Bass Family Correspondence Collection

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Bass Family Correspondence Collection

SPC.2020.005

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Table of contents

Genealogy and Family Documents 1919-1996; undated

Scope and Contents

These series contains information on Jeanne Morganh's family history, including genealogy and family documents.The subseries entitled Genealogy Documents records Morgan's research into her family's genealogy, both on her maternal and paternal sides. The "Family Documents" subseries contains documents pertaining to Morgan's immediate family, with individual files for: her mother, Helen Smith; her father, Dale "Dick" Smith; and her brother, Jack Morgan.

Genealogy Documents 1956-1996, undated

Scope and Contents

This subseries includes documents pertaining to Morgan's research into her genealogy. The first file contains guidelines and information about researching ones genealogy. The subsequent files contain Morgan's research into her genealogy, both on her mother's side of the family (Bass and Nye lines) and her father's side of the family (Smith, Hornbeck, and Boyce lines).

box 1, folder 1

General genealogy guidelines and forms 1973-1996, undated

box 1, folder 2

Jeanne Morgan's maternal lineage (Bass/ Nye) 1956-1996, undated

box 1, folder 3

Jeanne Morgan's paternal lineage (Smith/ Hornbeck/ Boyce) 1974-1996, undated

Family Documents 1919-1995, undated

Scope and Contents

This subseries contains files pertaining to members of Jeanne Morgan's immediate family: her mother, Helen Morgan Smith; father, Dale "Dick" Smith; and brother, Jack Morgan.

box 1, folder 4

Family documents regarding Helen Morgan Smith 1988-1995, undated

box 1, folder 5

Family documents regarding Dale "Dick" Smith 1919-1983, undated

box 1, folder 6

Family documents regarding Jack Morgan 1930-1951, undated

Family Heirlooms undated

Scope and Contents

This subseries contains family heirloom materials, including antique pens and textiles.

box 5

Antique pens and associated documents undated

box 5

Denim fabric undated

Scope and Contents

This item is a denim fabric, likely from men's jeans, presumably intended to serve as a visual for Jeanne Morgan's book about her mother and stepfather, Helen Morgan Smith and Harry Morgan. There are photos of this item in the series on Harry and Helen (box 2, folder 13).

box 5

Embroidered handkerchief undated

box 5

Unknown textile (likely a tea towel) undated

Scope and Contents

This item is a towel-like fabric, presumably intended to serve as a visual for Jeanne Morgan's book about her mother and stepfather, Helen Morgan Smith and Harry Morgan. There are photos of this item in the series on Harry and Helen (box 2, folder 13).

box 6

Velvet fabric, ribbon, and faux flowers undated

Scope and Contents

Velvet fabric with attached ribbon and faux flower bouquet, source or purpose unknown.

box 6

Woman's glove undated

Correspondence 1909-1997, undated

Scope and Contents

This series contains the correspondence of Jeanne Morgan and her family members. The subseries Family Correspondence contains both the personal correspondence of Jeanne Morgan, as well as of other members of her family. The subseries Helen Morgan Smith and Harry Morgan Letters contains correspondence between Jeanne's mother, Helen, and stepfather, Harry, from the time they met in 1934 through their marriage in 1939.

Family Correspondence 1909-1997

Scope and Contents

This subseries contains family correspondence, mostly Jeanne Morgan's correspondence with members of her family. The subseries also includes the personal correspondence of Jeanne Morgan's mother, Helen Morgan Smith, as well as a file of special occasion/holiday cards dating back as early as 1909.

box 1, folder 7

Special occasion cards 1909-1981, undated

box 1, folder 8

Letters to Helen Morgan Smith 1925-1990, undated

Scope and Contents

This file contains letters written to Jeanne Morgan's mother, Helen Morgan Smith.

box 2, folder 2

Jeanne Morgan's Correspondence with her niece Karen Johnson 1993-1995

Scope and Contents

This file contains correspondence between Jeanne Morgan and her niece, Karen Johnson. Karen Johnson was the child of Morgan's only sibling, Jack, who passed away at the age of 20 in 1951. Jeanne's family was unaware that Jack had a child, and Karen did not find out until she was a teen that Jack Morgan was her biological father. She reached out to Jeanne Morgan as an adult, and the two began corresponding and eventually met one another. These letters document Jeanne and Karen's relationship, beginning with Karen introducing herself.

box 2, folder 1

Jeanne Morgan's Correspondence 1938-1997, undated

Helen Morgan Smith and Harry Morgan Letters 1934-1956, undated

Scope and Contents

This sub-series contains the correspondence between Jeanne Morgan's mother, Helen Morgan Smith, and stepfather, Harry Morgan. The letters start at the beginning of their courtship and continue through their marriage. Helen Morgan Smith met Harry Morgan shortly after divorcing Jeanne Morgan's father in 1934. The two wrote letters until eventually getting married in 1939. They later divorced and Helen remarried Jeanne's father. The letters document their relationship and the conditions of living and working in Denver and rural Nebraska during the Great Depression. Also included in this subseries are Jeanne Morgan's plans for a book following Harry and Helen's story, including notes, research, and printed out visuals.

