Senior Literary & Lyric Society (North Baltimore, Ohio) records

 Collection
Identifier: MS-0233

Collection Overview

Abstract

The records of the Senior Literary and Lyric Society date form 1898 to 1980. The history of this organization is reflected in the collection which consists of 2.76 cubic feet of material. Included within the collection are minutes, membership lists, literary productions, programs, and speeches.

Dates

  • Creation: 1898-1980

Extent

1.84 Cubic Feet (4 legal archives boxes)

Creator

Scope and Contents

The records of the Senior Literary and Lyric Society illustrate aspects of the social development of women in northwest Ohio from 1898 to 1980. The collection includes minutes, club histories, Circle Study papers, programs, and yearbooks.

The minutes, which are complete from 1922 to 1960 (scattered prior to 1922), provide the researcher with information on organizational activities. In addition, they reveal the concerns of the women in northwest Ohio which are expressed through club entertainment and the topics presented in study groups. This also is evident in the club histories written between 1898 and 1948. The collection includes several examples of the Circle Study papers which were presented during the meetings.

Printed material in the collection consists of programs for scattered dates from 1922 to 1958, which contain information on club meetings and social events, and yearbooks, complete form 1900 to 1980, except for one small gap from 1904 to 1906, which include agendas of each meeting as well as titles of speeches and a list of the speakers.

Biographical / Historical

The Senior Literary and Lyric Society officially was formed in 1898 in the North Baltimore area when a group of friends joined together to discuss their favorite authors and to perform music. During the first year the women jointly wrote a novel and staged public programs to benefit the poorer residents of the community.

The name of the organization was chosen to reflect the women's combined interest in literature and music. For many years the number of members was limited to twenty-five. However, with the formation of a Junior Literary and Lyric Society for younger women, the number of members was increased to thirty-five.

The activities of the organization have not changed to any great extent from 1898 to the present, as evidenced by the records in the collection. Thus the collection can be used to illustrate the ways in which women in a rural area have sought to entertain and enlighten themselves outside of the family.

Conditions Governing Access

No known access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers using this collection assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright, and are responsible for securing permissions necessary for publication or reproduction.

Language of Materials

English

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The records were donated to the Center for Archival Collections in 1982 through the cooperation of Margaret Foltz, Senior Literary and Lyric Society, and Jill Gates Smith, Field Specialist with the Women's Studies Archives Project.

Processing Information

The finding aid was prepared by Sandra Davies, graduate assistant in history, in June 1982.

Title
Guide to the Senior Literary & Lyric Society (North Baltimore, Ohio) records
Author
Sandra Davies, Madeleine Williams
Date
1982, December 2020
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin