Ethel M. and Nancy E. Reed papers
Finding aid prepared by Tamara Savage, CCEPS Fellow, Spring 2015
Special Collections, Honnold/Mudd Library
800 North Dartmouth Ave
Claremont, CA, 91711
Phone: (909) 607-3977
Email: spcoll@cuc.claremont.edu
URL: http://libraries.claremont.edu/sc/default.html
© 2015
Claremont University Consortium. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Ethel M. and Nancy E. Reed Papers
Dates: 1811-1975
Collection number: H.Mss.0705
Creator:
Reed, Ethel M., 1883-1968
Creator:
Reed, Nancy E., 1923-1994
Extent:
5 linear feet
(3 shoeboxes, 4 document boxes, 1 oversized box)
Repository:
Claremont Colleges. Library. Special Collections, Honnold/Mudd Library. Claremont, CA 91711.
Abstract: This collection is comprised of the writings, artwork, and memorabilia of Ethel M. Reed and her adopted daughter, Nancy E.
Reed. These two women lived in Claremont, California for most of the twentieth century. Ethel was a homemaker and Nancy worked
as a chemist. In addition, Ethel wrote diaries for most of her life and wrote an unpublished account of her childhood in Claremont,
and Nancy drew, painted, wrote and illustrated short picture books, and created scrapbooks. Nancy's scrapbooks include photographs
of her time in France and pictures of the people she knew and places she visited. The family documents in this collection
include school certificates and property deeds.
Physical location: Please consult repository.
Language of materials: Most materials are in English; a small amount of material is in French.
Administrative Information
Access
This collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
All requests for permission to reproduce or to publish must be submitted in writing to Special Collections.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Ethel M. and Nancy E. Reed Papers (H.Mss.0705), Special Collections, Honnold/Mudd Library, Claremont
University Consortium.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Gift of Steven Koblik, executor of Reed estate, 1985.
Accruals
No additions to the collection are anticipated.
Processing Information
Processed by Tamara Savage in Spring 2015 in the Claremont Center for Engagement with Primary Sources (CCEPS), with assistance
from Lisa Crane. Overall, the collection is in good condition. Some very old pieces are fragile and brittle. Photographs and
scrapbook pages were placed in mylar sleeves. These materials have been sorted by creator, and then by medium (folders of
pencil sketches, pen drawing, pastel drawings, etc.). The loose photographs have largely maintained their original grouping
and notations.
Biography
Ethel M. Reed was born in New York on November 11, 1883 and moved to Claremont, California in 1885. She lived there until
her death on July 11, 1968. She was a homemaker, never married, and was involved in the community and the Claremont Colleges.
Ethel's adopted daughter, Nancy E. Reed, was born January 8, 1923, attended Pomona College and graduated in 1944 with a degree
in chemistry. She worked for the War Department during World War II and as a development chemist for Aerojet-General in Azusa,
California. She traveled to France as a visiting scholar from 1946 to 1949. She died on December 2, 1994 in Claremont.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The collection is comprised of papers from Ethel M. Reed and daughter, Nancy E. Reed.
Ethel's papers contain her writings and family documents. The bulk of her writings are diaries which span 1893-1968 and record
daily activities as well as an unpublished manuscript that is an account of her childhood in California. The family documents
include school certificates and degrees, property deeds, and obituaries. Some of the family documents and photographs included
in this collection date back to the Civil War and even earlier.
Nancy's papers contain her artwork and photographic materials including travel photographs from a trip to France in the late
1940s and several scrapbooks compiled by Nancy containing many pictures (although many of them undated) that span multiple
decades and depict her life in Claremont. Nancy's artwork includes pencil sketches, pen drawings, pastels, and paintings.
She also wrote and illustrated short picture books, some of which are included in the collection.
Organization and Arrangement
This collection has been arranged in the following series:
- Series 1: Ethel M. Reed papers, 1811-1968
- Subseries 1.1: Ethel's writings, 1893-1968
- Subseries 1.2: Family documents, 1811-1968
- Series 2: Nancy E. Reed papers, circa 1860-1975
- Subseries 2.1: Nancy's artwork, 1944-circa 1975
- Subseries 2.2: Photographic materials, circa 1860-1975
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library’s online public access catalog.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Claremont (Calif.)
