Lathrop C. and Mabel H. Urner Harper Photograph Collection
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Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Collection of personal photographs of Mabel Herbert Urner and Lathrop Colgate Harper, their extended family, their Gramercy Park home and their extended vacations to Europe. Publicity photographs taken for Mabel Urner's newspaper column are included.
Biographical Note
Lathrop Colgate Harper (1867-1950) and Mabel H. Urner Harper (1881-1957), a socially prominent couple of early twentieth-century New York, lived for years on Gramercy Park and served as benefactors for some of New York's finest institutions. Their domestic lives and European travels were immortalized in the pages of over one hundred newspapers in the United States, Canada and Great Britain through Mabel Urner's syndicated, semi-autobiographical column, The Married Life of Helen and Warren.
Lathrop Colgate Harper was a successful rare book dealer, consultant to many major U.S. research libraries and authority on incunabula, Americana, and medieval manuscripts. A native New Yorker, Harper traced his lineage to several distinguished New York families. His grandfather, Samuel Barker Harper (b. 1777), married Christina Arcularius, daughter of New York Alderman and State Assemblyman Philip J. Arcularius. Harper's father, the tea merchant James Philip Harper, married Margaret Perego, daughter of a wealthy New York merchant whose family had settled in New Jersey by 1750. Harper was the great nephew of New York Mayor James Harper and second cousin of the Harper Brothers publishers.
In 1887 Harper joined his elder brother, Francis P. Harper, in the rare book business at 4 Barclay Street. The bookstore successively moved to 17 East 16th Street, 14 West 22nd Street, 437 Fifth Avenue and finally 8 West 40th Street. After his brother's early retirement in 1910, Harper developed his interest in Americana.. He became a much sought-after source of rare Americana after obtaining for William L. Clements the Americana library of Newbold Edgar, which would become the core collection for the William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan. He was granted an honorary Master of Arts by the University of Michigan in 1928 in honor of his efforts in the library's development and subsequent growth. He was well known to many research libraries, serving on library committees for Harvard University, Princeton University, The New-York Historical Society and the Council of The Bibliographic Society of America, among others. In the 1920s, he developed an interest in incunabula (books printed before 1501) and went on to compile the first catalogue of incunabula published in the United States, A Selection of Incunabula Describing One Thousand Books Printed in the XVth Century (New York: 1930), once considered a basic reference resource.
In 1912, Indiana native Mabel Herbert Urner (1881-1957) married Lathrop C. Harper. She continued to use her maiden name in her professional life. She began a newspaper column in 1914, The Married Life of Helen and Warren, a fictional account that was based primarily on her life with Harper. The column was eventually syndicated in over 100 newspapers in the United States, Canada and Great Britain; it ran for thirty years, finally ceasing in 1944. The couple took yearly trips to Europe, during which Harper hunted for rare books and Urner combed markets for seventeenth and eighteenth century samplers, antique glassware, antique snuff tins, amber, furniture and other collectibles. Harper became known as a connoisseur and keen appraiser of rare books, and Urner developed collections to fill their Gramercy Park home that would eventually catch the eye of the national press and be bequeathed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art after her death. Her readers' queries about the couple's travels and interest in the cuisines of Europe eventually prompted Urner to write and self-publish a series of noncommercial but popular "Guidelets" on European travel and food, beginning in 1930.
In 1948, just two years before his death, Harper received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Brown University. The citation acclaimed his achievements and industry in helping to compile libraries across the nation, stating, "The shelves of the noblest libraries in this country reflect your zeal for letters and your discriminating love of books." He died in his office on August 11, 1950, his hand still holding the phone as he prepared to make his nightly call to his wife. Urner followed him in death on March 2, 1957, leaving behind thirty years of journalistic writing. Parts of the Harper estate were donated to New York area institutions including Princeton University, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The New-York Historical Society.
Arrangement
Photographs are arranged alphabetically by geographic name or name of sitter.
Materials have been arranged into the following series:
Missing Title
- Series I: Buildings
- Series II: People
- Series III: Vacations
- Series IV:Negatives
Scope and Content Note
The Lathrop C. and Mabel H. Urner Harper Photograph Collection spans the period from 1872-1954, with many undated materials. The collection consists of 3.6 linear feet of black and white photographic prints, tintypes, film negatives, glass negatives, and drawings. The photographs mainly relate to the personal and family life of the Harpers, with a few photographs relating to Lathrop C. Harper's rare book shop. Also included are some of Mabel H. Urner's newspaper column publicity photographs. The collection includes documentation of some of the couple's yearly tours of Europe prior to World War II.
Subjects
Organizations
Families
People
Topics
Access Restrictions
Open to qualified researchers.
Photocopying undertaken by staff only. Limited to 30 photocopies per day per person. Suitability of the original for photocopying is at the discretion of the staff. Neither blueprints nor tracings can be copied under any circumstances. Duplication of large-format items will be done by the house photographer. See Print Room guidelines for details.
