Sketch of the Villa Montauto by Ada Shepard, 1858 September 5

ADA SHEPARD PAPERS, 1857-1859, 1930s, 2016

Vault A45, Hawthorne, Unit 2

EXTENT: 2 linear feet (4 small sketchbooks, 3 boxes).

ORGANIZATION AND ARRANGEMENT: Organized into two series: I. Sketchbooks; and II. Letters and transcripts of letters from Ada Shepard, 1857 August 9 - 1859 June 19, circa 1930s. Series II is divided into two subseries, Subseries II.A. Original letters from Ada Shepard. 1857 August 9 - 1859 June 19 and Subseries II.B. Transcripts of letters from Ada Shepard, circa 1930s, 2016. Series I is arranged chronologically; Series II is grouped by recipient and arranged chronologically. Series II. was initially arranged by Yale University (likely under the directiosn of Yale University literature historian Norman Holmes Pearson) in the 1930s. 

The finding aid also includes a subject index of Shepard's letters, a guide to topics mentioned by Shepard in her letters from 1857-1859.

BIOGRAPHY:

From the fall of 1857 to the summer of 1859, Ann Adeline Shepard (1835-1874), known as Ada, served as the governess to the three children of Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne while traveling through England, France, Italy, and Switzerland with the Hawthorne family.

Born 1835 May 4 in Dorchester, Massachusetts to Ann and Otis Shepard, Ann Adeline Shepard, known as Ada, was the sixth of nine children. She earned high marks while educated at the Normal School in West Newton, Massachusetts and as a student in the first class of Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where she graduated in 1857. She also met her fiancé Henry Clay Badger (known as Clay) at Antioch. The two were engaged at Antioch and remained engaged and in contact throughout Shepard's travels through Europe with the Hawthornes.

By July 1857, the Hawthornes and the Manns (Mary Tyler Peabody Mann, sister of Sophia Hawthorne, and her husband Horace Mann, president of Antioch College),determined that Shepard would travel to Europe to act as a governess for the Hawthorne children and to deepen her study of languages in preparation for a professorship in the languages at Antioch College.

Shepard spent two years with the Hawthornes, traveling with them in France, England, Italy and Switzerland, and staying in major cities like Paris, London, Rome, Florence, Siena and Geneva. Throughout, Shepard acted as governess and translator. She also spent the winter of 1858 into 1859 tutoring the children of American and British families staying in Rome, a concession made by the Hawthornes following the extension of her stay into 1859. Throughout her travels, she wrote to Clay Badger, her family, and her friends.

Shepard, along with Sophia Hawthorne and the Hawthorne children, took up sketching to capture the scenes and artwork they viewed as they traveled. Shepard's hobby eventually caught the attention of artist Cephas Giovanni Thompson, who had at least one training session with her during her stay in Rome.

Shepard was also with the Hawthornes when Nathaniel Hawthorne began his final novel, The Marble Faun. It is an (often-refuted) theory that the novel's character of Hilda was modeled after her.

Following her return to the United States, Shepard married Clay Badger in 1859 August. She returned briefly to Antioch College to teach as a Professor of Modern Languages and Literature, and then settled in Cambridge and Boston. Shepard and Clay Badger had four children, Theodore Badger, Frederick Badger, Ernest Badger, and Katharine Badger. Shepard continued her work in education, opening a girls' school in Boston in 1867, and she became one of the first women to be elected to the Boston School Committee in 1873. The following year, Shepard ended her own life.

Throughout her letters, Shepard wrote often about interactions with people close to herself and the Hawthorne family. The people she mentions most frequently are listed below, along with a brief note regarding the nature of her contact with them.

People mentioned frequently in the letters of Ada Shepard:

• The Hawthornes and their extended family:
  • Hawthorne, Nathaniel (1804-1864): Prominent author and husband of Sophia Hawthorne
  • Hawthorne, Sophia (1809-1871): Wife of Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • Hawthorne, Una (1844-1877): Daughter of Sophia and Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • Hawthorne, Julian (1846-1934): Son of Sophia and Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • Hawthorne, Rose (1851-1926): Daughter of Sophia and Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • Mann, Mary Tyler Peabody (1806-1887): Older sister of Sophia Hawthorne
  • Mann, Horace (1796-1859): Husband of Mary Tyler Peabody Mann and president of Antioch College
  • Peabody, Elizabeth Palmer (1804-1894): Older sister of Sophia Hawthorne and friend of the Shepard family
• Shepard's family:
  • Ayres, John (1807-?): Shepard's uncle by marriage on her mother's side
  • Ayres, Elizabeth (1812-?): Shepard's aunt on her mother's side
  • Badger, Henry Clay (1833-1916): Shepard's fiancé, referred to as Clay. Badger was the recipient of the bulk of the letters from Ada Shepard in this collection(see Series II)
  • Pope, Charlotte (1816-1890): Shepard's aunt by marriage on her mother's side
  • Pope, Charlotte "Lottie" (1838-1872): Shepard's cousin, daughter of Charlotte Pope
  • Shepard, Ann (1803-1886): Ada Shepard's mother
  • Shepard, Otis, Sr. (1797-1858): Ada Shepard's father; he died during Shepard's travels in Europe
  • Shepard, Katharine Amelia (1826-1913): Ada Shepard's older sister. Katharine Shepard was the recipient of many letters from Ada Shepard in this collection (see Series II)
  • Shepard, Otis, Jr. (1827-1900): Ada Shepard's older brother
  • Shepard, Emily (1834-1921): Wife of Otis Shepard, Jr. (Shepard's sister-in-law)
  • Shepard, Charles "Charlie"(1830-1885): Ada Shepard's older brother
  • Shepard, Lucy (1837-1869): Ada Shepard's younger sister
  • Shepard, Eliza (1840-1915): Ada Shepard's younger sister
  • Shepard, Rebecca (1844-1895): Ada Shepard's younger sister
  • Shepard, Rachel "Ratie"(1846-1913): Ada Shepard's younger sister
  • Shepard, Ellen (1849-1928): Ada Shepard's younger sister
• Friends of Shepard in the United States during her travels:
  • Richardson, Mary: Shepard's former roommate and friend from Antioch College
  • Fox, Mr.: A friend of Shepard's in or around Dorchester, Massachusetts
  • Burkholder, Hervey: Shepard and Badger's friend from Antioch College
• Friends of Shepard and the Hawthornes encountered or acquainted abroad:
  • Akers, Benjamin Paul (1825-1861): American sculptor and friend of the Hawthorne family while in Rome
  • Apthorp family: American friends of the Hawthorne family, Eliza Hunt Apthorp (1817-1903), her husband Robert Apthorp (1811-1882), their son William Apthorp (1848-1913) and Eliza's sister, Sarah Henshow Hunt (1815-1895)
  • Bracken, Annette: English friend of the Hawthornes while in Florence
  • Browning family: American friends of the Hawthornes, literary couple Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1860), Robert Browning (1812-1889) and their son, Robert "Pen" Wiedeman Barrett Browning (1849-1912)
  • Fisher, Emma Guild: A friend of Shepard's from the United States who who met with Shepard in 1857 while they were both in Paris
  • Hosmer, Harriet (1830-1902): American sculptor, friend of the Hawthornes
  • Lander, Louisa (1826-1923): American sculptor, friend of the Hawthornes and creator of the Nathaniel Hawthorne bust now in the collection of the Concord Free Public Library's trustees. The creation of the bust is documented in Shepard's letters (see Series II)
  • MacDaniel, Frances L. (1815-?): American friend of the Hawthornes, staying Paris
  • Mitchell, Maria (1818-1889): Famous American astronomer. Travel companion and friend of the Hawthorne family and of Ada Shepard specifically
  • Powers family: Friends of the Hawhorne family, consisting of American sculptor Hiram Powers (1805-1873), his wife, Elizabeth Powers (1813-1892) and their children Louisa Greenough Powers (1839-1892), William Preston Powers (1843-1931)—referred to as Preston—, and Florence Powers (1846-1863)—referred to as Annie
  • Story family: Friends of the Hawthornes and Shepard, who were expatriated from America. the family spent time with sculptor William Wetmore Story (1819-1895), his wife Emelyn Story (1820-1895) and their children Edith Marion Story (1844-1907), Thomas Waldo Story (1855–1915), and Julian Russell Story (1857–1919). Shepard tutored Edith Story in Rome in the winter of 1858
  • Thompson Family: Friends of the Hawthornes from America, including artist Cephas Giovanni Thompson (1809-1888), his wife, Mary Ogden Thompson (1822-1895), and their children Anna Cora Thompson (1844-1905), Edmund Francis Thompson (1846-1880) and Hubert Ogden Thompson (1849-1886). Shepard taught their children in Rome in the winter of 1858, and had at least one drawing lesson from Cephas Giovanni Thompson
• Others
  • Allen, Ira Wilder (1827-): Professor at Antioch College
  • Fezandié, Mr. E.: Teacher and proprietor of a French language school and boarding house. Shepard stayed and studied there in the fall of 1857, and the Hawthornes became acquainted with him during their visits to Paris
  • Franco, Dr.: Homeopathic doctor who treated the Hawthorne family and Shepard in Rome. Franco sexually assaulted and harassed Shepard during that time
  • Ghilardi, Signore: Italian tutor of Shepard in Rome
  • Hoffer, Herr: German tutor of Shepard in Rome
  • Hooker, Mr.: Proprietor of Pakenham and Hooker, bankers, of Rome where the Hawthornes and Shepard sometimes received mail
  • Robinson, Mr.: American friend of Shepard's who escorted her to Paris in 1857
  • Wrigley, Frances "Fanny" Augusta: Housekeeper to the Hawthorne family while in England before, during and after Shepard's time with the family

