Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Blair, James, 1819-? to Elizabeth Blair

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03209.27.01 Author/Creator: Blair, James, 1819-? Place Written: s.l. Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 25 November 1838 Pagination: 1 p. : docket Height: 24.5 cm, Width: 21.1 cm Order a Copy

Blair, a seaman aboard the United States Ship Peacock, apologizes to his sister Elizabeth for not writing sooner. Informs Elizabeth that Navy orders prevent him from telling her details about his location, but mentions the ship is close to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A seal was torn from this document, causing text loss.

Lee, Elizabeth Blair, 1818-1906
Blair, James, 1819-?

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