The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Creator: Lydia A. Albro

Title: Albro-Allen family papers

Dates: 1842-1905

Call No.: Col. 236

Acc. No.: 92x166

Quantity: about 350 items

Location: 15 K 3

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENT

The Albro and Allen families resided in the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Township, Somerset County, New Jersey. The Albro family established the firm of Albro & Brothers in 1849 at 156 Bowry in Brooklyn, New York. It dealt in teas, coffees, wines, spices, and other imported fancy goods. The bulk of the items in this collection pertain to Lydia A. Albro, who resided on an eighteen acre estate between Morristown and Basking Ridge. Tax bills suggest that she inherited the estate from her father, Henry, upon his death around 1868. She was a regular contributor to the American Female Guardian Society. Lydia never married. Whether she lived alone or with other family members is uncertain.

The relationship between the Albros and the Allens (James and Ruth) is not clear; however, they did live in some proximity to one another. James Allen's occupation is not revealed in these papers; his wife kept at least one border. Allen died in 1897.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The bulk of the items in the collection are receipted bills, chiefly on printed billheads, that record Lydia A. Albro's expenditures from the 1870s into the 20th century for maintaining her house and property. The earliest manuscript among these papers records a charge for her schooling in 1842. A considerable number of the bills document her purchases from Albro & Bros. She consistently bought her coal and lumber from Oscar Conklin and then Dalrymple & Lindsy, hardware from the Voorhees Bros., piping, brick, and other building materials from W. R. Bromfield & Co, plumbers and tinsmiths, and groceries from P. C. Henry. Lydia did business with local firms in Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Morristown, Madisonville, and Peapack. Situated on the Lackawanna Railroad line, which ran trains into New York City, she had contacts there as well, making purchases from R. H. Macy and Sheppard Knapp, the proprietor of a carpet store.

Of particular note are an 1881 invoice for Lydia's purchase of a bedroom suit, mattress, springs, oil cloth, and toilet set; an 1888 bill for two days board in Niagara Falls; a receipt for materials and for making a silk dress in 1889; a 1900 bill for carpet and shades; and a bill for the purchase of a set of chairs from Peter M. Hall in 1902.

The bills addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Allen are also from local firms. The bulk of these are from P. C. Henry, dealer in dry goods, groceries, general merchandise, cutlery, furniture, house furnishings, etc. Also included are three insurance policies taken by James Allen for protection of his house and its furnishings.

As well, the collection includes some tax bills. The earliest bills are two receipts for taxes paid by Henry Albro in 1854 and 1855. Another early bill was for excise tax that had to be paid by Betsy Albro in 1864 for the purchase of a carriage. The remainder of the tax bills were printed forms produced by Bernards Township for property and school taxes. After Henry Albro's estate was settled, Lydia assumed tax payment on the same piece of property and dwelling. The abbreviation H.L. is used on most of the bills and probably stands for house and lot.

In addition, there are five letters to Lydia A. Albro: notes about shipments of orders, an invitation, a thank you note for a handkerchief, and information on the death of a family member.

All but one of the eight letters to Mr. and Mrs. James Allen pertain to a boarder, Mr. Doty, and were sent from a Mrs. La Ferta.

There are two photographs in the collection: one of a young girl taken by H. Ensminger of Morristown, N.J., and a portrait of a gentlemen photographed by Peter Raab of New York City.

Finally, there are five envelopes with a return address for Albro & Bros., with a product list; seven envelopes with printed addresses for other firms represented in the collection; and fifteen envelopes addressed to various individuals.

ORGANIZATION

The over 350 items in the collection have been divided into six series: Household expenses, Tax records, Letters, Photographs, and Envelopes.

PROVENANCE

Purchased from Carmen Valentino, Philadelphia.

ACCESS POINTS

People:

Albro family.

Albro, Henry, d. ca. 1868.

Allen, James.

Allen, Ruth.

Conklin, Oscar.

Topics:

Albro & Brothers.

P. C. Henry.

W. R. Bromfield & Co.

Dalrymple & Lindsey.

American Female Guardian Society (New York, N.Y.)

Dwellings - New Jersey - Basking Ridge - Maintenance and repair.

Building materials.

Groceries.

Spices.

Beverages.

Dressmaking.

Taxation - New Jersey - Somerset County.

House furnishings.

Home economics - Accounting.

Dry-goods.

Hardware.

Gardening.

Furniture - Prices.

Insurance.

Single women - Finance, Personal.

Household supplies.

Bills (financial).

Receipts.

Photoprints.

Letters.

Insurance policies

Envelopes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 15 K 3

Folder 1: Bills to Lydia A. Albro for tuition, 1842-1845.

Folder 2: Bills, Lydia A. Albro, 1878-1880

Folder 3: Bills, 1881

Folder 4: Bills, 1882-1885

Folder 5: Bills, 1886-1888

Folder 6: Bills, 1889

Folder 7: Bills, 1890

Folder 8: Bills, 1891

Folder 9: Bills, 1892-1893

Folder 10: Bills, 1894

Folder 11: Bills, 1895-1896

Folder 12: Bills, 1897-1898

Folder 13: Bills, 1899

Folder 14: Bills, 1900

Folder 15: Bills, 1901

Folder 16: Bills, 1902-1903

Folder 17: Bills, 1904-1905, no date

Folder 18: Bills, Allen family, 1871-1880

Folder 19: Bills, 1881-1894

Folder 20: Bills, 1895

Folder 21: Bills, 1896-1898

Folder 22: Bills, 1899-1900

Folder 23: Bills, 1901

Folder 24: Tax bills, Betsy Albro, 1864, Henry Albro and his estate, 1854-1855, 1868-1878

Folder 25: Tax bills, Lydia A. Albro, 1879-1902

Folder 26: Tax bills, James Allen and his estate, 1876-1897

Folder 27: Letters to Lydia A. Albro, 1881-1890

Folder 28: Letters to Mr. and Mrs. James Allen, 1880-1901

Folder 29: Portrait photographs

Folder 30: Envelopes for Albro & Bros.

Folder 31: Miscellaneous envelopes