 

Chronology of travel, 1857-1859

1857 August:	Shepard traveled from New York (1857 August 8) aboard a Vanderbilt steamship, Ariel, to Havre, France, and then to Paris, where she was escorted by Mr. Robinson before moving into the boarding house and French language school of Mr. Fezandié. Initially, the Hawthornes, then staying in Leamington, England, thought they would meet Shepard in Paris, but the family was still in England in September due to Nathaniel Hawthorne's protracted transition out of his role as United States consul in Liverpool.
1857 October 2-4:	Shepard eventually traveled alone to Leamington, England, staying one night in Rugby (and possibly one night in Dieppe, France?) on the way. When Shepard arrived she was able to meet Sophia and the children, but Nathaniel would not arrive in Leamington until after her arrival.
1857 November 11:	With the Hawthornes, Shepard traveled to London. The family remained in London for a protracted stay due to further issues with the conclusion of Hawthorne's role as United States consul in Liverpool and family illness.
1858 January 7:	The Hawthorne family arrived in Paris. From there, they traveled in France to Lyons and Marseilles.
1858 January 20:	The Hawthorne family arrived in Rome via steamer and carriage, with brief stops in the Italian cities of Genoa and Livorno.
1858 May 31:	The Hawthorne family arrived in Florence, via the Italian cities of Terni, Perugia, Passignano and, briefly, Arezzo.
1858 August 1:	The Hawthorne family arrived in Bellosguardo, a village neighboring Florence.
1858 October 2:	The Hawthorne family arrived in Siena.
1858 October 16:	The Hawthorne family arrived in Rome.
1859 June 9:	The Hawthorne family arrived in Geneva Switzerland; The Hawthorne family traveled from Italy to Switzerland through France, with brief stays in the French cities of Marseilles, Avignon, Valence, and Lyons. During their stay, they made a brief trip to Villeneuve, Switzerland [circa 1859 June 11], and returned to Geneva 1859 June 13.
1859 June 16:	The Hawthorne family arrived in Paris.
1859 July 21:	The Hawthorne family arrived in Havre, France. Shepard took the steamship Vanderbilt to New York.

 

SOURCES

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Centenary Edition of the Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, vol. XIV, The French and Italian Notebooks. Edited by Thomas Woods, L. Neal Smith, and Norman Holmes Pearson. Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1980.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Centenary Edition of the Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, vol. XVIII, The Letters, 1857-1864. Edited by Thomas Woods, L. Neal Smith, and Norman Holmes Pearson. Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1980.

Homer, Bryan. An American Liaison: Leamington Spa and the Hawthornes, 1855-1864. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1998.

Pope, Charles Henry. A History of the Dorchester Pope Family. 1634-1888: With Sketches of Other Popes in England and America, and Notes Upon Several Intermarrying Families. The author, 1888.

SCOPE AND CONTENT:  The collection consists of 4 sketchbooks and 152 letters composed during Ada Shepard's employment as a governess for the Hawthorne family during their travels through Europe from 1857 June - 1857 July. The sketchbooks document their journey, including sketches of people who may be members of the Hawthorne family, sketches of places the family visited, works of art viewed by Shepard and the family, and sketches of people the family encountered (often unnamed). The letters provide further details of the trip as well as Shepard's feelings about the family, the journey, and their surroundings. Details regarding content are included in the descriptions of series, subseries and folders.

The collection also includes a copy of the typed transcripts from the Norman Holmes Pearson Papers, Yale Collection of American Literature at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library and the notes on the organization of the letters while at Yale University. The level of transcription varies, but is mostly word-for-word.

PROVENANCE: Ada Shepard's papers were passed to her son, Frederick Badger, who loaned them to Norman Holmes Pearson at Yale University, where a transcript was made. Later, Pearson returned the papers, and they were inherited by Susan Abele, Ada Shepard's great-grand neice.

SOURCE OF ACQUISITION: Gift (in two parts) of Susan Abele, 2015 and 2016.

RELATED COLLECTIONS: Prichard, Hoar, and related family papers, 1799-1948, Vault A45, Prichard Unit 2. William Munroe Special Collections, Concord Free Public Library. http://www.concordlibrary.org/scollect/fin_aids/prichard.html. (These papers are related to the 1858 December 26 marriage of Elizabeth Hallett Prichard married Edward Sherman Hoar, which Shepard mentions after meeting Elizabeth Hoar (Edward Sherman Hoar's sister) in a letter to Lucy Shepard dated 1859 February 5.)

PUBLICATIONS BASED ON USE OF RECORDS:

Abele, Susan D. "Ada Shepard and Her Pocket Sketchbooks, Florence 1858." Nathaniel Hawthorne Review 39, no. 1 (2013): 1-34.

Homer, Bryan. An American Liaison: Leamington Spa and the Hawthornes, 1855-1864. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1998. [USED LETTERS AT THE BEINECKE]

Turner, Arlin. Nathaniel Hawthorne, a biography. New York: Oxford University Press, 1980. [USED LETTERS AT THE BEINECKE]

NOTES/COMMENTS:  Accessioned in two parts, the sketchbooks, 2015 May 21 (AMC 239) and the letters and transcripts, 2016 March 15 (AMC 257).

PROCESSED BY:  Janaya Kizzie, 2016. Finding aid completed January 2017.

 

CONTAINER LIST

Series I. Ada Shepard sketchbooks, 1858-1859:

• Captions for each sketch appear here as written by Shepard with the exception of text added in brackets during processing. Pages are unnumbered, but each page front (recto) listed here numbered; if the back of a page (verso) includes text, it is a referred to as a verso page in the list.
•  
• All sketchbooks are bound in embossed brown leather with a brass clasp on the front and back covers. Endpapers have a blue floral pattern, and the edges are marbled.
  
