Eliza Howe Evertson Saltus commonplace book
Scope and Content Note
This commonplace book was compiled by Eliza Howe Evertson Saltus in the mid-nineteenth century and passed on to her son Edgar Saltus. The volume contains clippings of poetry, short stories, news, and local events taken from various sources as well as handwritten notes and passages from various works such as Hamlet and the Bible.
The first page two pages of the volume attribute its ownership to Edgar Saltus and feature two statements requesting that any friend who borrows the book return it. Following this are three pages of poetry written in the same hand. There is also passage dated Feb. 10, 1827, and signed "E.E." (Eliza Evertson). After these first few pages of handwriting, the main body of the volume begins. The majority of the content consists of various clippings pasted on to or laid in to the pages. The subject matter of the clippings ranges from works of poetry, stories, and anecdotes to events in the news (both local and international). There are also clippings that list facts such as dates of Revolutionary War battles and monarchs of England.
Interspersed throughout the volume are pages of handwriting. Many of the pages contain passages copied from literary works such as Hamlet, various scientific journals, and original essays or works of poetry. There are also handwritten notes, recording items borrowed, money owed, and other information related to everyday affairs. In addition to instances of handwriting practice, the latter part of the volume contains material written in French.
While the material is for the most part undated, the few dates in the volume are from the 1840s or 1850s. The extent to which Edgar Saltus contributed to the book is unknown.
The binding on the volume is fraying and the spine and many of the pages are loose. At some point, pages and sections of pages were removed from the book.
Dates
- Creation: after 1826
Creator
- Saltus, Eliza Howe Evertson (Person)
Language of Materials
Materials in English and French.
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction
Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, http://library.udel.edu/spec/askspec/
Biographical Note
Eliza Evertson of New York, New York, was a descendant of a line of Dutch admirals and married businessman and inventor Francis Henry Saltus. In 1855, she gave birth to Edgar Saltus, who would later become a well-known writer and socialite. In 1862 or 1863, Eliza and Francis separated after years of marital discord. Francis traveled to Europe with his son from a previous marriage, Francis Saltus, Jr., while Edgar remained with Eliza.
Saltus, Mrs. Marie Giles.Edgar Saltus, the man. Chicago: P. Covici, 1925.
Extent
1 volume (122 pages) ; 26 cm
Abstract
This commonplace book was compiled by Eliza Howe Evertson Saltus in the mid-nineteenth century and passed on to her son Edgar Saltus. The volume contains clippings of poetry, short stories, news, and local events taken from various sources as well as handwritten notes and passages from various works such as Hamlet and the Bible.
Source
Source unknown.
Shelving Summary
- Item 0065: Shelved in SPEC MSS 0097
OCLC Number
Processing
Processed and encoded by Evan Echols, September 2009.
Subject
- Saltus, Edgar, 1855-1921 (Person)
- Saltus, Eliza Howe Evertson (Person)
Genre / Form
Geographic
Occupation
Topical
- Title
- Finding aid for Eliza Howe Evertson Saltus commonplace book
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- University of Delaware Library, Special Collections
- Date
- 2009 September 21
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the University of Delaware Library Special Collections Repository