Howard and Alice Reynolds correspondence, 1893-1921

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Summary

Creators:
Reynolds, Howard
Abstract:
Correspondence between traveling salesman Howard Reynolds and teacher Alice Reeves Reynolds of Los Angeles (both before and after their marriage in 1903).
Extent:
9 boxes
Language:
The material is in English .

Background

Scope and content:

The majority of this collection is made up of letters by Howard Reynolds to Alice Reeves Reynolds both before and after their marriage in 1903 (1894-1921), although there is half of a box of letters by Alice to Howard (1901-1911). In these letters, one can follow their courtship and marriage. Howard often talks about his business and his travels (especially throughout the American west) and Alice talks about her life as a teacher, social events, trips, health, etc.

There are a several other letters by various family members and friends including Howard’s father George W. Reynolds, Alice’s sister Carrie Reeves Slaydon, and a fellow traveling salesman working with Howard, Karl H. Vesper.

The collection also contains a few pieces of ephemera, some invoices from the Baker Underwear Company, and many empty envelopes. There are also transcripts of many of the letters, but not all.

Biographical / historical:

Howard Reynolds was born in England in 1863 to George W. Reynolds and Emma Reynolds. The family moved to the United States in 1872. Alice Reeves was born in Illinois in 1865. By 1894, Alice was living on Bunker Hill in Los Angeles, teaching; she and Howard were corresponding by letters on an almost daily basis at that time. Howard was an underwear salesman and traveled around the United States for his job. He worked for the Baker Underwear Company along with his father.

Howard and Alice were married in 1903. In 1927, they were living in La Crescenta, California. Howard died in 1932 in Los Angeles and Alice died in the 1950s, also in Los Angeles.

Acquisition information:
Gift of William R. and Alice B. Granewich, October 2016. This collection of correspondence was given to Katherine Thomson of Upland, California (and preserved by her) by Alice Reeves Reynolds' attorney after her death in the 1950s. It was accepted at the time that there were no remaining heirs or relatives. Katherine Thomson placed the material with Alice Granewich in the early 1990s. Material placed on deposit at The Huntington Library in 2000 and converted to a gift in 2016.
Rules or conventions:
Finding Aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

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