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Finding Aid for the Helen Clay Frick Papers, Series IV: Calendars and Diaries, 1904-1982, undated HCFF.2.4
Part of the Frick Family Papers
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- Repository
- The Frick Collection/Frick Art Reference Library Archives10 East 71st Street
New York, NY, 10021
archives@frick.org
© 2014 The Frick Collection. All rights reserved. - Creator
- Frick, Helen Clay, 1888-1984.
- Title
- Helen Clay Frick Papers, Series IV: Calendars and Diaries
- ID
- HCFF.2.4
- Date
- 1904-1982, undated
- Extent
- 8.1 Linear feet (17 boxes)
- Abstract
- Helen Clay Frick (1888-1984) was the daughter of industrialist and art collector Henry Clay Frick. She was also a philanthropist and founder of the Frick Art Reference Library in New York. This series contains calendars, diaries, and notes documenting Miss Frick's travels and daily activities over a period spanning nearly 80 years.
Preferred Citation
Helen Clay Frick Papers, Series IV: Calendars and Diaries. The Frick Collection/Frick Art Reference Library Archives.
Biographical Note
Helen Clay Frick (1888–1984) was the daughter of industrialist and art collector Henry Clay Frick and his wife, Adelaide Howard Childs Frick. Born at Clayton, the Frick family residence in Pittsburgh, her early education took place at home under the tutelage of Swiss governess Marika Ogiz. In 1905, Henry Clay Frick relocated his family to the Vanderbilt mansion at 640 Fifth Avenue in New York, and Helen Clay Frick enrolled at Miss Spence's School for Girls, graduating in 1908. She made her debut into society in Pittsburgh later that same year.
From an early age, Helen Clay Frick expressed an interest in art, and around 1910 she created an early two-volume catalogue of her father's collection. She traveled abroad frequently with her family and maintained detailed diaries from several of these trips, noting visits to galleries, museums, and historical sites. She was also interested in photography and kept a visual record of her travels through scrapbooks and photograph albums.
After the death of her father in 1919, Helen Clay Frick focused her attention on The Frick Collection, the museum comprised of Henry Clay Frick's New York residence and art collection which had been established by his will. Along with her mother and her brother, Childs Frick, Helen Clay Frick served as a founding trustee of the Collection and was instrumental in guiding the museum's early acquisitions. In 1920, she established the Frick Art Reference Library in New York as a memorial to her father and as a public resource for those with an interest in art history. She served as Director of the Library from its inception until shortly before her death.
In addition to her work in art and art history, Helen Clay Frick took an interest in politics, land conservation, the humane treatment of animals, and the welfare of underprivileged children. In 1909, she founded the Iron Rail Vacation Home in Wenham, Mass., which served as a retreat for girls who worked in the textile mills outside of Boston. She was also very active in war relief efforts throughout both the first and second World Wars. In 1917, near the end of World War I, she sailed to France to assist the Red Cross in the repatriation of Belgian refugees. From 1940 to 1944, she hosted seven young women from Britain as part of a program to evacuate citizens while England was under aerial bombardment.
Helen Clay Frick was a legal resident of Pittsburgh for her entire adult life, and took an active interest in that city. In 1926, she helped to found an academic department in art history at the University of Pittsburgh. In the 1960s, she provided funds for the University to construct the Henry Clay Frick Fine Arts Building to house the department and its library. Subsequent disagreements with the University, however, compelled her to withdraw her support, and in 1970, she built the Frick Art Museum on the grounds at Clayton to house her personal art collection. Helen Clay Frick never married and had no children. She died at Clayton in 1984.
Scope and Content Note
Items in this series consist of various types of diaries and calendars, including travel diaries, office and desk diaries, engagement calendars, and wall calendars kept by Helen Clay Frick and by her staff, especially by her personal secretary, Julia B. Egan. Travel diaries record transatlantic crossings, cities, museums, and houses visited, modes of travel, and local customs. Engagement calendars and office diaries document daily activities and routines, appointments, visitors, and travel. They frequently include commentary from Helen Clay Frick about her general state of health, births and deaths among her family and friends, the weather, and observations about her estate in Bedford, N.Y. Volumes of particular interest include travel diaries from the Frick family's 1905, 1909, and 1912 trips abroad, and a volume documenting Helen Clay Frick's Red Cross service in France during the First World War.
