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Stutz family poetry and recipe album

 Collection — Box: 1
Identifier: MS-0964

Content Description

A family scrap album containing magazine and newspaper clippings of poetry and recipes, as well as some loose items mostly belonging to Elizabeth A. "Lizzie" Stutz of Middletown, Ohio (i.e., a report card dated February 1875 from Middletown Public Schools, school essays and penmanship practice, a photograph addressed to "Aunt Lizzie", drafts of letters, and miscellaneous clippings) interleaved in the album. Lizzie Stutz is the only name identified in the album, but it appears that another family member or close family friend was responsible for creating part of the album, as many dates on the poetry clippings in the album predate Lizzie's 1863 birth, and one letter from an unknown writer discusses Lizzie going home with her father.

It is likely that the album was begun by a female relative of Lizzie's, or a close friend to the Stutz family such as Lizzie's godmother. The undated letter from an unknown writer, written to the author's brother, says that the writer is lonely because Lizzie's father came to see her and Lizzie decided to go home with him and has not returned, which suggests that the writer may have been an elderly or disabled woman whom Lizzie was caring for. It is unknown whether this writer is the same person who first began creating the album.

There is a photograph interleaved in the album, dated 1909 and with the inscription, "Merry Christmas, Aunt Lizzie." The woman in the photograph is unidentified, but appears to be a niece of Lizzie Stutz based upon the inscription and her youth. The unidentified woman in the photograph may be one of the following of Lizzie's nieces: Susan Redder, Stella Florey, or Nellie Florey.

Dates

  • Creation: 1830 - 1915

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is housed off-site and requires 48-hours' notice for retrieval. Contact Special Collections for more information.

Extent

0.17 Cubic Feet (1 flat box (11 x 9 x 3 inches))

Language of Materials

English

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased from Eclectibles in March 2020.

Processing Information

Processed in February 2024 by Jenelle Clark.

Title
Guide to the Stutz family poetry and recipe album
Author
Jenelle Clark
Date
February 2024
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Repository

Contact:
The Sheridan Libraries
Special Collections
3400 N Charles St
Baltimore MD 21218 USA