Finding Aid for the Helen Clay Frick Papers, Series XI: Travel, 1887-1973, undated HCFF.02.11

 Part of the Frick Family Papers

Summary Information

Repository
The Frick Collection/Frick Art Reference Library Archives10 East 71st Street
New York, NY, 10021
archives@frick.org
 © 2018 The Frick Collection. All rights reserved.
Creator
Frick, Helen Clay, 1888-1984.
Title
Helen Clay Frick Papers, Series XI: Travel
ID
HCFF.02.11
Date
1887-1973, undated
Extent
10.4 Linear feet (36 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 documents her travels, both foreign and domestic, largely through correspondence, itineraries, receipts, maps and other guides, notebooks, postcards, and scrapbooks.

Preferred Citation

Helen Clay Frick Papers, Series XI: Travel. The Frick Collection/Frick Art Reference Library Archives.

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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.

After the death of her father in 1919, Helen Clay Frick became one of the founding trustees of The Frick 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. Helen Clay Frick was actively involved in the establishment of the Fine Arts Department at the University of Pittsburgh, and created the Frick Art Museum in Pittsburgh to house her own art collection in 1970. She died at Clayton in 1984.

Helen Clay Frick most likely traveled abroad with her family for the first time in the summer of 1889, but there is very little documentation from this trip (see: Adelaide H.C. Frick Papers, Series IV: Travel (Itineraries) in this repository). There is no evidence that the family traveled to Europe again until 1893, when they took an extended trip that included stops in Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and England. The family appears to have traveled abroad every year for the remainder of the 1890s, though the level of documentation is sporadic. Thereafter, family trips became somewhat less regular, though significant trips were taken in 1905, 1909, and 1912. Helen Clay Frick traveled to Europe with both of her parents for the last time in 1914. She made her first solo trip in 1917, when she sailed to France to assist the Red Cross with the repatriation of refugees.

During the 1920s, Helen Clay Frick made a number of trips that coincided with the establishment and growth of the Frick Art Reference Library. These trips focused on England, France, and Italy, and she was occasionally accompanied by her mother, who died in 1931. Miss Frick returned to Europe in 1932, but travel was then disrupted by World War II, and she did not sail abroad again until 1947. She made trips in the 1950s and 1960s, with her last trip abroad taking place in 1967.

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Scope and Content Note

Series XI: Travel, 1887-1973 and undated, consists of correspondence, brochures, ephemera, itineraries, receipts, published maps and guides, notebooks, passports, postcards, receipts, ships' passenger lists, and scrapbooks documenting travel by Helen Clay Frick. Most documentation pertains to European travel, especially to the United Kingdom, France, and Italy, but some information about domestic trips can be found in this collection, particularly travel to Virginia and South Carolina. The bulk of this series is given to travel arrangements, including reservations for Atlantic crossings via steamship, hotel bookings, and daily itineraries. As she did at home, Helen Clay Frick employed a chauffeur while abroad, and these files document efforts to procure a suitable car and driver while traveling in Europe. Approximately ten notebooks describe places of interest in England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, France, and Spain. Typically arranged geographically, they often contain descriptions of historic homes and may have been compiled in connection with the Frick Art Reference Library's campaigns to photograph works of art in private collections.

Volumes comprise another significant portion of the series. These range from a scrapbook containing memorabilia collected over nearly four decades (1887-1922), to postcard albums (1897-1905 and undated) and travel scrapbooks (1920-1963), which often functioned as both scrapbook and diary by recording daily movements and visits to galleries, museums, and historic sites. Additionally, this series contains two travel diaries: one for a train trip to California in 1903, and one for a trip from Quebec to Europe in 1953. The remainder of Helen Clay Frick's travel diaries can be found in the Helen Clay Frick Papers, Series IV: Calendars and Diaries, notably her chronicles of experiences abroad in 1905, 1909, 1912, 1917-1918, and 1920. Photographs documenting travel can be found among the Frick Family Albums and Scrapbooks and Frick Family Photographs, both in this repository. Digitized versions of selected albums and images are available via Frick Digital Collections.

