Contents


Collection Overview

Administrative Information

Biographical Note

Scope and Contents of the Collection

Organization of the Collection

Series 1: Correspondence

Series 2: Projects and events

Series 3: Family

Series 4: Writings

Series 5: Activities

Series 6: Amherst History

Series 7: Education

Series 8: Miscellaneous

Series 9: Photographs and Postcards

Series 10: OBJECTS AND OVERSIZE ITEMS

E. Porter Dickinson Papers, 1900-1991

Finding Aid

Finding aid prepared by Colleen O'Connor 2011, Student Assistant.

2011

Collection Overview

Creator: Dickinson, E. Porter
Title: E. Porter Dickinson Papers
Dates: 1900-1991
Abstract: Mainly correspondence, materials relating to Porter Dickinson's family and the town of Amherst, photographs, and objects that reflect the many of his interests (particularly mountaineering and the White Mountains). Correspondents include Robert Francis, Professor E. Kimball Morsman, and Walter Hendricks.
Extent: 4 records storage boxes, 7 archives boxes(7.5 linear ft.)
Language: EnglishEnglish

Administrative Information

Gift, 1994

Processed April-June 2010 by Colleen O'Connor (AC 2011). Project manager: Margaret R. Dakin, Archives Specialist

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

[Identification of item], in E. Porter Dickinson Papers [Box #, folder #], Amherst College Archives and Special Collections, Amherst College Library.

There is no restriction on access to the E. Porter Dickinson Papers for research use. Particularly fragile items may be restricted for preservation purposes.

Requests for permission to publish material from the E. Porter Dickinson Papers should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.

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Biographical Note

E. Porter Dickinson, son of Robert W. Dickinson and Mary Billings, was born and raised in Amherst, Massachusetts. He began working at the Amherst College Library shortly after graduating from Amherst High School. During World War II, he worked as a post librarian for the U.S. Army, returning to his position at Amherst after completing his service. In the 1950s, Dickinson was promoted to head reference librarian and was awarded an honorary degree in 1964. A mountaineer, musician, and self-proclaimed "bibliomaniac," Dickinson held a variety of interests throughout his lifetime. In 1968, he retired from Amherst College, but remained active in several clubs and organizations until his death in 1991.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

Mainly correspondence, materials relating to Porter Dickinson's family and the town of Amherst, photographs, and objects that reflect the many of his interests (particularly mountaineering and the White Mountains). Correspondents include Robert Francis, Professor E. Kimball Morsman, and Walter Hendricks.

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Return to the Table of Contents

Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into ten series:

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Series 1: Correspondence

Series 1, Correspondence (1904-1989), consists of letters and greetings, mostly to Dickinson, from friends and family. Since his friends consisted of several Amherst alumni, this may be the most important series in the Dickinson papers. Such friends included poet Robert Francis, Amherst professor E. Kimball Morsman, and Walter Hendricks, founder of Mark Hopkins College, Marlboro College, and Windham College and a good friend of Robert Frost.


Box
Folder
1 1
Not belonging to E. Porter Dickinson 1911-61

2
Outgoing 1910-83

3
Childhood and family 1904-90

4
Incoming-general 1920-89

5
Incoming-greetings 1915-89

6
Incoming-Robert Francis 1957-61

7
Incoming-Paul Kirby (AC 1935) 1957-84

8
Incoming-Walter Hendricks (AC 1917) 1923-25

9
Incoming-Floyd Reynolds (AC 1924) 1921-25

10
Incoming-E. Kimball Morsman (AC 1924) 1928-56

11
Incoming-Winthrop Root (AC 1923) 1921-75

12
Incoming-Malcolm Oakman Young (AC 1916) 1920-75

13
Incoming-George Yeh (AC 1925) ca. 1925

14
Incoming-Robert M. Neal 1909-1924

15
Incoming-Thomas Jacob 1924-26

16
Incoming-Louis Bliss Gillet 1924-39

17
Incoming-James Michener-Season's Greetings 1940

18
Incoming-Honorary Degree 1964

19
Honorary Degree-press 1964

20
Library/ publishing related 1916-86

21
Retirement party related 1968

Series 2: Projects and events

Series 2, Projects and Events (1936-1988), includes press and correspondence about events and projects that Dickinson took part in. Among these are art shows and sales of paintings by Grandma Moses and E.L. Elmer, and the town of Amherst Bicentennial.


