Transcriptions of the original Winslow Homer letters in this collection, those in the collection of the Archives of American Art, and those of a private collector, along with notes about the relationship between Homer and George Briggs , 2017

File — Box: 13, Folder: 16

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The Wilson and Seydel family papers are organized by individual and contain ephemera, a few physical items (including a tooth and wedding cake from 1900), photographs, correspondence, business records, bank records, school work and diaries from multiple branches of the Wilson family tree.

Many of S.H. Wilson’s letters, business records, advertisements and family photographs are included in this collection. Samuel's real estate business will be of interest to those historians researching Wyoming Park, Michigan and the surrounding area. The material will also be useful for researching suburban development and its design around public transportation.

Both of William Wilson's wives were accomplished scholars and went on to college at a time when most women did not. Alice Corl graduated from the University of Wisconsin and Frances Seydel received a Ph.D. in physics and astronomy from the University of Michigan in 1929. This collection will be of interest to those researching women's history.

Frances Seydel's great aunt, Julia Roberts Peirce, was married to Colonel George G. Briggs, prominent Civil War Colonel and Grand Rapids citizen. Briggs's correspondence with Russel Alger, Governor of Michigan and U.S. Senator, is included in these papers as well as his letters from Elizabeth Custer, widow of General George Custer. Briggs was a lover of art and his correspondence with a number of artists, Winslow Homer, Frederick Stuart Church, Lorado Taft, and Frederic Remington can also be found in this collection. Also notable are letters to Elizabeth Custer from Gutzon Borglum, sculptor of Mount Rushmore, regarding a possible sculpture of General Custer.

Dates

2017

Extent

From the Collection: 8 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

General

Local historian, Jim Straub, learned of the Winslow Homer letters when the Wilson and Seydel family papers were originally donated to the Grand Rapids Historical Society. Jim was familiar with Abigail Booth Gerdts at the Goodrich-Homer Art Education Project and mentioned the Homer letters to her. After examining scans of the letters, Gerdts provided these transcriptions and notes. She also donated the five volume set Record of Works by Winslow Homer by Lloyd Goodrich, which she edited. In her transcription notes she references numbers in parantheses which correlate to the paintings in the Record of Works by Winslow Homer. These volumes can be found in the Grand Rapids History Center, under the call number M 759.13 H752 G6.