Archives and Special Collections
Manuscript Register
1 box
Agency History/Biographical note:
Lucy M. Curtis was born in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. She attended
Mount Holyoke Female Seminary from 1838 to 1840 and returned to
complete her studies in 1843. She taught at Mount Holyoke from her
graduation in 1844 to 1847 and from 1848 until her death in late
April of 1849 in West Brookfield, Massachusetts.
Scope and Content:
The Lucy M. Curtis papers consist of correspondence, a commonplace
book, and a photograph. Most of this material relates to the years
of her association with Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, 1838-1849.
There are eight letters in the collection written between 1842 and
1849. In her six letters to Mrs. Hannah Kingsbury Porter (wife of
Mount Holyoke trustee Andrew Porter), Curtis mentions the death of
student Sarah Wingate in 1849 and describes in detail the illness of
Mary Lyon in the same year. The collection also contains a letter
written to Lyon discussing the merits of a potential student for the
Seminary. A later letter to Lyon expresses her admiration and
affection for Miss Lyon. The letters contain indications of Curtis'
religious beliefs. The commonplace book contains original
compositions and copied articles by Mount Holyoke students from the
classes of 1838 to 1849, part of writings at the school known as
"Seminary Literature". The biographical information includes a note
by Anna C. Edwards (Mount Holyoke Class of 1859) concerning Curtis'
life, probably dating from ca. 1900. The collection also contains a
photograph of Curtis probably taken while she was at Mount Holyoke.
Cite as: L. M. Curtis Papers, Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections, South Hadley, MA.
Access Restrictions: Unrestricted
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