CROSSLAND, SARA F., 1891-1977.
Sara F. Crossland letters, 1918-1919

Restrictions on Access

Special restrictions apply: Collection stored off-site. Researchers must contact the Rose Library in advance to access this collection.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

All requests subject to limitations noted in departmental policies on reproduction.

Source

Purchased from Whitmore Rare Books, 2022.

Citation

[after identification of item(s)], Sara F. Crossland letters, Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University.

Appraisal Note

Acquired by Assistant Director of Collection Development and Curator of Political, Cultural, and Social Movements Collections, Randy Gue, as part of the Rose Library's holdings in 20th century social history.

Processing

Arranged and described at the file level by Rebecca Sherman, 2022.

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Biographical Note

Sara F. Lotta Crossland was born in Massachusetts in 1891. She later moved to New York City, where she worked at the Bankers Trust Company. In 1919 she married James S. Crossland, Jr. (b. 1892), an architect who was born in Pennsylvania. They had one daughter, Jane (b. 1922). Sara F. Crossland died in 1977.

Scope and Content Note

The collection consists of letters from Sara F. "Sallie" Lotta Crossland to James S. "Jim" Crossland, Jr., her boyfriend, who became her fiancé and later husband, from 1918-1919. The letters document the couple's courtship and engagement, including frank discussions of sexual intimacy. The letters also document Sara Crossland's social milieu in New York City, women's employment, and how the broader context of World War I impacted the couple's lives, including a bomb scare when a German employee attempted to detonate a bomb in the bank building where Sara Crossland worked. The collection also includes a letter from 1919 from James's sister-in-law, May Crossland, congratulating the couple on their marriage.

Arrangement Note

Arranged in chronological order.