Sprague papers, ca. 1871-1923 (bulk 1893-1923)
type: FindingAid
type: Document
conforms to: General International Standard for Archival Description
publisher: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
encoded as: Sprague papers, ca. 1871-1923 (bulk 1893-1923)
topic: Sprague papers
subject: Sprague papers
has part: Biographical History for: Sprague papers
topic: Correspondence, 1900-1919
subject: Correspondence, 1900-1919
topic: Writings, 1905-1908
subject: Writings, 1905-1908
topic: Biographical Information, ca.1893-1923
subject: Biographical Information, ca.1893-1923
topic: Photographs, ca.1871, ca.1893-1907
subject: Photographs, ca.1871, ca.1893-1907
topic: Correspondence 1900-1919
subject: Correspondence 1900-1919
topic: Writings 1905-1908
subject: Writings 1905-1908
topic: Biographical Information, ca. 1893-1923
subject: Biographical Information, ca. 1893-1923
topic: Biographical Information 1893-1924
subject: Biographical Information 1893-1924
topic: Photographs, ca. 1871, ca. 1893-1907
subject: Photographs, ca. 1871, ca. 1893-1907
topic: mshm115-8-1
subject: mshm115-8-1
topic: Photographs ca. 1871, ca. 1893-1907
subject: Photographs ca. 1871, ca. 1893-1907

General International Standard for Archival Description
type: Standard

Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
type: Repository
type: Organization
type: Agent
country code: US
maintenance agency code: mshm
is publisher of: Sprague papers, ca. 1871-1923 (bulk 1893-1923)
administers: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
provides access to: Sprague papers
provides access to: Correspondence, 1900-1919
provides access to: Writings, 1905-1908
provides access to: Biographical Information, ca.1893-1923
provides access to: Photographs, ca.1871, ca.1893-1907
provides access to: Correspondence 1900-1919
provides access to: Writings 1905-1908
provides access to: Biographical Information, ca. 1893-1923
provides access to: Biographical Information 1893-1924
provides access to: Photographs, ca. 1871, ca. 1893-1907
provides access to: mshm115-8-1
provides access to: Photographs ca. 1871, ca. 1893-1907

Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
type: SpatialThing
is administered by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA

Sprague papers, ca. 1871-1923 (bulk 1893-1923)
type: EAD
type: Document
description: Finding aid generated in MARC format from database, then encoded using Perl scripts and XSL stylesheet. 2003-05-20
created: 2003-05-20
conforms to: Encoded Archival Description
conforms to: Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
encoding of: Sprague papers, ca. 1871-1923 (bulk 1893-1923)

Encoded Archival Description
type: Standard

Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
type: Standard

Sprague papers
type: ArchivalResource
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
level: collection
identifier: MS 0709
date: ca. 1871-1923
date created accumulated string: ca. 1871-1923
date: 1893-1923
date created accumulated string: 1893-1923
date created accumulated start: 1893
date created accumulated end: 1923
produced in: Creation of Sprague papers
extent: 1 box
extent: (2.5 linear in.)
language: eng
origination: Sprague, Viette Brown, 1846-1923.
has biographical history: Biographical History for: Sprague papers
scopecontent: Scope and Contents of the Collection The Viette Isabel Brown Sprague papers consist of correspondence (original manuscripts or transcript copies), writings, biographical information, and photographs. Most of this material reflects Sprague's work as a missionary in Kalgan in northern China from 1900-1919. In letters written to her friend, Anna C. Edwards, she discusses her work in China as a missionary, as well as the social and political conditions in China during the time of the Boxer Uprising. Her writings include an article on her missionary work and two reports on women's work in Kalgan. In these writings she discusses growing anti-foot binding sentiments and the mission's progress. Her writings and letters are supplemented by more than thirty photographs relating to her work in China. Biographical information includes articles and notes relating to her time in China and two detailed obituaries. Material from this collection is available in an online digital format.
associated with: Voyages and travels.
associated with: Missionaries - China.
associated with: Women missionaries - China.
associated with: Women - China - Social conditions.
associated with: Footbinding.
associated with: Sprague, Viette Brown, 1846-1923.
associated with: Edwards, Anna C. (Anna Cheney), 1835-1930.
associated with: Mount Holyoke Female Seminary - Students.
associated with: Zhangjiakou (China)
associated with: China - History - Boxer Rebellion, 1899-1901 - Personal narratives.
associated with: China - Social conditions - 1644-1912.
associated with: Photographs
associated with: Letters
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Correspondence, 1900-1919
aggregates: Correspondence, 1900-1919
has part: Writings, 1905-1908
aggregates: Writings, 1905-1908
has part: Biographical Information, ca.1893-1923
aggregates: Biographical Information, ca.1893-1923
has part: Photographs, ca.1871, ca.1893-1907
aggregates: Photographs, ca.1871, ca.1893-1907
has part: Biographical Information, ca. 1893-1923
aggregates: Biographical Information, ca. 1893-1923
has part: Photographs, ca. 1871, ca. 1893-1907
aggregates: Photographs, ca. 1871, ca. 1893-1907

collection
type: Level
type: Concept

Creation of Sprague papers
type: Creation
type: Event
product: Sprague papers
involved: Sprague papers
time: Time of Creation of Sprague papers
at time: Time of Creation of Sprague papers

