Martha J. Lamb Papers, 1838-1969
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Sophia Smith Collection Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA
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Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Martha J. Lamb Papers
Creation of Martha J. Lamb Papers
Time of Creation of Martha J. Lamb Papers
Lamb, Martha J. (Martha Joanna), 1829-1893
Biographical History for: Martha J. Lamb Papers
Biographical Note Martha J. Nash was born in Plainfield, Massachusetts on 13 August 1826, the third of the four children of Arvin Nash and Lucinda Vinton. Her mother died when Martha was a child and her father remarried and with his second wife had two more children. Martha Nash was educated at several schools in Massachusetts: in Goshen, at the Williston Seminary in Easthampton (1844-45), and at the Northampton High School. She did especially well in mathematics and taught that subject at schools in Newark, New Jersey and Maumee, Ohio. On 8 September 1852 she married Charles A. Lamb in Maumee. He was a mechanic who had two daughters from an earlier marriage. The Lambs moved to Chicago in 1857 and Martha became involved in charity work. She was a founder of the Home for the Friendless and the Half-Orphan Asylum. In 1863 she served as secretary of Chicago's first Sanitary Fair, held to raise money for soldiers' relief. Martha Lamb, n.d. Shortly after the Civil War, Martha Lamb's marriage ended in divorce and it became necessary for her to support herself financially. She moved to New York City after 1866 and acted upon her belief that a woman "with any brains or any sort of intellectual capacity" should work at a significant occupation. She decided to follow her literary aspirations (first manifested in 1847 when she published an article in her local newspaper, The Daily Hampshire Gazette, Northampton, Massachusetts) and published a series of children's stories in 1869 and 1870. In the 1870s she also wrote Spicy, a romance novel featuring the Sanitary Fair and the Chicago Fire; several Christmas annuals; and articles on a wide array of subjects for Harper's and other periodicals. She also edited The Homes of America. In the course of this writing she realized writing history was her true calling and she began extensive research for History of the City of New York: Its Origin, Rise, and Progress. The first volume on the colonial period was published in 1877; the second volume appeared in 1880. Although she was not trained as a professional historian and favored a narrative rather than analytical approach, her work was praised by the renowned contemporary historian, George Bancroft. In 1883, Lamb purchased the Magazine of American History, a financially struggling monthly founded in 1877. She devoted herself to editing the magazine for the last decade of her life, producing over fifty signed articles and more that were unsigned. She also published articles by others, original documents, book reviews, and other standard components of a professional historical journal at a time when there was little precedent for such an endeavor. The magazine ceased publication shortly after her death in 1893. Lamb was a fixture in New York social circles; she had connections with many of the old families she chronicled in her historical writings. She also belonged to numerous historical and patriotic societies. She was twice invited to the White House: President Grover Cleveland gave a dinner in her honor in 1886; in 1889 President Benjamin Harrison recognized her contributions to the centennial celebration of Washington's inauguration with an invitation. Martha Lamb died of pneumonia in January 1893. Her funeral service was held at the Madison Square Presbyterian Church and she was buried in Spring Grove Cemetery in Florence, Massachusetts.
Scope and Contents of the Collection The Martha J. Lamb Papers are related to both her personal and professional lives. They consist of biographical and genealogical material, scrapbooks, memorabilia, extensive personal and some professional correspondence, diaries, copies of Lamb's major articles and fifteen volumes of her published books, research notes and reviews for History of the City of New York, and organization files. The biographical and correspondence series contain considerable material related to her family, especially the family of her sister, Maria Nash Whitmarsh, because Maria's daughter, Martha P.Whitmarsh, originally collected the Papers and donated them to the Northampton Historical Society. The bulk of the papers date from 1862 to 1893, primarily related to Lamb's years in New York City, but there is also a significant amount of material generated by her family in Western Massachusetts during these years, as well as some correspondence and biographical material from the late 1830s through the 1840s. There is very little material from her years in Maumee, Ohio, and Chicago during the 1850s and early 1860s. Topics addressed in the papers include New York City history and social life, children's literature, late-nineteenth century historiography, and daily life in rural Western Massachusetts in the last-half of the nineteenth century.
