Guide to the Elsa Guerdrum Allen papers,
1885-1976, 1885-1969 (bulk)

Collection Number: 21-18-1362

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cornell University Library

Contact Information:

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
2B Carl A. Kroch Library
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
(607) 255-3530
Fax: (607) 255-9524
rareref@cornell.edu
http://rmc.library.cornell.edu

Compiled by:

I. Wald

Date completed:

February 1979

EAD encoding:

Peter Martinez, November 9, 2001

© 2001 Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library

DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:

Elsa Guerdrum Allen papers, 1885-1976, 1885-1969 (bulk)

Correspondence, diaries, pamphlets, manuscripts, photographs, and slides.

Repository:

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library

Abstract:

Papers consist of correspondence with family members and professional colleagues; diaries; photographs and research notes on early ornithologists; a bibliography of her Ph.D. thesis; travel literature; copies of grant applications (1960-1965); unpublished manuscripts. Family papers also include a genealogy of her Scandinavian ancestors. Papers are in English, Norwegian, and Swedish.

Language:

Collection material in English, Norwegian, and Swedish

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Ornithologist, lecturer, and writer, 1888-1969. Cornell University Class of 1912, Ph.D. 1929.

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Papers consist of correspondence, primarily with family members, but also with professional colleagues; diaries ("My First Journal," 1917); photographs of early ornithologists; pamphlets; student notes, lecture notes, and research notes on early ornithologists, including Mark Catesby; a bibliography of her Ph.D. thesis; travel literature; copies of grant applications (1960-1965); unpublished manuscripts, "The Story of Lalla," a novel with a Scandinavian background, "Minerva's Daughter," for which she sought publication by the Women's Press (1949), her biographical study of the colonial naturalist, John Abbot, including slides of his watercolors of birds, and other research and literary works; and a genealogy of John Abbot, with correspondence and photographs relating to the creation of an historic marker for him in Georgia. Family papers also include a genealogy of her Scandinavian ancestors and correspondence concerning an inheritance she received. The papers are in English, Norwegian, and Swedish

SUBJECTS

Names:

Allen, Elsa Guerdrum.

Abbot, John, 1751-1840.

Catesby, Mark, 1683-1749.

Women ornithologists.

Form and Genre Terms:

INFORMATION FOR USERS

Access Restrictions:

Restricted to permission of the Archivist, who will inquire into the identification and scholarly purpose of each user requesting access to the papers.

Restrictions on Use:

For commercial use of the papers, a royalty will be required which will be deposited to a fund created to encourage study in the use of photography for the study of avian behavior or for the study of the history of ornithology.

Cite As:

Elsa Guerdrum Allen papers, #21-18-1362. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.

