| Summary: | The Jane Wright Proctor Wallis family papers provide a unique glimpse into the family life of an upper class Philadelphia family during the early twentieth century through correspondence, family letters, scrapbooks, photographs, and genealogical anthologies. Centrally revolving around Jane Wright Proctor Wallis, this collection reveals her pride in the history and genealogy of the Proctor Wallis family across its many generations. The collection is arranged in five series: I. Jane Wright Proctor and Allan Dinsmore Wallis; II. Josiah Kendall Proctor; III. Genealogical materials; IV. Photographs; and V. Other family correspondence and materials. Series I. contains the bulk of materials within the collection and this material was collected and created by Jane Wright Proctor and her husband Allan Dinsmore Wallis. Researchers will find correspondence, scrapbooks, material related to the couple's fiftieth anniversary, family documents and ledgers, and clippings and ephemera. The correspondence is arranged in chronological order, primarily addressed to or sent by Jane, with only a few letters from Allan. Copies of letters which were sent to all of their children are very common throughout the collection. In 1911, Jane Wright Proctor Wallis began an annual tradition of writing a Christmas letter which was sent to friends and family. The annual Christmas letter may be an excellent place for the start of research as each family member's activities is summarized in a short paragraph. From there, researchers may wish to consult correspondence, scrapbooks, and other family members' material from the same timeframe. The Jane Wright Proctor Wallis scrapbooks primarily document the Proctor Wallis family life and range in date from 1886 to 1956, with the bulk dating from the 1920s to the 1950s. Additional materials within the series document the 50th wedding anniversary party for Jane Wright Proctor Wallis and Allan Dinsmore Wallis, miscellaneous family documents, and historical clippings and ephemera which were not part of a designated scrapbook. Researchers interested in Jane Wright Proctor Wallis and her children should consult this series as well as Series V. For more detailed information on Series I, please consult the note within the container list. Series II. consists of materials directly relating to Josiah Kendall Proctor, Jane's father. Business ledgers, papers regarding the Philadelphia Textile Machine Company, and financial documents, including information about the Proctor Trust fund, can be found within this series. Additionally, miscellaneous artifacts belonging to J.K. Proctor, which include his Civil War discharge certificate, are also located in the series. Genealogical information and anthologies involving Josiah Kendall Proctor are found in series III. Series III. contains genealogical research, resources, and anthologies created by the extended Proctor Wallis family. The anthologies are family-created documents made from photocopies of many of the materials found within this collection, and include correspondence, photographs, and articles. Also found within the series are recollections written by Jane Wright Proctor Wallis regarding her parents. Prior to donating the collection, family members organized and scanned materials. The CDs and a printed copy of the inventory are included in the collection (Box 11, Folder 13). Researchers should be aware that the arrangement of this inventory does not correspond to that listed in this finding aid. Series IV. contains a large collection of family photographs, ranging from the mid-19th century through the 1950s. Arranged by name when possible, photographs also contain many family group photos. The Wallis children were regularly photographed in a row, in order of birth, providing an annual look at the Wallis family children over time. There is significant duplication of photographs; the same photograph will often appear within the photographs series as well as in the scrapbooks and genealogical anthologies. Photographs of the Wallis's various residences are also included; some with annotation or other corresponding materials relating to the house. Series V. includes correspondence and materials from the extended members of the Proctor Wallis family. Materials created by or about Jane and Allan's ten children are found here. This series contains many legal documents, wills, scrapbooks, academic work, artifacts, and materials from various family reunions. Of particular interest may be the two scrapbooks created by Mary Wallis, a student at Friends' Central and Smith College. These volumes document her education, her activities in the Girl Scouts of America, the American Red Cross, her family and social life, and her travels, some of which include trips to Canada, the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, and the Worlds' Fair in Chicago in 1933. Researchers interested in Jane Wright Proctor Wallis and her children should consult this series as well as Series I. Researchers will find materials regarding Lawrence B. Saint, who was renowned for his medieval stained glass techniques. A family-authored biography, as well as his personal published writings, are found within this series. This collection will be of value to researchers interested in early 20th-century family life in America, the culture of domesticity, and the influence of the Protestant (Presbyterian) Church in everyday life. Additionally Series I. may be of interest to those researching the European Theater in World War II, as well as general United States history as experienced by American citizens in the first half of the 20th-century
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