Family correspondence of Elizabeth (Hubbard) Blake, her children Benjamin Sewall Blake and Agnes (Blake) Fitzgerald, and Benjamin's wife Ruth (Field) Blake. Correspondence is mainly personal in nature, between Elizabeth Hubbard Blake and her family and friends, with long runs of letters from Agnes Blake Fitzgerald when she is away on vacation, and fewer but also substantial series of letters from Benjamin Sewall Blake when he is away. Long runs of letters between Agnes Blake Fitzgerald and her mother, and between Ruth Field Blake and her mother (Amelia D. Field) convey the details of daily life around 1900 to 1920, documenting the minutiae of daily existence in a privileged American household of that time. The daily weather, continual health problems, the cost of clothing, what types of foods were consumed, activities of babies and children, vacations and travel -- all are topics in this vast and intimate exchange. Other frequent correspondents include EHB's sisters Charlotte and Louise. An early run of letters, 1880-81, details the European travels of EHB's father, stepmother, brother Charles, and sisters Louise and Anne. The correspondence also includes many calling cards, invitations to social events, greeting cards, and postcards, a substantial number of which are undated. Carton 1 is devoted exclusively to undated correspondence and papers. For details, see the Box List for the collection. The correspondence tapers off after 1918, with only a few items after 1941.

The financial papers consist of bills and receipts arranged chronologically (13 folders), mostly but not exclusively those of Elizabeth Hubbard Blake. Also included here is EHB's "Easy-Clasp" file, a box in which she kept financial papers and memoranda arranged in a rough alphabetical fashion. This has been foldered and stored in its original order (13 folders).

This series contains an extensive set of medical prescriptions and other papers documenting the health of family members up into the 1950s. Early prescriptions, many for asthma, hair tonics, eczema, and nervous disorders, offer insight into the health concerns of the privileged class. There are also medical record charts for Benjamin and Ruth Blake, 1951-56.

Class notes and other papers written by Benjamin S. Blake, copies of entrance examinations from 1893-1897, an anonymous assessment of his abilities (1897), issues of the Harvard Crimson, report cards, college correspondence, some memorabilia, and a Harvard Union membership certificate (1902).

General orders, special orders, circulars, bills, discharges, warrants, notices, and newspaper clippings, concerning BSB's involvement in the First Corps Cadets, which he joined in 1896.

Charitable solicitation letters, mostly printed form letters, written to Elizabeth and Francis Blake, for the years 1887, 1913, 1927, 1931, 1937-1941.

There are ten folders of miscellaneous papers, each folder on a different topic: biographical information on Francis Blake, ca. 1890; Elizabeth Blake's transcriptions of FB's diary, with some biographical information written by Elizabeth Hubbard Blake; Francis Blake's memorial pamphlet (1913) and information on Commodore George S. Blake; materials on landscaping at Keewaydin (see also oversize); Agnes Blake's hair samples; Ruth Blake's hair samples; an unidentified painting; postage stamps; Francis Blake's leather wallet; and a 20th c. silhouette of an unidentified woman.

There are 31 bound volumes in the collection. Volumes 1, 2, and 30 are Francis Blake's: a booklet listing wedding gifts, 24 June 1873 (vol. 1); financial "journal," 1878-80 (vol. 2) and 1881-1894 (vol. 30, oversize). Volumes 3-10 and 31 are Elizabeth Blake's: wedding address book, 1873 (vol. 3); narrative account of the infancy of Agnes Blake, 1876-1880 (vol. 4); narrative account of the infancy of Benjamin Blake, 1877-1880 (vol. 5); scrapbook of newspaper clippings, 1879-1937 (vol. 6); memoranda book, 1880 (vol. 7); scrapbook of newspaper clippings, 1885-1925, bulk 1922-25 (vol. 8); address book, 1920s-1930s (vol. 9); account book, 1934-38 (vol. 10); checkbook and ledger, 1939-43 (vol. 31, oversize). Volumes 11-27 are Benjamin S. Blake's: memoranda booklet, n.d. (vol. 11); school notebook, 1890s (vol. 12); bank book, 1897-1901 (vol. 13); checkbooks, Oct. 1897-May 1904 (vols. 14-23); engagement diary, 1908 (vol. 24); checkbooks, Dec. 1914-Oct. 1917 (vols. 25-27). Volume 28 is Agnes (Blake) Fitzgerald's marriage service, 1906. Finally, vol. 29 is an unidentified sketchbook containing pencil sketches of people and outdoor scenes in New Hampshire, probably 1870s.

Printed matter saved by various Blake family members, including Audubon Society publications and other printed matter about birds, birdhouses, bird feeding, etc.; other miscellaneous magazines; printed ephemera and memorabilia; Keewaydin Theatre broadsides; advertising circulars; printed material on telephones; and three copies of an engraving of Benjamin Sewall.

Oversize materials include engravings and rotogravures of Francis Blake, as well as two copies of a broadside Extracts from the Trespass Laws of Massachusetts, and membership certificates in the Society of Colonial Dames of America for Elizabeth Hubbard Blake and Agnes Blake Fitzgerald.

PLEASE NOTE that the oversize Blake family materials are stored ONSITE. When requesting oversize materials, please use call number Ms. N-341.