Lippincott, Dundas, and Wurts families papers

Table of Contents

Summary Information

Abstract

Administrative Information

Controlled Access Headings

Collection Inventory

Summary Information

Repository

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Creator

Dundas.

Creator

Lippincott.

Creator

Wurts.

Title

Lippincott, Dundas, and Wurts families papers

ID

4351

Date

1754-1956, undated (bulk 1889-1930)

Extent

2.0 Linear feet 5 boxes, 1 volume

Author

Finding aid prepared by Susan Kearney.

Language

English

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Abstract

This collection is comprised of an assortment of mostly photographs, along with papers, correspondence, deeds, and other miscellaneous items, that documents several well-known Philadelphia families: Lippincott, undas, and Wurts. The Lippincott and Dundas families became linked through the marriage of Joseph Lippincott (1814-1880) and Agnes Dundas Keene (1822-1902). Agnes and her son, banker James Dundas Lippincott, later resided in the "Yellow Mansion," which once stood on the corner of Broad and Walnut streets. The couple's only daughter, Anna Maria Dundas Lippincott (1850-1891), married "the Mayor" William Wilberforce Wurts, who later had his last name officially changed to "Wurts-Dundas." Much of the collection revolves around one of Anna and Wilbur's grandchildren, Muriel Harmar Wurts-Dundas, who married James R. Boone of Baltimore, Maryland, in 1930.

Materials connected to the families’ ancestry include a genealogical record of the Wurts descendants from Zurich, Switzerland in 1734; two wills by John Dundas (1754, 1828); a last will and testament for George W. Wurts (1927); deeds, leases, legal and travel documents; a holy communion book (1892) and a family Bible, property of Ralph Wurts Dundas (1893).

Most of the correspondence in the collection centers on the life of Muriel Harmar-Wurts-Dundas and covers from 1919-1950. In 1930, Muriel married James R. Boone; the event is detailed through engagement and wedding correspondences and a wedding-trip journal. Newspaper clippings, invitations, and memorabilia (dated 1928) about Rock Ferris, a concert pianist, are likely reflections of Muriel’s interests and social life.

Concerning the photographs in the collection, while some are identified, most are not.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

 Historical Society of Pennsylvania ; 2019.

Access restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Provenance

Gift of John Simanski, 2019.

Accession number 2019.091.

Processing note

Several images were removed from the collection due to various conservation needs. Once work on them has been completed, they will be returned to the collection, and this finding aid will be updated.

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Controlled Access Headings

Genre(s)

• Photographs.

Personal Name(s)

• Boone, James R.
• Simanski, John.
• Wurts-Dundas, Murial Harmar.
• Wurts-Dundas, William Wilberforce.

Subject(s)

• Family life--19th century.
• Family life--20th century.
• Family life--Pennsylvania--19th century.
• Family life--Pennsylvania--20th century.
• Family life--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--19th century.
• Family life--Personal correspondence--19th century.
• Family life--Personal correspondence--20th century.
• Family life--Upper Class--19th century.
• Family life--Upper Class--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia--20th century.
• Genealogy--Dundas family.
• Genealogy--Lippincott family.
• Genealogy--Wurts Family.
• Genealogy.
• Social life and customs--Upper class--19th century.
• Social Life and Customs--Upper Class--20th century.
• Upper class--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.
• Women's history--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia.
• Women's History--Upper Class.

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Collection Inventory