Time of Creation of Sprague papers
type: Interval
timeline: universaltimeline
start: 1893
interval starts: http://reference.data.gov.uk/id/year/1893
P86i contains: http://reference.data.gov.uk/id/year/1893
end: 1923
interval ends: http://reference.data.gov.uk/id/year/1923
P86i contains: http://reference.data.gov.uk/id/year/1923

1 box
type: Extent
archbox: 1
label: (2.5 linear in.)

Sprague, Viette Brown, 1846-1923.
type: Agent
is origination of: Sprague papers

Biographical History for: Sprague papers
type: BiographicalHistory
type: Document
type: DocumentPart
body: Biographical Note Viette Isabel Brown was born on February 12, 1846 in Newark, Wayne County, New York. She was the third of Hiram Leicester Brown and Hester Ann Bonker's ten children. She attended public school in Newark and then in Shortsville, New York. After graduating from Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in 1871 she taught school in Red Creek, New York; Muncie, Pennsylvania; and Emory, Ohio. In 1893 she went to China and married Reverend William P. Sprague in Tientsin. The Spragues then went to Kalgan in northern China to work at a missionary there. On June 11 in 1900 the Boxer Uprising forced them to flee the mission with a group of nineteen people including other American and Swedish missionaries and children. The group reached Urga, the capital of Mongolia, and then had to move on to Siberia, Moscow and finally St. Petersburg on September 18. The Spragues returned to New York for one furlough and then went back to Kalgan in 1902, staying there until 1910. William Sprague died in 1919 and Viette Brown Sprague spent the rest of her life in Shortsville, New York remaining involved in church activities, missionary organizations and choir. She died on November 2, 1923 at the age of seventy-seven.
topic: Sprague, Viette Brown, 1846-1923.
subject: Sprague, Viette Brown, 1846-1923.
is biographical history for: Sprague papers
is part of: Sprague papers, ca. 1871-1923 (bulk 1893-1923)

Voyages and travels.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh

lcsh
type: ConceptScheme

Missionaries - China.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh

Women missionaries - China.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh

Women - China - Social conditions.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh

Footbinding.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh

Sprague, Viette Brown, 1846-1923.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcnaf
focus: Sprague, Viette Brown, 1846-1923.

lcnaf
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Sprague, Viette Brown, 1846-1923.
type: Person
type: Agent
type: E21 Person

Edwards, Anna C. (Anna Cheney), 1835-1930.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcnaf
focus: Edwards, Anna C. (Anna Cheney), 1835-1930.

Edwards, Anna C. (Anna Cheney), 1835-1930.
type: Person
type: Agent
type: E21 Person

Mount Holyoke Female Seminary - Students.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcnaf
focus: mountholyokefemaleseminary-students

Zhangjiakou (China)
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh
focus: zhangjiakouchina

China - History - Boxer Rebellion, 1899-1901 - Personal narratives.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh
focus: china-history-boxerrebellion1899-1901-personalnarratives

China - Social conditions - 1644-1912.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh
focus: china-socialconditions-1644-1912

Photographs
type: Concept
type: GenreForm
in scheme: aat

aat
type: ConceptScheme

Letters
type: Concept
type: GenreForm
in scheme: aat

Correspondence, 1900-1919
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Sprague papers
is aggregated by: Sprague papers
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
level: series
extent: 1 folder
scopecontent: This series consists of letters and two postcards written by Viette Brown Sprague between 1900-1919. The correspondence is addressed chiefly to Anna C. Edwards. Two letters have been transcribed by Edwards (one written to Sprague's Mount Holyoke classmate Frances Dean) and there is one photocopy of an original letter to Edwards (the original is in the photograph folder with photographs pasted to it). Four of the letters were written in Kalgan, China between 1900-1908 describing the Boxer Uprising, social and political conditions in China, China's relations with Japan and the opium trade, the life of missionaries in Kalgan, and Viette Sprague's work as a teacher there. One letter was written in Tabol, Mongolia in 1906 while the Spragues were on vacation with other missionaries, travelling in carts and sleeping in tents. The later letters were written from Shortsville, N.Y. between 1910-1919. One describes her trip back to the United States from China and the rest concern her family and friends in Shortsville.
access restrictions: Unrestricted

