Helen Burr Smith papers
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Abstract
This collection consists of the research notes, correspondence, and personal papers of Helen Burr Smith (1892-1980), an authority on Colonial American silversmiths and portrait painters.
Biographical / Historical
Helen Burr Smith (1892-1980) was an authority on early American silver and portrait painters. She was a direct descendant of Michael Hillegas, the first Treasurer of the United States, and a collateral descendant of Aaron Burr, and her family history and genealogy was also a focus of her research. Smith was a frequent contributor to the New-York Historical Society Quarterly, the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Record, American Collector, Antiques Magazine, and the New York Sun newspaper.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into 6 series by subject:
Series I: Research
Series II: General Correspondence
Series III: Catalogs
Series IV: Documents Related to Colonial Silver
Series V: Personal Papers
Serries VI: Published Volumes
Scope and Contents
This collection contains the research notes, correspondence, and personal papers of Helen Burr Smith, an authority on Colonial American silversmiths and portrait painters.
The collection includes both typed and handwritten notes and drafts, as well as correspondence related to researching, writing and publishing articles on topics of her expertise. Smith was a frequent contributor to the New-York Historical Society Quarterly, the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society Record, American Collector, Antiques Magazine, and the New York Sun newspaper.
Also included are 73 photostats and 1 original document related to colonial American silver and silversmiths. These documents include bills, receipts, and legal writs related to the affairs of the silversmiths themselves, as well as inventories of estates of people who owned objects made of silver.
Smith's personal papers include personal correspondence, family scrapbooks and photo albums, and genealogical research. Correspondence between Smith and her lawyers covers topics such as her rent-controlled apartment in Manhattan, medical bills, and income tax. There are also a few copies of a memoir Smith wrote in 1978, which consists of a series of vignettes about various unrelated incidents in her life. There are also books and journals from Smith's personal library, the most significant of which are her books on silver and silversmiths.
Subjects
Access Restrictions
Open to qualified researchers.
Use Restrictions
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff. Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
The collection should be cited as: Helen Burr Smith Papers, MS 0573, New-York Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Helen Burr Smith, 1975 and 1980.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Processed by archivist Marybeth Kavanagh, January 2021.