  The clasps are engraved "J. Hubertson's", and each spine is engraved: "J. Hubertson's Memorandum Books" in gold. Sketchbooks have a small pocket at the back, and a loop of leather attached to the back cover for a small pencil. Each sketchbook is about .5 inches in thickness, though the width and height dimensions vary, as indicated in the description of each sketchbook.

• Sketchbook 1: "Florence, June, 1858," 1858 May - 1858 August.
  
  Contains sketches documenting the family's travel from Rome to Florence, including a sketch of the carriage they rode in, and sketches of Florence including artwork in churches and museums.
  
  Sketchbook measures 4 in. x 2.5 in.
  •  

    Page	Description
    2	Well of Brecaccio. Arezzo, May 30, 1858.
    3	Petrarch's birth-place, Arezzo, May 30, 1858.
    4	[Three stands holding various bowls and pitchers, circa 1858 May].
    5	Gaetano's vetturna [large carriage, circa 1858 May].
    6	Suspension bridge over the Arno, June 6th, 1858.
    7	Arno, June 13, 1858.
    8	Chimney outside my window in the Casa del Bello, Florence, June 14th 1858.
    9	Fuschia drawn in the garden, (with Una) Casa del Bello. June 14th, 1858.
    10	[Leaf, circa 1858 June.]
    11	From the statue of one of Niobe's children, in the Uffizi gallery. June 16th, 1858.
    12	Palazzo Vecchio, as seen from the Boboli Gardens. Fissole is on the side of the hill that appears just beyond the palace [circa 1858 June].
    13	Part of the Porte Vecchio, as seen from the Uffizi Palace [circa 1858 June].
    14	Stone-pine in the Boboli Gardens. June 17th, 1858.
    15	Cathedral from the Boboli Gardens [circa 1858 June].
    16	Lamp in the Casa del Bello [circa 1858 June].
    17	[Santa Maria Novella, 1858 July 6. Description by Shepard on verso]
    17 verso. Caption for illustration on page 17	The church on the proceeding page is the Santa Maria Novella, which Michael Angelo called his bride.
    18	San Salvatore del Moilte, near Florence. Sketched during a Sunday drawing walk with Julian. July 11th, 1858. [Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte.]
    19	[Woman in profile with a lace collar, circa 1858 July; described as "Possibly Sophia Hawthorne" in "Ada Shepard and her Pocket Sketchbooks" by Susan Abele]
    20	[Young woman or girl in profile, wearing a hat, circa 1858 July; described as "Young girl, perhaps Una Hawthorne"in "Ada Shepard and her Pocket Sketchbooks" by Susan Abele]
    21	Simon Magus, in a fresco by Mosaccio, in the Cormione [circa 1858 July].
    22	From a fresco in the Church of the Carmine, at Florence. Nero ordering the execution of St. Peter. By Masolino. July 13, 1858.
    23	From Fra Angelico's "Marriage of the Virgin" in the Uffizi Gallery [circa 1858 July].
    24	From a Portrait by Piero della Francesco. In the Uffizi Gallery. July 14, 1858.
    25	From a bust of Seneca in the Uffizi, [1858] July 14th .
    26	From a portrait of Luther, by Lucas Cranach, in the Uffizi Gallery [circa 1858 July].
    27	From a portrait of Melanchthon , by Lucas Cranach, in the Uffizi [circa 1858 July].
    28	From the statue of one of Niobe's children, in the Uffizi gallery [1858] July 14th.
    29	Cardinal Leopold de Medici from a bust in the Uffizi Gallery [circa 1858 July ].
    30	Oak tree in the Caserine July 18th, 1858 [possibly Monte Caserine].
    31	Ivy [circa 1858 July].
    32	Larch tree in the Boboli gardens. July 18th, 1858.
    33	[Galileo's tower, 1858 July 19].
    33 verso. Caption for illustration on page 33	Semplice, schietta ed a virtude amica/Ai tristi, al falso viso io son nemica/Entra pare orest'nomo in gueste soglie/ qui senza pompe cortesia l'laccoglie. Inscription upon the door of the house at the foot of Galileo's Tower. I sketched the top of this tower upon the reverse of this leaf, as I stood at its base, with Annie Powers and Una, July 19th, 1858.
    34	St. Paul Visiting St. Peter in Prison. From a fresco by Fra Filippo Lippi, in the church of the Carmine at Florence. Said to have given Raphael the idea of this "Paul Preaching at Athens" [circa 1858 July].
    35	Bronze vase by Benvenuto Cellini. In the Corsini Palace, Florence, July 23rd, 1858.
    36	Little yellow flower that I found in the Corsine (walking with Julian) and sketched sitting under a poplar tree by the Arno. Sunday morning, July 25th, 1858.
    37	From a fresco of Ghilandjo in the church of the Holy Trinity, Florence. July 27th, 1858.
    38	Julia, daughter of Titus. From a bust in the Uffizi. July 27th, 1858.
    39	My bed in the Villa Montauto [circa 1858 July ].
    40	Water pitcher in my room, in the Villa Montanto [circa 1858 July].
    41	Figure on the door of my room, in the Villa Montauto, August 3rd, 1858.
    [INSERTED. SEPARATED FROM BINDING]	Scaldino (chafing dish) in the little inn at Incisa, May 31st, 1858.
    [INSERTED. SEPARATED FROM BINDING]	[Figure in Turkish dress, circa 1858]

• Sketchbook 2 "Bello-Sguardo, Villa Montauto. August, 1858," 1858 August - 1858 October.
  Contains sketches of Florence and the surrounding areas, sketches made in the Villa Montauto, the Hawthorne's residence outside of Florence, and sketches of unnamed people who may be members of the Hawthorne family, the Powers family, or people visiting the Hawthornes while they stayed in Florence. The pocket in the back contains a shopping list (see two letters from Ada Shepard to Henry Clay Badger, 1858 September 18, in which she mentions going to Florence for a black silk dress) and another list of things and places (possibly a list of drawings or places to draw).
  
  Sketchbook is 4.25 in. x 2.75 in., and includes a pocket on the back cover with the manufacturer's label "Improved Patent London, MEMORANDUM BOOKS, WARRANTED IF WRITTEN ON WITH THE prepared pencils TO BE AS PLAIN AND DURABLE AS INK, They will be found of great advantage to Travelers and all persons who wish to preserve their Writing."
  •  

