Check out this find that I stumbled upon today; apparently the Houghton Library is beginning to make certain family papers available for viewing.
I have always maintained that Anna Alcott Pratt was the family secretary–she was a good writer and reported clearly, accurately and with great detail all that went on within the family.
I have only read two pages so far out of the eighty-four and already there are some very frank revelations about the family dynamic.
MUST reading! http://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/drs:47956007$7i
There are links to other family papers including Bronson Alcott’s observations on his children (dated 1835), an essay by Louisa on “A Woman’s Work” and the letter Abba wrote to Louisa at Fruitlands which set then 10-year-old Louisa on her life’s mission to care for her mother to the end.
Here are links to the Houghton lists where you can see the links:
Alcott, Amos Bronson, 1799-1888. Amos Bronson Alcott papers, 1799-1888
http://oasis.lib.harvard.edu/oasis/deliver/deepLink?_collection=oasis&uniqueId=hou00058
Alcott family. Alcott family additional papers, 1707-1904
http://oasis.lib.harvard.edu/oasis/deliver/findingAidDisplay?_collection=oasis&inoid=3128&histno=0
Alcott family. Alcott family additional papers, 1724-1927
http://oasis.lib.harvard.edu/oasis/deliver/findingAidDisplay?_collection=oasis&inoid=1619&histno=0
Alcott family. Alcott family additional papers, 1820-1886: Guide.
http://oasis.lib.harvard.edu/oasis/deliver/findingAidDisplay?_collection=oasis&inoid=3727&histno=0
p.s. I am working on the podcast re: The Summer Conversational Series – the script (and the post) is written, just need to record it! Hope to post this weekend and sorry for the delay.
Click to Tweet and Share: Read Anna Alcott Pratt’s diary from 1860-1861 — Meg March from Little Women talks about married life http://wp.me/p125Rp-24B
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Keep going, Susan. This is wonderful stuff!
Thanks. It was purely by accident that I found this stuff — I had requested scans of this diary and when one of the librarians wrote back to clarify my request, she provided the link and I discovered there were several such links to family papers. So nice that Anna has such great handwriting.
What a treasure!