Benson John Lossing papers addenda 1, 1740-1928, bulk 1855-1885

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Summary

Creators:
Lossing, Benson John, 1813-1891
Abstract:
A collection of material related to Benson John Lossing, American artist and historian.
Extent:
16.5 Linear Feet (31 boxes, 1 volume)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Benson John Lossing papers addenda 1, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

A collection of material related to Benson John Lossing; the collection includes correspondence, manuscripts, diaries, notebooks, drawings, photographs, and ephemera. The correspondence includes letters written by Lossing, many illustrated with sketches, which he wrote to his family during his travels in preparation for his "Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution." There are also letters by Lossing, chiefly retained copies, to his scholarly associates and publishers. The miscellaneous material includes printed biographical pamphlets, a small scrapbook related to Lossing, genealogical materials concerning the Lossing and other related families, photographs, newspaper clippings, forms, and other ephemera. The collection also includes some unidentified and uncataloged manuscripts, drawings, photographs, sketches, notes, and ephemera.

Biographical / historical:

Benson John Lossing (1813-1891) was an American artist and historian. Lossing was born in Beekman, New York, his father was descended from a family of old Dutch stock and his mother was a Quaker; they both died during his childhood. He had little formal education and was mainly self-taught through reading history books. At the age of thirteen he was apprenticed to a Poughkeepsie watchmaker and was soon taken into partnership; at twenty-two, he became joint owner and editor of two local papers: "The Telegraph" and "The Casket," a monthly, which Lossing illustrated with wood engravings. Throughout his career he was author-illustrator of some thirty major works of history, as well as a collaborator on many other publications. He received several honorary degrees and was a member of numerous learned societies. On June 18, 1833, Lossing married his first wife Alice Barrit, who died in 1855; he married Helen Sweet in 1868. During his life, Lossing collected over 5,000 books and documents related to the American Revolution and the framing of the Constitution. He died at home in Dover Plains, New York, in June 1891.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Seven Gables Bookshop, September 1973.
Processing information:

Processed by Harriet McLune, July 1975. In 2022, Gayle Richardson created the finding aid derived from a legacy summary report.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Benson John Lossing papers addenda 1, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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