The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Latta family

Title: Papers

Dates: 1880-ca.1930

Call No.: Col. 104

Acc. No.: 91x102, 92x182

Quantity: 5 boxes, 2 map case drawers

Location: 17 K 2, map case 6, drawers 2 and 3

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

William J. Latta was born on November 21, 1852, in Chester County, Pennsylvania. His father, William Sutton Latta (1822-1872), was the first surgeon of the Pennsylvania Railroad. William J. began working at the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. as a telegraph operator at the age of eighteen. He rose through the ranks to become agent of the railroad, a position he held until his retirement in 1899. William was also an avid collector of Napoleoniana.

William J. Latta married Kitty Nigh Bingham on October 23, 1884. They had five children: Margaret Douglas, William, Jr., Katherine, Mary, and Rachel Whitehill. The family lived at 430 West Moreland Ave., in the Chestnut Hill area of Philadelphia, in a home known as "Grey Arches." For periods of time, William and Kitty Lattas' unmarried sisters, Elizabeth Bingham, Mary Virginia Bingham, and Margaret Douglas Wilson Latta, resided with the family. "Grey Arches" remained in the possession of the family until 1958 when it was torn down. The Lattas also had a summer home in Rockport, Maine, called "White Cedars."

SCOPE AND CONTENT

Most of this collection is comprised of household and personal bills, various types of railroad passes, family letters, information about William Latta’s collection of Napoleoniana, diaries kept by Rachel Latta, and architectural drawings, photographs, and legal documents relating to "Grey Arches" and its greenhouse; many of the legal papers pertain to a sale of property in 1930. The bills were incurred by several members of the family who lived at "Grey Arches." They were for clothing, food, pharmaceutical items, house furnishings, funeral expenses, and general upkeep of the house. The bills date from ca.1880-ca.1912. Some of the billheads include illustrations. Other papers relating to the house are dated ca.1892-1930.

The railroad passes were for baggage, transportation and telegraph privileges. This collection also includes catalogs from the sale of William J. Latta's collection of Napoleoniana, held in 1913 at the Anderson Galleries in New York City. His collection included letters, bronzes, portraits, caricatures, mezzotints, memoirs and other documents. The catalog of William J. Latta’s library is arranged by title, and includes the author, publisher, date of publication, the number of volumes, the size of the book, the year purchased, and if illustrated, the artist’s name and the number of illustrations. The cataloged was last added to in 1883 and does not include Napoleon-related materials.

Many of the letters were sent from the Latta children to their father, mother, or Aunt Gertie between 1899 and 1919. As well, there are two letters written to Santa Claus. Another series of letters was sent from William Latta, Jr., to his father and sisters during his tour of duty in the United States Navy on Sub Chaser 212 during and after World War I. Rachel Latta's diaries cover the years 1904 and 1910-1914. She describes her life in Maine, Chestnut Hill, and Westover School in Middlebury, Connecticut. Also featured are details of her trip to the St. Louis Exposition in 1904.

ORGANIZATION

The collection is divided into three series: I. Bills and documents relating to “Grey Arches”; II. William J. Latta Papers and Memorabilia; and III. Latta family papers.

Series I is found in Boxes 1 and 2 and Map Case 6, Drawers 2 and 3. Series II is in Boxes 2 and 3. Series III is in Boxes 3-5.

PROVENANCE

Gift of Katherine Frank Huettner.

ACCESS POINTS

People:

Latta, William J., 1852-1938.

Latta, William Sutton, 1822-1872.

Latta, Kitty Bingham.

Latta, William J., Jr.

Franck, Rachel Whitehall Latta.

Latta, Katherine.

Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821.

Topics:

Grey Arches (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Louisiana Purchase Exposition (1904 : Saint Louis, Mo.)

Finance, Personal - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

Architectural drawing - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

House furnishings - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

Cost and standard of living - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

Railroads - Employees - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

Railroad passes - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

Railroads - United States.