Materials in this series are arranged chronologically.
Arrangement
Materials in this series are arranged chronologically.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
These records are open for research by appointment under the conditions of The Frick Collection/Frick Art Reference Library Archives Access Policy. For all inquiries or to schedule an appointment, please contact the Archives Department at archives@frick.org.
Provenance
Gift of the Helen Clay Frick Foundation, 2015.
Processing Information
Arranged and described by Julie Ludwig, 2014, with funding from the Helen Clay Frick Foundation.
Controlled Access Headings
Genre(s)
- Diaries.
Geographic Name(s)
- Bedford (N.Y. : Town)
Personal Name(s)
- Egan, Julia B., d. 1999
- Frick, Helen Clay, 1888-1984.
Subject(s)
- Travel.
- World War, 1914-1918--War work--Red Cross.
Collection Inventory
| 1 | 1 |
Daily diary
Scope and Contents note
Composite diary with entries for 1904 and 1905. Records school and social activities, travel, and news about family members and friends. |
1904-1905 | |
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| 1 | 2 |
Travel diary
Scope and Contents note
Records the Frick family's trip to Europe in 1905, sailing from New York on 11 July, and returning on 3 October. Itinerary included locations in Belgium, France, Switzerland, and Germany. |
1905 | |
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| 1 | 3-4 |
Travel diaries
Scope and Contents note
Helen Clay Frick kept two travel diaries during the family's 1909 trip abroad, which included visits to England, France, Spain, Monaco, and Italy. One volume (written in pencil) contains entries dated 16 January 1909 through 8 June 1909. In these entries, Helen Clay Frick documents the trip itself, as well as the period shortly following, including references to the June wedding of her childhood friend, Virginia Frew. The second volume (written in pen) runs concurrent to the first, and contains entries dated 26 January 1909 through 14 April 1909. It includes a log of the eastbound crossing in the front; a handful of names and foreign addresses are noted in the back. The calling card of Miss Paine, 61 West 55th Street, was inserted at the back of the book. Entry on 14 May records a visit to J.P. Morgan’s London house and seeing Holbein's Christina, Duchess of Denmark at the National Gallery. |
1909 | |
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| 1 | 5-6 |
Travel diaries
Scope and Contents note
As she did in 1909, Helen Clay Frick kept two travel diaries during the family's 1912 trip abroad. The first volume contains entries dated 10 January 1912 through 12 March 1912. The second volume contains entries from 10 January 1912 through 1 May 1912, as well as numerous postcards collected by Helen Clay Frick over the course of the trip. Locations mentioned include the Azores, Madeira, Monte Carlo, Egypt, Italy, France, and Switzerland. Second diary housed separately; see: Calendars/Diaries, Shoebox 1. |
1912 | |
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| 1 | 7 |
Pocket calendar [blank]
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1913 | |
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| 1 | 8 |
Red Cross diary
Scope and Contents note
Record of Helen Clay Frick's experiences while working with the Red Cross in the repatriation of Belgian refugees in France at the end of World War I. Diary inserts housed in folder; diary housed separately, see: Calendars/Diaries, Shoebox 3. |
1917-1918 | |
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| 1 | 9 |
Notes on Red Cross activities
Scope and Contents note
Remembrances of Helen Clay Frick, Gertrude Hill, and Constance Roberson during their Red Cross service in France. Entries dated January-February 1918. |
1918 | |
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| 1 | 10 |
Friendship calendar
Scope and Contents note
Compiled by Elizabeth Holmes for Helen Clay Frick. Consists of pages made by family members and friends for each day of the year. Diary housed separately; see: Calendars/Diaries, Shoebox 2. |
1917-1918 | |
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| 1 | 11 |
Travel diary
Scope and Content Note
Contains entries from 24 May through 17 August, with some gaps. Mentions locations in England, France, and Belgium. Diary inserts housed in folder; diary housed in Shoebox 3. |
1920 | |
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| 2 | 1 |
Birthday calendar
Scope and Content Note
Also includes wedding anniversaries, deaths, and memorials. |
circa 1920's-1960's | |
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| 2 | 2 |
Desk calendars
Scope and Contents note
1924 calendar is illustrated with photographs of Helen Clay Frick's nieces and nephew. |
1923-1924 | |
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| 2 | 3-5 |
Westmoreland Farm diaries
Scope and Content Note
Composite diaries each containing five years of entries (1922-1926, 1927-1931, and 1932-1936). Entries record guests at Westmoreland Farm, activity in the gardens on the estate, weather, etc. Diaries housed separately; see: Calendars/Diaries, Shoebox 3. |
1922-1936 | |
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| 2 | 6 |
Pocket diary
Scope and Content Note
Miniature memorandum book issued by Marcus & Co. Jewelers; no entries. |
1933 | |
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| 2 | 7 |