Use Restrictions
Permission to reproduce any Print Room holdings through publication must be obtained from
Rights and Reproductions
The New-York Historical Society
Two West 77th Street
New York, NY 10024
Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282
Fax: (212) 579-8794
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
This collection should be cited as Lathrop C. and Mabel H. Urner Harper Photograph Collection, PR 121, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, The New-York Historical Society.
Provenance
Gift of the Estate of Lathrop Colgate Harper on December 23, 1957.
About this Guide
Edition of this Guide
Repository
Series I: Buildings
Scope and Contents note
Series I contains exterior and interior views of the residences and businesses of the Harpers and their extended family. The series contains some photographs from 1895, but most are undated. Files are arranged alphabetically by type of building. Included are several prints of the bookstore run by Lathrop C. Harper and his brother, Francis P. Harper, including one undated print by Long & Heppner of Francis Harper in the interior of the store when it was located at 17 West 16th Street in New York City, one unattributed 7 x 10 ink drawing of the store's interior, and a few photographs of Lathrop's clerk and successor Douglas Parsonage. The Harper's residences at 36 Gramercy Park and 1 Lexington Avenue on Gramercy Park are captured in a series of photographs of both the interior and exterior, at least one of which was published in House Beautiful in March 1924. Included are several interior photographs, some taken by Mattie Edwards Hewitt, of the Harpers' home which document their collections of historic European samplers, antique furniture and family portraits. Also included with the residence photographs are two photographs of 193 10th Street, Lathrop Harper's parents' residence from 1854-59. The photographs of the fire at the store of Ira Perego, Harper's maternal grandfather, show New York City police and firemen at work in a smoke-filled street. The unidentified buildings are primarily residential, with one photograph of an unidentified Yacht Club included. Some related negatives can be found in Series IV. Oversize images are in Box 6.
Bookstores of Lathrop and Francis Harper, 1895, undated, inclusive
Residences of Lathrop and Mabel Urner Harper, some by Mattie Edwards Hewitt, undated
Store of Ira Perego, fire, undated
Unidentified Buildings, undated
Series II: People
Scope and Contents note
Series II consists mainly of portraits of the Harpers and their close relatives, dating from 1872-1954, with many undated photographic prints. Photographs are arranged alphabetically by sitter with unidentified individuals at the end. Thereunder photographs are arranged chronologically when dates are available and alphabetically by description when dates are unavailable. Highlights include publicity portraits of Mabel Herbert Urner Harper, notably those by Jessie Tarbox Beals. Many portraits of Mabel and Lathrop were taken in their victorian home or outdoors in Gramercy Park. The family portraits focus mainly on Lathrop Harper's siblings: Ella Adelaide Harper, an amateur writer; Christina A. Harper (whose sketches of her mother are included with her mother's portraits); Francis P. Harper, his business partner; and James P. Harper, Jr., a prominent diamond importer. One of the photographs of James P. Harper, Jr. was originally framed; the frame was separated from the photograph during processing and can be found in Box 5. There is one folder of group portraits of the family. Also well documented is Lathrop's mother, Margaret Perego Harper. There are a few photographs of other members of the Arcularius, Perego, and Dimmock families for whom the familial connection is unclear. Photographers represented in this series include Jessie Tarbox Beals, R.A. Lewis, C.D. Fredricks, R. Horton, Fabian Bachrach, Davis & Sanford, Underwood & Underwood and Hargrave & Gubelman. Related negatives can be found in Series IV.
Arcularius, Andrew, undated
Budd, Emma Jourdan, 1907, undated, inclusive
Dimmock, Andrew and Selina Harper, undated
Harper Family, group portraits, some by R.A. Lewis, 1907-1912, undated, inclusive
General note
See also: Box 5, Folder 85
Harper, Christina A., 1891, undated, inclusive
Harper, Ella Adelaide, some by R.A. Lewis, undated
Harper, Ella Adelaide, some by R.A. Lewis, undated
Harper, Francis P.--Portraits, 1895-1900, undated, inclusive
General note
See also: Box 1, folder 1
Harper, Francis P.--With Althea M. Harper in St. Petersburg, Florida, [1925-1938], inclusive
Harper, Francis P.--With Althea M. Harper, undated
Harper, James P., Jr.--Portraits, 1895, undated, inclusive
Harper, James P., Jr.--Portraits, full length, 1889-1905, undated, inclusive
General note
See also: Frame removed from portrait, Box 5, folder 106
Harper, James P., Jr.--Portraits, bust length, undated
Harper, Mrs. James P., Jr., undated
Harper, James P., Sr., by R. Horton, undated
Harper, Lathrop Colgate--Portraits, [1872], inclusive
Harper, Lathrop Colgate--Portraits, bust, 1888, inclusive
Harper, Lathrop Colgate--Portraits, 1897-1900, inclusive
Harper, Lathrop Colgate--Portraits, bust, 1912, inclusive
Harper, Lathrop Colgate--Miscellaneous, 1940, undated, inclusive
Harper, Lathrop Colgate--Portrait in bookstore, 1948-1950, inclusive
General note
See also: Box 1, folder 1 and Box 5, folder 87
Harper, Lathrop Colgate--Brown University Commencement, with Lawrence C. Wroth, 1948, inclusive
General note
See also: Box 5, folder 56
Harper, Lathrop Colgate--Portrait, bust by Fabian Bachrach, 1948, inclusive
Harper, Lathrop Colgate--Passport photographs, 1949, inclusive
