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Nelson Family Juvenilia Collection of Pamela Russell and Murray McClellan

 Collection
Identifier: MA.00249
Digital Collection: Nelson Family Juvenilia Collection of Pamela Russell and Murray McClellan
Digital Collection: Nelson Family Juvenilia Collection of Pamela Russell and Murray McClellan

Scope and Contents

The Nelson Family Juvenilia Collection is composed of many small, handwritten and illustrated works created by the brothers Elmer, Arthur, and Walter Nelson during the 1890s during the boys pre-teen and teenage years. Most of the items take the form of newspapers, books or catalogs. Additional material includes loose illustrations, maps, lists, diary entries, scrapbooks and fragments of other works. A small number of photographs printed from glass plate negatives made by the Nelson brothers are found at the end of the collection. The material is organized by title or, where absent, description (indicated by square brackets). Author names and dates are supplied when they are found on the items, but may not reflect the actual authorship or dates of the material. Much of the material in the collection is set in a fantasy world created by the brothers and comprehensively described in their publications - including geographies, histories, biographies, newspapers and novels set in this world. The collection includes two diary fragments, the only non-fiction work in the collection.

Dates

  • Creation: circa 1892-1895

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

There is no restriction on access to the Nelson Family Juvenilia Collection of Pamela Russell and Murray McClellanfor research use. Particularly fragile items may be restricted for preservation purposes.

Conditions Governing Use

Requests for permission to publish material from the Nelson Family Juvenilia Collection of Pamela Russell and Murray McClellan should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.

Biographical / Historical

The Nelson Family was composed of Hial F. Nelson (born February 1848) Ida Lurinda (Farr) Nelson (born December 25, 1854) and their sons: Elmer H. (born May 1878); Arthur W. (born January 1880); Walter R. (born September 1882) and Ernest S. (born November 1891). The family were dairy farmers in Goshen, New Hampshire during the time that this material was created.

Extent

0.5 Linear feet (1 archives box)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Handwritten and illustrated fictional works created by the children of the Nelson family of Goshen, New Hampshire, in the 1890s.

Custodial History

The papers were acquired at private auction and deposited with the Archives and Special Collections in fall 2013. No original order was apparent. Items were ordered by title or description with unidentified material group at the end. The photographs were a gift from the Goshen Historical Society (duplicates of items in their collection) and were added at a later date.

Related Materials

Additional Nelson brothers material, including manuscript publications, diaries, photographs and negatives, can be found at the Goshen Historical Society in Goshen, New Hampshire.

Separated Materials

A 1943 U.S. Geological Survey map of the New Hampshire, Mt. Washington Quadrangle (N4415-W7115/15) was removed from the collection.

Processing Information

Processed December 2013

Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Amherst College Archives & Special Collections
Robert Frost Library
61 Quadrangle Drive
Amherst MA 01002-5000
(413) 542-2299