Causeries du Lundi records
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Abstract
This collection includes member and meeting information of the women's writing group, Causeries du Lundi, founded in 1880 and still active today. Members of this group write and present their essays at meetings, gathering the first Monday of every month in the winter.
Historical Note
The Causeries du Lundi is one the oldest women's literary societies in the U.S. still active today. Elizabeth Hamilton Collum, the granddaughter of Alexander Hamilton, founded the group in 1880 (Anniversary Book, 1930). Collum believed in a "better future for American women than a life of frivolity" and encouraged members to own and express opinions outside of home and social duties and document their interests in art, literature and scholarly culture.
Today, the group meets at a member's home on the first Monday of every winter month. Generally, only one paper per meeting is read, either by the author or another member. As many members come from prominent New York families, the papers provide insight into their family histories as well as old New York, while topics most often include ancestry, art, travel or historical subjects. Causeries du Lundi incorporated in 2008 and is now known as Causeries du Lundi 1880, Inc.
Arrangement
The collection is organized in eight series:
- Series I.
- Rules of Government / Governance and Incorporation, 1922-2011
- Series II.
- President's books, 1926-1979
- Series III.
- Anniversary books, 1890-1955, 2005
- Series IV.
- Annual reports, 1897-1901
- Series V.
- Minutes, 1880-1974, 2010-2011, 2013
- Series VI.
- Members' Essays, 1887-2017
- Series VII.
- Invitations, 1930-1980
- Series VIII.
- Miscellaneous, circa 1989-2012
Scope and Contents
The Causeries du Lundi records are arranged in seven series: President's books, Anniversary books, Annual Reports, Minutes, Member's Essays and Invitations. The bulk of the records are from 1880 to 1974. The majority of the collection consists of the essays written by Causerie members.
The collection documents the founding and administration of the group, its membership, and papers presented by the Causeries du Lundi. The Rules of Government state protocol and procedures of joining and maintaining membership in the Causeries du Lundi.The President's Books detail membership listings, addresses, schedules, and paper topics. Anniversary books were published in celebration of the passing of the years and provide history of the organization and its members. Annual reports and Minutes detail meeting and hostess information, with synopses of presented papers and ensuing discussion, as well as treasury reports. Member files are arranged alphabetically and contain the essays of the members. Some files may also contain clippings, comments and correspondence relating to the essays.
The Causeries du Lundi records contain many essays by women of prominent New York backgrounds with last names such as Lefferts, Peabody, Roosevelt, Delano, Erving, Pierrepont and Parsons, to name a few. One paper of historical interest was submitted by Mrs. Edward Curtis, whose husband performed Abraham Lincoln's autopsy. She included an article written by her husband in 1926 about the event.
Subjects
Access Restrictions
This collection is stored offsite. For information on making arrangements to consult it, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Use Restrictions
The Causeries du Lundi owns the copyright and other intellectual property rights to their materials. Permission to quote from this collection in a publication must be requested and granted in writing from the Causeries du Lundi as well as the New-York Historical Society. Send permission requests to
Library Director
The New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024
The copyright law of the United States governs the making of photocopies and protects unpublished materials as well as published materials. Unpublished materials created before January 1, 1978 cannot be quoted in publication without permission of the copyright holder.
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as the "Causeries du Lundi Records, MS 104, The New-York Historical Society."
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donations of the Causeries du Lundi, 1983, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, and 2018 (accession no. MS2018.048).
About this Guide
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Anna Helgeson in 2007, with additions by Catherine Newton in 2012 and Joseph Ditta in 2019.