Box
Folder
1 22
Grandma Moses - Winter and Fire in the Woods materials 1940-82

23
E. L. Elmer-Lady in a Baptist Corner materials 1960-82

24
Faith Cabin Library/ Willie L. Buffington materials 1936-37

25
Friends of the Amherst College Library 1979-88

26
Frost Library materials n.d.

27
Lists of books from publishers n.d.

28
Book records n.d.

29
Town of Amherst Bicentennial Committee 1958-59

Series 3: Family

Series 3, Family (1876-1988), consists of objects belonging to Dickinson's parents and sisters, and also information about the entire Nathaniel Dickinson descendent line.


Box
Folder
2 1
Newsclippings about E. Porter Dickinson 1919-88

2
R.W. Dickinson and Mary Ester Billings-all papers 1882-1931

3
Materials related to the death of R.W. Dickinson 1931

4
Margarett Dickinson diaries 1904, 1909

5
Journal kept by Fanny May Morgan (Dickinson) about a friend named Harry 1961-65

6
Fanny May Morgan address book n.d.

7
Dickinson family materials (includes extended Dickinson family) n.d.

8
M.F. Dickinson's address at the Amherst Centennial celebration 1876

Series 4: Writings

Series 4, Writings (1911-1962), consists of Dickinson's poetry, journals, and White Mountain Anthology, a compendium of stories and articles about the White Mountains in New Hampshire.


Box
Folder
2 9
Poetry n.d.

10
Misc. writings (unknown which were authored by P. Dickinson) 1911-62

11
Journals 1911-62

12
Address books n.d.

13
Newsclipping book n.d.

14
Scrapbooks n.d.

15
Guide maps for the Topographic Society n.d.

16
White Mountain Anthology notes n.d.

17
White Mountain Anthology correspondence 1932-37

18
White Mountain Anthology (part 1 of 3) n.d.

19
White Mountain Anthology (part 2 of 3) n.d.

20
White Mountain Anthology (part 3 of 3) n.d.

Series 5: Activities

Series 5, Activities (1920-1989), consists of correspondence and press about the various clubs and associations that Dickinson was a part of.


Box
Folder
2 21
Mountaineering-Adirondacks 1943-70

22
Mountaineering-Berkshires 1958-89

23
Mountaineering-Green Mountains 1962-82

24
Mountaineering-Appalachians 1936-74

25
Mountaineering-AMC-Leroy Dudley (incl. photo) 1949

26
Mountaineering-Preservation societies 1923-81

27
Mountaineering-New England Trail Conferences 1920-36

28
Mountaineering-Miscellaneous 1932-59

29
Miscellaneous societies and organizations 1937-68

Series 6: Amherst History

Series 6, Amherst History (1886-1989), consists of various materials by and about important figures in Amherst history, including the Tuckerman family, the Hitchcock family, and poets Robert Francis, Robert Frost, and Emily Dickinson. The series includes photographs of Frost and Francis, and a petition by the women of Amherst against opening a saloon.


Box
Folder
3 1
Robert Francis ephemera ca. 1950-60s

2
Robert Frost ephemera 1931-63

3
Frederick Tuckerman notebook ca. 1905

4
Copy of Frederick Tuckerman notebook n.d.

5
Edward Hitchcock Discourse 1858

6
Hitchcock family notes, copies, correspondence 1940-89

7
Petition-Women of Amherst Against Opening a Saloon n.d.

8
Emily Dickinson materials 1972-80

9
Notebook (owner unknown) 1886

Series 7: Education

Series 7, Education (1907-1919), includes several of Dickinson's workbooks, his art class projects, and his high school yearbook.