Daily life
France
Travel
Women
Women's writings
Genre and Form of Materials
Diaries
Drawings and graphics
Legal instruments
Manuscripts
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Series 1:
Ethel M. Reed papers,
1811-1968
Scope and Contents
This series consists of Ethel's writings and family documents. Ethel's diaries span from her childhood almost to her death
(1893 - 1968). She begins each entry with the date and the weather, then recounts what she did throughout the day. The diaries
are difficult to read but not illegible. Ethel also wrote an unpublished manuscript that is an account of her childhood in
California. It includes information about her family, the places she went, the pets she had, and the clothes she wore, and
more. The family documents range from 1811 to 1968. They include property deeds, a mortgage and a satisfaction of mortgage,
and school transcripts, certificates, and degrees.
Subseries 1.1:
Ethel's writings,
1893-1968
Diaries,
1893-1968
Note
There are a total of 145 diaries and 4 ledgers (listing expenses).
Box 1, Volume 3
1893 August 18-1894 June 25
Box 1, Volume 4
1897 February 1-September 8
Box 1, Volume 5
1897 September 9-1898 March 27
Box 1, Volume 41
1903 September 11-1906 December 1
Note
This volume is a ledger of expenses.
Box 1, Volume 7
1906 June 20-1907 October 23
Box 1, Volume 8
1907 October 24-1908 December 21
Box 1, Volume 9
1908 December 31-1909 December 31
Box 1, Volume 10
1910 December 22-1911 June 24
Box 1, Volume 11
1911 June 25-1912 January 10
Box 1, Volume 12
1912 January 12-October 1
Box 1, Volume 13
1912 October 2-1913 April 16
Box 4, Volume 13
1912-1918 and 1960-1967
Note
This notebook is an expenses ledger.
Box 1, Volume 15
1913 October 28-1914 May 15
Box 1, Volume 17
1914 November 21-1915 June 23
Box 1, Volume 20
1916 July 31-1917 February 13
Box 1, Volume 21
1917 February 14-August 17
Box 1, Volume 22
1917 August 18-1918 March 17
Box 1, Volume 23
1918 March 18-September 30
Box 1, Volume 24
1918 October 1-1919 February 13
Box 1, Volume 25
1919 February 14-December 24
Box 1, Volume 26
1919 December 25-1920 November 25
Box 1, Volume 27
1920 November 26-1921 July 11
Box 1, Volume 28
1921 July 12-1922 March 26
Box 1, Volume 30
1922 August 10-1923 May 19
Box 1, Volume 31
1923 May 20-1924 February 5
Box 1, Volume 32
1924 September 6-December 17
Box 1, Volume 33
1924 December 18-1925 September 13
Box 1, Volume 35
1926 October 23-1927 March 7
Box 1, Volume 36
1927 March 8-1928 February 14
Box 1, Volume 38
1928 July 22-1929 March 5
Box 1, Volume 39
1929 March 6-September 30
Box 1, Volume 40
1929 October 1-1930 May 15
Box 2, Volume 2
1930 December 4–1931 July 8
Box 2, Volume 3
1931 July 9–1932 February 7
Box 2, Volume 4
1932 February 8–December 16
Box 2, Volume 5
1932 December 17–1933 August 1
Box 2, Volume 6
1933 August 2–1934 January 11
Box 2, Volume 9
1934 November 28–1935 April 18
Box 2, Volume 10
1935 April 19–September 5
Box 2, Volume 11
1935 September 6–1936 January 31
Box 2, Volume 14
1936 December 10–1937 June 1
Box 2, Volume 16
1937 October 26-1938 March 12
Box 2, Volume 18
1938 August 25–1939 January 27
Box 2, Volume 20
1939 July 28–1940 January 30
Box 2, Volume 23
1940 October 30–1941 March 28
Box 2, Volume 24
1941 March 29–September 10
Box 2, Volume 25
1941 September 10–1942 January 8
Box 2, Volume 30
1943 September 3–December 25
Box 2, Volume 31
1943 December 26–1944 May 25
Box 2, Volume 33
1944 September 23–1945 February 14
Box 2, Volume 36
1945 September 18 December 27
Box 2, Volume 37
1945 December 28–1946 April 27
Box 2, Volume 38
1946 April 28–September 11
Box 2, Volume 39
1946 September 12–1947 April 17
Box 2, Volume 40
1947 April 19–September 1
Box 2, Volume 41
1947 September 2–December 31
Box 3, Volume 1
1948 December 29–1949 May 11
Box 3, Volume 3
1949 September 21–1950 March 6
Box 3, Volume 6
1950 November 1–1951 February 21
Box 3, Volume 9
1951 October 6-1952 February 22
Box 3, Volume 12
1952 December 5–1953 April 21
Box 3, Volume 15
1953 November 15–1954 January 19
Box 3, Volume 19
1954 October 27–1955 January 25
Box 3, Volume 23
1955 September 10–December 3
Box 3, Volume 24
1955 December 4-1956 March 12
Box 4, Volume 15
1955 August–1964 December
Note
This notebook is an expenses ledger.