    Page	Description
    2	Priest officiating at one of the alters in the church of Santo Spirito, Florence. Aug. 4th, 1858.
    3	[Urn and vines in a wooded area, circa 1858 August].
    4	Guercino's Endymion, in the Tribune of the Uffizi. Aug. 17th, 1858.
    5	[Mercurio.] In the hall of the "Iscrizioné," in the Uffizi. August 17th, 1858.
    6	From a drawing of Paolo Uccello, in the Uffizi [young woman sitting with her head rested on her hand, circa 1858 August].
    7	From a drawing of Raphael. In the Uffizi Gallery [circa 1858 August].
    8	From a painting of "The Woman Taken in Adultery," [Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery] by Alessandro Allori, in the church of Santo Spirito. Aug. 17th, 1858.
    9	[Drawing of a young man in profile, Identified as Preston Powers in "Ada Shepard and her Pocket Sketchbooks" by Susan Abele, circa 1858 August].
    10	[Street scene with trees, buildings, and a figure standing in the street] Drawn from the Loggia. Aug. 24th, 1858.
    11	Torrigioni Tower, and the towers of the Palazzo Vecchio and Santo Spirito Church in the distance. Aug. 20th, 1858.
    12	Il piccolo Ferdinando amatore della Belle Arti [translated from the Italian "the little Ferdinando, lover of the fine arts"]. Aug. 20th, 1858.
    13	A Franciscan nun. The habit in dark-brown [circa 1858 August].
    14	The death of St. Francis. From a fresco by Ghirlandaio, in the Santa Trinita [circa 1858 August].
    15	[Drawing of child in profile] Aug. 23rd, 1858.
    16	[Drawing of woman in profile] Aug. 25th, 1858.
    17	Aurora Leigh's Tower. Drawn from the Loggia. Aug. 27th, 1858.
    18	[Woman in robe holding a tablet. Description by Shepard on verso.]
    18 verso caption for illustration on page 18	The sketch on the preceding page is from a drawing by Parmigianino, in the Uffizi, Aug. 29th, 1858.
    19	[Galileo. Description by Shepard on verso.]
    19 verso caption for illustration on page 19	The sketch on the reverse of this leaf is from a statue of Galileo, in the "Tribune of Galileo", [sic] Museo di Fisica e Storia Naturale.
    20	[drawing of a child, 3/4 face, curly hair, Identified as "possibly Julian Hawthorne" in "Ada Shepard and her Pocket Sketchbooks" by Susan Abele] Aug. 31, 1858.
    21	Roman lamp in the Villa Montauto [circa 1858 September].
    22	Tower and farm-house of the Villa Montauto. Sept. 5th, 1858.
    23	[Woman in repose on a Roman-style sofa or chaise, Identified as "possibly Sophia Hawthorne on 'Ada's couch'" in "Ada Shepard and her Pocket Sketchbooks" by Susan Abele] [1858] Sept.6th.
    24	Old roman spinning with a distaff, whom I saw in my walk with Rose, [1858] Sept. 6th.
    25	[Drawing of a child in a dress seated in profile in a large sun hat, circa 1858 September. Identified as "Young child, possibly Rose Hawthorne" in "Ada Shepard and her Pocket Sketchbooks" by Susan Abele]
    26	Stella [circa 1858 September].
    27	Stella's daughter Adelaid [circa 1858 September].
    28	From the bronze Mercury of John of Bologna. In the Uffizi. [Giovanni Bologna's Mercury, circa 1858 September.]
    29	From the eagle of the twenty-fourth Roman legion. In the Uffizi. Sept. 9th, 1858. It is of bronze, and about 9 inches long.
    30	From the statue of Niobe, in the Uffizi Gallery. Sept. 9th, 1858.
    31	The convent of Monte Uliveto [Oliveto]. From the Loggia [circa 1858 September].
    32	Section of the mountains that border the Val d'Arno [circa 1858 September].
    33	Sacristan when I drew, sitting in the Cathedral with Rose. Sept. 11th, 1858.
    34	Marble vase in the drawing room of the Villa Montauto [circa 1858 September].
    35	[Woman in profile (up to shoulders and bust)] Sept. 12th, 1858.
    36	[Exterior of Fiesole Cathedral. Description by Shepard on verso.]
    36 verso caption for illustration on page 36	On the reverse of this leaf is a partial representation of the cathedral at Fiesole, sketched in the carriage, Sept. 14th, 1858.
    37	Grape gathering at the Villa Montauto. Sept. 15th, 1858.
    38	[Building with a large tower, circa September 1858. Identified as Villa Montauto in "Ada Shepard and her Pocket Sketchbooks" by Susan Abele]
    39	[Building or buildings, wall and street with figure, circa 1858 September].
    40	White Jessamine which Mrs. Alexander gave me [circa 1858 September].
    41	[Wine bottle in wicker basket circa 1858 September].
    42	Fig-tree in the podere [farm] of the Villa Montauto. [1858] Sept. 25th.
    43	Fig of the natural size [circa 1858 September].
    44	Fig-leaf much below the natural size [circa September 1858].
    p.45	Florence from the foot of Galileo's Tower [circa September 1858].
    46	[Window, including curtains, railing and landscape, circa 1858 September. Identified as "View from Ada's window" ("Ada Shepard's Sketchbooks.")]
    47	A copy of Mr. Turner's profile likeness of Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
    48	The porto Romana. Drawn from the foot of the Poggio Imperiale. Sept. 29th, 1858.
    49	[Capitoline She-Wolf in the plaza of the Siena Duomo] Drawn from the window of the hotel Aquila Nera, Siena. October 1st, 1858.
    50	[1858] October 1st, Lamp in the station home in Siena.
    60	Church of San Francesco, Siena [Basilica of San Francesco, circa 1858 October].
    61	[Lamp, circa 1858 October.]

• Sketchbook 3 "Siena, October 1858," 1858 October - 1859 May.
• 
  The bulk of the drawings are from 1858 October and May 1859; there are very few sketches from between the two time periods. Contains sketches of Siena and nearby towns, sketches documenting the family's travel from Italy to France via steamer, and a sketch made by Julian Hawthorne of a fort or castle from the steamer to France (p. 39), circa 1859 May.
  
  Sketchbook is 4.06 in x 2.5 in. Includes a manufacturer's label on the back cover pocket"Improved Patent London, MEMORANDUM BOOKS, WARRANTED IF WRITTEN ON WITH THE prepared pencils TO BE AS PLAIN AND DURABLE AS INK, They will be found of great advantage to Travelers and all persons who wish to preserve their Writing."
   
  •  

    Page	Description
    2	Angels in a bronze bas-relief of Ghiberti in the Baptistery of the Siena Cathedral. October 6th, 1858.
    3	Vase for holy water, in the Siena Cathedral, made from an antique candelabra. Oct. 6th, 1858.
    4	[Sculpture of Pius II] In the Siena Cathedral [circa 1858 October 6].
    5	[View of a city, likely Siena, and including a tower (it looks to be the Steeple of the Siena Cathedral) and the landscape beyond the city, circa 1858 October.]
    6	Villa Belvedere, Marciano. Oct. 7th, 1858.
    7	Torre del Diavolo. Marciano [In San Gimignano, circa 1858 October.]
    8	[Siena Cathedral, circa October 1858.]
    9	Marble pulpit in the Cathedral at Siena [circa 1858 October].
    10	Olive tree [circa 1858].
    11	Beggar at one of the doors of the Cathedral at Siena. "Poveraccio! Poveraccio!" [Circa 1858 October.]
    12	Sienese contadina, whom I met in my early morning walk with Julian, Oct. 9th, 1858.
    13	Angels in a painting by Sodoma in the church of St. Agostino, Siena. Oct. 9th, 1858.
    14	[Male figure hunched, holding a cane, circa 1858 October.]
    15	Sketch of a portrait of Raphael in the fresco by Pinturnicchio in the Library of the Siena Cathedral [circa 1858 October].
    16	[Drawing of an arch and buildings] Siena [circa 1858 October].
    17	Window in the Cathedral of Siena. Oct. 12th, 1858.
    18	Part of the front of the quaint little Gothic church in San Quirico [likely San d'Orcia], Oct. 13, 1858.
    19	Ruined castle of Ghino di Tacco, at Radicofani. The mountain is 2470 ft. above the sea. Oct. 13th, 1858.
    20	Gate and castle at Bolsena.
    21	View of the little town of Bolsena, on the site of old Volsinii, Oct. 14, 1858.
    22	View from my window in the hotel Aquila Neva at Viterbo. October 1858.
    23	[Donkey with saddle or pack, circa 1858.]
    24	Stone fountain in the court of the Episcopal Palace, at Viterbo [circa 1858.]
    25	[Gate and tower, likely Viterbo, Italy, circa 1858]
    26	[Man holding a fishing pole or whip.] The Emperor, drawn while jotting along in his carriage [circa 1858].
    27	Marble vase at Mr. Stone's house in the Via Isidoro. Feb. 1859.
    28	Bay-leaf drawn in the Medici Garden, March 6th, 1859.
    29	[Fountain shaped like a basket, circa 1859.]
    30	[Oil lamp decorated with a parakeet, circa 1859.]
    31	[Ship with figure holding an oar.] In the port of Leghorn, [1859] May 26th.
    32	Man on board the steamer Vaticano. May 26th, 1859.
    33	Tower in Leghorn. [1859] May 26th.
    34	[Male figure in hat holding a cane, circa 1859 May. Possibly the man from the illustration on page 32, "Man on board the steamer Vaticano, May 26th."]
    35	[Man in a hat and tie in profile (drawing of upper arm and above).]
    36	[Figure holding a basket, circa 1859 May.]
    37	The Austrian beauty as the prow the deck [likely meaning woman standing at the prow of the deck, circa 1859 May].
    38	Turk on board the Vaticano [circa 1859 May].
    39	[Fort or castle with a tower topped by the Italian flag] Drawn by Julian Hawthorne On board the Vaticano.
    40	[A man in an official cap in profile, head and neck only. Possibly a porter or military officer on board the Vaticano, circa 1859 May.]
    41	[Boats in water, near the shore, including sail boats, a canopied row boat and one large sailing boat, with figures in the row boat and on the shore.] At Leghorn [circa 1859 May].
    42	Lighthouse at Leghorn [circa 1859 May].
    43	Lighthouse at Genoa. May 27th 1859.
    44	At Genoa. [View of the landscape including a tower that is likely the steeple of the Genoa Cathedral, circa 1859 May.]
    45	Headland off France [circa 1859 May].
    46	Off France. [Hills, with a sailboat, on the water, circa 1859 May.]
    47 and the verso of page 46 (a two-page span)	Off France. [Hills with a sailboat on the water, circa 1859 May.]
    48 and the verso of page 47, a two-page span	[Hills with a sailboat and some architectural structures (possibly buildings and a bridge) on the water, circa 1859 May.]
    49 and the verso of page 48, a two-page span	Marseilles. [Landscape from within the city, facing the water.]
    50	La bonne Marseillaise. May 29th, 1859. [Woman in profile, sketch from shoulders and up.]
    51	[No illustration, just text "το φως της Οικίας" Handwritten phrase in Greek (translated via Google Translate to "the light of home"). Beneath this, the name "Hawthorne" is written.]