Harper, Lathrop Colgate, with Mabel Herbert Urner Harper, undated
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--Childhood Photographs, [1881-1900], inclusive
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--Portrait by Underwood & Underwood, with photograph of a drawing made from portrait, 1914, inclusive
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--Seated at desk, 1914, inclusive
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--Portrait, full length, 1917, inclusive
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--Portrait at residence, by Davis & Sanford, 1923, inclusive
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--Portrait at door of 1 Lexington Avenue, by Jessie Tarbox Beals, 1926, inclusive
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--In residence and Gramercy Park, 1939, undated, inclusive
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--At The New-York Historical Society, 1954, inclusive
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--In Gramercy Park, undated
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--Headshots, undated
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--Miscellaneous, undated
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--Passport Photographs, undated
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--Portrait, full length by Underwood & Underwood, undated
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--Portraits by Pan-American Photo Service, undated
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--Portraits, seated at desk, undated
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--Portraits, seated at round table, undated
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--Portrait, seated with book, by Davis & Sanford, undated
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--Portrait, seated with cat, by Underwood & Underwood, undated
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--Portrait with horse, undated
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--Portrait with horse, undated
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--At residence, with fireplace and collection cabinet, undated
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--At Shelter Island, undated
Harper, Margaret Perego--Portrait in garden, 1891, inclusive
Harper, Margaret Perego--In the Thousand Islands, 1895, inclusive
Harper, Margaret Perego--Portraits, 1897, inclusive
Harper, Margaret Perego--Portraits, 1902-1903, inclusive
Harper, Margaret Perego--Portraits, undated
Harper, Margaret Perego--Portraits and sketches by Christina A. Harper, undated
Perego, Francis Eliza Brennan--Photograph of painted portrait, undated
Sackett, Amanda, undated
Ramney, Francis P. and family, some by Hargrave & Gubelman, 1888, 1897, undated, inclusive
Unidentified females, undated
Unidentified males and groups, undated
Series III: Vacations
Scope and Contents note
Series III spans the dates ca. 1890-1938 and consists primarily of the Harpers' personal photographs from their yearly trips to Europe, the majority dating from the 1930s. Photographs are arranged alphabetically by country and thereunder by city. Unidentified locations are at the end. Related negatives are filed in Series IV, Box 5.They focus mainly on the couple, but do include pictures of the Caledonian Market in London and scenery from the cities of Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Austria prior to World War II. Also included are a few photographs of earlier family vacations in Atlantic City, the Catskill Mountains and the Thousand Islands. Negatives of varying sizes exist for many of the European trips and can be found in Series IV.
Austria--Vienna, undated
Czech Republic--Prague, 1931, inclusive
England--London, Caledonian Market, undated
General note
See also: Box 5, folders 92-94
France--Paris, 1932, inclusive
Germany -- Frankfurt, undated
General note
See also: Box 5, folder 95
Germany -- Heidelberg, undated
Germany -- Munich, undated
General note
See also: Box 5, folder 96
Germany--Miscellaneous, undated
General note
See also: Box 5, folders 97-99
Italy--Venice, undated
Italy--Miscellaneous, undated
General note
See also: Box 5, folder 100
Switzerland--Lugano, 1932, inclusive
General note
See also: Box 5, folders 101-102
United States--Atlantic City, NJ, [1905], inclusive
United States--Catskill Mountains, NY, [1895], inclusive
United States--Thousand Islands, NY, 1895, inclusive
Unidentified locations--family suitcases with travel stickers, undated
Unidentified locations--Hot air ballooning, undated
Unidentified locations--Miscellaneous, undated
Unidentified locations--Miscellaneous, undated
Unidentified locations--Waterscapes, undated
Series IV: Negatives
Scope and Contents note
Series IV spans the dates 1934-1950, with many undated negatives, arranged into three subseries: Buildings, People and Vacations. There are approximately 200 negatives; some are 35mm, but most are a variety of sizes, with the smallest a glass negative measuring 2 x 2, and the largest a pair of identical glass and film negatives measuring 6 ½ x 8 ½. Most of the negatives correspond to photographs in Series I-III of this collection, but some have no corresponding prints. Many are unidentified.
Buildings
Residence of Lathrop C. Harper on Gramercy Park, 1934, inclusive
Residence of Lathrop C. Harper on Gramercy Park, undated
Residence of James P. Harper, Sr. on 10th Street, undated
People
Harper family, group portraits, undated
Harper, Lathrop Colgate--Brown University Commencement, 1948, inclusive
Harper, Lathrop Colgate--Portraits in office or bookstore, 1950, inclusive
Harper, Mabel Herbert Urner--Portraits, undated
General note
See also: Box 5, folders 107-108