Finding Aids

The Bauduy family was associated with the prominent du Pont family, who immigrated to the United States from France in 1802 and established the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, which manufactured gunpowder at mills on the banks of the Brandywine River just north of Wilmington, Delaware. Peter Bauduy (1769-1833), a French refugee from Santo Domingo who was a partner of Eleuthère Irénée "E.I." du Pont (1771-1834). The bulk of the collection consists of letters from Juliette Bauduy (1773-1837) to her daughter Mimika (1793-1855). Also included are letters from Peter and Juliette to her sister and the Bauduy children to their aunt.

Charles B. Murray (1872-1947) worked as a foreman in building construction and was a resident of Wilmington, Delaware with his wife Christina Green (1878-1961). The collection consists of sixty glass negatives taken by Charles Murray of Wilmington, Delaware, and Albany, New York. Many of the views are of families, children and other groups of people, some of which were taken in parks or other recreational areas such as beaches. There are also views of the Wilmington Malleable Iron Company showing both equipment and employees, including the "office group" and the workers in the carpenter shop. There is also a view of the Jessup & Moore Paper Company Mills on the Brandywine in Wilmington.

Founded in 1848 by Reverend Samuel Brincklé (1796-1863) and members of the du Pont family, Christ Church Christian Hundred located in Greenville, Delaware is one of the oldest Episcopal churches in the Diocese of Delaware. Their records chronicle the activities of Christ Church over a span of nearly one hundred fifty years and include administrative and vital records.

David Thomas (1794-1882) was a Pennsylvania iron manufacturer who introduced into the United States the use of anthracite coal in the manufacture of pig iron. The papers consist of typed transcripts twelve letters, the bulk of which were sent by David Thomas to his niece, Jane Harris Bowen, and nephew, David Harris, in Wales. The letters deal primarily with family news, but Thomas also writes about general business conditions, the level of prices and wages and the Civil War.

Edward James Shimer Seal (1896-1955) was a farmer and photographer in Chester County, Pennsylvania. This collection contains over 300 photograph prints taken primarily by Seal of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, during the first half of the twentieth century. Many of these images offer a glimpse into family and town life in Chadds Ford and Wilmington, Delaware, during the 1920s and 1930s, featuring Seal family members, friends, neighbors, and employees. Other subjects include the 1939 World's Fair in New York, the artists N.C. and Andrew Wyeth, and local bridges and roads.

Lavinia Dimmick (1874-1946) was a descendant of the founders of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, a chemical research and manufacturing company. She was the daughter of Irene du Pont (1845-1877) and Edward Dimmick (1843-1895). Alfred Rée (1864-1933) was a chemist in England. This collection primarily consists of letters that passed between Alfred and Lavinia Rée during their courtship, ending with notes on their wedding reception, honeymoon travel and return to England.

The papers document the lives and careers of three generations of the immediate and extended family that began with famed Civil War officer Montgomery C. Meigs (1816-1892). The most notable members include his son, engineer Montgomery Meigs (1847-1931) and granddaughter and author Cornelia Meigs (1884-1973). The materials are about equally divided between professional activities and domestic family concerns.

Pierre A. Gentieu (1842-1930) was a long-term employee of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company who created an invaluable photographic record of the company's Brandywine Mills at the turn of the century. This is a small group of photographs related to northern New Castle County, Delaware. There are two photographs taken by Pierre and Frederic A. Gentieu, father and son, who photographed an August outing with a large group of men, women, and children.

Porta L. Young (1920-2015) was part owner of a mom-and-pop family furniture store, Kepner & Romich Furniture Store, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. The album was prepared by Young to document her family's activities between June 6, 1964 and April 2, 1965. Like a scrapbook, it contains a wide assortment of objects and ephemeral literature, including Christmas, birthday and valentine cards, snapshots, tourist literature and souvenirs, picture postcards, guide maps, programs, tickets, newspaper clippings, and pin-back buttons issued to visitors and in the 1964 presidential race, down to placemats, decorative sugar packets, cardboard badges and a dried magnolia leaf from Mount Vernon. Unlike many family scrapbooks, each object or group of objects is accompanied by substantial typed text describing the family's experiences and reactions.

Pierre Samuel "P.S." du Pont (1870-1954) was an industrialist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He was president of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. from 1915 to 1919 and chairman of the board from 1919 to 1940. P.S. du Pont was the great grandson of Eleuthere Irenee du Pont (1771-1834), founder of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, and the great-great-grandson and namesake of the French economist, Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739-1817). du Pont's personal life is well documented by the photographic collection he left, and it followed certain themes. The greatest of these may be horticultural interests which developed during his creation of the celebrated Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, where he lived. du Pont made many foreign and domestic journeys and recorded his travels. His large extended family is included in this collection. This collection is organized into seven series: Longwood Gardens; Individuals and families; Groups and organizations; E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company; Trips and vacations; Places; and Culture, society, and service.

The Spruance family was a well-known family in Delaware. The family includes Senator Presley Spruance (1785-1863), Judge William C. Spruance (1831-1913), William Spruance (1873-1935), among many others. The collection includes material related to the genealogy of the Spruance family of Delaware, particularly correspondence from and to members of the Spruance family regarding their genealogy and the book compiled by William Spruance, The Spruance family in Delaware, 1733-1933.

William Ferris, II (1822-1909) was, along with Philip Garrett (1814-1896), a senior partner in the firm of the Ferris & Garrett company, a supplier of plumbing fixtures for gas, steam, and water service in Wilmington, Delaware. This collection consists of thirty-eight glass plate negatives, mostly of unidentified people and interiors, photographed by William Ferris, II.