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3. Provenance 5. Inventory 6. Subjects |
Mary L. (Seagrave) Downes Papers Of Providence, R.I. Papers, circa 1901-1915 Size: 0.5 linear feet Catalog number: MSS 860 Processed by: Rick Stattler, April 2000 ©Rhode Island Historical Society Manuscripts Division |
Historical note:
Mary Lois Seagrave (1865-1950) was born on November 23, 1865, the daughter of George A. and Mary G. (Evans) Seagrave. She married Louis W. Downes (1865-1953) in 1894. He was the inventor of an of electrical fuse used in subway cars, and a founding partner of the D&W Fuse Company in Providence. The family initially lived with Louis' parents at 484 Elmwood Avenue, and later at their own home at 52 Angell Street. Mary L. (Seagrave) Downes died in Providence on October 27, 1950 and is buried at Swan Point Cemetery.
Bibliography:
Providence directories
Representative Men and Old Familes of Rhode Island, 2:1147, 3: 2082. Chicago: J.H. Beers, 1908.
Rhode Island Cemetery Database
Scope and content:
This collection consists almost entirely of Mary L. (Seagrave) Downes' correspondence regarding her collection of bookplates from about 1901 to 1915. Most of the letters are responses to her requests to trade or purchase bookplates. Some of the letters are improperly addressed to "Mrs. Louisa W. Downes," confusing the husband's name for the wife's.
Provenance:
These papers appear to have been donated circa 1979 to 1987. The original box label and shelf list card were in the hand of Harold Kemble, the curator during that period. No record of the papers has been found in the accession books. It was initially labeled as "C.W. Downes."
Processing note:
This collection has not been processed. The letters are still all folded in original envelopes.
Inventory:
Subjects:
x Seagrave, Mary L.
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RIHS1822