A Treasure Trove in the New-York Historical Society

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I began my research of  Susie Scott Hall in the New-York Historical Society's Patricia D. Klingenstein Library (shameless plug).  Susie's husband, Bolton Hall, was an activist who considered himself a disciple of economist Henry George and Leo Tolstoy and is credited with founding the original back-to-the-land movement in the US in the early 20th century.  He wrote many books-- including Three Acres and Liberty (on land reform), What Tolstoy Taught, The Mastery of Grief (following the tragic death of his young son), and The Psychology of Sleep.  He was very keen on writing other notables of the era and often included copies of his books with his correspondence.  I believe it was her daughter, Lois Herrick who donated family letters and personal papers to the society's collection and gave other important items to the archives of the New York Public Library and Brown University.  

My hands literally shook as I opened the metal box and discovered what lay inside. 

This letter was written a month before he tried to wrest a candidacy for the GOP from Taft.  He was unsuccessful and ultimately ran as a member of the "Bull Moose" Progressive party.   I don't believe the invitation to "come in and see me sometime" was gratuitous--Susie was a childhood friend of Theodore's sister Coney.  In fact, Susie was invited to a dance at the Roosevelt White House in 1909.  Chances are she attended, as the letter is addressed to her care of Reverend. R. D. Harlan in Washington, D.C.  (I wonder why her husband wasn't included in the invite?)

Here's a letter from the Duke of Marlborough, whose sad marriage to Consuelo was the subject of my previous blog entry.  I wasn't able to determine the nature of the pamphlet he mentions, but around this time his first cousin, Winston Churchill, was serving as First Lord of the Admirality.

This sampling is just the tip of the iceberg.  I also viewed letters from Woodrow Wilson, Jacob Riis (How the Other Half Lives), and Grover Cleveland, (as well as a signature of Helen Keller's clipped from a letter).  The collection at the New York Public Library is even more extensive, filling 21 boxes.  I've only gone through 50% but I will definitely post highlights at a later date.