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Lucy Sachsenheimer collection of World War I letters and memorabilia
As a teenager, Lucy Sachsenheimer, whose family lived in Philadelphia from the 1890s to the 1920s, worked at Brown's Hosiery Company, which was once located in Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood. When many of the men who also worked for the company were called away during World War I,...
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| Collection: | Lucy Sachsenheimer Collection of World War I Letters and Memorabilia |
| Collection Number: | 4326 |
| Format: | Manuscript |
| Language: | English |
| Subjects and Genres: | |
| Online Access: | Link to finding aid |
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| Item Description: |
Processing Information: Several small artifacts were removed from the collection for conservation and rehousing. When they are returned to the collection, this finding aid will be updated accordingly. |
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| Physical Description: |
0.6 Linear feet ; 2 boxes |
| Access: |
The collection in open for research. |
| Summary: |
As a teenager, Lucy Sachsenheimer, whose family lived in Philadelphia from the 1890s to the 1920s, worked at Brown's Hosiery Company, which was once located in Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood. When many of the men who also worked for the company were called away during World War I, they wrote to her back home. The bulk of this collection is comprised of these letters, which she received between 1916 and 1919. Save for a couple discreet authors, the identities of most the writers is not explicit, though most were from Philadelphia, as they often refer to “home.” Several writers give their regards to Lucy’s mother. Most sign the notes with “Friend.” There are no letters in the collection written by Lucy, except for four postcards that were written by her but apparently not sent.
The enlisted men told Lucy of feeling lonely and missing Philadelphia. Some men were stationed in the States, and others were in France. One letter mentions that the writer was away for a year and a half. Another soldier speaks of having a serious illness. One young man notes that he was “as sick as he had ever been,” and that upon waking up one morning, he saw that the soldier in the next bed had died. Many write about how thankful they are to receive letters from Lucy, and they often close with pleas for her to keep writing. The letters are short and do not contain much self-revelation; few letters record day-to-day comings and goings. It is occasionally mentioned that censors are reading the letters. Notably, many of the men expressed deep affection for Lucy, and some appeared to hope to have Lucy’s hand in marriage eventually.
Besides the incoming letters, the collection also contains photographs that some soldiers sent to Lucy; souvenir photographs of Panama City, Florida; and miscellaneous newspaper clippings. There are also four small artifacts: a bullet; a booklet titled “New Testament Ideals for the Present World Task,” 1919; a sachet from France; and a box of doilies. |