Box 3, Volume 27
1956 December 5–1957 May 16
Box 3, Volume 29
1957 September 26–1958 January 24
Box 4, Volume 14
1957 July–1963 December
Note
This notebook is an expenses ledger.
Box 3, Volume 32
1958 September 11–1959 January 13
Box 3, Volume 36
1959 December 1-1960 April 1
Box 3, Volume 39
1960 November 8–1961 March 11
Box 3, Volume 42
1961 October 23–1962 March 16
Box 3, Volume 44
1962 June 27–September 26
Box 3, Volume 45
1962 September 27–December 24
Box 3, Volume 46
1962 December 25–1963 April 3
Box 3, Volume 48
1963 July 31–September 28
Box 3, Volume 49
1963 November 19–1964 April 1
Box 3, Volume 51
1964 August 17–December 14
Box 4, Volume 1
1964 December 15–1965 March 29
Box 4, Volume 3
1965 August 19–December 31
Box 4, Volume 6
1966 November 11–1967 March 29
Box 4, Volume 8
1967 August 12–November 20
Box 4, Volume 9
1967 November 21–1968 March 9
Box 6, Folder 1
A California Childhood handwritten manuscript,
circa 1933
Note
This is Ethel's account of her childhood in California. It covers the years 1885-1900.
Box 6, Folder 2
A California Childhood typed manuscript ,
circa 1933
Note
This is Ethel's account of her childhood in California. It covers the years 1885-1900.
Subseries 1.2:
Family documents,
1811-1968
Box 6, Folder 3
Deed for property in Vermont,
1811
Note
This document is very old and fragile and has split into two pieces.
Box 6, Folder 4
Account book and Minnie’s notebook,
1856-1858 and 1861–1868
Note
Account book covers 1856-1858 and Minnie’s notebook covers 1861–1868.
Box 6, Folder 5
Grammar school monthly grade reports,
1865-1866
Note
The school is unspecified other than "Grammar School No. 11, Female Department." The reports are for Lizzie Reed and there
are 6 reports total.
Box 6, Folder 6
Property deed in Los Angeles County, mortgage, satisfaction of mortgage, map of Pomona, tie measurements,
1887-1906
Notes
Respective dates are: property deed in Los Angeles County, 1887; mortgage, 1887; satisfaction of mortgage, 1888; map of Pomona,
1887; and tie measurements, 1906.
Box 6, Folder 7
Pomona College Prep School transcript, burial receipt, handwritten note,
1911-1918
Note
Pomona College Prep School transcript is for Ethel Reed (1918), burial receipt is for the estate of Frederick Reed (1911),
and handwritten note is undated and signed B. F. Scott.
Box 6, Folder 8
Nancy's Claremont Junior High and Claremont High School diplomas,
1937 and 1940
Box 6, Folder 9
Ethel's will, obituaries, certificate of death, and Claremont 50th anniversary certificate,
1957-1968
Box 6, Folder 10
Ye Olden New York picture book and picture of printing office and bookbindery
Box 5, Folder 1
Magdalena Williamson's Clinton Avenue Institute Baccalaureate,
1863 July 1
Box 5, Folder 2
Nancy's Pomona College Bachelor of Arts,
1944 April 24
Box 5, Folder 4
Minnie and Lizzie Reed's Grammar School for Girls certificates,
1860-1864
Series 2:
Nancy E. Reed papers,
circa 1860-1975
Scope and Contents
This series consists of Nancy's artwork and photographic materials. Her artwork includes drawings in various media, cards
she made, short picture books she wrote and illustrated, and paintings. Nancy's photographic materials include photographs
of her time in France, of her home, her cats, the people she knew and the city of Claremont. Included are pictures of Nancy
throughout her life as well as old family portraits. This series also includes postcards and memorabilia from France.
