Papers of Lydia Marie Auerbach Parsons, 1904-1984

This collection is composed primarily of letters Parsons received from members of her immediate family during the period 1910-1930, and of courtship letters from three suitors, 1904-1918. Letters from her parents document domestic life in Buffalo and significant family events, including the death of Parsons' sister, Gertrude (Auerbach) Magee, of tubercular meningitis in 1918, and the births of Parsons's children. Letters from Gertrude Auerbach Magee fall roughly into two groups: those from Buffalo, where Gertrude Auerbach Magee lived with her parents, which describe the daily round of housework and her outings to see dance, film, and theatre; and those from New York City, where she later moved to pursue a career on the stage. The latter describe Gertrude Auerbach Magee's life as a young woman alone in the city, touching on entertainment, New York sights, politics, her work goals, and other topics.

Letters to Parsons from John Stuart Frazer, Louis White Fehr, and Harry L. Parsons provide insights into courtship and romance in the first part of this century. A few letters survive from the unsuccessful courtship (1906-1907) of John Stuart Frazer; more are included from her husband, Harry Leslie Parsons, before and after their marriage. The bulk of these love letters, however, is from Louis White Fehr and dates from 1905-1907, when Louis White Fehr was an undergraduate at Cornell University. The letters also depict college life, and particularly college journalism: Louis White Fehr wrote for the Cornell paper, and his letters include brief descriptions of meetings with journalists William Randolph Hearst and Theodore Stanton.

The collection also includes correspondence and other papers of other Auerbach and Parsons family members; cards and letters from friends of Parsons; and assorted clippings, photographs, and memorabilia pertaining to the two families.