1804-1968; bulk: 1841-1968
Guide to the Collection
Abstract
This collection consists largely of family correspondence and the personal papers of members of the Tiffany family of Hampden County, Massachusetts. Genealogical and historical papers related to the Tiffany family and Blandford, Massachusetts are present in the form of obituaries, newspaper clippings, genealogical books, and ephemera. Additionally, legal documents and deeds of various Tiffany family members are included in the collection.
Biographical Sketches
These brief biological sketches highlight the individuals most prominently represented within the Tiffany family papers.
Levi D. Tiffany (1824-1894) was born in Barkhamsted, Connecticut to Bela Bentley Tiffany (1799-1879) and Laura Johnson Tiffany. He married Huldah Holmes in 1852 in West Stafford, Connecticut, and the two later moved to New Jersey. They were the parents of two children, Frances Tiffany De Braal and Alice Holmes Tiffany Nye. Both Levi and his wife Huldah were school teachers, with Levi utilizing his free time to write essays, poetry, and short stories. After Levi's parents moved from Barkhamsted to Blandford, Massachusetts sometime in the 1850s following their purchase of the Samuel Boise tavern in Blandford, Levi and Huldah made their move to Blandford, as well. There, the two continued their work as school teachers, with Levi as principal of the school. Huldah left the profession and became the primary innkeeper once the couple opened their home to boarders as the Mountain View Inn. The family owned and operated the Mountain View Inn for several decades. Levi died at the age of 69 on 15 April 1894 in Blandford, where he is buried.
Bela Bentley Tiffany (1835-1924) was born in Litchfield, Connecticut to Bela Bentley Tiffany (1799-1879) and Laura Johnson Tiffany. He married Harriet Josephine Moulton in Blandford, Massachusetts in 1864, and together they had six children. Bela served with the Massachusetts 16th Infantry Regiment during the Civil War and was wounded at Cold Harbor in the summer of 1864. After the war, he became a photographer in Indiana, Pennsylvania. In his lifetime, he lived in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, finally settling in Indiana, Pennsylvania, where he died at the age of 89 in 1924.
Samuel C. Tiffany (1855-1923) was born in Blandford, Massachusetts to Johnson J. Tiffany and Susan Cross Tiffany. He married Ella Bird Granger in 1886, with whom he had two children, George Curtis Tiffany and Susan Emily Tiffany. Samuel was engaged in farming with his father for many years, served as chairman of the board of selectmen, and at his death was a trustee and deacon of the First Congregational Church. Samuel died in 1923 at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston after an illness of several months and is buried in Blandford.
Ella B. Granger Tiffany (1855-1936) was the daughter of George Washington Granger and Eliza M. Bird Granger. She was born in Tolland, Massachusetts and married Samuel C. Tiffany in 1886. Samuel and Ella had two children, George Curtis Tiffany and Susan Emily Tiffany. In 1900, Ella and Samuel moved from Tolland to Blandford, Massachusetts, where the family was active in the First Congregational Church. Ella died in April 1936 and is buried in Blandford.
Frances Tiffany De Braal (1864-1904), known to family and friends as "Fannie," was the daughter of Levi D. Tiffany and Huldah Holmes Tiffany. She was born and raised in Blandford, Massachusetts, and married William De Braal of Holland in 1894. Together, Frances and William had one daughter, Laura Elizabeth Tiffany De Braal. Frances was the librarian of Porter Memorial Library in Blandford. She was a member of the First Congregational Church and the Ladies Benevolent Society, serving as auditor of the Benevolent Society for an extended period of time. Frances died at the age of 40 in 1904 and is buried in Blandford.
Lydia Antoinette Tiffany Wood (1833-1895) was born in Barkhamsted, Connecticut to Bela Bentley Tiffany (1799-1879) and Laura Johnson Tiffany. In February 1851, she married Oliver Wood, with whom she had four children: Frederick T. Wood, George E. Wood, Wallace Lincoln Wood, and Edward Daniel Wood. In her lifetime, she lived in Barkhamsted; Farmington, Connecticut; Berlin, Connecticut; Marshall, Illinois; Lacy, Arkansas; and would ultimately die during her residency in Bolivar, Mississippi in November 1895.
Collection Description
The Tiffany family papers consist of four document boxes, one narrow document box, and one oversize folder spanning the years 1804 to 1968, with the bulk of the material dating from 1841-1968. The collection is made up primarily of correspondence between several Tiffany family members, the most prominently represented being Levi D. Tiffany, Bela Bentley Tiffany, Lydia Tiffany Wood, Ella B. Tiffany, and Fannie Tiffany De Braal. Noteworthy among the family correspondence are letters sent by Bela Bentley Tiffany during his service with the Massachusetts 16th Infantry Regiment in the Civil War.
