John & Eliza Field, 1860 - 1889
Scope and Contents
Approximately 80 items from the papers of Philadelphia businessman John W. Field and his wife Eliza Willing Spring Peters Field, including letters, calling cards, drawings, and other ephemera in English, French, and Italian. Correspondents are largely artists and intellectuals, including writer Graham Balfour (1858-1929), Italian actress Adelaide Ristoni (1822-1906) and her family, and composer and pianist Giovanni Sgambati (1841-1914), while the content of the letters is generally personal and social, including news of births and deaths, invitations to events, and discussion of the arts. Also included is a book, clothbound with ribbon closures, into which the items were originally pasted. A table of contents on the opening page is the only remaining material left in the book itself, and it reveals that some of the original letters are now missing. A curatorial file compiled by Scheetz is also included, along with a printed document containing translations of the some of the non-English letters by an unknown translator – likely Scheetz himself.
Dates
- 1860 - 1889
Conditions Governing Access
Most manuscripts collections at the Georgetown University Booth Family Center for Special Collections are open to researchers; however, restrictions may apply to some collections. Collections stored off site require a minimum of three days for retrieval. For use of all manuscripts collections, researchers are advised to contact the Booth Family Center for Special Collections in advance of any visit.
Biographical / Historical
John White Field (1815-1887) was a Philadelphia-born businessman with links to the sugar refinery industry. In 1841 he married Eliza Willing Spring Peters (1820-1897), and later in life the couple moved to Washington DC, where they built the Colonial Revival mansion at 1400 New Hampshire avenue known for its association with later owners the Hearst family.
Extent
From the Collection: 30 Cubic Feet (68 boxes)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
From the Collection: Latin
From the Collection: French
From the Collection: Italian
From the Collection: Welsh
From the Collection: Danish
From the Collection: Swedish
From the Collection: Spanish
From the Collection: German
From the Collection: Norwegian
From the Collection: Persian
From the Collection: Japanese
From the Collection: Russian
From the Collection: Greek, Ancient (to 1453)
Creator
- From the Collection: Scheetz, Nicholas B., 1952-2016 (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Georgetown University Manuscripts Repository
Lauinger Library, 5th Floor
37th and O Streets, N.W.
Washington DC 20057
speccoll@georgetown.edu