Writings, 1905-1908
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Sprague papers
is aggregated by: Sprague papers
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
level: series
extent: 1 folder
scopecontent: This series consists of the article "Work in Kalgan" by Viette Brown Sprague published in "Life and Light" in October 1905 and two "Reports of Women's Work in Kalgan" from March 31, 1907 and May 31, 1908. "Work in Kalgan" is a brief description of missionary life in Kalgan, China that discusses growing anti-foot binding sentiments and the progress of the mission. In her two reports on women's work, Sprague describes the missionary work of her Swedish and American colleagues, controversy over binding feet, Bible study, a women's college in Peking and the lives of several Chinese women who work at the school with her in Kalgan.
access restrictions: Unrestricted

Biographical Information, ca.1893-1923
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Sprague papers
is aggregated by: Sprague papers
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
level: series
extent: 1 folder
scopecontent: This information includes newspaper and magazine articles from 1903-1904 and biographical notes written by Anna C. Edwards from about 1893-1919. There are photocopies of two newpaper articles from around 1900 about the Boxer Uprising and the missionary policy in Kalgan, China towards binding feet. Of particular note are two articles from unidentified publications, "Restoration of Kalgan" by Viette Brown's husband Rev. William P. Sprague, 1903 and "Rebuilding of Kalgan" by an unknown author, 1904. The biographical information by Edwards includes excerpts from Viette Brown's letters and notes about the Spragues and their missionary work. There are also two detailed obituaries from 1923 newspapers describing Viette Brown Sprague's life and work.
access restrictions: Unrestricted

Photographs, ca.1871, ca.1893-1907
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Sprague papers
is aggregated by: Sprague papers
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
level: series
extent: 1 folder
scopecontent: This series contains two formal photographs of Viette Brown, probably after her graduation from Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in 1871, and about thirty photographs taken during her years in China. There are no photographs taken during the Boxer Uprising in 1900, but several small, undated photographs of scenes from Kalgan, China might have been taken before 1900. The rest of the photographs are from 1902-1907. Particularly of note are photographs from Kalgan after the Sprague's return in 1902 of Chinese women in a classroom, several of the missionaries in front of the recently rebuilt missionary that stands on the ruins of the old one, a Chinese woman with bound feet standing with her family, a family moving, a blind beggar woman and a Russian caravan. Most of the photographs correspond with a descriptive letter written to Anna C. Edwards from Tabol, Mongolia in 1906. This group shows the missionaries traveling in carts and on horseback, Mongolians, landscapes and animals. Prints and photocopies have been made of the photographs from this trip because the originals are in poor condition.
access restrictions: Unrestricted

Correspondence, 1900-1919
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Sprague papers
is aggregated by: Sprague papers
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
level: series
extent: 1 folder
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Correspondence 1900-1919
aggregates: Correspondence 1900-1919

Writings, 1905-1908
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Sprague papers
is aggregated by: Sprague papers
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
level: series
extent: 1 folder
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Writings 1905-1908
aggregates: Writings 1905-1908

Biographical Information, ca. 1893-1923
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Sprague papers
is aggregated by: Sprague papers
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
level: series
extent: 1 folder
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Biographical Information 1893-1924
aggregates: Biographical Information 1893-1924

Photographs, ca. 1871, ca. 1893-1907
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Sprague papers
is aggregated by: Sprague papers
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA
level: series
extent: 1 folder
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: mshm115-8-1
aggregates: mshm115-8-1
has part: Photographs ca. 1871, ca. 1893-1907
aggregates: Photographs ca. 1871, ca. 1893-1907

series
type: Level
type: Concept

1 folder
type: Extent
folder: 1

1 folder
type: Extent
folder: 1

1 folder
type: Extent
folder: 1

1 folder
type: Extent
folder: 1

1 folder
type: Extent
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Correspondence 1900-1919
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Correspondence, 1900-1919
is aggregated by: Correspondence, 1900-1919
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA

1 folder
type: Extent
folder: 1

Writings 1905-1908
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Writings, 1905-1908
is aggregated by: Writings, 1905-1908
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA

1 folder
type: Extent
folder: 1

Biographical Information 1893-1924
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Biographical Information, ca. 1893-1923
is aggregated by: Biographical Information, ca. 1893-1923
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA

1 folder
type: Extent
folder: 1

Photographs ca. 1871, ca. 1893-1907
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Photographs, ca. 1871, ca. 1893-1907
is aggregated by: Photographs, ca. 1871, ca. 1893-1907
access provided by: Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections South Hadley, MA