box 2, folder 3

Letters from Harry Morgan to Helen Smith 1934

box 2, folder 4

Letters from Harry Morgan to Helen Smith 1935

box 2, folder 5

Letters from Harry Morgan to Helen Smith 1936

box 2, folder 6

Letters from Harry Morgan to Helen Smith 1937

box 2, folder 7

Letters from Harry Morgan to Helen Smith 1938

box 2, folder 8

Letters from Harry Morgan to Helen Smith 1939

box 2, folder 9

Helen Smith's letters to Harry Morgan 1938-1940

Scope and Contents

This file contains some of Helen's responses to the letters from Harry that were included in previous files, as well as additional letters she wrote him during their marriage.

box 2, folder 10

Other documents regarding Harry Morgan and Helen Smith 1936-1956, undated

Scope and Contents

This file contains additional documents regarding Helen and Harry's relationship: letters from Helen's uncle and friend after her divorce, Helen and Harry's marriage license, and documents about Harry (1956 obituary, memorial program).

box 2, folder 11

Reproductions of Helen Smith and Harry Morgan's letters undated

Scope and Contents

This file contains photocopied reproductions of Helen and Harry's letters, intended to be included in Jeanne Morgan's planned book.

box 2, folder 12

Typed out copies of Smith/Morgan letters undated

Scope and Contents

This file contains typed out copies of Helen and Harry's letters, intended to be included in Jeanne Morgan's book about Helen and Harry.

box 2, folder 13

Song lyrics and visuals to accompany Smith/Morgan letters undated

Scope and Contents

This file contains visuals and song lyrics, presumably to serve as inspiration for, or to be included in, Jeanne Morgan's book about Helen Smith and Harry Morgan.

Jeanne Morgan's personal documents 1939-2012

Scope and Contents

This series contains documents from Jeanne Morgan's life and career, including biographical information, research for her publications, and documents relating to her artwork.

box 3, folder 1, box 5

Newspaper and magazine clippings and articles 1939-1956, undated

Scope and Contents

This file contains an array of newspaper and magazine articles and clippings relating to different subjects, presumably used by Morgan as research for her publications. Also included is a Life Magazine issue from October 1939.

box 3, folder 2

Documents relating to Jeanne Morgan's art and work with LA Free Press 1967, undated

box 3, folder 3

Research and notes for planned publications 1987, undated

box 3, folder 4

Art books 1976-2012

Scope and Contents

This file contains a copy of "Gracias a la vida: Violeta Parra, Testimonio" (1976) by Bernardo Subercaseaux and Jaime Londono and "An Interpretation of Goya's Caprichos" (2012) by Jeanne Morgan.

box 3, folder 5

Biographical information undated

Photographs 1925-1995, undated

Scope and Contents

This series contains family photographs, organized by family member, plus a file of older family photos of extended family members. This series also includes a number of photo negatives.

box 4

Helen Bass Smith 1925-1986, undated

Scope and Contents

This file contains photographs of Jeanne Smith's mother, Helen Morgan Smith, from her childhood and throughout her life.

box 4

Jeanne Morgan 1926-2000, undated

box 4

Other family photographs 1929-1994, undated

box 4

Jack Morgan 1931-1950, undated

Scope and Contents

This file contains photographs documenting the life of Jeanne Morgan's only sibling, her brother, Jack Morgan. Jack Morgan was a navy veteran who passed away in 1951 at the age of 20 in an automobile accident.

box 4

Harry Morgan 1936-approximately 1948, undated

Scope and Contents

This file contains photographs of Jeanne Morgan's stepfather, Harry Morgan. He was married to Helen Morgan Smith mother from 1939 until sometime in the late 1940s, when they divorced and Helen remarried her first husband, Jeanne's father Dick Smith.

box 4

Karen Johnson and Family 1960-1992, undated

Scope and Contents

This file contains photographs of Jeanne Morgan's niece, Karen Johnson,and her family (mostly her daughter Melanie and son-in-law Ray). Karen was the only child of Jeanne Morgan's brother, who passed away at age 20. Karen was raised by another man and was unaware that Jack Morgan was her biological father until she was a teenager. She connected with Jeanne Morgan as an adult and the two began corresponding and exchanged family photographs.

box 4

Relatives of the Smith side of the family 1989-1993, undated

Scope and Contents

This file contains family photographs from Jeanne Morgans's father's side of the family. Based on her correspondence, she presumably connected with these relatives when researching her genealogy.

box 4

Margo (Jeanne Morgan's stepdaughter) 1995, undated

box 4

Negatives undated

Collection Contents

Genealogy and Family Documents

Genealogy Documents

Family Documents

Family Heirlooms

Correspondence

Family Correspondence

Helen Morgan Smith and Harry Morgan Letters

Jeanne Morgan's personal documents

Photographs