Merritt family papers
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
A small collection of inscribed books, photograph albums, an autograph album, and a scrapbook, belonging to the Merritt family of Brooklyn and Great Neck, Long Island.
Biographical / Historical
Stationer George Merritt (1831–1902) and his wife, Louise (Jagger) Merritt (1836–1868), were the parents of Helen Smith Merritt (1858–1949) and Grace Louise Merritt (1863–1945). Grace would marry Italian-language newspaper publisher Giovanni Vicario (1867–1945). George Merritt and his sister, Sarah L. Merritt (ca. 1830–1866), were the children of merchant John J. Merritt (1800–1882) and his wife, Hannah (Brown) Merritt (1808–1893). Louise (Jagger) Merritt was the daughter of John Jagger (1800–1882) and Sarah E. (Smith) Jagger (1809–1868). The families lived in Brooklyn and in Great Neck, Long Island, and included many members of the Quaker faith. (All names underlined are represented by items in the present collection.)
Scope and Contents
The collection contains three books inscribed to members of the Jagger and Merritt families; two photograph albums, mostly holding cartes-de-visite of Merritt and Jagger family members and relatives and associates; an autograph album of poetic sentiments inscribed to Sarah L. Merritt; and a small scrapbook of poetry clippings belonging to Helen S. Merritt of Great Neck, Long Island.
Subjects
Access Restrictions
Open to qualified researchers.
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 The copyright law of the United States governs the making of photocopies and protects unpublished materials as well as published materials. Unpublished materials created before January 1, 1978 cannot be quoted in publication without permission of the copyright holder. Photocopying undertaken by staff only. Limited to 20 exposures of stable, unbound material per day.
Preferred Citation
The collection should be cited as the Merritt Family Papers, MS 3145, The New-York Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Lisa Brandon Krall, 2018 (accession no. MS-2018-0058).
About this Guide
Processing Information
Archivist Joseph Ditta arranged and described this collection in October 2019.
Repository
View Inventory
Inscribed books (3), 1800, 1882-1883, inclusive
Scope and Contents
(1) Discourses Delivered Extempore at Several Meeting Houses of the People Called Quakers by the Late Samuel Fothergill (Philadelphia: B. & J. Johnson, 1800). Inscribed "To John Jagger from his friend Josiah H. Quimby. Josiah H. Quimby deceased July 15th 1856 Aged 65 years."
(2) Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1882). Inscribed "Grace L. Merritt."
(3) Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex (New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1883). Inscribed "G. L. Merritt."
Photograph album, 1850s-1870s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Cartes-de-visite, some loose, some identified as members of the Bergen, Brewster, Hudson, Jagger, Merritt, Post, Quimby, and Skidmore families. Includes mass-produced images of Henry Ward Beecher and of the families of Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant.
Photograph album, 1850s-1870s, 1931, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Cartes-de-visite, with a few snapshots dated 1931, none identified, except for the mass-produced images of Abraham Lincoln and of "Charley," "Rosa," and "Rebecca," slave children from New Orleans.
Autograph album, 1852–1861, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Poetic sentiments inscribed mainly to Sarah L. Merritt, who is identified as "Miss Merritt," and by an acrostic on the letters of her name.
Scrapbook, 1870s-1910s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Contains mostly poetry clipped from newspapers and periodicals, or copied onto small scraps of paper. With a cover label inscribed "Helen S. Merritt, Great Neck, Long Island, N.Y."