Subseries 2.1:
Nancy's artwork,
1944-circa 1975
Box 6, Folder 15
Pencil drawings
Note
One drawing is dated 1957.
Box 7, Folder 1
Christmas cards
Note
One card is dated 1962.
Box 7, Folder 2
Friendship cards
Note
One card is dated 1953.
Box 7, Folder 3
Miscellaneous cards
Note
One card is dated 1947.
Box 7, Folder 4
The Engineer picture book
Box 7, Folder 5
Freedom or to Be Free? picture book,
1962
Box 7, Folder 6
Job Hunting and the Retrogression of a Chemist picture book
Box 7, Folder 7
Nous Sommes Cinq a Paris picture book
Box 5, Folder 3
Oversized artwork
Note
Artwork includes 1 painting dated 1952 and 2 undated pastels.
Subseries 2.2:
Photographic materials,
circa 1860-1975
Box 7, Folder 8
Photos from France (folder 1),
1946-1949
Note
Folder also includes photographs from Switzerland.
Box 7, Folder 8, Envelope 1
Klein Sheidegg, Switzerland,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 5 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 8, Envelope 2
Lucerne, Switzerland,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 5 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 8, Envelope 3
Canon, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 6 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 8, Envelope 4
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 6 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 8, Envelope 5
Vire, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 5 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 8, Envelope 6
Bretagne, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 5 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 8, Envelope 7
Le Loire, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 4 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 8, Envelope 8
Le Pays-Basque, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 3 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 8, Envelope 9
Biarritz, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 5 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 8, Envelope 10
Basque country, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 5 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 8
Photos from France (folder 2),
1946-1949
Note
Folder also includes photographs from Switzerland.
Box 7, Folder 9, Envelope 1
Comité d'accueil, Paris, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 1 photograph of the "welcoming committee".
Box 7, Folder 9, Envelope 2
Fondation des États-Unis, Paris, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 6 photographs of the the Fondation des États-Unis, a private student residence and cultural center within
the international community of the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris.
Box 7, Folder 9, Envelope 3
Ma chambre, Paris, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 5 photographs of Nancy's "room".
Box 7, Folder 9, Envelope 4
Bd. Jourdan, Paris, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 8 photographs of the "Boulevard Jourdan" located in the 14th "arrondissement" of Paris.
Box 7, Folder 9, Envelope 5
Le Tour Eiffel, Paris, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 5 photographs of the Eiffel Tower.
Box 7, Folder 9, Envelope 6
Nice-Mardi-Gras, Nice, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 5 photographs of Mardi Gras in Nice, France.
Box 7, Folder 9, Envelope 7
Le Suisse, Bern, Switzerland,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 8 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 9, Envelope 8
Neuchatel, Switzerland,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 6 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 9, Envelope 9
Normandie (France) and Interlaken (Switzerland),
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 5 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 9, Envelope 10
Interlaken, Switzerland,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 5 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 10
Photos from France (folder 3),
1946-1949
Box 7, Folder 10, Envelope 1
Biarritz, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 5 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 10, Envelope 2
Biarritz, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 7 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 10, Envelope 3
St. Jean-Pied-de-Port, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 5 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 10, Envelope 4
Biarritz and Ascain, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 5 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 10, Envelope 5
Lourdes, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 7 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 10, Envelope 6
S.S. Veendem,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 5 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 10, Envelope 7
Les Simones,
1948 summer
Note
Envelope contains 4 photographs.
Box 7, Folder 11
Postcards from France,
1946-1949
Box 7, Folder 11, Envelope 1
Versailles, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 8 postcards.
Box 7, Folder 11, Envelope 2
Fontainbleau, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 11 postcards.
Box 7, Folder 11, Envelope 3
Mme. DeMejerac, Chateau De Canon, France,
1948
Note
Envelope contains 4 postcards.
Box 7, Folder 11, Envelope 4
Greeting cards,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 9 greeting cards.
Box 7, Folder 11, Envelope 5
Normandie, France,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 3 postcards.
