Barbara Stillwater collection MS111

Language of Material: English

Contributing Institution: Medical History Center

Title: Barbara Stillwater collection

Creator: Emge, Ludwig A. (Ludwig Augustus), 1885-1982

Creator: Gratton, Richard R. (Richard Raymond) 1915-1990

source: Stillwater, Barbara G. (Barbara Gratton)

Identifier/Call Number: MS111

Physical Description: 0.21 Linear Feet

Date (inclusive): circa 1922-1968

Abstract: Documents in the Barbara Stillwater collection pertain to her father Dr. Richard Raymond Gratton and Dr. Ludwig Augustus Emge, both obstetricians and gynecologists affiliated with the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Diplomas and Certificates: The diplomas and certificates series includes documents pertaining to Dr. Richard Raymond Gratton's internships, medical residencies, and fellowships. This series also contains Dr. Gratton's California State Board of Medical Examiners certificate.

Taschenbuch für Familiengeschichtsforschung: This single-item series contains Dr. Ludwig Emge's copy of "Taschenbuch für Familiengeschichtsforschung" (Pocketbook of Family History Research), a popular 1922 publication on genealogy by the Center for German Personal and Family History archivist Friedrich Wecken (1875-1946). This book appears to contain some content regarding ideas about eugenics.

Short snorter: This series contains Dr. Ludwig Emge's short snorter.

Photographs: The photographs series contains images of the Stanford chapter medical fraternity Alpha Kappa Kappa posing in front of the Irwin mansion at 2180 Washington St. in San Francisco. The building was the former site of the blood bank and county medical society and burned down in 1955. This series also contains inscribed photographic prints of affiliated Stanford physicians and School of Medicine faculty Dr. George D. Barnett, Dr. James Bernard McNaught, Dr. William Dock, and Dr. Emile Frederic Holman. There are also photographic prints of what appear to be friends and family of Dr. Emge. This series also contains a photographic print of Dr. Emge as well as a magazine clipping of a portrait image of Dr. Emge, both of which are inscribed to Dr. Richard Raymond Gratton. Also within this series is a photographic print dated 1940 with Dr. Emge posing with six other individuals who appear to be physicans. Their names are written on the back of the print. One of the physicans is Dr. Frank Norris, the son of California literary family Charles and Kathleen Norris.

Creators of the materials include Stillwater, Barbara Gratton; Gratton, Richard Raymond, 1915-1990; Emge, Ludwig Augustus, 1885-1982.

The collection of Barbara Stillwater contains her father Dr. Richard Raymond Gratton's Doctor of Medicine degree from Stanford University and various other medical diplomas and certificates. However, the majority of the collection consists of documents that had belonged to Dr. Ludwig Emge before ownership was transferred to Dr. Richard Gratton for safekeeping. In a phone conversation with Barbara Stillwater which took place on August 1, 2023, she explained that Dr. Emge was her father's mentor and that Dr. Gratton and Dr. Emge were good friends as well as colleagues and had collaborated on treatment options for infertility. Items in the collection include Dr. Emge's "short snorter;" a copy of Dr. Emge's 1922 edition of Taschenbuch für Familiengeschichtsforschung (Pocketbook of Family History Research); two photographs of Dr. Ludwig Emge inscribed to Dr. Richard Gratton; photographic prints of what appears to be friends and family of Dr. Emge; two photographs of the medical fraternity Alpha Kappa Kappa standing in front of the William G. Irwin mansion (built in 1899 by San Francisco architectural firm Reid and Reid), which became the Irwin Memorial Blood Bank in 1941 and was also the former home of the County Medical Society; inscribed portrait photographs of the physicians Dr. William Dock, a cardiologist and head of Stanford's school of pathology in 1936, Dr. Emile Frederic Holman, professor of surgery at Stanford from 1926 to 1955, Dr. George W. Barnett, and Dr. James Bernard McNaught.

Property rights are held by the Stanford Medical History Center. Legal publication or use of collection materials outside the scope of the public domain and fair use is the sole responsibility of the researcher.