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Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by material type (e.g. arrangements and itineraries, maps and guides, notebooks, passports, volumes, etc.), then chronologically.

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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 A. Ludwig, 2018.

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Related Materials

Related Materials

Additional travel documentation can be found elsewhere among the Frick Family Papers in this repository. Most of Helen Clay Frick's travel diaries can be found in the Helen Clay Frick Papers, Series IV: Calendars and Diaries. Photographs documenting travel can be found among the Frick Family Albums and Scrapbooks and Frick Family Photographs. Digitized versions of selected albums and images are available via Frick Digital Collections.

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Controlled Access Headings

Genre(s)

  • Diaries.
  • Scrapbooks.

Personal Name(s)

  • Frick, Adelaide Howard Childs, 1859-1931.
  • Frick, Helen Clay, 1888-1984.

Subject(s)

  • Chauffeurs.
  • Ocean travel.
  • Railroad travel.
  • Travel.
  • Voyages and travels.

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Collection Inventory

1 1

Arrangements and itineraries - Virginia riding trip
 

1916

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1 2

Arrangements and itineraries - Europe
 

1920

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1 3

Arrangements and itineraries - Italy
 

1925

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1 4

Arrangements and itineraries - Italy
 

See also: Helen Clay Frick Papers, Series: Alphabetical File (Lloyd Sabaudo).

1927-1928

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1 5-6

Arrangements and itineraries - Italy
 

1928

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1 7

Arrangements and itineraries - Italy
 

1930

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1 8-9

Arrangements and itineraries - Europe
 

1932

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1 10

Arrangements and itineraries - Europe [Folder 1 of 2]
 

1947

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2 1

Arrangements and itineraries - Europe [Folder 2 of 2]
 

1947

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2 2

Arrangements and itineraries - African cruise
 

1949-1950

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2 3-4

Arrangements and itineraries - Europe
 

1951

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2 5

Arrangements and itineraries - Europe
 

1952

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2 6

Arrangements and itineraries - Europe
 

Proposed trips for 1953 (not taken).

1952

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2 7

Arrangements and itineraries - Europe
 

1953

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3 1

Arrangements and itineraries - Europe
 

1954

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3 2

Arrangements and itineraries - Canada
 

1954-1955

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3 3

Arrangements and itineraries - Europe
 

1955

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3 4

Arrangements and itineraries - Europe
 

1957

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3 5

Arrangements and itineraries - European chauffeurs
 

1957-1965

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3 6

Arrangements and itineraries - Europe
 

1958

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3 7

Arrangements and itineraries - Italy
 

1959

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3 8

Arrangements and itineraries - Europe
 

1960

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3 9

Arrangements and itineraries - Europe [Folder 1 of 2]
 

1961

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4 1

Arrangements and itineraries - Europe [Folder 2 of 2]
 

1961

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4 2

Arrangements and itineraries - Europe
 

1962

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4 3

Arrangements and itineraries - Italy
 

1962

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4 4

Arrangements and itineraries - New Mexico
 

1962

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4 5

Arrangements and itineraries - Lists of English houses for the next trip
 

1966

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4 6

Arrangements and itineraries - Europe
 

1967

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4 7

Arrangements and itineraries - Pennsylvania
 

1968

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4 8

Arrangements and itineraries - Miscellaneous itineraries
 

1923-1970, undated

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4 9

Foreign accounts
 

See also: Helen Clay Frick Papers, Series: Accounts.

1920

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4 10

Foreign currency
 

1946-1962

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4 11

Maps and guides - Africa
 

1935

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4 12

Maps and guides - Belgium
 

1957, undated

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4 13

Maps and guides - England
 

Guides to London and the village of Alfriston.

