebrush and Sequoia road trip, circa 1919-1995, inclusive
Correspondence re: bequest to GSR from Mr. Gaines, 1922-1997, inclusive
Photocopied excerpt from The Book of Gardens and Gardening, 1924, inclusive
Scope and Contents
(Locust Valley garden of Paul D. Cravath.)
The Season's Greetings (card), SDW and HRW, 1937-1938, inclusive
Programs, invites, guest lists, and correspondence re: social occasions involving MRL, 1939-1952, inclusive
Record (salaries / accounts?), 1943-1961, inclusive
Number 8 - Gordon Sohn Rentschler tribute, 1948, inclusive
The Kettering Digest, 1956 August, inclusive
Time Book for HRW, 1959-1966, inclusive
Booklet: Edward A. Deeds, 1874-1960, inclusive
Bulletin: Gray & Ductile Iron News, 1975 April 18
Publication, 1975, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Letters and manuscripts in the Pierpont Morgan Library, N.Y., 1975; letter from Doris A. Hamburg to Mary C. Rentschler, 1975 September 30.
Subseries III.B. Albums/Framed Photographs
Princeton photographic album, 1907, inclusive
Schwab, Katie / Phoebe? Framed (red velvet), undated, inclusive
Schwab, Katie / Phoebe? Framed (brown velvet), undated, inclusive
Subseries III.C. Photoprint Collection
Individuals / Groups, circa 1887-1966, inclusive
Scope and Contents
• "Brant and Bayley (surnames), cousins of Suzanne Morrison, next-door neighbors in Hamilton, OH" [Eliza Gregory]
• Coolidge, Charles A. Jr. (½ length portrait), c. 1950s?
• Gregory, Mary L., Charles F. Lowrey Jr., 1962
• Lowrey, Charles F. Jr. at John Smith's house, Hamilton, Ohio farm, c. 1960s?
• Lowrey, Mary R., c. 1929?
• Lowrey, Mary R., Faith A. Witter, Helen R. Waldon, Phoebe R. Stanton (oversize), c. 1930
• Lowrey, Mary R., Phoebe R. Stanton, Faith A. Witter, c. 1930
• Lowrey, Mary R., in a perambulator, c. 1930 (taken by SDW?)
• Lowrey, Mary R., picking flowers (4 views), Locust Valley, Long Island, 1932 (taken by SDW #400-5-11 to 400-5-14)
• Lowrey, Mary R., outdoors, holding up a page (of the Herald Tribune), Locust Valley, Long Island, 1932 (taken by SDW #400-5-15)
• Lowrey, Mary R., and Mary Sweetser outdoors, with pages of the Herald Tribune, Locust Valley, Long Island, 1932 (taken by SDW #400-5-16 to 400-5-20)
• Lowrey, Mary R., outdoors by the flower bush, Locust Valley, Long Island, 1932 (taken by SDW #400-5-21 to 400-5-24)
• Lowrey, Mary R., outdoors playing with doll furniture, Locust Valley, Long Island, c. 1933 (taken by SDW #400-6-5)
• Lowrey, Mary R., outdoors with Phoebe R. Stanton, playing with doll furniture, Locust Valley, Long Island, c. 1933 (taken by SDW #400-6-4)
• Lowrey, Mary R., outdoors, in front of blossoms with Phoebe R. Stanton, Locust Valley, Long Island, 1933 (taken by SDW #400-7-3)
• Lowrey, Mary R., outdoors, holding flower from a bush, Locust Valley, Long Island, 1933 (taken by SDW #400-7-6)
• Lowrey, Mary R., outdoors, blossoms behind, Locust Valley, Long Island, 1933 (taken by SDW #400-7-7)
• Lowrey, Mary R., Faith A. Witter, Phoebe R. Stanton, Susan R. Witter, and unidentified boy, outdoors, next to a Christmas tree, Locust Valley, Long Island, 1934 (taken by SDW #400-12-12)
• Lowrey, Mary R. (oversize headshot), c. 1934?
• Lowrey, Mary R. (¾ length portrait), c. 1934?
• Lowrey, Mary R., outdoors, holding a blossom, Locust Valley, Long Island, 1936 (taken by SDW #400-14-7)
• Lowrey, Mary R., Phoebe R. Stanton, unidentified boy, and a dog, outdoors, Locust Valley, Long Island, 1936 (taken by SDW #400-14-8)
• Lowrey, Mary R., Phoebe R. Stanton, and "Camilly," with horses, in Hamilton, Ohio (oversize), 1938
• Lowrey, Mary R., holding a doll and wearing a Spanish headdress, 1938 (taken by SDW?)
• Lowrey, Mary R., with a dog, 1938 (taken by SDW?)
• Lowrey, Mary R., on a horse (2 views), 1938 (taken by SDW?)
• Lowrey, Mary R., Phoebe R. Stanton, and a dog, Locust Valley, Long Island, 1939 (taken by SDW #400-17-4)
• Lowrey, Mary R., Phoebe R. Stanton, Faith A. Witter, Susan R. Witter (on a rock with water in background), Locust Valley, Long Island, 1939 (taken by SDW #400-17-8)
• Lowrey, Mary R.—"Christmas in Locust Valley, Long Island, (magic box)" [Eliza Gregory], 1940 (taken by SDW?)
