Guion family papers
Call Number
Dates
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
This collection contains correspondence to and from members of the Guion family between 1870 and 1930. The primary correspondent, Martha Guion, lived in New York City. Also included are legal documents, newspaper clippings, calling cards, photographs, cabinet cards, stereographs, and other materials.
Biographical Note
Names in bold designate individuals included within the collection.
Clement Guion (1814-1883) married Elizabeth Jane Gibson in 1838. Seven of their ten children are represented in the collection.
1) George Gibson Guion (1841-1912) married Imogene Louise Hart in 1865. They had six children, three of whom died in infancy. Of the surviving children, Clement (1866-1917) married Julia Banks, Hobart (1868-1950) married Harriet McAllister, and George (1870-1864) married Amelia McAllister. George Gibson Guion was a Lieutenant in the 7th New York Militia in the Union Army during the American Civil War. His sons, George and Clement, moved to Litchfield, Connecticut, worked together in real estate and insurance, and George painted.
2) Mary Louise Guion Thompson (1843-1873) married William W. Thompson.
3) Anna Guion Howard married Frederick William Howard in 1874
4) Clementine Guion Young (1845-?) married Ebenezer Young in 1870.
5) Frances Guion (1855-?) never married. She was committed to the Middletown State Homeopathic Hospital for insanity in 1922. She was also known as 'Fan" to her family.
6) Martha Guion (1856-?) never married. She was also known as "Martie", "Marty", and "Aunta" to her family. Her nephew, Granville, considered her his foster mother.
7) Antoinette Guion Nugent (1862-?) married Horace (Horry) Nugent in 1863, and had a son Granville (Grannie). Horace was a Senior British Vice-Counsul, and was stationed in Galveston, TX as Counsul to Texas and New Mexico. Granville split his time between the United States and the United Kingdom, and therefore attended school in both countries. Antoinette was also known as "Net" and "Nettie" to her family.
Wood Gibson Sr. and Wood Gibson Jr. were the father and brother of Elizabeth Jane Gibson.
Arrangement Note
This collection is arranged into the following three series:
Series I: Correspondence
Series II: Legal Papers, Ephemera, and Other Materials
Series III: Photographs
Scope and Contents Note
This collection is comprised of predominantly personal correspondence of the Guion family from approximately 1870-1930.
Seres I. Correspondence: The main correspondent is Martha Guion of New York City. Other correspondents include Frances Guion, Antoinette Guion Nugent, Horace Nugent, and Granville Nugent, among other members of the extended Guion family, as well as friends and acquaintances. The letters mainly discuss family matters and relationships, finances, legal issues, travel, and world news.
Series II. Legal Papers, Ephemera and Other Materials: Includes legal documents relating to deeds, mortgages, and trusts; newspaper clippings; calling cards from friends and neighbors; academic report cards; programs from different entertainment activities; account ledgers for groceries, seafood, and butchers meat; as well as diaries, of which the bound diary includes recipes towards the end.
Series III. Photographs: Includes a selection of photographs, stereographs, cabinet cards, and a few negatives. The photographs are both posed and candid images of the extended Guion family, as well as a large selection of photographs of animals, which George Guion used as reference for painting. There are two photograph albums: One is of an unmarked wedding from the 1920's, and the second includes prints of animals sent to George. While most of the photographs are completely unmarked, some are labeled with the individuals who are in the image or the date, and a few have notes on the back.
Subjects
Families
Access Restrictions
Open to qualified researchers.
Portions of the collection that have been microfilmed will be brought to the researcher in that format and can be made available by Interlibrary loan. Researchers on site may print out unlimited copies from microfilm reader-printer machines at per-exposure rates. See guidelines in Reading Room for details.
Photocopying undertaken by staff only. Limited to twenty exposures of stable, unbound material per day. (Researchers may not accrue unused copy amounts from previous days.)
Items that include presidential signatures will be presented to researchers in duplicate form.
Materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please contact manuscripts@nyhistory.org prior to your research visit to coordinate access. Keep in mind that it will take between two (2) and five (5) business days for collections to arrive, and you should plan your research accordingly.
