Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Childs, George W. (George William), 1829-1894.
Title:	George W. Childs Letters
Inclusive Dates:	1862-1892
Quantity:	1 folder (SC)
Abstract:	The papers of the American publisher include correspondence concerning the work of Benson J. Lossing, and some letters about the Public Ledger Almanac.
Language:	English
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

George William Childs (1829-1894) was an American editor and publisher. His letters mainly include correspondence with Benson John Lossing (1813-1891), an American author remembered for his illustrated works.

Born in Maryland on May 12, 1829, Childs is known as both a publisher and philanthropist. Childs was an American editor and publisher, who founded the Philadelphia Public Ledger. He was married to Emma Bouvier Peterson. Childs died of a stroke on February 3, 1894.

The George W. Childs Letters primarily concern the work of historian Benson John Lossing. Lossing was born February 12, 1813 in Beekman, New York to John and Miriam Dorland Lossing. He is best known for his illustrated works of American history, such as his Pictorial Field Books of the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War. He died on June 3, 1891 of a heart attack.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The George W. Childs Letters primarily concern the work of historian Benson Lossing, together with a few items about the Public Ledger Almanac. The correspondents who write of Lossing's project are: George Mifflin Dallas, Isaac Ferris, John Wien Forney, Frederick Holbrook, Theophilus Parsons, Barnas Sears, and Francis Wayland.

Included in the collection are a few personal letters, including those from Sarah Knowles Bolton and Laura Colwell. Among the outgoing personal letters is an item to W. A. Seaver in which Childs mentions a recent dinner party which was attended by Ralph Waldo Emerson at this home, and a congratulatory message to Edwards Pierrepont upon his appointment as Attorney-General of the United States.

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Arrangement of the Collection

The correspondence is arranged alphabetically.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Subjects

Genres and Forms

Occupations

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

George W. Childs Letters
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Finding Aid Information

Created by: KM
Date: Aug 1987
Revision history: 10 Sep 2008 - converted to EAD (LDC)

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Inventory

	Correspondence
SC 29		Bolton, Sarah Knowles 11 Jan 1892 (1 incoming letter)
SC 29		Colwell, Laura undated (1 incoming letter)
SC 29		Dallas, George Mifflin 18 Mar 1862 (1 incoming letter)
SC 29		Ferris, Isaac Apr 1862 (1 incoming letter)
SC 29		Forney, John Wien 04 Apr 1862 (1 incoming letter)
SC 29		Gould, Benjamin Apthorp 18 Sep 1862 (1 outgoing letter)
SC 29		Holbrook, Frederick 21 Mar 1862 (1 incoming letter)
SC 29		Parsons, Theophilus 04 Apr 1862 (1 incoming letter)
SC 29		Pierrepont, Edwards 30 Apr 1875 (1 outgoing letter)
SC 29		Scharf, John Thomas 16 Jan 1880 (1 incoming letter)
SC 29		Sears, Barnas 05 May 1862 (1 incoming letter)
SC 29		Seaver, W. A. 27 Mar 1875 (1 outgoing letter)
SC 29		Stevens, Simon 02 Jan 1864 (1 outgoing letter)
SC 29		Usher, John Palmer 09 Dec 1863 (1 outgoing letter)
SC 29		Wayland, Francis 01 May 1862 (1 incoming letter)
SC 29		Miscellaneous 1864-1891 (4 outgoing, 3 incoming)

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