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Oliver Ingraham Lay, Charles Downing Lay, and Lay family papers, 1789-2000, bulk circa 1870s-1996

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2.2: Correspondence , 1879-1964

This subseries includes the letters between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay before their marriage. Also found is the personal correspondence of Charles Downing Lay; the files also contain Laura Lay's correspondence with family members, her children, and friends.
Many of Charles Downing Lay's letters are to Laura Lay and relate to daily events and the activities of family members and friends. Also included are references to his landscape design projects and his painting activities. Among the correspondents are Homer Saint-Gaudens, Eugene Speicher, and Robert Wheelwright. Found are one letter from John C. Olmsted (1916) and one letter from Fidelia Bridges (undated). There is an illustrated letter by Charles Downing Lay to David Lay (Charles's son; 1934).
Also found are Century Association files documenting Lay's affiliation with the club through a variety of material, including correspondence, miscellaneous writings and notes, printed material, and photographs. Much of the correspondence relates to the admission of new members, especially the nominations of Eugene Speicher and Forbes Watson. Notable correspondents include John Taylor Arms, Royal Cortissoz, Homer Saint-Gaudens, Robert W. DeForest, William Henry Fox, and Gari Melchers. There is a group photograph of Charles Downing Lay with Henry Allen Moe and Geoffrey Parsons, (undated).
Letters between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay and the Charles Downing Lay correspondence are filed chronologically.
Description Container Select
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, 1899-1900
5
28
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, circa 1900s
5
29-35
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, 1901
6
1
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, 1902
6
2
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, circa 1903
6
3
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, 1903
6
4-8
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, circa 1904
6
9-12
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, 1904
6
13-41
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, 1905
6
42-44
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, circa 1906-1908
6
45
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, 1906-1907
6
46
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, 1908-1909, undated
6
47
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, 1912-1913
6
48
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, 1914-1915
6
49
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, 1915
6
50
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, 1916
6
51
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, 1917-1918
6
52
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, 1919
6
53
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, circa 1920s
6
54-57
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, 1920-1921
6
58
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, 1923-1924
6
59
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, 1925-1934
6
60
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, Fragments, circa 1904, undated
6
61-62
Between Charles Downing Lay and Laura Gill Lay, Loose Envelopes, 1902-1904, 1934, undated
6
63-64
Charles Downing Lay, 1879-1880, undated
6
65
Charles Downing Lay, 1886-1894, undated
6
66
Charles Downing Lay, Letters from William R. Ware, 1898-1911, undated
6
67-68
Charles Downing Lay, 1900
6
69
Charles Downing Lay, 1901
6
70-71
Charles Downing Lay, 1902
7
1
Charles Downing Lay, 1903
7
2-4
Charles Downing Lay, circa 1904
7
5
Charles Downing Lay, 1904
7
6-13
Charles Downing Lay, 1905-1906
7
14
Charles Downing Lay, 1907-1908
7
15
Charles Downing Lay, Letters from Thatcher and Lea Luquer, 1907-1930
7
16
Charles Downing Lay, 1911-1912
7
17
Charles Downing Lay, 1914-1922, undated
7
18
Charles Downing Lay, 1915-1916
7
19
Charles Downing Lay, The Century Association, 1915-1936, undated
7
20-31
Charles Downing Lay, 1916-1918
7
32
Charles Downing Lay, 1917-1919
7
33
Charles Downing Lay, 1922, 1930
7
34
Charles Downing Lay, 1925-1926
7
35
Charles Downing Lay, Letters from Robert Wheelwright, 1927-1936, 1954, undated
7
36
Charles Downing Lay, 1932-1933
7
37
Charles Downing Lay, 1934
7
38
Charles Downing Lay, 1935
7
39
Charles Downing Lay, 1936
7
40
Charles Downing Lay, Vintage Festival, 1936-1954
7
41-46
Charles Downing Lay, Blossom Festival, 1937-1939
7
47-52
Charles Downing Lay, 1940
7
53
Charles Downing Lay, 1954, 1964, undated
7
54
Charles Downing Lay, 1955-1956
7
55
Charles Downing Lay, undated
7
56-63
Charles Downing Lay, Loose Envelopes, 1859-1905, 1954, undated
7
64

Make a Request

  • To request an appointment to view materials, make your selections using the checkboxes and click the "Reading Room" button. Please note, you will receive the full box.
  • To request reproductions, make your selections using the checkboxes and click the "Reproduction" button.