A letter from Dr. Willis Wilkinson to his daughter, from New York. He writes that he heard of the gale and the cholera outbreak in the Carolinas and for those reasons, he is coming home earlier than planned.
Letter from Gertrude Legendre to her husband, Sidney Legendre, regarding her packing and travel plans for her job transfer to London, England, asking him questions about their life in Hawaii, and wishing she had a different, more exciting, war job.
Black-and-white offset print reproduction of the interior of the former location of Temple Emanu-El at 5th Avenue and 43rd Street in New York, on the occasion of its dedication. Published in the October 8, 1868, edition of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper.
Barbara Dugan discusses her upbringing as part of an Irish-American family in New York City. Her grandparents emigrated from County Mayo and County Kerry around 1900. Her grandmother, Catherine, took care of janitorial duties in her apartment building while her grandfather, Patrick, became employed in steel works and helped to build several New York City area bridges. As a child, she had difficulty getting her grandmother to speak in detail about Ireland, which she suspects is because of the hardships the family endured before their move to the United States. Barbara grew up going to all-girls Catholic schools and was raised Catholic. She speaks glowingly of her travels in Ireland and discusses the various ways in which she passes a sense of Irish-American identity onto her children and grandchildren. Barbara recently relocated to Charleston to be close to her married son and grandchildren, who live in Mt. Pleasant.
Black-and-white offset print reproduction of the interior of the Nineteenth Street Synagogue, former location of Congregation Shearith Israel at the corner of 19th Street and 5th Avenue in New York, on the occasion of its consecration. Published in the September 29, 1860, edition of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper.
Black-and-white offset print reproduction of the interior of the Nineteenth Street Synagogue, former location of Congregation Shearith Israel at the corner of 19th Street and 5th Avenue in New York, on the occasion of its consecration. Published in the September 29, 1860, edition of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper.
Letter from Gertrude Legendre to her husband, Sidney Legendre, regarding the rarity and cost of some items in London and the dinner she went to with Ben Finney.
Letter from Gertrude Legendre to her husband, Sidney Legendre, regarding the apartment house Sidney and Morris had purchased and her weekend spent in the country with friends.
Jeremiah Courtney discusses his experience as an Irish immigrant in New York City, and then in Charleston. He came to the States full time in 1991, after having lived in London for five years and finding life there difficult for an Irishman. He speaks warmly of growing up in Kilarney, County Kerry, but left largely because he felt that Ireland couldn’t offer him the variety and adventure that he wanted in his life. He felt welcomed and supported upon first arriving in the States, particularly by others in the Irish or Irish-American community. He made his way down to Charleston after feeling he needed a break from New York. Though he was raised in the Catholic church and attended Catholic school, he finds himself turning away from Catholicism, and has not passed that on to his children.
Lynn Dugan attended Catholic grammar and high schools in New York City. With a lesbian friend, she visited lesbian bars where rigid “butch” or “fem” roles prevailed. She came of age just after the Stonewall Riots of 1969, later befriending some of the participants, as she became part of a community that looked after and protected each other from attacks, some of which she describes. She notes the comradery of men and women in the early gay rights movement, and the accessibility of many future celebrities entertaining in the gay baths and bars. She was mentored by an older gay man, Jimmy Alan Newcomer and she created a marriage ceremony with a woman opera singer at St. Peter’s MCC Church in 1981. She witnessed the start of the AIDS crisis and the work of many women and activists such as Larry Kramer. Professionally, she held jobs in management and sales, drove a taxi, and had her own greeting card company. In some jobs, she had to hide her sexuality. She visited Colorado often before moving to Boulder ca. 1993, participating in the LGBTQ community there. While attending a Pride parade in Columbia SC, she met political activist Charlie Smith, who invited her to Charleston, SC; she moved there soon after and began her involvement in the community, founding the Charleston Social Club, which offered opportunities to many isolated and closeted women. One of the programs, Lezz Fest, produced on the club’s tenth anniversary closed off part of North Charleston and drew 1,000 participants. Dugan was the prime mover in establishing the first Pride Festival in the lowcountry. She and a cadre of friends staged fundraisers for the event which the City of Charleston wanted to sideline. The city of North Charleston, however, including Mayor R. Keith Summey, who served as grand marshal of the parade, supported it, despite the criticism of many local churches. The Charleston Pride Organization event took place on May 15, 2010, and its impact, and that of the evening event held on the Citadel campus, is described in detail by Dugan. In response to questions, she comments on African American participation in the community and ends the interview with suggestions of other issues that LGBTQ community could address, such as the care of its older citizens, a task in which she is involved.
