Caroline Maria Field Knapp papers
Scope and Contents
The Caroline Maria Field Knapp Papers consist of compositions, notebooks, commonplace books, an autograph album, a diploma, and a portrait. Of particular note are the compositions, 1845-1847, and the notebooks, 1847-ca. 1849. The compositions were written by Knapp as a student at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary. The three notebooks contain "Notes on Paradise Lost," and notes about commencement exercises, dating from 1847, and lists of students, possibly pupils of Knapp's ca. 1847-1848. The two commonplace books dating from about 1845-1847 contain essays, stories, and poems written or copied by Mount Holyoke Female Seminary students, teachers, and visiting lecturers, and by others including works of popular authors. The autograph album contains signatures of Mount Holyoke Female Seminary classmates and teachers, visitors to the school, and others. The color portrait was probably painted between 1848-1854. The collection as a whole captures aspects of the academic and social life of a Mount Holyoke student in the mid-1800s.
Dates
- Creation: 1845-ca. 1854.
Biographical Note
Caroline Maria Field was born July 18, 1828 in Sturbridge, Massachusetts to Theodore and Elizabeth Allen Field. She attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary from 1845-1847, graduating with the Class of 1847. She may have worked as a teacher before marrying John Holly Knapp of Fort Madison, Iowa on November 26, 1848. They had one child, a son, named Henry Eno Knapp. She died on January 31, 1854 in Fort Madison at the age of twenty-five.
Extent
0.21 Linear Feet (1 half Hollinger box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Knapp, Caroline Maria Field, 1828-1854; student. Mount Holyoke Female Seminary graduate, 1847. Papers contain compositions, notebooks, commonplace books, autograph album, diploma, and a portrait primarily documenting her experience at Mount Holyoke including writings for classes and comments on her social activities.
Arrangement
Arranged in 6 series: Series 1. Compositions. Series 2. Notebooks. Series 3. Commonplace Books. Series 4. Autograph Album. Series 5. Diploma. Series 6. Portrait
Genre / Form
Topical
- College students -- Massachusetts
- College students' writings, American
- English language -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Massachusetts
- English literature -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Massachusetts
- Mount Holyoke College Manuscript Collections
- Mount Holyoke Female Seminary -- Student life -- 1845-1847
- Mount Holyoke Female Seminary -- Student notebooks -- 1847-1848
- Mount Holyoke Female Seminary -- Student papers -- 1845-1847
- Mount Holyoke Female Seminary -- Students
- Women college students -- Massachusetts
- Title
- Knapp papers, 1845-ca. 1854.
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections Repository
50 College Street
8 Dwight Hall
South Hadley MA 01075-6425 USA
413-538-3079
archives@mtholyoke.edu