• Sketchbook 4 "Avignon, May 31, 1859," circa June 1859.
• Sketches document the family's stay in Avignon, France and travel to Switzerland. Sketches primarily depict landscapes, people, architecture and artwork.
  
  Sketchbook is 2.625 in. x 4.2 in. Early pages, 1-7, foxed or stained. Marbled edges. Contains loose pages. Includes a manufacturer's label on the back cover pocket "Improved Patent London, MEMORANDUM BOOKS, WARRANTED IF WRITTEN ON WITH THE prepared pencils TO BE AS PLAIN AND DURABLE AS INK, They will be found of great advantage to Travelers and all persons who wish to preserve their Writing."
   
  •  

    Page	Description
    2	[Drawing of a man in profile in a cap with a pipe in his mouth; shoulders and above.] At Avignon, June 1st, 1859.
    3	Vase on a clock in the Hotel d'Europe. Avignon, June 3rd, 1859.
    4	[INSERTED. SEPARATED FROM BINDING] On the Esplanade at Avignon. June 4th, 1859 [tree tops and what appears to be a tower or pedestal with a crucifix atop it.]
    5	[SEPARATED FROM BINDING. Vase with a bell-shaped lid, circa June 1859.]
    6	Twisted column in the church of Notre Dam des Domes [Notre Dam des Doms]. Avignon, June 3rd, 1859.
    7	Pope's chair at Avignon [circa 1859 June].
    8	Statue of Jason Althen [circa 1859 June].
    9	[Landscape including a river, a lake, and hills, circa 1859 June.]
    10	La petite Augstine. Valence, June 7th.
    11	At Valence, [1859] June 8th. [Portrait of a female figure in profile wearing a large hat that obscures her face. The figure stands between to large piles of grass or hay or stay and holds a sack and some lengths of the straw.]
    12	[Vase holding tall leaved plants, circa 1859 June.]
    13	[Reclining female figure, face obscured by large hat and veil holding an umbrella, circa 1859 June.]
    14	On route de Valence in Lyon [circa 1859 June].
    15	On the southern border of Lake Leman [Lake Geneva], June 11, 1859.
    16	[INSERTED, SEPARATED FROM BINDING] On the southern border of Lake Leman [Lake Geneva, circa 1859 June].
    17	[Unfinished sketch. Outlines of buildings and trees, circa June 1859.]
    18	[Unfinished sketch. Outlines of a landscape and sailboats on water, circa 1859 June.]
    19	[Unfinished sketch. Outlines of hills on the edge of water, circa 1859 June.]
    20	A Villeneuve peasant at the castle of Chillon, June 12, 1859.
    21	Near Lutry. [Likely from Lake Geneva, circa 1859 June.]
    22	Cathedral of Lausanne from Lake Leman [Lake Geneva, circa June 1859].
    23	[Tomb of Catharina Orlov.] In the Cathedral at Lausanne, [1859] June 13th.
    24	[Figure of a woman partially sketched, wearing a veiled hat with a narrow tiered cylindrical top and a wide brim, circa June 1859.]
    25-41	[Blank pages.]
    Back free end paper	[No illustrations, just text. Blank text side: "3.38 M. le docteur Bechet, Rue de L'Augville, No. 8. Hotel Angleterre Geneva, on L'Écn de Geneva. Hotel de l'Univers." On side "146, Champs Élysées, Mrs. Green." On bottom, written upside down: "Coppet. 4.02]
    Paste-down endpaper pocket	[No illustrations, just text. On the binder's label: "234, 69"]

Series II. Letters and transcripts of letters from Ada Shepard, 1857 August 9 - 1859 June 19, circa 1930s, 2016

• 
  Subseries II.A. Original letters from Ada Shepard. 1857 August 9 - 1859 June 19
  • 
    
    Letters from Ada Shepard to Clay Badger and her family were grouped into packets prior to processing, under the direction of Yale University literature historian, Norman Holmes Pearson, in the 1930s [see Subseries II.B, which includes guides about the organization of manuscript letters and includes the transcripts of the letters]. Packets are used as a subdivision within folders in this finding aid as a interval for the narrative content summaries included within each folder. The packets were divided primarily by Ada Shepard's location during the letters, but during extended stays in places like Rome and Florence, stays are narrated across multiple packets. During processing, the letters were removed from their packet wrapper (a labeled sheet of paper folded in half) and unfolded.
    
    This finding aid includes a supplemental subject index of topics mentioned by Ada Shepard in her letters 1857-1859. 
     

    Packet	Location during writing	Location
    Packet 1, 1857 August 9 - 1857 October 1.	Aboard Steamer Ariel ; Paris	Box 2, Folder 1
    Packet 2, 1857 October 2 - 1857 November 18.	To England, Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England	Box 2, Folder 1
    Packet 3, 1857 November 18 - 1858 January 1.	London.	Box 2, Folder 2
    Packet 4, 1858 January 3 - 1858 January 22.	London and to travel to Rome	Box 2, Folder 2
    Packet 5, 1858 January 24 - 1858 February 20.	Rome	Box 2, Folder 2
    Packet 6, 1858 February 21 - 1858 March 13.	Rome	Box 2, Folder 3
    Packet 7, 1858 March 13 - 1858 April 9.	Rome	Box 2, Folder 3
    Packet 8, 1858 April 11 - 1858 May 21.	Rome	Box 2, Folder 3
    Packet 9, 1858 May 23 - 1858 June 3.	Rome and travel to Florence	Box 2, Folder 3
    Packet 10, 1858 June 3 - 1858 July 10.	Florence.	Box 2, Folder 4
    Packet 11, 1858 July 11 - 1858 September 10.	Florence and travel to Villa Montauto in Bellosguardo.	Box 2, Folder 4
    Packet 12, 1858 September 13 - 1858 October 16.	Villa Montauto in Bellosguardo, and travel to Rome.	Box 2, Folder 4
    Packet 13, 1858 October 16 - 1859 January 15.	Rome.	Box 2, Folder 4
    Packet 14, 1859 January 15 - 1859 May [missing letters between the dates of 1859 May 8 and 1859 May 21]	Rome.	Box 2, Folder 5
    Packet 15, 1859 May 22 - 1859 June 12	Rome and travel to Geneva, Switzerland	Box 2, Folder 5
    Packets 16-21, 1857 August 11 - 1859 June 19. Manuscript Letters from Ada Shepard to her family	Various	Box 2, Folders 6-7