Children's literature--Authorship--19th century--Sources
lcsh
Historiography--United States--19th century--Sources
Women editors--United States--History--19th century--Sources
Women historians--United States--History--Sources
Women authors, American--19th century--Sources
Alcott, Louisa May, 1832-1888--Correspondence
lcnaf
Lyman, Susan Elizabeth. Lady historian, Martha J. Lamb (1969)--Sources
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1831-1878--Correspondence
Hayes, Rutherford Birchard, 1822-1893--Correspondence
Jay, John, 1745-1829 --Correspondence
Magazine of American History--History--Sources
Chicago (Ill.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Personal narratives
New York (N.Y.)--History--19th century--Sources
series
SERIES I. BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL
This series provides an overview of Martha J. Lamb's life, as well as the genealogy and activities of her family in Western Massachusetts. Susan Lyman's Lady Historian Martha J. Lamb (1969), which is a comprehensive summary of her life, draws upon these papers as well as professional papers of Lamb at the New York Historical Society. There are also numerous articles about her life and career. Scrapbooks and a few other items represent her early life in Massachusetts, but the bulk of this material reflects her career in New York. Images of Lamb and her family are almost exclusively portraits, including a few daguerreotypes. There are also a few items about her family members, most notably, a diary kept by Lamb's sister, Maria Nash Whitmarsh from 1848 to 1849 while she was a teacher.
SERIES II. CORRESPONDENCE
This series is organized into two subseries: Family and Friends and associates. The bulk of the Family subseries is from the period during which Lamb lived in New York; there is also correspondence between family members ("Third party"), notably courtship letters from Jacob Whitmarsh to Lamb's sister, Maria Nash. The Friends and associates subseries includes a few well-known correspondents, such as Louisa May Alcott, Presidents Hayes and Theodore Roosevelt, and John Jay, almost all of it related to Lamb's public life; there are also letters to Lamb's family members, mostly condolences upon her death.
SERIES III. WRITINGS
This series includes diaries, copies of Lamb's major articles and published books, research notes and reviews for History of the City of New York and correspondence with publishers and others related to her writings. Many of the articles are about various historical topics, but there are also writings related to women's rights, social reform, politics, and her reminiscences. There are also copies of her books for children.
SERIES IV. ORGANIZATION FILES
The organizations in this series range from those to which Martha Lamb belonged and had some significant involvement, to those with which she apparently had minimal involvement. Most of the folders, arranged alphabetically, contain only a few items. Types of material include correspondence, annual reports, receipts, membership certificates, invitations, programs, and membership lists. It appears that for many of these organizations only a token number of items were saved, including the Northwestern Sanitary Fair (Chicago 1865) for which Lamb was an organizer and secretary; a few others, such as the Huguenot Society of America, have slightly more extensive material.
Contents
Genealogy
Nash Family, n.d.
Notes
Correspondence between Mary Persis Crafts (Northampton Historical Society) and Dorothy Barck (New York State Historical Association) re: Lamb's family and genealogy, 1958-60
Articles and notes, 1882-1963, n.d.
Biographical sketch by R. B. Wyllyss: typescript, 1893
Obituaries and photo of grave, 1893
Lady Historian Martha J. Lamb by Susan Elizabeth Lyman (Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College, Northampton, Mass.), 1969
New York Historical Society: brochures and permissions
Manuscript and corrections
Galleys
Published pamphlet
Speeches by Lyman at Northampton Historical Society and the Sophia Smith Collection
Financial and legal materials
Stock certificates, 1881-89
Will, 1889
Memorabilia
Plainfield, MA: invitations and receipt, 1842, 1847, n.d.
Autograph books (1840s, 1867), calling lists (1881-85), and calling cards (n.d.)
Dress samples
Scrapbooks
Correspondence, clippings, invitations, calling cards, and printed materials, 1863, 1881-87
Biographical clippings, correspondence, poems and articles by Martha Lamb, and printed material, 1879-92
Herbarium 1857
"Summer Gleanings," journal with pressed flowers and notes 1882
Newspaper clippings, 1870s-80s (2 volumes)
[See also OVERSIZE MATERIALS for scrapbook of newspaper articles and fashion illustrations, 1950s-60s]
Photographs
Portraits, 1878, 1889, n.d.
Anna C. Lamb (stepdaughter) (includes 1862 pencil sketch and home of her mother in Sharon, CT, n.d.), 1889, 1895, n.d.
Charles S. Lamb (husband), n.d.
Other family: John and Ellen (sister) Baker, Arvin Nash (father), Mr. and Mrs. James (brother) Nash, Maria Nash Whitmarsh (sister), and Mr. and Mrs. Nahum Whitmarsh, n.d
Friends and associates: William Cullen Bryant, President Grover and Mrs. Cleveland, Edward Clarence Redman, Chief Justice M.R. and Mrs. Waite, n.d.
