About the Mollie Garfield papers regarding President James Garfield
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Biographical Information | Description of the Collection | How to Use the Collection
Biographical Information
Mary "Mollie" Garfield (1867-1947) was born in Washington, D.C. to James A. Garfield and Lucretia Rudolph Garfield. She was 14 when her father became President of the United States in January, 1881. On July 2, James Garfield was shot at Union Station in Washington, D.C. and Mollie and her mother were present when he died of his wounds on September 19. Mollie Garfield's education included Miss Mittleberger's School in Cleveland, Ohio and one semester at Miss Porter's Finishing School in Farmington, Connecticut. She lived with her mother at the Garfield family home, Lawnfield, in Mentor, Ohio until her marriage in 1888 to Joseph Stanley-Brown, who had been her father's private secretary. She died in Pasadena, California at the age of 80.
Description of the Collection
Overview - Scope and Contents
The Mollie Garfield papers regarding her father President James Garfield date from 1874 to 1883 and consist primarily of an illustrated memorial album presented to Mollie after the assassination of her father in 1881. The album contains 26 signed pencil sketches, ink drawings, and watercolors of various subjects by American artists. Also found are a few items of correspondence and notes regarding the album and the artists, and a few scattered miscellaneous documents from the 1870s.
Arrangement and Series Description
Due to the small size of this collection, there is only one series consisting of five folders of 19 items. Items are arranged chronologically.
Subjects
This collection is indexed in the online catalog of the Archives of American Art under the following terms:
- Subjects:
- Garfield, James A. (James Abram), 1831-1881
- Types of Materials:
- Works of art
- Presentation albums
- Names:
- Fenn, Harry, 1838-1911
- Holmes, William Henry, 1846-1933
- Pennell, Joseph, 1857-1926
- Beard, James Carter, 1837-1913
Provenance
The collection was donated in 1970 by Mrs. Herbert (Ruth) Feis, daughter of Mollie Garfield.
How the Collection was Processed
The Mollie Garfield papers regarding President James Garfield were microfilmed on reel 865, and the album was conserved in 1989. The collection was fully processed by Erin Corley and digitized in 2007 with funding provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
How to Use the Collection
Restrictions on Use
The Mollie Garfield papers regarding President James Garfield is owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
The collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.
Available Formats
This collection has been digitized. View the Mollie Garfield papers regarding President James Garfield online
The collection was digitized in 2007 and is available via the Archives of American Art's website.
Related Collections
The Mary Garfield Stanley-Brown papers, 1881-1967, are located at the Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio.
How to Cite this Collection
Mollie Garfield papers regarding President James Garfield, 1874-1883. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.