William Robert Pearmain and Pearmain family papers, 1888-1955

Scattered biographical materials relate to William Robert Pearmain, his wife Nancy, their daughter Polly, and the Pearmain family. Also found are documents concerning the Upton family, from which Robert descended through his mother, Alice. Mostly ephemera, there is a doctor's bill from William Robert Pearmain's birth, transcripts from Milton Academy, a bursar bill from Harvard University, Nancy and Robert's wedding invitation, a program from Polly's debutante ball, a funeral announcement for a Sarah M. Upton, and transcripts of notes found in the Pearmain family bible. Some materials have been annotated by Jack Pearmain, Robert's brother.

Correspondence includes many letters from Pearmain to his mother and other family members written while he was attending the Milton Academy and Harvard, ca. 1900-1906, and while studying art and traveling in Paris and Italy, 1907-1908. There are letters from Pearmain to his wife Nancy, and from both of them to their parents, written from New York City, Dublin, New Hampshire, the Adirondacks, and Pittsburgh. The majority of William's letters discuss his education, time spent in Europe between 1907-1908, his marriage and family, dissatisfaction with his career, and his factory work in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

There are a few letters to Robert, including one from Margaret Sanger thanking him for the use of the Dublin house and asking him to write about the "Pittsburgh situation for the Call"; letters to Nancy, mainly of condolence, from John Graham Brooks, Rockwell Kent, William Sanger, and Alexander Beckman. There is a letter from George de Forest Brush to Robert's mother, circa 1906 or 1907, discussing her unhappiness about Robert leaving Harvard and staying with the Brush family in Italy; a copy of a letter from Samuel Clemens to George de Forest Brush is also found.

Other family correspondence is between Nancy, Polly, Sarah Upton, Sumner, Alice, Margaret, and Jack Pearmain.

There is one watercolor by William Robert Pearmain circa 1910. Accompaning the watercolor is a note written by John Pearmain to his niece, Polly concerning the drawing.

This series consists of a diary by Robert Pearmain recounting his time spent in Europe and notes concerning expenses of the trip. Also found are two school essays by Pearmain.

This series consists of newspapers clippings relating to events in Robert Pearmain's life including his death and marriage. Also found are one issue of the International Workers of the World publication Solidarity and an issue of Mother Earth.

Found here is a photograph taken by the Archives of American Art of a drawing by Will Loring of William Robert Pearmain as a child. Other family photographs are of the Robert, Nancy, and Polly Pearmain in New Hampshire in 1911.