Box 7, Folder 11, Envelope 6
Postcards from Nancy's friends 1,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 7 postcards.
Box 7, Folder 11, Envelope 7
Postcards from Nancy's friends 2,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 7 postcards.
Box 7, Folder 11, Envelope 8
Miscellaneous postcards,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 6 postcards.
Box 7, Folder 12
Memorabilia from France,
1946-1949
Box 7, Folder 12, Envelope 1
Hotel Central brochure,
1946-1949
Box 7, Folder 12, Envelope 2
Newspaper cartoons,
1946-1949
Note
Envelope contains 8 cartoons.
Box 7, Folder 12, Envelope 3
French National Orchestra concert program,
1948 November 13
Box 7, Folder 12, Envelope 4
Memorabilia from S.S. Washington and S.S. Veendam,
1946 November 8 and 1947 July 11
Box 7, Folder 12, Envelope 5
Letter from French Consulate to Nancy,
1948 November 5
Box 7, Folder 12, Envelope 6
Autographed photo of Freddie Rez to Nancy
Box 5, Folder 5
Oversize memorabilia from France,
1946-1949
Note
Folder contains a menu, a brochure, and a Lido Cabaret program.
Mostly Me scrapbook,
1942-1962
Box 8, Folder 1, Envelope 1
Photos of Nancy
Note
Envelope contains 2 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 1, Envelope 2
Photos of Ethel
Note
Envelope contains 3 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 1, Envelope 3
Photos of house and trees
Note
Envelope contains 6 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 5, Envelope 1
"First Snow" Los Angeles County playground,
1946 November
Box 8, Folder 6
Pages 51-60, assorted poems,
1942-1962
Mostly Me II scrapbook,
1938-1975
Box 8, Folder 7
Cover page and pages 1-10,
1938-1975
Box 8, Folder 7, Envelope 1
Card to Nancy from Uncle Jez,
1938 January 8
Box 8, Folder 9, Envelope 1
Box 8, Folder 9, Envelope 2
Nancy's Pomona College graduation photos,
1944
Note
Envelope contains 2 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 9, Envelope 3
Photos of Nancy
Note
Envelope contains 3 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 9, Envelope 4
Photos of Nancy
Note
Envelope contains 4 photographs.
Mother and Claremont scrapbook,
circa 1860-1930
Box 8, Folder 11
Folder 1,
circa 1860-1930
Box 8, Folder 11, Envelope 1
Family photos
Note
Envelope contains 2 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 11, Envelope 2
Ethel
Note
Envelope contains 2 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 11, Envelope 3
Family member
Note
Envelope contains 2 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 12
Folder 2,
circa 1860-1930
Box 8, Folder 12, Envelope 1
Enid E. Ross,
1887
Note
Envelope contains 1 photograph.
Box 8, Folder 12, Envelope 2
Tom, Jessamine, Eleanor
Note
Envelope contains 3 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 12, Envelope 3
Ethel
Note
Envelope contains 3 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 12, Envelope 4
Claremont
Note
Envelope contains 2 postcards and 1 newspaper clipping.
Box 8, Folder 13
Folder 3,
circa 1860-1930
Box 8, Folder 13, Envelope 1
Family portraits
Note
Envelope contains 6 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 13, Envelope 2
Family portraits
Note
Envelope contains 4 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 13, Envelope 3
J. Apppleton Book Co.
Note
Envelope contains 1 photograph.
Box 8, Folder 13, Envelope 4
Pliny and Magdalen Reed
Note
Envelope contains 2 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 14
Folder 4,
circa 1860-1930
Box 8, Folder 14, Envelope 1
Claremont
Note
Envelope contains 2 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 14, Envelope 2
Claremont
circa 1885
Note
Envelope contains 2 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 14, Envelope 3
Clarence, Ethel, Marion
Note
Envelope contains 4 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 14, Envelope 4
Clarence and Ethel
Note
Envelope contains 2 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 15
Folder 5,
circa 1860-1930
Box 8, Folder 15, Envelope 1
Ethel and Clarence
Note
Envelope contains 3 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 15, Envelope 2
Ethel and Clarence
circa 1888
Note
Envelope contains 3 photographs.
Box 8, Folder 15, Envelope 3
Eleanor and Jessamine
Note
Envelope contains 1 photograph.