• Lowrey, Mary R., Mary C. Rentschler, Tinnie (Elizabeth Fishback), (8" x 10"), 1941
• Lowrey, Mary R. (8" x 10"), n.d.
• Lowrey, Mary R., wedding photograph, 1952
• Lowrey, Mary R., and Charles F. Lowrey, wedding photograph, 1952
• Morrison, Suzanne, wedding photograph, 1960s?
• Rentschler, George A. Sr., ½ length portrait
• Rentschler, George A. Sr., headshot
• Rentschler, George A. Sr., ¾ length portrait
• Rentschler, Gordon S., in front of train (Sequoia and Sagebrush), 1919
• Rentschler, Gordon S., Mary Sweetser, Helen R. Waldon, Mary C. Rentschler, Phoebe R. Stanton, Mary R. Lowrey, Faith A. Witter, Charles Nagel? Locust Valley, Long Island, 1932 (taken by SDW #400-5-6)
• Rentschler, Gordon S., Susan R. Witter, Mary R. Lowrey, Phoebe R. Stanton, Faith A. Witter, 1933
• Rentschler, Gordon S., Clara Smith, Tommy Dorsey, John Smith, c. 1940s
• Rentschler, Gordon S., Mary C. Rentschler, Mary R. Lowrey (Christmas in Locust Valley, L.I.), 1940
• Rentschler, Gordon S., Mary C. Rentschler, home in Hamilton, Ohio, 1943
• Rentschler, Mary C., ½ lenght portrait, c. 1920s
• Rentschler, Mary C., Helen R. Waldon, Mary Sweetser, Locust Valley, Long Island, 1932 (taken by SDW #400-5-7)
• Rentschler, Mary C., Phoebe R. Stanton, Mary R. Lowrey, Gordon S. Rentschler, 1939 (taken by SDW?)
• Rentschler, Mary C., Phoebe R. Stanton, Mary Sweetser?, Julia C. Deane, and 2 dogs, Locust Valley, Long Island, 1939 (taken by SDW #400-17-5)
• Rentschler, Mary C., Mary Sweetser?, Julia C. Deane, and dogs (walk in front of large body of water), Locust Valley, Long Island, 1939 (taken by SDW #400-17-7)
• Rentschler, Mary C., Helen R. Waldon, Faith A. Witter, Phoebe R. Stanton, Mary R. Lowrey, Susan Witter (on a bike), and a dog, in front of body of water, Locust Valley, Long Island, 1939 (taken by SDW #400-17-9)
• Rentschler, Mary C., outside 1030 Fifth Avenue, 1962
• Rentschler, Robert P., July 1887 (print and negative)
• Schwab, Katie (as a child, wallet size), n.d.
• Schwab, Mary, 1941
• Schwab, Mary H., 92nd birthday, 1966 April 15
• Schwab, Phoebe (as a child, wallet size), n.d.
• Smith, John, and Helen R. Waldon at the Hamilton, Ohio farm, 1963
• Smith, John, and Clara Smith at the Hamilton, Ohio farm, c. 1955–1960
• Stanton, Phoebe R., Mrs. Henry Ford, Mary R. Lowrey, at the Fords' home (oversize), 1938
• Stanton, Phoebe R., Mary R. Lowrey, with dog (oversize), 1939
• Waldon, Helen R., in front of train (Sequoia and Sagebrush), 1919
• Waldon, Helen R. (2 prints by Steichen), 1930s?
• Waldon, Helen R.—"at Black River Ranch" with a deer [Eliza Gregory], 1932
• Waldon, Helen R., Mary H. Schwab?—"at Black River Ranch" with a deer [Eliza Gregory] (2 prints), 1932
• Waldon, Helen R., and 2 unidentified children, Locust Valley, Long Island, 1932 (taken by SDW #400-5-4)
• Waldon, Helen R., and Mary R. Lowrey, Locust Valley, Long Island, 1932 (taken by SDW #400-5-8)
• Waldon, Helen R., and 2 unidentified women and a deer "at Black River Ranch" [Eliza Gregory], 1935
• Waldon, Helen R.—at the Black River Ranch with unidentified man (2 prints), 1937
• Waldon, Helen R.—at the Black River Ranch with friends, 1937
• Waldon, Helen R. (oversize), 1940
• Waldon, Helen R.—at an outdoor special event (launching of a ship?), (2 prints), n.d. (c. 1930s?)
• Waldon, Helen R., Waldon, Sidney D., and ?, playing a card game, n.d.
• Waldon, Helen R., Wokie Alsop?—at the Pyramids, Egypt, n.d.
• Waldon, Helen R., 1960
• Waldon, Helen R., and Aunt Mary H. Schwab, at latter's 92nd birthday, 1966 April 15
• Waldon, Helen R., with child lying across her lap, Ohio farm, n.d.