Personal papers of various Tiffany family members are included in the collection, as well, most of which are personal correspondence, diaries, and schoolbooks. Levi D. Tiffany's personal papers are the most extensive and include personal correspondence; his writings in the form of essays, short stories, and poems; school papers from his own studies, as well as from his years as a school teacher and principal; personal account books and receipts; sermon notes; journals; and diaries.
Genealogical and historical materials make up the latter part of the collection. This portion of the collection contains documents related to the history of Blandford, Massachusetts, including photocopied newspaper clippings; a copy of a souvenir book from the Blandford Bicentennial; and photocopied pages from the regimental history of the Massachusetts 36th Infantry Regiment, with which Bela Bentley Tiffany served. A hand-painted family coat of arms with an accompanying explanation of the design, Tiffany family obituaries, miscellaneous clippings related to the family, ephemera, a family recipe book, a ledger from the Mountainview Inn, genealogical volumes, and a few editions of Tiffanyana Magazine, marking the family connection to Tiffany and Company are also represented in the collection. Additionally, legal documents and deeds of various Tiffany family members from the years 1866-1954 are present.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Elaine Granata, executor of the estate of Edward Watson Wood, Jr., July 2022.
Detailed Description of the Collection
I. Family correspondence, 1845-1952
Arranged chronologically.
This series contains correspondence between members of the Tiffany family. Featured prominently in the family correspondence are letters of Levi D. Tiffany, Bela Bentley Tiffany (1835-1924), Lydia Tiffany Wood, and Ella B. Tiffany.
The family correspondence of Levi D. Tiffany is well-represented in the earlier part of this series. Included are Levi's letters to his parents and siblings on his work as a school teacher, updates to Levi on the family's health and well-being, and poems he wrote for his family on occasion. There are a number of love letters from Levi to his wife Huldah while he was away on business. His later family correspondence includes letters about the sickness of his wife and a telegraph to Levi marking the death of his mother.
The family correspondence of Bela Bentley Tiffany (1835-1924) constitutes a significant portion of this series. In early letters, written during his service in the U.S. Civil War, he inquires about his family and details some of his wartime experiences. In a letter dated 23 June 1863, he speaks of getting jaundice and of other men coming down with typhoid. In a letter addressed to his brother and marked 26 July 1863, he reflects on the fourth of July and the nation's independence from the perspective of a soldier fighting in the Civil War. Subjects discussed in his later letters include his photography business, photography techniques, the death of his daughter Laura Etta Tiffany, his fluctuating business success, the family's health and well-being, church affairs, the deaths of close friends, temperance, and the death of his father Bela Bentley Tiffany (1799-1879). Other letters were mostly written to his niece, Frances ("Fannie") Tiffany De Braal, about family health and Bela's recognition of his own fading health and old age.
The family correspondence of Lydia Tiffany Wood is also largely represented in this series. Letters to her nieces discuss her life in Arkansas, its beauty, and its setbacks; she describes the plant life but notes several pests, fleas, ticks, sand flies, gnats, and small red poisonous bugs. Letters also discuss her husband Oliver's election as justice of the peace, the family's financial struggles, health updates, her homesickness for the northeast, and her eventual move from Arkansas to Mississippi. Several letters were written to her niece, Frances ("Fannie") Tiffany De Braal, often detailing her health, the welfare of her children, updates on her garden, and her daily life. Fannie became Lydia's point of contact with the rest of the family in the northeast and kept her informed on the overall health of the family.
The later correspondence in this series, a significant segment, consists of Ella B. Tiffany's correspondence with her children, George Tiffany and Susan Tiffany. The vast majority of these letters detail daily life, weather patterns, and general updates from the children to their mother, as George moved to San Francisco, California, and Susan to Westfield, Massachusetts. Many of Susan's letters are either general updates to her mother, postcards from travel, or notes written to her mother while traveling. There are two telegrams from Ella's son George Tiffany announcing the births of his children. Many of George's letters talk about his life in California, his children, and his prolonged financial struggles.
1845-Aug. 1931
Sep. 1931-1952
II. Personal papers, 1804-1934
Arranged according to prevalence in collection.
This series contains the personal papers of several members of the Tiffany family. It includes personal correspondence, diaries, school papers, personal writings, personal account books and receipts, and school books. The majority of this series is made up of Levi D. Tiffany's personal papers.