Westmoreland Farm diary
Scope and Content Note
Composite diary containing five years of entries in one volume. Entries record guests at Westmoreland Farm, activity in the gardens on the estate, weather, etc. |
1937-1941 | |
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| 2 | 8 |
Framed desk calendar
Scope and Content Note
Calendar housed separately; see: Calendars/Diaries, Shoebox 3. |
1940 | |
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| 2 | 9-10 |
Daily diaries
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1942-1943 | |
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| 3 | 1-4 |
Daily diaries, continued
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1944-1947 | |
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| 3 | 5 |
Engagement calendar
Scope and Contents note
Includes itinerary and postcards from a trip to the Canadian Rockies in the summer of 1954. |
1947, 1954 | |
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| 3 | 6 |
Daily diary
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1948 | |
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| 3 | 7 |
Engagement calendars
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1949-1950 | |
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| 4 | 1 |
Westmoreland Farm diary
Scope and Content Note
Composite diary containing five years of entries in one volume. Entries record guests at Westmoreland Farm, activity in the gardens on the estate, weather, etc. Diary housed separately; see: Calendars/Diaries, Shoebox 3. |
1949-1951 | |
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| 4 | 2-4 |
Engagement calendars
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1951-1952 | |
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| 4 | 5 |
Mixed-use diary
Scope and Contents note
"Memoranda" section contains entry dated 7 September; entries for January and February contain notes re: painters and portrait subjects; July contains pasted-in clippings and letters re: Helen Clay Frick's opposition to modern art. |
1952, 1962 | |
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| 4 | 6 |
Wall calendars
Scope and Content Note
Wall calendars housed separately; see: Calendars/Diaries, Oversize A. |
1952-1953, 1957 | |
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| 4 | 7-11 |
Engagement calendars
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1953-1957 | |
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| 5 | 1 |
Engagement calendars, continued
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1957 | |
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| 5 | 2 |
Desk calendar
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1958 | |
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| 5 | 3 |
Engagement calendar
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1958 | |
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| 5 | 4 |
Pocket diary
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1958 | |
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| 5 | 5-6 |
Engagement calendars
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1959 | |
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| 5 | 7 |
Pocket diary
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1959 | |
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| 5 | 8 |
Office diary
Scope and Contents note
Diary maintained by Helen Clay Frick's personal secretary. Records appointments, visitors, reminders, and activities both in and out of the office. |
1959 | |
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| 5 | 9-10 |
Engagement calendars
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1960 | |
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| 6 | 1-2 |
Engagement calendars
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1961 | |
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| 6 | 3 |
Travel diary
Scope and Contents note
Contains entries dated 28 June-1 August. Locations mentioned include Spain, France, Belgium, and Holland. |
1961? | |
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| 6 | 4 |
Travel diary
Scope and Content Note
Volume used for various purposes, particularly as a travel diary from 28 November 1962 through 7 February 1963. Locations mentioned include Italy, France, Switzerland, and England. This volume also contains notes on Italian grammar, a list of Christmas gifts received in 1976, and miscellaneous other notes. |
1962-1963, 1976, undated | |
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| 6 | 5-10 |
Engagement calendars
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1962-1964 | |
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| 6 | 11 |
Pocket diary
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1964 | |
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| 7 | 1 |
Office diary
Scope and Contents note
Informal diary maintained by Julia B. Egan, Helen Clay Frick's personal secretary. Records appointments, visitors, reminders, and activities both in and out of the office. |
1964 | |
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| 7 | 2-3 |
Engagement calendars
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1965 | |
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| 7 | 4 |
Office diary
Scope and Contents note
Maintained by Julia B. Egan, Helen Clay Frick's personal secretary. Records appointments, visitors, reminders, and activities both in and out of the office. |