1950, undated

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4 14

Maps and guides - France
 

1905-1918

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5 1-3

Maps and guides - France
 

1922-1972, undated

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5 4

Maps and guides - Italy
 

Ruskin's Mornings in Florence.

1909

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5 5

Maps and guides - Italy
 

Map of Siena, guide to the sanctuaries of Italy, etc.

undated

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5 6

Maps and guides - New York
 

1935-1953

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5 7-8

Maps and guides - Pennsylvania
 

1930-1955

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5 9

Maps and guides - Russo-Japanese War map
 

1904

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5 10

Maps and guides - South Carolina
 

undated

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6 1

Maps and guides - Spain and Portugal
 

undated

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6 2

Maps and guides - Sweden
 

1947-1954, undated

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6 3

Maps and guides - Switzerland
 

1923, 1955

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6 4-5

Maps and guides - United Kingdom
 

1927-1961, undated

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6 6

Maps and guides - United States
 

1925-1968

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6 7

Maps and guides - Virginia
 

1940, 1954, undated

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6 8

Maps and guides - Western Europe
 

undated

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6 9

Menu
 

Menu from a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco. Possibly acquired during a trip to California by rail in 1903.

circa 1903?

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6 10

Miscellaneous
 

Includes list of expenses from a car trip and train tickets.

1930-1973

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6 11

Notebooks - England
 

Arranged by county, notebook contains details about houses, including history, works of art or other notable features, hours, etc. Sometimes includes date visited, impressions, or notes regarding photographs for FARL. Additional undated notebook contains miscellaneous entries.

circa 1950s, undated

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6 12

Notebooks - France
 

Includes list of Houdon busts at the Louvre.

undated

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7 1

Notebooks - France and England
 

Contains lists of places to visit.

undated

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7 2

Notebooks - Ireland
 

Arranged by county, notebook contains details about houses, including history, works of art or other notable features, hours, etc. Sometimes includes date visited.

circa 1950s

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7 3

Notebooks - Ireland
 

Notes regarding art and history of Adare Castle.

1969

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7 4-5

Notebooks - Italy
 

Notes on galleries and lists of paintings to be photographed. One notebook contains diary entries from Helen Clay Frick's 1927-1928 trip to Italy.

1925-1928 undated

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7 6

Notebooks - Italy - Purchases
 

circa 1920s

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7 7

Notebooks - Miscellaneous
 

Barely used notebook containing only a few entries.

undated

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7 8

Notebooks - Places and things of interest
 

Lists of museums and other sites in Italy, England, France, and Spain.

undated

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7 9

Notebooks - Scotland
 

Arranged by county, notebook contains details about houses, including history, works of art or other notable features, etc. With accompanying typed description of travel in Scotland in 1951 and 1953.

1951, 1953

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7 10-12

Passports
 

1917-1930

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8 1-2

Passports
 

1946-1967

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8 3-6

Postcards
 

undated

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8 7-8

Receipts
 

Receipts for hotels and purchases in Paris and London.

1920-1921

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9 1-3

Ships' passenger lists
 

1904-1928

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9 4

Sketches of Egyptian costumes
 

1912

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9 5

Travel diary
 

Documents a trip to California by rail, with stops along the way.

1903

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9 6

Travel diary
 

Documents travel from Quebec to Europe in the summer of 1953.

1953

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Travel diaries
 

For additional travel diaries, see volumes below and also Helen Clay Frick Papers, Series IV: Calendars and Diaries.

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10

Volumes - Scrapbook of items from various trips
 

Includes ships' passenger lists, photographs, itineraries, and other memorabilia.

1887-1922

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11

Volumes - Postcard album
 

Contains postcards sent to Helen Clay Frick from friends and family members. Locations include Egypt, France, Italy, Germany, Romania, Russia, England, and Wales.