A. Levi D. Tiffany papers, 1804-1883
This subseries contains a variety of papers belonging to Levi D. Tiffany. His personal correspondence includes personal greetings, life and health updates, and letters about donations to and the debts of the First Congregational Church. (The December 1874 letter sent to Levi includes antisemitic language). The subseries also contains diaries in the form of volumes and loose journals which span four decades and leave a well-documented account of Levi's life from 1845-1882. Also included are Levi's writings in the form of essays, short stories, sermon notes, play scripts, and poems, which vary in content from fictional stories about schoolchildren to essays on the sun and moon. It is important to note that one of his essays includes inappropriate language in reference to Native Americans. Excerpts from other authors and articles he has transcribed are incorporated into this grouping, as well as sermon notes believed to be written by Levi D. Tiffany (1766-1851). Also present in this subseries are papers related to Levi D. Tiffany's work as a student, school teacher, and principal, including class lists, a penmanship book, student records, and his chemistry notes; various account books in the form of small soft-bound volumes and receipts, 1851-1883; and a biographical typescript prepared for publication, called "The Tradition of Levi D. Tiffany," by Edward Watson Wood.
Personal correspondence, 1874-1875
Diaries, 1845-1882
1845-1849
1850-1858
1858-1864
1862-1863
1869-1871
1875-1876
1877-1881
1882
Various writings, 1804-1857
School papers, 1846-1856
Account books and receipts, 1851-1883
Biographical material
B. Bela Bentley Tiffany personal correspondence, 1873-1892
Arranged chronologically.
This subseries contains the personal correspondence of Bela Bentley Tiffany, including a letter of well wishes addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Bela Tiffany, two inquiries about a potential purchase, and an undated letter possibly written to his father, Bela Bentley Tiffany (1799-1879), though this is unclear.
C. Samuel C. Tiffany papers, 1868-1892
This subseries contains the business papers of Samuel C. Tiffany, including records of transactions, receipts, and correspondence marking profits and purchases. Also included are two school books: Greenleaf, Benjamin. A Mental Arithmetic, upon the Inductive Plan: Being an Advanced Intellectual Course (Boston: Robert S. Davis, 1863) and New Elementary Algebra: In Which the First Principles of Analysis Are Progressively Developed and Simplified (Boston: Robert S. Davis, 1868).
Business papers, 1892
School books, 1863-1868
A Mental Arithmetic, upon the Inductive Plan: Being an Advanced Intellectual Course (Boston: Robert S. Davis, 1863)
New Elementary Algebra: In Which the First Principles of Analysis Are Progressively Developed and Simplified (Boston: Robert S. Davis, 1868)
D. Ella B. Tiffany personal correspondence, 1933-1934
Arranged chronologically.
This subseries contains the personal correspondence of Ella B. Tiffany, married to Samuel C. Tiffany. Correspondence takes the form of thank you letters and well wishes, Easter greetings, postcards from traveling friends, a dinner invitation, and letters updating Ella on the senders' lives.
E. Frances Tiffany De Braal personal correspondence, 1887-1928
Arranged chronologically.
This subseries contains the personal correspondence of Frances (Fannie) Tiffany De Braal. Notable in this subseries is a letter dated 23 Sep. 1887 written to Fannie by Emily Williams, a woman of color who worked for Fannie's neighbor for several years. In this letter, she asks for prayers, grants Fannie and her family her best wishes, and writes of her literacy and the community in Blandford, Massachusetts, saying "I should like to hear the nerve of Blandford whether I can write or not."
F. Lydia Tiffany Wood biographical material, undated
This subseries contains biographical information on Lydia Tiffany Wood in the form of an annotated typescript prepared for publication, entitled "Letters of My Grandmother: Lydia Antoinette Tiffany Wood, 1879-1896." This work, presumably written by Edward Watson Wood, includes transcripts of letters to family members, along with a biographical sketch of Lydia. Many letters describe her feelings of loneliness, living so far from her siblings, nieces, and nephews, and document events in the life of a southern pioneer wife.
G. Susan E. Tiffany papers, 1910-1924
This subseries contains a diary and the personal correspondence of Susan E. Tiffany, daughter of Samuel C. Tiffany and Ella B. Tiffany. The diary is written in 1910 and documents Susan's nineteenth year, her daily life, and her schooling. Also included are letters spanning 1923-1924 from J. D. Brownell on the health of a "Joe," a friend's response to Susan's condolence letter, a letter written by Susan on her travels and good health, and a letter addressed to Susan with information presumably to be submitted to a committee.
Diary, 1910
Personal correspondence, 1923-1924
H. Johnson J. Tiffany school book, 1850
In this subseries is one volume, a school book: Van Waters, George. The Poetical Geography, Designed to Accompany Outline Maps or School Atlases (Louisville: s.n., 1850), marked with "J. J. Tiffany" inside the front cover.
I. Belle Tiffany school book, 1881
In this subseries is one volume, a school book: Wentworth, G. A. Elements of Geometry (Boston: Published by Ginn and Heath, 1881), marked with Belle Tiffany's signature.