1965 | |
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| 7 | 5-7 |
Engagement calendars
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1966 | |
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| 7 | 8 |
Office diary
Scope and Contents note
Maintained by Julia B. Egan, Helen Clay Frick's personal secretary. Records appointments, visitors, reminders, and activities both in and out of the office. |
1965-1966 | |
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| 7 | 9 |
Office diary
Scope and Contents note
Maintained by Julia B. Egan, Helen Clay Frick's personal secretary. Records appointments, visitors, reminders, and activities both in and out of the office. |
1966 | |
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| 8 | 1 |
Engagement calendar
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1967 | |
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| 8 | 2 |
Pocket diary
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1967 | |
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| 8 | 3 |
Office diary
Scope and Contents note
In hand of Julia B. Egan, Helen Clay Frick's personal secretary. Records appointments, visitors, reminders, and activities both in and out of the office. |
1967 | |
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| 8 | 4 |
Travel diaries
Scope and Contents note
One diary in Miss Frick's hand, and one in the hand of Julia B. Egan, Helen Clay Frick's personal secretary. Miss Frick's diary contains entries dated 30 September-15 October, with programs for a Liszt concert and the Spanische Reitschule tucked inside. Mrs. Egan's diary contains entries dated 30 August-26 October. Locations mentioned include Ireland, England, France, Austria, and Italy. |
1967 | |
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| 8 | 5 |
Office diary
Scope and Contents note
In hand of Julia B. Egan, Helen Clay Frick's personal secretary. |
1968 | |
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| 8 | 6-7 |
Engagement calendars
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1968 | |
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| 8 | 8 |
Office diary
Scope and Contents note
In hand of Julia B. Egan, Helen Clay Frick's personal secretary. |
1968-1970 | |
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| 9 | 1 |
Office diary
Scope and Contents note
In hand of Julia B. Egan, Helen Clay Frick's personal secretary. |
1969 | |
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| 9 | 2 |
Engagement calendar
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1969 | |
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| 9 | 3 |
Pocket diary
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1969 | |
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| 9 | 4 |
Office diary
Scope and Contents note
In hand of Julia B. Egan, Helen Clay Frick's personal secretary. |
1970 | |
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| 9 | 5-6 |
Engagement calendars
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1970-1971 | |
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| 9 | 7 |
Office diary
Scope and Contents note
In hand of Julia B. Egan, Helen Clay Frick's personal secretary. |
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| 10 | 1-4 |
Engagement calendar
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1971 | |
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| 10 | 5 |
Office diary
Scope and Contents note
In hand of Julia B. Egan, Helen Clay Frick's personal secretary. |
1972 | |
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| 10 | 6 |
Pocket diary [blank]
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1972 | |
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| 10 | 7 |
Office diary
Scope and Contents note
In hand of Julia B. Egan, Helen Clay Frick's personal secretary. |
1973 | |
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| 11 | 1-4 |
Engagement calendars
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1973-1974 | |
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| 11 | 5-6 |
Office diaries
Scope and Contents note
In hand of Julia B. Egan, Helen Clay Frick's personal secretary. |
1974-1975 | |
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| 11 | 7 |
Engagement calendar
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1975 | |
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| 11 | 8 |
Desk calendar
Scope and Content Note
Calendar housed separately; see: Calendars/Diaries, Shoebox 3. |
1975 | |
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| 12 | 1-2 |
Engagement calendars
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1976 | |
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| 12 | 3-5 |
Office diaries
Scope and Contents note
In hand of Julia B. Egan, Helen Clay Frick's personal secretary. |
1976-1978 | |
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| 13 | 1 |
Office diary
Scope and Contents note
In hand of Julia B. Egan, Helen Clay Frick's personal secretary. |
1979 | |
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| 13 | 2 |
Engagement calendar
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1980-1982 | |
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| 13 | 3 |
Perpetual calendar
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undated | |
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