Architecture - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

Greenhouses - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

Architecture - Designs and plans.

Household supplies.

Dwellings - Maintenance and repair - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia

Home economics - Pennsylvania - Philadelphia.

Building materials.

Upper class - Social life and customs.

World War, 1914-1918.

Young women - Diaries.

Private libraries – Pennsylvania – Philadelphia.

Private libraries – Catalogs.

Santa Claus – Correspondence.

Logbooks.

Philadelphia (Pa.) - Social life and customs.

Rockport (Me.) - Social life and customs.

Bills of sale.

Clippings.

Autographs.

Architectural drawings.

Photographic prints.

Reports.

Catalogs,

Tickets.

Schedules.

Correspondence.

Vouchers.

Floor plans.

Blueprints.

Wedding invitations.

Visiting cards.

Rewards of merit.

Cards.

Surgeons.

Agents.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 17 K 2 and map case 6, drawers 2-3

Series I: Bills and documents relating to “Grey Arches”

Box 1:

Bills - A

Bills - B

Bills - C

Bills - D

Bills - E-F

Bills – G-H

Bills - I-K

Bills - L-N

Bills - O-Q

Bills - R

Box 2:

Bills - S

Bills - T-Z

Title

Mortgages, Bonds and Warrants

Sale agreements

Miscellaneous letters addressed to William J. Latta, Jr.

Map case 6:

Architectural drawings and elevations of "Grey Arches"

Proposed additions to both house and greenhouse

Blueprints of house and property

Floor plans

Plans of the grounds

Photograph album containing interior and exterior views

Pencil drawing of a children's log cabin, built in the 1890s as a playhouse for the children.

Series II: William J. Latta Papers and Memorabilia

Box 2:

Baggage passes (78 items)

Club membership passes (75 items)

Railroad passes (67 items)

Railroad tickets, timetables (25 items)

Telegraph passes

Report of a study of a harbor at Southport, S.C. by Wm. J. Latta when acting as a consultant

on railway matters after his retirement

Latta, William J.: Business correspondence

Latta, William J.: personal papers

Box 3:

A Glimpse of the United States Military Telegraph Corps and of Abraham Lincoln, by William B. Wilson, read before the United Service Club of Philadelphia, 1889

“Meeting an Emergency,” pamphlet about Broad St. Station fire, 1923

“The Napoleon Collection of William J. Latta,” parts I-IV, auction catalogs, 1913 (in two folders)

Clippings about sale of Latta’s Napoleon collection

Sneath, Prof. E. Hershey: catalogs of exhibitions of Latta’s Napoleon collection

Napoleoniana

“Catalogue of the Library of William J. Latta”

Series III: Latta family material:

Box 3:

Bingham family, includes invitations and regrets for an 1884 wedding

Latta, Rev. William

Latta, William Sutton

Box 4:

Latta, Mrs. Kitty N. (Bingham)--Letters

Latta, Mrs. Kitty--Will

Latta, William J.--Letters from his children

Latta, William J.--Letters from William, Jr.

Letters to Aunt Gertie from the Latta children

Letters to Santa from the Latta children

Letters to Katherine from her father

Letters to Rachel from Latta family members

Latta, Rachel: Diaries, 1904; 1910-1914 (in one volume)

Latta, Rachel: Diary of trip to Louisiana Purchase Exposition, 1904, with other notes

“Westover School: 1909-1984,” pamphlet about Rachel Latta’s school in Connecticut

Photos of “White Cedars,” the Latta summer home in Maine

Latta, William, Jr.: letters during World War I

Cruise of the Satana, from Rockport, Maine, 1910

Box 5:

Copies of newspaper clippings about Latta family members

Miscellaneous, including calling cards, reward of merit cards, and autographs of opera singers.

“Latta Letters and Diaries,” with annotations by Katharine Franck Huettner (typescripts of letters and diaries in this collection)