    
    
    Shepard wrote letters over the course of several days, so that each letter has a start date and the content of the letter often covers multiple subsequent (but not necessarily contiguous) dates. Shepard marked each passing day she added to the letter within one sent letter. At times, the dates marked in the letters were inaccurate (e.g. mistakenly writing the wrong year or day) but the finding aid uses corrected dates. Although the date each letter was sent is not indicated, Shepard typically mentioned when she intended to send out letters within the body of each.
    
    The content of Shepard's letters acted as a daily log of activities and often touched upon certain subjects. She commented on the daily affairs of the Hawthornes in a general sense, using the pronoun "we" for day trips and visits made by Shepard with the family. In addition, most of her letters include statements of affection toward Clay Badger and/or her family members, and inquiries into their well-being and the well-being of their extended family. Further, she frequently mentioned her time at Antioch College, including multiple references to founder Horace Mann and his wife (sister of Sophia Hawthorne) Mary Peabody Mann; her language studies (including French, Italian, German and Latin); her impressions on their surroundings and the people the family interacted with; and her reflections as a woman with a career and as a woman traveling alone.
    
    
    • Box 2, Folder 1: Manuscript letters from Ada Shepard to Henry Clay Badger, 1857 August 9 - 18 November. Packets 1-2.
      • Packet 1, dated 1857 August 9 - 1857 October 1.
        • Letters written during Shepard's journey to Europe aboard the Steamer Ariel and her stay at the boarding house and French language school of M. Fezandié on the Rue De Balzac in Paris. During this time, she referred to her plans with the Hawthornes, including descriptions of multiple letters from Sophia Peabody Hawthorne. Shepard spent much of the letters describing visitations to famous sites in Paris, including extensive descriptions of visits to the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre. She commented upon street life, society and customs in Paris, and upon several current events, including the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857 in India. Shepard also described her interactions with her fellow travelers aboard the Steamer Ariel, boarders at the house of M. Fezandié, students at M. Fezandié's, and friends in Paris.
           
      • Packet 2, dated 1857 October 2 - 1857 November 18.
        • Letters written during Shepard's travels to England, her stay with the Hawthornes in the town of Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, and the beginning of her work as a governess for the Hawthornes. Includes an 1857 October 4 letter about her first encounter with the Hawthorne family, excepting Nathaniel Hawthorne ("I extravagantly admire Mrs. Hawthorne, Una, and Julian...Little Rose is a sweet creature"), and comments dated 1857 October 14 in a letter started 1857 October 10 about her first impressions of Nathaniel Hawthorne ("I was quite surprised to see so handsome a man as he is"). Shepard also included thoughts on, and interactions with, the family's housekeeper, Frances "Fanny" Augusta Wrigley.
          
          Throughout the letters, Shepard observed the progress of Una Hawthorne and Julian Hawthorne in their lessons. Shepard also documented day trips that were made most often with the Hawthorne children and sometimes with the Hawthorne family. This included trips to Kenilworth Castle, Warwick Castle, the neighborhood of Royal Leamington Spa, and Stratford-On-Avon. When the family traveled to London, Shepard described visits to the Tower of London, the British Museum, and the National Gallery. Shepard also commented on British culture, particularly comparisons between British culture and American culture, and her impressions of Guy Fawkes Day (Bonfire Night).
           
    • Box 2, Folder 2: Manuscript letters from Ada Shepard to Henry Clay Badger, 1857 November 18 - 1858 February 20. Packets 3-5.
      • Packet 3, dated 1857 November 18 - 1858 January 1.
        • Letters written during Shepard's stay with the Hawthornes on Great Russell Street in London. Includes comments dated 1857 December10 in an 1857 December 5 letter describing a visit with Nathaniel Hawthorne to the home of renowned homeopathic doctor James John Garth Wilkinson and comments dated 1857 December 31 a letter dated 1857 December 25 describing a visit by Coventry Patmore, the author of The Angel in the House. Throughout the letters, Shepard commented on various aspects of London street life and English culture. She also discussed the studies of the Hawthorne children under her care. She chronicled the family's protracted stay in London due to a number of factors, most prominently Nathaniel Hawthorne's business at the Liverpool Consulate and the illness of various members of the family. Further, Shepard described visits made with various members of the Hawthorne family (and at times alone) to tourist sites in London, including the British Museum, Parliament, Regent's Park, the Crystal Palace, Trafalgar Square, and St. Paul's Cathedral.
           
      • Packet 4, 1858 January 3 - 1858 January 22.
        • Letters written during Shepard's journey from London to Rome with the Hawthornes, including a week-long stay in Paris. The family made stops in the towns of Amiens, Paris, Lyon, and Marseilles in France, and Genoa and Livorno in Italy before lodging in Rome.
          
          Shepard described the children's daily lessons and the family's sightseeing continued throughout. She also chronicled the family's interactions with English writer Coventry Patmore, author of The Angel in the House, in London, visits to the Louvre in Paris, and their travels and friendship with the astronomer Maria Mitchell. Shepard continued to share her impressions of, and work with, the family, including her duties as translator for the family while maneuvering through international travel and border crossings.
           
      • Packet 5, dated 1858 January 24 - 1858 February 20.
        • Letters written during Shepard's stay on the via Porta Pinciana in Rome with the Hawthorne family. Shepard described interactions with local artists (mostly expatriate American artists) Louisa Lander, Joseph Mozier, and Cephas Giovanni Thompson, and the family's continued friendship with astronomer Maria Mitchell. The family as a group—and, often, Shepard and the Hawthorne children alone—made visits to historical sites in Rome, especially the Colosseum, St. Peter's Basilica, and participation in the Carnival season in Rome. Throughout, Shepard commented frequently upon street life in Rome. She also deliberated on whether to stay with the Hawthornes for longer than she intended due to changes in the Hawthorne family's plans.
           
    • Box 2, Folder 3: Manuscript letters from Ada Shepard to Henry Clay Badger, 1858 February 21 - 1858 June 3. Packets 6-9.
      • Packet 6, dated 1858 February 21 - 1858 March 13.
        • Letters written during Shepard's stay on the via Porta Pinciana in Rome with the Hawthorne family. Shepard described visits to artists' studios including Harriet Hosmer, Edward Sheffield Bartholomew, Benjamin Paul Akers, John Gadsby Chapman, William Mountford, and Louisa Lander (sculptor of the bust of Nathaniel Hawthorne now in the collection of the Concord Free Public Library's trustees). Comments dated 1858 March 9 (part of a letter dated 1858 March 7) detail Shepard's impressions of Lander's in-progress bust of Nathaniel Hawthorne, "I think it is going to be very good, from what she has already done." In addition, Shepard highlighted the family's and her own friendship with Maria Mitchell in her letters. She also chronicled frequent visits to the Capitoline Museum, and St. Peter's Basilica, and less-frequent visits to the Pantheon, Castel Sant'Angelo, Mamertine Prison, the Tomb of Caecilia Metella, and the Tomb of the Scipios.
           
