Emmet family papers, 1792-1989, bulk 1851-1989

Series includes two address books, one of which contains accounting information for Rosina Emmet Sherwood. Artifacts consist of a pouch enclosing eleven locks of hair, and a rear-view optical device.

Biographical material for family members include Julia Colt Pierson Emmet's memorial service program (1908); Lydia Field Emmet's confirmation certificate (1881), National Academy of Design Academician certificate (1912), biographical notes for an entry in the National Cyclopedia of American Biography, and estate papers; Jane Erin Emmet de Glehn's school diary from 1886; and Rosina Emmet Sherwood's certificates for two bronze medals from the Pan-American Exposition (1901), silver medal certificate from the Universal Exposition, St Louis (1904), associate certificates from the National Academy of Design (1906),Who's Who entries, and memorial service program (1948).

The "Sedgemere Diary" begun by William Jenkins Emmet in 1855, and resumed by Rosina Emmet in 1880-1881, includes accounts of daily life at a house or location known as "Sedgemere," and several sketches. An additional diary contains entries written by Julia Colt Pierson Emmet, Rosina Emmet Sherwood, and others, from 1890-1894, with subsequent scattered entries dating up to 1933.

Twentieth century photocopies and typed copies of family histories provides details as far back as the 1300s. Records relating to Prang's Christmas Card competition includes Rosina Emmet Sherwood's fourth prize winning entry for 1881 and a copy of the winning 1880 entry, as well as a photo of the 1880 certificate, and a clipping about Prang.

The series also includes two copies of a documentary by Nancy Doyle on the lives and artistic accomplishments of the Emmet family, entitled The Emmets: Portrait of a Family, on two VHS videocassettes.

Series is scanned in entirety.

The bulk of the correspondence found in this series is between Julia Colt Pierson Emmet, Lydia Field Emmet, Jane Erin Emmet de Glehn, and Rosina Emmet Sherwood. Other correspondents include additional family members and a wide range of international artists, writers, musicians, actors, and other creative individuals who interacted with members of the Emmet family. The letters discuss daily events, marriages, births, and deaths within the family, creative activities including details regarding commissions and clients, personal observations on art and society, and relationships between family members and their notable colleagues including Cecil Beaton, Cecilia Beaux, Pablo Casals and Susie Metcalfe Casals, Lynne Fontanne and husband Alfred Lunt, cousin Henry James, Louis Bancel LaFarge, Frederick MacMonnies, Lucien Monod, Roger Quilter, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Emily and John Singer-Sargent, Violet Sargent Ormond, and Stanford White. Letters also document experiences while traveling and living in Europe, and the turmoil of two World Wars, including Jane's life in England during the Blitz.

A number of the letters from the Emmet sisters, particularly early letters from Rosina Emmet Sherwood, are illustrated. Also found, are some transcriptions, particularly for early letters of Lydia Field Emmet.

Correspondence with Lynn Fontanne includes one photograph and three contact sheet images of portraits of Jane Erin Emmet de Glehn taken by Cecile Beaton on a visit to Jane, March 30, 1960. One image shows Beaton reflected in the mirror besides Emmet's bed.

At the end of the series is a reasonably comprehensive, although not all-inclusive, chronological list of individual letters found in this series, noting sender, recipient, date, and main subjects. It was compiled by AAA staff in 1992 and begins with a list of frequently mentioned Emmet family members and friends in order to clarify their identities.

Records are arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent. General files for correspondents not arranged in named files, and for correspondents whose names or surnames are unknown, are at the end of the series. Researchers should note that pages for individual letters may not be sequential, due to the nature of the folded note paper on which many of them are written.

Series is scanned in entirety.

Writings and notes include two illustrated notebooks, one belonging to Jane Erin Emmet de Glehn, with contains accounting information and sketches. Notes include an address by Elsie Burr Sherwood on Rosina Emmet Sherwood, given at the Woman's Club of El Paso in 1926, and notes relating to Rosina Emmet's 1887 visit to Buckingham Palace, where she met Queen Victoria. Also found is a manuscript handwritten by Rosamond Sherwood entitled "Jane Emmet," with the notation "a short history sent to Barbara Tebitt in 1981 by request."