Box
Folder
3 10
Grammar School-Art class paintings n.d.

11
Grammar School-Art class drawings n.d.

12
Miscellaneous school books 1914

13
Amherst High School-history book 1919

14
Amherst High School-history book 1919

15
Grammar/ High School-report cards 1907-19

16
Amherst High School-Class of 1919 ephemera 1919

17
Amherst High School Yearbook 1919

Series 8: Miscellaneous

Series 8, Miscellaneous (1875-1988), includes a wide variety of materials ranging from Dickinson's tax records to a nineteenth-century stamp book.


Box
Folder
3 18
Amherst Savings Bank-depositor's book 1901

19
Receipts, records, etc. 1920-80

20
Taxes 1930-76

21
WWII ration book 1945

22
Life insurance, Medicare, Social Security, etc. 1947-89

23
Jones Library card 1965

24
Passports 1979, 1984

25
Medical records ca. 1988

26
Concert programs and tickets 1881-1991

27
Stamp album 1800's

28
Amherst College Chapel Songbook 1881

29
Amherst College Math III student test booklets n.d.

30
Tony Sarg's Marionetts ca. 1920-30s

31
Various translated poems, author/ translator unknown n.d.

32
L.D. Sine's Gift Enterprise ticket (Lottery ticket) 1875

33
Philadelphia Centennial Souvenir Booklet 1876

34
"The Checkered Game of Life" game spinners from the 1860's version of the game, but the exact date is unknown n.d.

35
Snow Above the Town, Donald Hough bookjacket n.d.

36
The Grand Union Herald July 1912, October 1912 1912

37
"Silhouettes" scrapbook n.d.

38
Victor Records bookcover 1916

39
The Boston Globe souvenir flood edition and flood of 1936 booklet 1936

40
Miscellaneous ephemera 1800s

41
The Shelburne Falls Quarterly 1988-1990

Series 9: Photographs and Postcards

Series 9, Photographs and Postcards (1915-1989), consists of Dickinson's vast postcard collection (those used as correspondence and those that were bought by or given to Dickinson solely for the collection) and photographs of friends, family, and mountains.


Box
Folder
4 1
Photographs n.d.

2
Postcards-correspondence 1915-89

3
Postcards-collection n.d.

Box
Folder
5 1
Large photographs-mountaineering n.d.

2
Large photographs-houses n.d.

3
Large photographs-people n.d.

Box
Folder
6 3
2 photograph albums-mountaineering 1920-30s

Box
Folder
7 1
Large postcards-correspondence 1983, 1988

2
Large postcards-collection n.d.

Series 10: OBJECTS AND OVERSIZE ITEMS

Series 10, Objects and Oversize Items (1861-1938), includes Dickinson's personal objects, music by Dickinson, and oversize photographs and postcards.


Box
Folder
8 2
Inkwell n.d.


Pencil box n.d.


Viewfinder slides n.d.


2 small, wooden paintings n.d.


2 rolled posters n.d.

Box
Folder
9 1
Music by E. Porter Dickinson n.d.

2
Oversize photographs-people n.d.

3
Oversize photographs-mountaineering n.d.

4
Oversize photographs-other n.d.

5
Oversize postcards-collection n.d.

6
Boston Evening Globe 8/25/1938 1938

Box
Folder
10 1
Herbarium n.d.

2
Scrapbook n.d.

3
Herbarium of Eliza Cowles 1861

Box
Folder
11 1
Japan Straw Braid advertisements n.d.

2
Rolfe Humphries poem "For Porter Dickinson: A Tribute" 1968

3
Hokusai Woodblock n.d.

4
Misc. prints n.d.

5
Extra-oversize photos n.d.