      • Packet 7, dated 1858 March 13 - 1858 April 9.
        • Letters written during Shepard's stay on the via Porta Pinciana in Rome with the Hawthorne family. Includes a letter dated 1858 March 28 with remarks dated 1858 April 3 describing a conversation about Margaret Fuller during a visit from Joseph Mozier; the description also includes some of Sophia Hawthorne's thoughts on Fuller as a person: "she, too, tells me painful things about her." The letters also contain Shepard's and the Hawthorne family's experiences of Holy Week in and around the Vatican, accompanied by Shepard's thoughts on Catholicism. Shepard described further time spent with friends of the Hawthorne family: artist Benjamin Paul Akers and his brother, Charles "Carl" Akers, astronomer Maria Mitchell, sculptor Louisa Lander, sculptor Cephas Giovanni Thompson and sculptor William Wetmore Story. She also described a visit to the studio of sculptor Thomas Crawford. In addition, Shepard documented her continued studies in French by herself and Italian with teacher Signore Ghilardi, and meditated on her own pedagogical method. The family as a group, and sometimes Shepard alone, made visits to historical sites including the Colosseum, the Vatican, and St. Peter's Basilica Trajan's Column, Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine, Castel Sant'Angelo, Church of the Santissima Trinità dei Monti, Villa Ludovisi, the Roman Forum, Palazzo Pallavincini-Rospigliosi, and the Garden of Sallust.
           
      • Packet 8, dated 1858 April 11 - 1858 May 21
        • Letters written during Shepard's stay on the via Porta Pinciana in Rome with the Hawthorne family. Includes an 1858 April 11 letter noting on 1858 April 14 that Nathaniel Hawthorne has begun an unnamed new novel (The Marble Faun). Shepard described the departure of family friends, sculptor Benjamin Paul Akers and astronomer Maria Mitchell from Rome. Shepard also documented interactions with sculptor Louisa Lander, artist Thomas Buchanan Read , the Apthorp family, author Frederika Bremer, artist George Loring Browne, the Story family (including sculptor William Wetmore Story), sculptor Harriet Hosmer, and Frances Fairchild Bryant and her husband, author William Cullen Bryant. The letters also marked Shepard's resolution with the Hawthornes to stay with them for a long period of time than she intitially intended, over the winter of 1858, and to begin teaching other children besides the Hawthornes (including children from the Story, Thompson and Crawford families). Further, Shepard remarked upon the Hawthorne children's studies during that time. Shepard also described visits made by the Hawthornes and sometimes Shepard alone to Trinità dei Monti, Galleria Borghese, Villa Borghese, Palazzo Doria Pamphilj, the Vatican, Villa Albani, Santi Cosma e Damiano, Santa Francesca Romana, Sciana Palace, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, Santa Pudenziana, Santa Prassede, Sant'Agnese in Agone, Santa Costanza, and Villa Medici.
           
      • Packet 9, dated 1858 May 23 - 1858 June 3
        • Letters written during Shepard's stay on the via Porta Pinciana in Rome and travel to Florence, with the Hawthorne family. Her 1858 May 23 letter includes her first mention of the sketchbooks she, Sophia Hawthorne and the Hawthorne children are using [four of the sketchbooks Shepard drew in are in Series I: Ada Shepard sketchbooks in this collection]. Shepard also documented the family's stays in Civita Castellana, Terni, Foligno, Perugia, Passignano, and Arezzo, and their stops at tourist sites on the way to Florence. Further, she described interactions and friendships between herself, the Hawthorne family, the Powers family (including sculptor Hiram Powers), and the Browning family (Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Robert Browning, and Robert "Penny" Barrett Browning). Sites visited by the family, and occasionally Shepard alone, during that time include: The Terni Cathedral (Terni), the Foligno Cathedral (Foligno), Convento Di San Francesco (San Miniato), the Church of Saint Anna (Perugia), Basilica di Santa Chiara (Assisi), the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels (Assisi), Accademia di Belle Arti di Perugia (Perugia), the Arezzo Cathedral (Arezzo), the home of Francesco Petrarch (Arezzo), Pitti Palace (Florence), and Boboli Gardens (Florence).
           
    • Box 2, Folder 4: Manuscript letters from Ada Shepard to Henry Clay Badger, 1858 June 3 - 1858 October 16- 1859 January 15. Packets 10-13.
      • Packet 10, dated 1858 June 3 - 1858 July 10
        • Letters written during Shepard's stay in Florence with the Hawthorne family. These letters document the family's first explorations in Florence, including a visit to Boboli Gardens and an unsuccessful visit to the Uffizi Gallery with Julian Hawthorne and Una Hawthorne. During that time, Shepard pointed out Nathaniel Hawthorne's illness, a condition that would lead to Sophia Hawthorne and Shepard making arrangements for the family to stay in Bellosguardo in 1858 July. She also recalled attending of a party with Robert Browning and Robert "Pen" Barrett Browning (Elizabeth Barrett Browning did not attend); and the celebration of St. John's the Baptist's Day with lanterns in Florence. Shepard mentioned family interactions with the Powers family (including sculptor Hiram Powers), particularly the two daughters, Louisa Greenough Powers Ibbotson Powers and Florence Powers (referred to as "Annie"). Shepard also mentioned her sketchbooks [four of the sketchbooks Shepard drew in are in Series I: Ada Shepard sketchbooks in this collection] and the illnesses of Una Hawthorne and Shepard herself.
           
      • Packet 11, dated 1858 July 11 - 1858 September 10
        • Letters written during Shepard's stay in Florence and travel to Villa Montauto in Bellosguardo with the Hawthorne family. Includes a section dated 1858 August 27 (part of a letter started 1858 August 15) describing spiritualist activities (automatic writing) undertaken by Shepard for Sophia Hawthorne to communicate with Hawthorne's deceased relatives. Her account includes the opinions of Sophia Hawthorne, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody and Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning on spiritualism.
          
          Shepard documented family interactions with the Powers family, particularly Preston Powers and Florence Powers (referred to as "Annie"), and including a visit to the studio of sculptor Hiram Powers, in Florence; and, in Bellosguardo, interactions with Major Charles Gregorie, author Isabella "Isa" Jane Blagden, Annette Bracken, and author Charles MacKay. She also described the family's visits to the Uffizi Gallery, where Sophia Hawthorne, her children and Shepard, sketched often [four of the sketchbooks Shepard drew in are in Series I: Ada Shepard sketchbooks in this collection]. In addition, the letters contain brief notes about the completion of the transatlantic telegraph cable in 1858 August and the endurance of Antioch College following its bankruptcy.
           
      • Packet 12, dated 1858 September 13 - 1858 October 16
        • Letters written during Shepard's stay at the Villa Montauto in Bellosguardo, and travel to Rome, with the Hawthorne family. During that time, the family traveled from Bellosguardo to Siena, staying there for about 12 days before departing for Rome with brief stays in Radicofani, Viterbo, and Settevene. Shepard noted the departure of family friend and author Isabella "Isa" Jane Blagden from Florence, and wrote about interactions with the Powers family and the Story family, particularly sculptor William Wetmore Story. She also mentioned letters from Mary Tyler Peabody Mann and Horace Mann regarding her employment with the Hawthornes and her return to Antioch College. Further, she noted visits made by the family to the town of Fiesole, Galileo's tower (Florence), the Siena Cathedral (Siena), the Basilica of San Francesco (Siena), Sant'Agostino (referred to as the "Church of St. Augustine" in Siena), and Piccolomini Library (Siena).
           
