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Special Collections Research Center
William & Mary Special Collections Research CenterWilliam & Mary Special Collections Research Center staff
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Adele Blow Chatfield-Taylor family papers, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.
The Adele Blow Chatfield-Taylor family papers were donated by the grandchildren of Adele Blow Chatfield-Taylor.
Adele Blow Chatfield-Taylor was born May 17, 1895, to George Preston Blow and Adele Matthiessen, in Chicago, Illinois. Blow married Wayne Chatfield-Taylor, a federal serviceman to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1917, and the couple had four children, Hobart, Richard, Rose, and Adelaide. Ms. Chatfield-Taylor was an architect enthusiast, helping to restore up to 30 historic buldings in her lifetime. In addition to her interest in preservation, Ms. Chatfield-Taylor was a member of the Colonial Dames of America, the United Nations War Reflief, the Home for Incurables, and co-founded the National Women's Democratic Club in the 1930s. Leaving behind 16 gradnchildren and 5 great grandchildren, Adele Blow Chatfield-Taylor passed away on August 31, 1977 at the age of 82 in Fairfield County, Connecticut.
Correspondence belonging to Adele Blow Chatfield-Taylor and Wayne Chatfield Taylor; discusses Wayne's role with the American Red Cross in Europe; the couple's courtship, engagement, and marriage; business papers relating to Chicago Investors' Corp stock purchase; and family correspondence throughout most of the twentieth century.
The Adele Blow Chatfield-Taylor Family Papers collection is arranged in two series; Series I. Correspondence, and Series II. Personal Papers. Series I. contains three sub-series: Correspondence to and from Adele Blow Chatfield-Taylor, Wayne Chatfield-Taylor Correspondence, and Family Correspondence.
The correspondence series contains letters between Adele Blow Chatfeild-Taylor, Wayne Chatfield-Taylor, family members, and various associates. The contents of the correspondence refer to Adele's childhood, such as drawings and holiday greetings, social event invitations, romantic correspondence between her and Wayne Chatfield-Taylor, and messages to and from her children and extended family.
Correspondence to and from Adele Blow Chatfield-Taylor discussing various topics including her engagement to Wayne Chatfield-Taylor, invitations to ceremonies and events, general greetings, travel plans, and messages to her mother during her childhood about her daily life. A significant amount of the letters are between Adele and her husbnad Wayne Chatfield-Taylor, and they detail their friendship, courtship, and romantic sentiments.
General correspondence is arranged alphabetically by last name.
Correspondence to and from Wayne Chatfield-Taylor includes congratulations to Mr. Chatfield-Taylor on his engagement to Adele Blow Chatfield-Taylor, as well as business correspondence surrounding the investment banking firm of Field, Glore & Company Inc. Childhood letters to Wayne Chatfield-Taylor's grandparents detail his daily life as a student, as well as political correspondence between Wayne and his father, Hobart Chatfield-Taylor.
The family correspondence contains writings between the members of the Blow and Chatfield-Taylor family. Correspondence congratulates Adele and Wayne on their engagement, discusses the runaway marriage of Robert Chatfield-Taylor, and other general family affairs.
This series consists of business papers, photogrpahs, newspaper clippings, and various other materials that detail Adele Blow Chatfield-Taylor's life. The newspaper clippings commemorate her grandfather, Frederick Matthiessen, as a key builder of La Salle-Peru Township school. Personal notes includes a list of kin, hand-drawn maps, and sheets of stationary. Colored photographs depict unidentified children, an older couple and young children, and a bride. The series contains both Wayne Chatfield-Taylor's personal writings and unidentified wrtitings, along with Yale records.