The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Emily Perkins Bissell

Title: Collection

Dates: 1695-1945, 1900-1945 (bulk)

Call No.: Col. 29

Acc. No.: 88x131

Quantity: 2 boxes

Location: 15 B 6

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

Emily Perkins Bissell (1861-1948), a social welfare worker and antisuffragist, is best remembered for introducing Christmas seals to the United States in 1907. She began the Christmas seal campaign in order to raise funds for a tuberculosis sanitarium in Delaware. Later, the American Lung Association used the seals to raise money. Active in anti-tuberculosis work for the rest of her life, she also participated in a wide number of other charitable and service organizations and causes, especially in her native Delaware.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The collection contains both personal and family memorabilia, in both manuscript and printed form. The collection came to Winterthur in a lacquered box (possibly Chinese in origin) lined with wallpaper dated circa 1830s. The collection includes a set of Christmas seals, 1907-1934, that were presented to Miss Bissell, as well as partial sheets of seals for the years 1921 and 1930-1939.

The family documents preserved here include early deeds for land in Delaware (dated 1695/6 and 1846), the will of Robert French (1712), and a letter signed by George Read.

The Bissell memorabilia includes a story published in "The Youth's Companion" (6 December 1906) written by Emily Bissell under her pen name of Priscilla Leonard; copies of John Baer's Agricultural Almanacs (1914, 1915, and 1917); a straight razor “probably used by John Wales”; and 15 newsletters and newspapers (mostly military) highlighting the war years, 1944-1945.

ORGANIZATION

The collection has been organized in four small series, mainly by form: Christmas seals, manuscript and family papers, newspapers, ephemera.

PROVENANCE

Purchased from Joseph R. Greer.

ACCESS POINTS

People:

French, Robert, fl. 1695-1712.

Patten, John.

Read, George.

Garrett, Thomas.

Wales, John.

Topics:

Seals and labels (Philately)

Journalism, Military.

World War, 1939-1945 - Journalism, Military.

Christmas.

Almanacs.

Deeds.

Ephemera.

Letters.

Newsletters.

Newspapers.

Wills.

Other titles:

Stars and stripes.

Agricultural almanac.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 15 B 6

Series 1: Christmas seals

Seals presented to Miss Bissell, 1907-1934; the seals are attached to gold foil, through which is threaded red ribbon. A note addressed to Miss Emily P. Bissell attached to the seals reads “This is just to tell you how much we all love you and feel no honor is half enough for you.”

Sheets of seals, 1921, 1930-1939

Series 2: Manuscript and family papers

Conveyance from Richard James and Ruth his wife to Robert French, for 880 acres of land in Kent County, [Delaware], March 10, 1695/6.

Last will and testament of Robert French of Newcastle, [Delaware], 23 January 1712. [in several pieces]

Letter from Geo[rge] Read, New Castle, Delaware, to Col. John Patten, Dover, Delaware, 26 October 1790, about accounts.

Deed from Thomas Garret and wife Rachel, to John Wales, 5 May 1846, for a lot in Wilmington, Delaware.

Short story entitled "Gertrude's Grove," written by Priscilla Leonard [pen name of Emily Bissell], published in The Youth's Companion, 6 December 1906, pp. 624-625.

Brochure about Green Acre Fellowship, a conference center in Eliot, Maine; also a conference program, 27-31 August 1907.

Newspaper article: "Fine Portrait of the Late Judge Wales Presented ..." in Every Evening, Wilmington, Delaware, 28 November 1908, p. 2 portrait was of Leonard Eugene Wales, and was presented by his brother Dr. John P. Wales and his sister Mrs. Josephine Wales Bissell [newspaper is very brittle]

"What's Going to Happen Next Year - 1916?" in The Evening Journal, Wilmington, Delaware, 27 December 1915, pp. 6-7 [paper is brittle]

Agricultural Almanac, 1914, 1915, 1917, published by John Baer's Sons, Inc., Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Series 3: World War II newspapers

U.S. Naval Barracks, Swan Island, Portland, Oregon, Information flyer, n.d.

U.S.S. Menard, "Daily News Bulletin," Issue No. 31, 2 April 1944.

Fourth Joint Assault Signal Company, "Straight Dope," April 9, 1945.

"Boat Pool Baker," 21 May 1945.

Island Command, “The New Okinawan," vol. 1, no. 44, 31 May 1945.

Island Command, “The New Okinawan," vol. [1], no. 51, 13 June 1945.

U.S.S. Colbert, "The Beach Head," vol. 5, no. 13, 13 June 1945.

"The Stars and Stripes," Pacific edition, vol. 1, no. 41, 29 June 1945.

U.S. Naval Hospital, Aiea Heights, T.H. [Hawaii], "Hospital Hi-Lites," vol. 3, no. 20, 14 July 1945.

"The Honolulu Advertiser," Honolulu, Hawaii, 10 August 1945 (pp. 1-2 only; banner headlines: "Japan Accepts Potsdam Decree!")

"The Stars and Stripes," in the Middle Pacific, vol. 1, no. 106, 13 September 1945.

"The Stars and Stripes," in the Middle Pacific, vol. 1, no. 107, 14 September 1945.

"Hula Baloo," official publication of A.B.P.A., vol. 2, no. 15, 17 September 1945.

U.S. Naval Barracks, Swan Island, Portland, Oregon, "The Swan Islander," vol. 1, no. 10, 15 December 1945.

Oregon Journal, Portland, 17 December 1945

Series 4: Ephemera

Straight razor in a box, both labeled Twinplex Sales Co., Good Shaver Antiseptic. Razor said to have been used by John Wales.

Lacquered Box. Said to be of possibly Chinese origin; lined with wallpaper from the 1830s. Entire collection came in this box. (this box is sitting on shelf)