CONTAINER LIST

Date	Description	Container
	1 typewritten copy of a novel, Minerva's Daughters. Manuscript was sent to The Women's Press in 1949, by Elsa G. Allen, using her maiden name, Guerdrum	Box 1
1949	Various hand- and typewritten notes, talks and lectures	Box 1
	Notes to History of American Ornithology Before Audubon. Typewritten manuscript of same, cards for bibliography	Box 2
	Photos, several maps of Georgia	Box 3
	Bibliographic cards on Abbot	Box 3
	Negatives and some prints of birds	Box 3
	Notes for talks, et al	Box 3
	Photos of ornithologists	Box 3
	Photos (mostly family and mostly unidentified), slides	Box 4
	1 photo album from Sweden and "Auntie's Letters" in Swedish, "Auntie" is Miss Kraemer (see box 12)	Box 4
	Pamphlets on various subjects. Main emphasis on women, the status of women, beginning from about 1938	Box 5
	Publications and notes about the AAUW	Box 5
	Annual reports of the Charles Lamb Society	Box 5
	Notes on Abbot, bibliography cards, slides	Box 5
	Several diaries, beginning in 1936, one diary belonging to her sister, 1961	Box 5
	Correspondence, 1939-1948	Box 5
	Correspondence, 1938-	Box 6
	Galley proof of ?Before Audubon	Box 6
1938-	Notes for Abbot book	Box 6
	Correspondence, 1923-1963, and bibliography	Box 7
	Notes to ?Before Audubon	Box 7
	Notes to Birds of Florida	Box 7
1923-1963	Notes for Abbot book	Box 7
	Typewritten notes for EGA's book on Abbot, also some handwritten notes and Chapter IX of the planned book	Box 8
	Set 4 (typewritten guide) of Drawings and Natural History of the Birds of Georgia in America by John Abbot (1804?)	Box 8
	Negatives (some glass) on birds. Included also is the ivory billed woodpecker	Box 9
	Correspondence	Box 9
	Reprints by Elsa and others	Box 9
	Travel notes (SW Pacific), ca. 1935-1936, hand- and typewritten notes on Hudson Bay ornithology	Box 10
	Abbot material and bibliographic cards	Box 10
	Some correspondence, ca. 1965	Box 10
	Further notes about Abbot, some photos taken in Georgia, ca. 1960	Box 11 (not full)
	Genealogy of John Abbot, list of birds in Georgia, large number of 3"x5" bibliographic cards	Box 11
	Correspondence ca. 1956, with Herman Coolidge of Savannah, Georgia re Abbot	Box 11
	Notes about Abbot including application and correspondence for a historic marker to the Department of the Army	Box 12
	List of travel expenses	Box 12
	Photos and typewritten manuscript about Chipmunk Secrets	Box 12
	December 23, 1976 accession in this box, relating to above	Box 12
	Correspondence, 1955-1960, mostly concerning the death of a relative, Miss Kraemer, Florida, and inheritance	Box 12
	17 negative films	Box 13
	Invitations, regrets and acceptances to the Golden Wedding Anniversary, 1963, of Arthur and Elsa	Box 13
	A guestbook	Box 13
	A diary marked "My first journal," 1917?	Box 13
	Travel literature about Norway	Box 13
	Abbot notes	Box 13
	Typewritten copies of various talks, one ?Before Audubon, the other, The Background of American Ornithology (possibly used later for the book)	Box 14
	2 typewritten poems: "To a Ruffed Grouse," "The Hermit Thrush"	Box 14
	Notes on Abbot (hand- and typewritten) and three spiral notebooks, ca. 1957	Box 14
	Photocopies of Abbot's letter to Escher	Box 14
	Notes on Catesby	Box 14
	Genealogical chart of the Nichols, Brown Moore families, 1776-1939, by Anna Maria Moore Allen, 1939 (Mrs. A.H. Wright)	Box 14
	Some correspondence	Box 14
	Photos of letters to Abbot	Box 15
	Notes on Abbot and Catesby	Box 15
	Bibliographic cards	Box 15
	Manuscript for Farm Jrl. Articles, 1920	Box 15
	Correspondence	Box 15
	Notes on Abbot	Box 16
	Notes about AAA-endowment fund and notes for his biography	Box 16
	Family papers and some genealogical material which EGA used to write the Story of Lalla (from Norway)	Box 16
	A Swedish poem (probably by her mother) describing EGA's parents' wedding day	Box 16
	Letters to EGA's mother, 1940, Mrs. O.W. Guerdrum (Gjerdrum)	Box 16
	1 small box with letters and documents concerning the Guerdrum, Gjerdrum family, 1855	Box 16
	Type- and handwritten "Nature's Chronicle," i.e. , a description of birds on different days in 1934	Box 17
	Travel brochures and information on Norway, ca. 1934	Box 17
	Family correspondence, 1927-1939	Box 17
	Correspondence and pamphlets concerning the AAUW, ca. 1936	Box 17
	Handwritten notes on Catesby	Box 17
	Notes on birds in Germany (Stuttgart) and related correspondence, ca. 1960	Box 17
	English translation of an article about her grandfather Jorgen Gjerdrum published in the Norwegian book Profiler Fra Storebrands Ledelse Gjennom Hundre Ar, 1847-1947 by Chr. Gierloff, Dreyer 1947	Box 17