1897-1905

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12

Volumes - Postcard album
 

Contains postcards collected by Helen Clay Frick, as well as cards sent to her by friends. Locations include Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Switzerland, New York, Princeton, Massachusetts, Maine, California, Florida, Cuba, and France. Includes images of historical figures, Native Americans, African Americans, and souvenir cards from the Philippine exhibit at the (1904?) World's Fair.

1900-1904 undated

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13

Volumes - Postcard album
 

Contains postcards sent from Henry Clay Frick to Helen Clay Frick while he was traveling abroad from 23 July through 30 August 1904. Includes locations in England, France, and Switzerland.

1904

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14

Volumes - Postcard album
 

Contains views of France, Switzerland, and Germany collected during the family's 1905 trip abroad. On most cards, Helen Clay Frick noted the date that location was visited.

1905

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15

Volumes - Postcard album
 

Contains views of Italy and France.

circa 1905

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16

Volumes - Three Weeks in England
 

Scrapbook documenting travel from 15 May through 14 June 1920.

1920

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17

Volumes - France
 

Scrapbook documenting travel from 15 June through 8 August 1920.

1920

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18

Volumes - France and Belgium
 

Scrapbook documenting travel from 12 August through 1 September 1920.

1920

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19

Volumes - England and France
 

Scrapbook documenting travel from 16 April through 17 July 1921. Includes images of Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Cockerell, Clotilde Misme (later Briere), and the home of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Gay. Also reproductions of paintings in the 1921 exhibition of Dutch art at the Louvre (e.g. Vermeer's "The Girl with the Pearl Earring" and Fabrituis' "The Goldfinch").

1921

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20

Volumes - Virginia
 

Scrapbook documenting travel throughout Virginia during the first Frick Art Reference Library photo campaign.

1922

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21

Volumes - South Carolina
 

Scrapbook documenting travel throughout South Carolina during the second Frick Art Reference Library photo campaign. With accompanying folio of printed material.

1923

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22

Volumes - Italy, 1923-1924, Vol. I
 

Scrapbook documenting travel in December 1923.

1923

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23

Volumes - Italy, 1923-1924, Vol. II
 

Scrapbook documenting travel from December 1923 through January 1924.

1923-1924

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24

Volumes - Italy, 1923-1924, Vol. III
 

Scrapbook documenting travel in January 1924.

1924

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25

Volumes - Italy, 1925, Vol. I
 

Scrapbook documenting travel from 13 June through 6 July 1925.

1925

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26

Volumes - Italy, 1925, Vol. II
 

Scrapbook documenting travel from 7 July through 18 July 1925.

1925

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27

Volumes - Italy, 1925, Vol. III
 

Scrapbook documenting travel from 22 July through 13 August 1925.

1925

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Volumes - Italy
 

For travel scrapbook covering the period 23 December 1927 to 29 January 1928, see: Helen Clay Frick Papers, Series: Art Files, Box 29 (Italian Art - Florentine Painting, Vol. 2).

1927

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28

Volumes - Italy
 

Views of the Palazzo Ravizza in Siena, Italy.

circa 1920s

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29

Volumes - Mexico
 

Contains postcards and photographs of locations throughout Mexico.

circa 1920s

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30

Volumes - Virginia
 

Contains postcards, guides, and other printed material pertaining to sites in Virginia

1931-1947, undated

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31

Volumes - France and Netherlands
 

Scrapbook documenting travel from 24 August through 19 September 1932.

1932

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32

Volumes - Visiting the South
 

Scrapbook documenting travel in March 1949, chiefly in Mississippi.

1949

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33

Volumes - England, Scotland, and Ireland
 

Scrapbook documenting travel from 26 June through 30 August 1951.

1951

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34

Volumes - England, France, and Switzerland
 

Scrapbook documenting travel from 27 August through 7 October 1952.

1952

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35

Volumes - Italy
 

Scrapbook documenting travel from November 1962 through February 1963.

1962-1963

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36

Volumes - Postcard album
 

Contains postcards of locations in Massachusetts, Virginia, Utah, Colorado, etc.

undated

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