Places: Plainfield, MA church and town hall; homes in Chicago and New York City; and grave (1893)
Daguerreotypes: Arvin Nash (2) and Maria Nash, n.d.
Family
Nash, Arvin: list of members of Plainfield Congregational Church, 1884
Whitmarsh, Maria Nash
Diary, 1848-49
School composition and teaching certificate, 1846, 1854
"Index of Letters by Mrs. Martha J. Lamb" (Northampton Historical Society), n.d.
Conant, A. A. (cousin), 1891
Miller, Harriet A. (wife of nephew), 1891
Nash, James A. (brother), 1890-91
Reed, Fred (brother-in-law?), 1871
Reed, Sam R., 1873
Rice, Eunice Nash (sister), 1838
Whitmarsh, Bessie (niece), 1883, 1889
Whitmarsh, Maria Nash (sister), 1862, 1885, 1890-91
Whitmarsh, Martha P. (niece), 1867-92
Third party
Baker, Anna (niece)
to Martha P. Whitmarsh, 1880-95
to Maria Nash Whitmarsh, 1893
Baker, Mary (sister) to Maria Whitmarsh, 1879, 1893
Crittenden, L.M. to Anna Lamb (includes note from Mrs. C.H. Gardner), 1893
Lamb, Anna (step-daughter) to Martha P. Whitmarsh, 1874-1915
Miller, Eugene (nephew) to Maria Whitmarsh, 1893
Miller, Florence to Martha Whitmarsh, 1893-1912
Miller, Harriet (Mrs. Eugene) to Martha Whitmarsh, 1893-94
Nash, Arvin and Dorothy to Eunice Rice, 1839
Nash, Maria Dorothy to Martha Whitmarsh, 1893
Nash, James to Maria Whitmarsh, 1893
Reed, M.W. (nephew) to Martha Whitmarsh, 1893
Whitmarsh, Jacob Sebert to Maria Nash, 1850-64, n.d.
Whitmarsh, Martha P. to "a friend," n.d.
Friends and associates
Alcott, Louisa May, 1876
Alden, Maria Weed to Martha Whitmarsh, 1893
Baneker, Mary E., 1890
Barbour, Mrs. William H. to Anna Lamb, 1893
Bassett, Ellen to Maria Nash Whitmarsh, 1855-61
Bolton, Robert, 1872
Chadwick, Ellen N., 1878
Cooke, Dr. N.F., 1872
Dall, Caroline Healey, 1891
De Costa, B.F., 1872
de Lancey, Edward F., 1873, 1882 [?], 1891
Doremus, Estelle E. to Anna Lamb, 1893
Dwight, Theodore F., 1890
Erben, Peter, 1872-73
Gardiner, C.H. to Maria Whitmarsh, 1893
Gardiner, David and Coralie, 1891
Garfield, Mrs., 1881
Ghiselin, George R., 1873, n.d.
Gilman, Daniel Coit, 1891
Gregory, C.E., 1873
Halleck [?], William A., 1852
Harris, Jean to Martha Whitmarsh, 1893
Hayes, Rutherford B., 1880
Hostetter, A.F., 1891
Hotchkiss, Mrs., 1876-87, n.d.
Hughson, S.S., 1873
Jay, John, 1891
Johnson, Caroline T.A., 1873
McDowell, William O.
[See SERIES IV. ORGANIZATION FILES-Sons of the American Revolution]
Pelletreau, William S. to Martha Whitmarsh, 1903
Prelat, Reba G. to Martha Whitmarsh, 1889
Richards, William C., 1872
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1890
Sage, Mrs. Russell (written by her secretary, Catharine Hunter) to Martha Whitmarsh, 1910
Stedman, Edmund C., 1881
Stockbridge, Fanny, 1886
Stockbridge, Helen, 1882
Sussner, A. to Maria Whitmarsh, 1893
Thompson, Frederick D., 1891
Waite, Mary F. and Amelia C., 1890, 1891
Wells, E.S., 1870
Youmans, Kate L., 1886
Young, M.J., 1873
Miscellaneous business and personal (originally combined with a diary in letter book), 1873-74
[See also SERIES III. WRITINGS for diary]
Lists of works by Martha Lamb, n.d.