      • Packet 13, dated 1858 October 16- 1859 January 15
        • Letters written during Shepard's stay in Rome, with the Hawthorne family. Shepard described her new role as teacher to American and English families in Rome, including her daily schedule, her methodologies, and her students (including Emily Story, and the Hawthorne children). For much of this time period various members of the Hawthorne family and Shepard suffered from illnesses. Shepard documented the serious illness of Una Hawthorne with typhus or malaria ("Roman fever") and her care. During this time, Shepard explained that she was sexually assaulted by the family doctor, Dr. Franco, while he was caring for Una Hawthorne. In association with the assault, Shepard also made a comparison between his impropriety and an undescribed incident with Professor Ira W. Allen at Antioch College.
          
          Shepard documented interactions with the Story family, the Thompson family (particularly Cephas Giovanni Thompson), sculptor Harriet Hosmer, actress Charlotte Cushman and sculptor Louisa Lander. Shepard also documented trips made by the family and by Shepard alone to Roman landmarks including the Pantheon, the Roman forum, the Colosseum, St. Peter's Basilica and Villa Borghese. The letters include, as demonstration of her German lessons with her teacher, Herr Hoffer, phrases written in what is now known as Kurrent script or German Gothic script.
          
          There is a page-numbering issue in the manuscript; it includes two leaves numbered 231.
           
    • Box 2, Folder 5: Manuscript letters from Ada Shepard to Henry Clay Badger, 1859 January 15 - 1859 June 12. Packets 14-15.
      • Packet 14, dated 1859 January 15 -1859 May [missing letters between the dates of 1859 May 8 and 1859 May 21]
        • Letters written during Shepard's stay in Rome with the Hawthorne family. Shepard noted that the stay was protracted due to the serious illness of Una Hawthorne. Includes a letter dated 1859 April 23 where Shepard noted the Italian War of 1859, including the family's relative safety in Rome, the difficulties posed to travel, and the exodus of many Americans and Britons from Italy.
          
          Shepard described further illnesses in the family, including the illnesses of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Sophia Hawthorne, and the serious illnesses of Shepard and Una Hawthorne. In all cases, Shepard describes the family's care by Dr. Franco, the family doctor. During this time, Shepard also documented Franco's continued sexual harassment and a confrontation with the doctor (the confrontation is incomplete in the letters; pages are missing).
          
          She also described interactions with former president of the United States Franklin Pierce, the Story family (particularly Edith Story for lessons), the Thompson family, Charles Sumner, Eliza Farrar and Ann Ward.
          
          Further, she mentioned making sketches in her sketchbook [four of the sketchbooks Shepard drew in are in Series I: Ada Shepard sketchbooks in this collection]. During that time, Shepard also marked and mourned the death of her father, Otis Shepard Sr. in the United States. In addition, Shepard documented family visits to the Catacombs of Rome, Palazzo Barberini, St. Peter's Basilica, Catacomb of Callixtus, Tomb of Caecilia Metella (Rome), Ninfeo di Egeria, the Protestant Cemetery and the Pantheon. The letters include, as demonstration of her German lessons with her teacher, Herr Hoffer, phrases written in what is now known as Kurrent script or German Gothic script.
          
          Her letter from 1859 May 8 is missing leaves 289-292.
      • Packet 15, dated 1859 May 22 - 1859 June 12 [last letter incomplete]
        • Letters written during Shepard's stay in Rome and travel to Switzerland with the Hawthorne family. Shepard noted that Sophia Hawthorne's illness throughout the trip delayed their travel. Shepard documented stops made by the family in Livorno (Italy), Marseilles (France), Avignon (France), Lyons (France), Lyons (France), before a stay in Geneva, Switzerland and travel around Lake Geneva to Villeneuve, Switzerland.
          
          Her letter from 1859 June 12, the last letter in this packet, is missing leaves.
           
    • Box 2, Folders 6-7: Manuscript letters from Ada Shepard to her family, 1857 August 11 - 1859 June 19. Packets 16-21.
    • The bulk of the letters are to Shepard's older sister Katharine "Kate" Shepard in Dorchester, Massachusetts, and her younger sister, Lucy Shepard, who spent most of the time that Shepard was teaching at the Raritan Bay Union (referred to as "Eagleswood") in Perth Ambody, New Jersey. There are also letters to her younger sisters, Rachel "Ratie" Shepard and Ellen "Nellie" Shepard, her cousin Lucy Noble, and her older brother, Horace Shepard.
      
      Much of the subject matter, including the daily chronicles written during her travels described by Shepard, are similar to, or sometimes copied from, letters to her fiancé, Henry Clay Badger. Variations from this include Shepard's frequent inquiries about their family, especially her siblings, her parents, and certain members of her extended family on her mother's side: the Noble family, the family of her mother's younger sister, Adaline Noble; the Ayres family, the family of her mother's younger sister, Elizabeth; and the Pope family, the family of her mother's younger brother, Alexander, particularly her cousin Charlotte "Lottie" Pope.
      
      Throughout the letters, Shepard shared anecdotes about her travels meant to entertain children written to her sisters Rachel Shepard and Ellen Shepard; extensive inquiries about and descriptions of shopping for family; responses to news about family and friends; and meditations about her father and his death, in which she writes on his addiction to alcohol depth. Further, Shepard spent more than one letter attempting to convince her sister, Lucy Shepard, not to follow in her footsteps and travel alone in Europe.
      
      In a letter to Lucy Shepard dated 1859 February 5, Shepard also wrote about the courtship and 1858 December 28 wedding of Elizabeth Hallet Prichard and Edward Sherman Hoar of Concord, Massachusetts, following a visit to the Hawthornes' lodgings by Edward Sherman Hoar's sister, Elizabeth Hoar (see the Prichard, Hoar, and related family papers, 1799-1948, Vault A45, Prichard Unit 2. William Munroe Special Collections, Concord Free Public Library. http://www.concordlibrary.org/scollect/fin_aids/prichard.html).
      
      The letters include one letter written entirely in French, dated 1857 September 16; a letter dated 1857 October 13 to Lucy Shepard likely copied and not written in Ada Shepard's hand; an 1857 November 15 letter to Lucy Noble labeled "A copy of a part of Ada's Letter to Lucy Noble." There is also one letter, which is mentioned on the packet wrapper, dated 1859 January 8 letter from Sophia Hawthorne, which is available only in transcript; the manuscript letter is not part of this collection.

• Subseries II.B. Transcripts of letters from Ada Shepard, circa 1930s, 2016:
  • Box 3, Folder 1-9: Guides to the 1857-1859 letters of Ada Shepard, circa 1930s. The guides, likely written by Yale University literature historian Norman Holmes Pearson, discussing the history of the collection's arrangement, its transcription and page numbering, transcript annotations and corrections, and other miscellaneous remarks. For further description of the organizing and processing of the manuscript letters, see the description for Subseries II.A.
     
  • Box 3, Folder 2: Photocopies of typed transcripts of the letters of Ada Shepard, 1857 August 9 - 1857 September 4, annotated in-depth, from the Norman Holmes Pearson Papers, Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
    
    The transcripts are marked with various annotations, mostly corrections to the text based upon verification with the manuscripts. Many annotations made earlier are signed "JLK" and are dated in the year 1937.
     
  • Box 3, Folders 3-10: Copies of typed transcripts of the letters of Ada Shepard, 1857 August 7- 1859 June 19, annotated, from the Norman Holmes Pearson Papers, Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. The transcripts are marked with various annotations, mostly corrections to the text based upon verification with the manuscripts. Many annotations made earlier are signed "JLK" and are dated in the year 1937. The transcripts of Shepard's voyage to Paris and her stay there alone have some omissions; when identified, gaps were filled in on the transcript copy during processing. Further, two new transcripts were added during processing: one for a note sent by Shepard to Henry Clay Badger dated 1858 June 3, and the other for a letter to Rachel Shepard dated 1858 April 10.
    
    The transcripts also include a transcript for an 1859 January 8 letter from Sophia Hawthorne to Katharine "Kate" Shepard that is not available in manuscript in this collection.

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