Bar owner Tommy Snee discusses his experiences as an Irish immigrant in Charleston. He is the youngest of ten children and describes his upbringing in a poor family as a happy one despite the hardships of poverty. He first came to the United States at the age of seventeen in 1980, to stay with an aunt and uncle in St. Augustine, Florida for a holiday. He returned home for a period of time before returning to the States in 1986 and gaining his green card. He gained U.S. citizenship in 2017. He attended a Christian Brothers School in Ireland, and left school at the age of fourteen to work in construction. Feeling that there was “nowhere to go in Ireland,” he came to the States, where he found the opportunity to work hard and make a life immensely appealing. The weather, the diversity, and the local culture drew him to Charleston from New York. He finds that the response to him as an immigrant has been nothing but positive. While he loves his life in the States, he states that, first and foremost, “I’ll always be an Irishman.” On Irish stereotypes, he disagrees with many of the simplistic stereotypes, but argues that the best way for Irish immigrants to dispel these kinds of false notions is through education. He also discusses the importance of honoring diverse backgrounds and experiences, and the importance of listening to and learning from those with different perspectives, which he feels is critical for America, or for any country, to becoming as great as it can be.
Map of the city of New York as it was in the years 1742-1744, including the first Mill Street Synagogue of Congregation Shearith Israel. Lithograph by George Hayward after an original drawing by David Grim. Published in D. T. Valentine's Manual of the corporation of the city of New York for 1854.
A letter from Theodore Drayton-Grimke to his father, Thomas S. Grimke, describing his "foolish" behavior in New York City (wasting money on wine for "other gentlemen," tickets to plays, and clothing) and the subsequent debt he fell into.
Black-and-white photographic postcard of the corner of 5th Avenue and 42nd Street in New York, with the exterior of the former location of Temple Emanu-El at 5th Avenue and 43rd Street in the background.
Black-and-white photographic postcard of the corner of 5th Avenue and 42nd Street in New York, with the exterior of the former location of Temple Emanu-El at 5th Avenue and 43rd Street in the background.
A two-page letter written by Theodore Drayton Grimke-Drayton detailing his daily activities in New York City, including buying a single cabin on [the ship?] Coronia.
Black-and-white photographic postcard of the corner of 5th Avenue and 42nd Street in New York, with the exterior of the former location of Temple Emanu-El at 5th Avenue and 43rd Street in the background.
Letter from Gertrude Legendre to her husband, Sidney Legendre, regarding dinner parties she has thrown and attended, an upcoming hunting weekend with friends at Medway Plantation, and her attempts to join him in Hawaii.
Letter from Gertrude Legendre to her husband, Sidney Legendre, regarding a luxurious weekend she spent at her friend Polly’s in New York City. She goes on to describe a new spaniel puppy she has purchased, their daughter “Bobo” (Bokara), and news of various friends.
Letter from Gertrude Legendre to her husband, Sidney Legendre, regarding his life in Hawaii and her job transfer to London, England. Gertrude goes on to describe what she expects from life in London and attempts to schedule a phone call with him before she leaves the United States.
Letter from Gertrude Legendre to her husband, Sidney Legendre, regarding a weekend she spent in the city, news of the European war, rations, letters from Rose about Medway Plantation, and Miss Evans about the children.
Letter from Gertrude Legendre to her husband, Sidney Legendre, discussing a weekend she spent in the city reading, going for walks, and dodging the buzz bomb raids.
Letter from Gertrude Legendre to her husband, Sidney Legendre, regarding another failed plan for her to join him in Hawaii, relating the story of her escape from the Germans into Switzerland, and discussing the war, in general.