J. Harriet Lloyd commonplace-book, 1835
This subseries contains a commonplace-book belonging to Harriet Lloyd, dated 1835. In it, Lloyd includes Bible verses, quotations, notes to her future self, and words of her friends and relatives. Included in the opening pages of the volume is a lock of hair.
III. Genealogical and historical papers, 1847-1968
This series consists of genealogical and historical papers related to the Tiffany family and Blandford, Massachusetts. It contains a number of news articles pertaining to both Blandford and the Tiffany family, a hand-painted coat of arms and information on the Tiffany coat of arms, various ephemera, Tiffany family obituaries, a few issues of Tiffanyana Magazine produced by Tiffany and Company, a ledger from Mountain View Inn, a family recipe book, and a printed genealogy of the Tiffany family.
Blandford, Mass. history, 1912-1946
Included are newspaper clippings regarding the history of Blandford, Massachusetts, a copy of a souvenir book from the Blandford Bicentennial, and photocopied pages from the regimental history of the Massachusetts 36th Infantry Regiment, with which Bela Bentley Tiffany served. Notable among the newspaper clippings is an article regarding the history of the Mountainview Inn in Blandford, formerly owned by the Tiffanys. This subseries also contains an 1892 edition of The New England Homestead; though this does not reference the Tiffanys or Blandford specifically, this edition could not be located online at other repositories, so it has been kept with the collection due to its potential rarity.
Coat of arms, undated
Included is a hand-painted Tiffany family coat of arms with an accompanying explanation of the design. The explanation has been damaged, but a transcript of discernible information is included in the collection.
Ephemera, 1847-1927
Arranged chronologically.
Various ephemera related to the Tiffany family includes a pamphlet on Writing and Printing Reformation, a printed poem, an unused postcard from an inn in Northampton, Massachusetts, and two event programs.
Miscellaneous clippings, undated
Included are miscellaneous newspaper clippings related to the Tiffany family. Among the subjects are wedding announcements, Tiffany family reunions, birthday celebrations, a fire at B. B. Tiffany's home, and Louis C. Tiffany of Tiffany and Company denouncing modern art. Also included is a page from a scrapbook that features poems, some obituaries, an article about Thomas Edison, and an article noting Edward Watson Wood's campaign for Rotary president.
Obituaries, undated
This folder contains obituaries of Tiffany family members and their descendants. The following individuals are included: Levi D. Tiffany, Huldah Holmes Tiffany, Samuel C. Tiffany, Frances Tiffany De Braal, Johnson J. Tiffany, Laura Belle Tiffany, Burton Tiffany, Dr. Frank M. Tiffany, Frank G. Tiffany, Camilla Allen Tiffany, Mrs. Bela B. Tiffany, James P. Nye, Laura T. Pratt, and Angeline C. Holmes.
Tiffanyana Magazine, May-Dec. 1968
Included are three editions of the 1968 Tiffanyana Magazine. The first issue contains information regarding the Tiffany family connection to Tiffany and Company. Charles Lewis Tiffany established Tiffany and Company as one of the world's premier luxury brands. His son Louis Comfort Tiffany earned his own reputation as the foremost American designer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These magazine editions feature stories on the following subjects: Louis Comfort Tiffany, Tiffany and Company products, the Tiffany auctions, Old Fifth Avenue, and more.
Volumes, 1876-1904
Arranged chronologically.
This subseries contains three volumes: a Mountain View Inn ledger presumably kept by Levi and Huldah Tiffany or their Nye descendants, a small family recipe book, and a printed genealogy of the Tiffany family.
Mountain View Inn ledger, 1876-1895
Wright, Ella F. Genealogical Sketch of the Tiffany Family (Mattatuck Press, 1904)
Family recipe book, undated
IV. Legal documents and deeds, 1866-1954
Arranged chronologically.
This series contains legal documents and deeds of several members of the Tiffany family. Included are three warranty deeds of Johnson J. Tiffany, documents related to the appointment of Johnson J. Tiffany as administrator of Charles Lee's estate, a copy of Susan E. Tiffany's birth record, an estate record of L. Belle Tiffany, a quitclaim deed of Edward W. Wood, Sr., and a deed to land in Cuba of Pansy Beatrice Nye that is written in Spanish.
Preferred Citation
Tiffany family papers, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.
Persons:
Organizations:
Subjects:
Materials Removed from the Collection
Photographs from this collection have been removed to the MHS Photo Archives.
A printed genealogy entitled The Tiffanys of America: History and Genealogy (New York: Published by Nelson Otis Tiffany, 1901) has been removed and cataloged separately.