• Waldon, Sidney D. (print by Steichen), 1930s?
• Waldon, Sidney D.—with friends outdoors, 1938
• Waldon, Sidney D. (¾ length portrait), n.d.
Waldon, Sidney D. (½ length portrait), n.d.
Hamilton home, Ohio, 1860s-1943, inclusive
Scope and Contents
• Façade of Hamilton, Ohio home with Rice family members in front (previous owners of farm), circa 1860s
• Hamilton home, Ohio (2 oversize prints), n.d. (early images)
• Hamilton home, Ohio (3 small prints—early images?)
• Hamilton home, Ohio (early image—house seen from left-hand side), n.d.
• Hamilton home, Ohio—3 people and a dog on the stoop (HRW?), n.d.
• Courtyard in front of garage under snow (2 views), Hamilton home, Ohio, n.d.
• Entrance to garage and laundry, Hamilton home, Ohio, n.d.
• Hamilton home under snow, 1926 March 17
• Postcard "Ohio farm—carriage entrance west side of farm" [Eliza Gregory]
• Person sitting on a post near a ?, n.d.
• Hamilton home and grounds, Ohio (17 oversize prints), n.d.
• Hamilton home, Ohio, entrance to service quarter, n.d.
• Hamilton home, Ohio, "Main carriage entrance at side of house. Do not have picture of front of house," n.d.
• Hamilton home, Ohio, 1941
• Hamilton home, Ohio, replanting gardens, inc. Tommy Dorsey (5 prints), 1941
• Farm buildings under snow, Hamilton, Ohio, 1943
• Hamilton home, Ohio, n.d.
• 20 color prints of the safe from the S.S. Maine
• "John Smith's house, main farm" [Eliza Gregory], n.d.
• John Smith's house under snow, n.d.
• Gate to John Smith's house from farm barnyard, n.d.
• Postcard of "The Cedars" with 2 children holding a baby (looks like Hamilton home), n.d.
• Postcards (2), one with annotation "our present house, this is the entrance to the kitchen" (porch/north? is now enclosed in glass), c. 1910–1915?
• Postcard "Greetings from The Hubners"—"lived in Tommy Dorsey's house before the Dorseys moved in" [Eliza Gregory], n.d.
• Postcard "My dear Gordon. A Merry Christmas, good cheer and success are the wishes to you from the Hubners," n.d.
Aerial view of Hamilton home, inc. John Smith house, Hubner house, and Tommy Dorsey house, n.d.
Little Farm, Hamilton, Ohio, circa 1970s, 1976, inclusive
Scope and Contents
• Little farm "not smokehouse's 2nd story—suspected station on the underground railroad" [Eliza Gregory]
• Little farm before remodeling (6 prints pasted onto cardboard), circa 1970s
• Remodel of Little farm—rear porch, circa 1970s?
• Remodel of Little farm—kitchen fireplace, circa 1970s
• Remodel of Little farm—living room, circa 1970s
• Remodel of Little farm—rear porch at kitchen, circa 1970s
• Demolition of buildings at Little farm, (26 color snapshots), 1976
Hamilton, Ohio, 1913, inclusive
Scope and Contents
• Rentschler building, Hamilton, Ohio, flood.
Locust Valley Home, Long Island, 1933, inclusive
Scope and Contents
• Locust Vally Home, Long Island (taken by SDW #400-9-15).
Sidney D. Waldon photoprints?
Subseries III.D. Negative Collection
Scope and Contents
Taken by Sidney D. Waldon at Locust Valley, Long Island.
{BOX # of #?}
Scope and Contents
• Lowrey, Mary R., Stanton, Phoebe R., outdoors, standing on a rug wearing hats and coats (2 views), c. 1930 (#400-3-1, 400-3-8)
• Lowrey, Mary R.?, in a perambulator (7 views), c. 1930 (#400-3-2, 400-3-3, 400-3-4, 400-3-6, 400-4-2, 400-4-6, 400-4-7)
• Lowrey, Mary R. picking flowers (4 views), Locust Valley, Long Island, 1932 (#400-5-11 to 400-5-14)
• Rentschler, Gordon S., Mary Sweetser, Helen R. Waldon, Mary C. Rentschler, Phoebe R. Stanton, Mary R. Lowrey, Faith A. Witter, Charles Nagel? Locust Valley, Long Island, 1932 (#400-5-6)
• Rentschler, Mary C., Helen R. Waldon, Mary Sweetser, Locust Valley, Long Island, 1931 (#400-5-7)
• Waldon, Helen R. and Mary R. Lowrey, Locust Valley, Long Island, 1932 (#400-5-8)
Negs added:
400-3-1 to 400-3-4
400-3-6
400-3-8
400-4-2
400-4-6
400-4-7
400-5-6 to 400-5-8
400-5-11 to 400-5-24
400-6-1
400-6-3 to 400-6-5
400-7-3
400-7-6
400-7-7
400-9-1
400-9-2
400-10-2
400-14-7
400-14-8
400-16-5
400-17-4 to 400-17-6
400-17-8
400-17-9