Archives West Finding Aid
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Lenna Deutsch Papers on "Mercer's Belles", circa 1950-1962
Overview of the Collection
- Title
- Lenna Deutsch Papers on "Mercer's Belles"
- Dates
- circa 1950-1962 (inclusive)19501962
- Quantity
- 3 linear feet of shelf space, (7 boxes)
- Collection Number
- Cage 870 (collection)
- Summary
- This collection consists of materials related to Lenna Baird Deutch's book, "Mercer's Belles". It includes copies of Roger Conant's journal and other source materials, bibliographic notecards, articles, correspondence related to the book's publication, publicity material, personal correspondence, and reviews.
- Repository
-
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
This collection is open and available for research use.
- Languages
- English.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Lenna Deutsch (nee Baird, 1903-1990) was born in Chicago to Thomas and Lenna Baird. When she was 17, she moved to Spokane, where she graduated from North Central High School in 1921. In 1926, she graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelor's degree in bacteriology. After her graduation, she taught home economics and science for two years at Tekoa (WA) High School. She returned to Pullman and received her Master's degree in bacteriology in 1929 and began working as a laboratory instructor.
She and Herman J. Deutsch were married June 16, 1930, at Spokane. He was a history professor at WSU. The Deutsches had one child, a daughter, Lenna. Herman Deutsch died in November 1979.
In 1960, Lenna Deutsch published a book, "Mercer's Belles", an edited version of journalist Roger Conant's journal about Asa Mercer's "emigration experiment," bringing young unmarried women from the East Coast to Seattle in the 1860s. He recruited them as prospective teachers, and brides for bachelors.
She was a member of the Pi Beta Phi social sorority and the Pullman League of Women Voters, of which she was a charter member, and was a member of the Ingleside Study Group, the Whitman County Historical Society and the Matron's Club. She died in September 1990 in Moscow, Idaho.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection consists of materials related to Lenna Baird Deutch's book, "Mercer's Belles". It includes copies of Roger Conant's journal and other source materials, bibliographic notecards, articles, correspondence related to the book's publication, publicity material, personal correspondence, and reviews.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Copyright restrictions apply.
Preferred Citation
[Item Description] Lenna Deutsch Papers on "Mercer's Belles", circa 1950-1962 Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in two series:
Series 1: Source Material, circa 1950-1960. This series contains materials related to the research and creation of Deutsch's book, including copies of Conant's diary, photocopies from journals, hand-written transcriptions from newspapers, journals, and archival repositories, microfilm, and bibliographic notecards with book and article call numbers and notes.
Series 2: Publication Material, circa 1950s-1962. This series contains items related to publishing and post-publication, including correspondence with different publishers and University of Washington Press, promotional material, personal correspondence regarding the book, reviews, and an article about Lenna Deutch's experience of editing a journal for publication.
Acquisition Information
Lenna and Bruce Harding donated this collection to the Washington State University Libraries in 1992 (MS.1992.75).
Processing Note
This collection was processed by Megan Ockerman in May of 2017.
Related Materials
The repository holds another version of Deutsch's Mercer's "Belles manuscript" (Cage 1803).
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series 1: Source Material, circa 1950-1960Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Roger Conant's journal, "The Cruise of the Continental" (typed transcription). |
|
| 1 | 2-7 | Manuscripts of "Mercer's Belles" (multiple versions). |
|
| 2 | 1-5 | Manuscripts of "Mercer's Belles" (multiple versions). |
|
| 2 | 6 | "Discarded" material (list). |
|
| 2 | 7 | The Mercer Expedition. |
|
| 2 | 8 | Correspondence about Conant's journal. |
|
| 2 | 9 | Photographed source material. |
|
| 2 | 10 | Other source material. |
|
| 3 | 1 | Library and book request slips. |
|
| 3 | 2 | Puget Sound Herald articles (transcribed). |
|
| 3 | 3 | Miscellaneous newspaper and journal articles (transcribed). |
|
| 3 | 4 | Seattle Historical Society records (transcribed). |
|
| 3 | 5 | Notes on Whitman County. |
|
| 4 | Microfilmed source material (4 reels). |
||
| 5-6 | Bibliographic notecards with source material information and notes. |
Series 2: Publication Material, circa 1950s-1960s Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 7 | 1 | Publicity material. |
circa 1960 |
| 7 | 2 | Publicity correspondence. |
circa 1960 |
| 7 | 3-4 | Publicity clippings. |
1960s |
| 7 | 5 | University of Washington Press correspondence. |
1959-1960 |
| 7 | 6 | Publisher's correspondence. |
1950s |
| 7 | 7 | Personal correspondence. |
1960s |
| 7 | 8 | Copyright permissions. |
1950s |
| 7 | 9 | Reviews. |
1960s |
| 7 | 10-11 | Article from "The Record" (journal of the Friends of the Washington State University Library). |
circa 1962 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Personal Names
- Mercer, A. S. (Asa Shinn), 1839-1917
Finding aid prepared by Megan Ockerman.
2017
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