Correspondence
A.S. Barnes & Co., 1881-82
Century Magazine, 1883
The Forum and readers re: series "Formative Influences," 1890-91
Funk & Wagnalls re: "Wall Street in History," 1883-90
Scribner's Monthly re: story "The Floating Volcano," 1871
White, Stokes, & Allen, 1885
Miscellaneous, 1890-91, n.d.
Articles and stories
"The Broken Pitcher: A Story," in Supplement to Andrews' Bazar for April, n.d.
"Columbus and His Times," n.d.
Hampshire Gazette (Northampton, MA) article "by Emogene," 1847
"The Jeaf: From the Life of a Blackboard," n.d.
Ladies Literary Society, Maumee, OH: Questions for Debate," 1856
The Ladies Offering: stories submitted, signed "Emogene," n.d.
"Silk Industry of America," in Andrew's American Queen, 17 Jul 1880
[See also OVERSIZE MATERIALS for cover illustration of Nonotuck Silk Mill, Florence, MA]
"The Story of the Washington Centennial," Magazine of American History, Jul 1889
U.S. Bureau of the Census: accounts, correspondence, etc. re: article about New York City, 1882-83
Miscellaneous, 1979, n.d.
Books
History of the City of New York: It's Origin, Rise, and Progress, 2 Vols. (New York and Chicago: A.S. Barnes and Company), 1877, 1880
Manuscript notes for historical articles, 1885-92, n.d.
Contract and correspondence, 1872-82, n.d.
Genealogical notes, n.d.
Notes, brochures, miscellaneous correspondence, reviews, subscriptions, and draft of index, 1881, 1886, n.d.
[See also OVERSIZE MATERIALS for flyer, "Works of Mrs. Martha J. Lamb]
Vol. I, 1877
Vol. II, 1880
The Homes of America, edited by Martha J. Lamb (New York: D. Appleton and Company), 1879
"Souvenir of the Centennial Anniversary of Washington's Inauguration, April 30, 1798 as First President of the United States of America," by Martha J. Lamb (New York; London: White and Allen, circa 1889)
Wall Street in History (New York: Funk & Wagnalls), 1883
Children's books
Aunt Mattie's Library series (Boston: Gould and Lincoln), 1870: Drifting Goodward, Fun and Profit, Merry Christmas, and Sabbath Schools
Play School Stories for Little Folks series (Boston: D. Lothrop & Co.): Fanny, Harry (2 copies), Julia, and Mattie (2 copies)
Snow and Sunshine: A Story for Boys and Girls (New York: White and Stokes), 1882
Christmas booklets, 1882, 1888, n.d.
Spicy: A Novel (New York: D. Appleton and Company), 1873
Advertisement, n.d.
Published volumes (2 copies)
Magazine of American History
Advertisements and review, 1889-92, n.d.
Correspondence, 1883-92, n.d.
Poetry
The Ladies Offering submissions, n.d.
Miscellaneous, 1878-87
American Academy of Political and Social Science, 1890, n.d.
American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1880, 1882, 1891
American Historical Association, 1886-91
American McAll Association, New York Auxiliary, 1885-86
Charity Organization Society of the City of New York, 1883, 1886
Christian League for the Promotion of Social Purity (New York), 1891(?)
Colonial Dames of America, 1891, n.d.
Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893
Foster Home Society (Newark, NJ), 1849
Huguenot Society of America, 1885-91
Long Island Historical Society, 1871-72
Madison Square Presbyterian Church, 1881-92, n.d.
Meridian Club (New York), 1886
Minisink Valley Historical Society (Port Jervis, NY), 1890
New Haven Colony Historical Society, 1881-82
New York Academy of Sciences, 1887
New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 1881-89
New York Historical Society, 1871, 1888-91
Nineteenth Century Club (New York), 1887-88
Northwestern Literary and Historical Society (Sioux City, IA), 1886
Northwestern Sanitary Fair, Chicago, 1865
Rhode Island Historical Society, 1884
Scientific Alliance of New York, 1891
Sons of the American Revolution (William O. McDowell), 1890, n.d.
Tarrytown Historical Society (Tarrytown, NY), 1890
Trinity Historical Society (Dallas, TX), 1887
Union League Club (New York), 1883
The Wetmore Home for Fallen and Friendless Girls (New York), 1886
OVERSIZE MATERIALS
Scrapbook: clippings and illustrations, 1850s-60s
Andrew's American Queen: cover showing Nonotuck Silk Mills in Florence, MA, 17 Jul 1880
"Works of Mrs. Martha J. Lamb": flyer, n.d.