	Handwritten notes for the article "The Birds and the Poets."	Box 17
	Handwritten rough draft of article, "Thoughts for Women," 1933	Box 17
	Handwritten notes for Chipmunk paper, 1924	Box 17
	Notes and identified photos on Abbot and the Georgia Historical society	Box 17
	One box of used labels	Box 18
	Notes and photos concerning Abbot	Box 18
	Notes for various projects	Box 18
	Bibliographic cards	Box 19
	Slides	Box 19
	Notes for different slides, Correspondence with Dr. Chase Adams, New York State Museum, re publication of "Chipmunk"	Box 19
	Other correspondence	Box 19
	Notes on Abbot	Box 19
	Papers, talks, notes from EGA's student days	Box 19
	Notes and correspondence about Charles Lamb Society	Box 19
	Correspondence	Box 20
	1 folder, "Expense of Study"	Box 20
	Notes and photos about various birds	Box 20
	Abbot notes	Box 20
	Bibliography concerning EGA's Ph.D. thesis	Box 20
	Material relating to Abbot	Box 20
	Grant applications, 1960-1965	Box 20
	Correspondence, ca. 1965	Box 20
	Family correspondence	Box 21
	Notes for ?Before Audubon	Box 21
	Bibliographic cards (3"x5") for Birds and Poetry	Box 21
	2 journals, 1960, Sweden and 1956, Savannah, Georgia	Box 21
	Pamphlets	Box 21
	Bibliographic cards (3"x5")	Box 22
	Notes on Abbot including deeds for his property in Georgia, his will, photos of facsimile papers, etc	Box 22
	Correspondence	Box 22
	Two passports	Box 23
	Photos and notes concerning Abbot	Box 23
	Pamphlets	Box 23
	Notes on the history of Ornithology	Box 23
	Notes for Birds and Poetry	Box 23
	Correspondence including correspondence concerning her appointment as lecturer, 1928-1930, to teach ornithology	Box 23
	A large amount of personal correspondence plus two very personal letters from EGA's son, D.	Box 23
	Correspondence	Box 24
	Some notes--various topics	Box 24
	Lists of dinner guests	Box 24
	Correspondence	Box 25
	Material for an exhibition	Box 25
	Photos of early ornithologists	Box 25
	Travel notes and correspondence, Norway, 1946	Box 25
	Notes, pamphlets	Box 25
	Some family newspaper clippings	Box 25
	Notes for "Chipmunk"	Box 25
	Papers concerning the AOU (American Ornithologists' Union)	Box 25
	Grant application for American Philosophical Society for publishing ...Before Audubon	Box 25
	Bibliographic cards	Box 25
	Notes for AAA biography	Box 26
	Lecture notes for Savannah, Georgia	Box 26
	Chipmunk notes	Box 26
	A large amount of personal correspondence	Box 26
	Various, very old, notes in envelopes	Box 27
	Travel literature about Europe and Canada	Box 27
	Manuscript, ?Before Audubon	Box 27
	Manuscript, Birds and Poets	Box 27
	Notes of a course given by Henry Guerlac, History of Science	Box 27
	Pamphlets concerning women, one Swedish magazine	Box 27
	Several diaries (7)	Box 27
	Correspondence, including letters EGA wrote to her sister Signe (Mrs. Paul Bartsch)	Box 27
	Large photos (12"x15") for Abbot book	Box 28
	One manuscript, "John Abbot of Georgia"	Box 28
	One manuscript (published 1951 by A.P.S.) ?Before Audubon	Box 28
	Notes on Abbot in spiral notebook, 1952	Box 29
	List of birds in the world, by a student	Box 29
	Notes for Catesby	Box 29
	Notes on Alexander Wilson	Box 29
	Hand- and typewritten manuscripts of the Story of Lalla	Box 29
	AOU, programs, pamphlets, etc	Box 29
	Correspondence, including a large amount of personal and family correspondence, 1935	Box 29
	One passport, notebooks	Box 29
	Two printing blocks (probably ...Before Audubon). Note: except for these two blocks, the rest have been distributed. Some have been kept for exhibition purposes--I. Wald	Box 29
	Notes on Abbot	Box 30
	Notes for Birds and Poetry	Box 30
	One poem by EGA	Box 30
	Diaries, 1950	Box 30
	Address books, correspondence, and 4 books	Box 30
	Negatives and prints (b & w) from Abbot's First Birds	Box 31
	Typewritten unpublished manuscript, Abbot	Box 31
	2,000 slides	Box 31
(Nov. 1976 Acc.)	Correspondence concerning the publication of John Abbot	Box 31
	Journals, letters with family members and diaries	Box 32
	Reproductions of John Abbot letters, 1 mounted, 2 unmounted. 3 pcs	Box 1 Over-sized folder

Guide to the Elsa Guerdrum Allen papers,1885-1976, 1885-1969 (bulk)

Collection Number: 21-18-1362

Division of Rare and Manuscript CollectionsCornell University Library

© 2001 Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library

Guide to the Elsa Guerdrum Allen papers,
1885-1976, 1885-1969 (bulk)

Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections
Cornell University Library