Manuscripts include a mock newspaper, "The Mallow Weekly," containing accounts of family activities, as well as an account of a stage coach trip to Mexico by R. T Emmet, possibly fictional, and an account of a nest of robins written by Rosina Emmet Sherwood. The series also includes a book, Out of Town, written and illustrated by Rosina Emmet Sherwood.

Poems include "Invitation to the Canary Bird," accompanied by a small watercolor, to Jeanette Emmet, and poems by other members of the Emmet family including William Jenkins Emmet, Julia Colt Pierson Emmet, Arthur M. Sherwood, and possibly Rosina Emmet Sherwood; and handwritten poems by others including "To Marie Kobbe," and "Autumn Daybreak" by Edna St. Vincent Millay written in Millay's handwriting, with the notation "given to Rosamond Sherwood one evening at Owen Johnson's house in Stockbridge."

Series is scanned in entirety with the exception of Out of Town, of which only the cover and title page have been scanned.

Exhibition files document the exhibition The Emmets: A Family of Women Painters held at the Berkshire Museum/Danforth Museum in Pittsfield/Farmingham, Massachusetts, in 1982. Records include budget and loan material, checklists, correspondence, announcements and a catalog, press clippings and press releases, photographs of artwork in the exhibition, and photos of the installation, including slides taken by Holly Pedlosky and Mary Snow.

Series also includes two sound cassettes with recordings from the "Art for Lunch" series, of a discussion with Rosamond Sherwood about the exhibition, and with Berkshire Museum director Gary Burger on "Putting the Emmet Exhibition Together."

Series is scanned in entirety, with the exception of sound casettes.

Business records document the commercial transactions of various members of the Emmet family. Lydia Field Emmet's account book records her income from artwork from 1880-1945, and her expenses from 1898 to 1905. Rosina Emmet Sherwood's account book records her donations to charity and artwork sold.

Also found is a legal manuscript arguing the case of Mr. James's recovery of the property of the estate of Michael Connolly.

Series is scanned in entirety.

Printed material includes news clippings, exhibition announcements and catalogs, and reproductions of artwork by Emmet family members and others. Catalogs include those for the Dublin Exhibition of Arts & Manufactures (1872), Paintings, Drawings and Sculptures by Five Generations of the Emmet Family (Arden Gallery, 1936), and catalogs or announcements for work by Rosina Emmet Sherwood (1920), Jane Erin Emmet de Glehn (1927), Ellen Emmet Rand (1984), and Wilfrid de Glehn (1978-1989).

Series has been partially scanned. Material not scanned includes the full text of some catalogs for which only the front covers, title pages, and any other relevant pages have been scanned.

The 1890 scrapbook reflects the activities of various members of the Emmet family and contains drawings, printed material such as opera programs, and photographs, including reproductions of photographs of actors, photographs of Anne Hyde Clark, Charles Dana Gibson, and Richard Smith Emmet, and photographs of the Devereaux Emmet estate at Sherrewogue.

The 1870-1875 scrapbook was kept by Rosina Emmet Sherwood and contains drawings in pencil, India ink, and watercolor pasted on paper. Images consist of portraits of children, scenes from Emmet family life, and visits to West Point, Newport, and Southampton.

Series has been scanned in entirety.

Artwork includes drawings and/or sketchbooks of Jane Erin, Lydia Field, and Rosina Emmet; watercolors and a combination sketchbook and scrapbook of Julia Colt Pierson Emmet; one sketchbook each by Thomas Addis Emmet and Libby LeRoy; and drawings by Ellen Emmet Rand and Elizabeth Emmet Morgan.

Also found are five folders of watercolor sketches by unidentified artists, presumably Emmet family members, primarily of flowers.

Series is scanned in entirety.

Photographs are of Emmet family members, including Julia Colt Pierson Emmet and William Jenkins Emmet, Lydia Field Emmet, Jane Erin Emmet de Glehn and husband Wilfrid de Glehn, and Rosina Emmet Sherwood and family. They include albumen prints, and two tintypes of Bay, Jane Erin, and Lydia Field Emmet in Paris. Also found are photos of friends and colleagues including one photo of Richard Harding Davies, three photos of Frederick MacMonnies and three of Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

Series also includes photos of the exhibition Paintings, Drawings and Sculptures by Five Generations of the Emmet Family at Arden Gallery in 1936, and photos of artwork by family members and others, including a John Singer Sargent portrait of Jane Erin Emmet de Glehn.