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A Finding Aid for the Sherman Thackara Collection

Contact Information

Falvey Memorial Library- Special Collections (2FL)

Villanova University

800 Lancaster Ave.

Villanova, PA 19085

Phone: (610) 519-5271

Email: mfoight@villanova.edu

URL: http://library.villanova.edu/services/depts/speccoll/

Descriptive Summary:

Title: Sherman Thackara Collection

Source: Donated to Villanova College by Eleanor Sherman Thackara in 1897 (unverified)
Repository: Villanova University, Falvey Memorial Library, Special Collections Room
Quantity: 4 linear ft.

Call #: OM E467.S53

Administrative Information:

Access: http://digital.library.villanova.edu/Sherman Thackara Collection/

Publication Rights: Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution – Non-Commercial - ShareAlike 2.5 License

Preferred Citation: Sherman Thackara Collection, Villanova University Digital Library, http://digital.library.villanova.edu

Biographical / Historical Information:
Click here for a biographical sketch of Eleanor ("Ellie") and Alexander Montgomery ("Mont").

Scope and Content Notes:
Containing family papers and correspondences, the collection consists of four linear feet and covers the period from 1854 to 1897. There are nine boxes, 100 folders, and over 2,000 items. Most date ranges are inclusive; however, the folders contain some non-inclusive gaps as well as indeterminable dates. Within the collection, Box VI-b (Mont's letters to Ellie) contains the most items.

Some of the collection's strengths include: detailed accounts of local history in Philadelphia and the Main Line during the 1880's and 1890's; an in-depth sketch of life in the United States Navy after the Civil War based on Mont's diary from 1872-1873, correspondences, and memorabilia from his time at Annapolis and at sea; an intimate look at Victorian courtship practices through Ellie and Mont's relationship; and a portrait of the social customs and manners of a middle class Victorian family. Specific highlights of the Sherman Thackara collection are Ellie's love letters to Mont, Thomas Ewing Sherman's notebook from St. Louis University, first-hand accounts of Lincoln's funeral procession in Chicago and Philadelphia, and a large collection of Japanese and Javanese photographs acquired during Mont's time spent stationed in the Pacific.

Subjects:
Below is a list of general subjects addressed in the collection:

Brothers and sisters--19th century--correspondence

Communication in marriage--19th century--correspondence

Courtship--19th century--correspondence

Education, Elementary--19th Century

Education, Secondary--19th century

Europe--travel--19th century--correspondence

Family--19th century--correspondence

Fathers and daughters--19th century--correspondence

Generals--United States--19th century

Holidays--19th century--Correspondence

Japan--Travel--19th century--Pictorial works

Java (Indonesia)--Travel--19th century--pictorial works

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865--Death and burial--Correspondence

Love-letters--19th century--Correspondence

Manners and customs--19th century--correspondence

Middle class--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--19th century--correspondence

Mothers and daughters--19th century--correspondence

Philadelphia Metropolitan area (pa.)--19th century

united states military academy--19th century

united states Naval academy--19th century--Correspondence

weddings--19th century

Arrangement Notes:

*Date Range:*	1854-1897
Arrangement:	In each box, the items within the folders are arranged in chronological order according to day/month/year. They are grouped together by author and recipient. For example, all of Mont's letters written to his father Benjamin Thackara during the year 1867-1868 are place together in one folder.
*Non-dated materials:*	In such situations, a best guess of the date (usually written in pencil and placed in the upper right corner of the letter) was made based on contextual information of the letter.

Sherman Thackara Finding Aid created by Andrea D. Reed