Use Restrictions
This collection is owned by the New-York Historical Society. The copyright law of the United States governs the making of photocopies and protects unpublished materials as well as published materials. Unpublished materials created before January 1, 1978 cannot be quoted in publication without permission of the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation Note
This collection should be cited as Guion Family Papers, MS 3013, The New-York Historical Society.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by the descendants of the Guion Family post-1968.
About this Guide
Processing Information Note
The collection was processed in July 2016 by archival intern Jennifer Gargiulo. A small number of oversize items were added to the finding aid in August 2017 by archivist Larry Weimer.
Repository
Series I: Correspondence, 1875-1929
Correspondence, 1875-1899
Correspondence, 1876-1898
Correspondence (Martha), 1884-1909
Correspondence, 1890-1899
Correspondence, 1894-1919
Correspondence, 1896-1917
Correspondence, 1900-1909
Correspondence, 1900-1914
Correspondence, 1901-1919
Correspondence (Dear Mrs. Guion), 1902-1917
Correspondence, 1910-1914
Correspondence, 1910-1919
Correspondence (From Grannie to Martha), 1914-1928
Correspondence, 1915-1919
Correspondence (Martha to Net), 1916-1917
Correspondence, 1916-1921
Correspondence (To Martha), 1918-1929
Correspondence (Net and Martha), 1920, 1925-1929
Correspondence, 1920-1922
Correspondence, 1920-1923
Correspondence (Dear Martha Guion), 1920-1924
Correspondence, 1921-1924
Correspondence, 1922-1928
Correspondence, 1923-1926
Correspondence, 1924
Correspondence, 1925
Correspondence, 1925-1929
Correspondence, 1926-1927
Correspondence, 1927-1928
Correspondence, 1928
Correspondence, 1928
Correspondence, 1929
Correspondence, 1929
Correspondence, Undated
Correspondence, Undated
Correspondence (Granville), Undated
Correspondence (Granville), Undated
Correspondence (Granville), Undated
Correspondence (Martha Guion), Undated
Correspondence (incomplete), Undated
Correspondence, Undated
Correspondence (incomplete), Undated
Correspondence (incomplete), Undated
Correspondence, Undated
Series II: Legal Papers, Ephemera, and Other Materials, 1870-1930
Incomplete letters, photos, newspaper clippings, etc, Undated
Incomplete letters, cards, etc., Undated
Newspaper Clippings and Miscellaneous, Undated
Incomplete letters, photos, cards, etc., Undated
Miscellaneous: Newspaper clippings, wedding invitations, calling cards, etc., Undated
Unbound Diary, Undated
Legal papers: Wood Gibson, Undated, 1900, 1902, 1909
Legal Papers: Estate of Wood Gibson, 1900
Legal Papers: Wood Gibson, 1900
Legal Papers: Elizabeth Guion, 1889, 1890, 1912
Legal Papers: Frances Guion and Martha Guion, 1899-1929
Legal papers: Miscellaneous, 1870-1922
Various ledgers, account books, and journals, Undated
"Romance in Family History", 1968
Poster. Advertisement for Executor's Sale for Estate of Elizabeth J. Guion. Oversize, 1898
Scope and Contents Note
Identifies the locations of properties in New York City and elsewhere to be sold.
Certificate. Oversize, 1892
Scope and Contents Note
Includes a portion of the certificate from U.S. President Benjamin Harrison recognizing the appointment of Horace Dickinson Nugent as Consul from Britain for Texas and the territory of New Mexico. Much of the lower portion of the certificate is missing, including the seal and signature.
Series III: Photographs
Unidentified Photographs, Undated
Unidentified Photographs, Undated
Photographs of Animals, Undated
Guion Photos: George?: For Painting?, Undated
Louise Shelton et al?, Undated
Hobart, George, Etc., Undated
George Guion: Artist, Undated
Unmarked Wedding Album, circa 1920
Photo Album, Undated
Mixed Photographs, Undated
Imogene Hart et al., Undated
Framed Photograph with notes on back, Undated
Photographs. Oversize, Undated
Scope and Contents Note
Includes Francis Marion McAllister, Benjamin Clark Cutler, a house in New Rochelle, and unidentified children.