Conditions Governing Use:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Conditions Governing Access:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Preferred Citation:

Eleanor H. Fredricks Papers, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Acquisition Information:

Purchase.

Processing Information:

Accessioned and minimally processed in March 2010 by Ute Schechter, Warren E. Burger Archivist.

Further description and arrangement by Lauren Chapman, SCRC Staff, in March-April 2010, and Amy Schindler, University Archivist, in May 2010.

Biographical / Historical

Eleanor H. Fredricks, of Chicago, Illinois, was the organizer of the first American Fireside Club.

The American Fireside Club was a social club, whose members contributed antiques instead of dues, and who exhibited some of their items while also engaging in "recreation and handicraft" and at times put on entertainments to raise funds for charity. The collection also includes drafts of Fredricks' book "Adventures of Cain," which includes characters and stories from the Christian Bible.

Scope and Contents

Papers, circa 1930s-1950s, of Eleanor H. Fredricks of Chicago, Illinois. Included are a scrapbook, correspondence, photographs, clippings, postcards and fliers, as well as drafts of articles authored by her. Some of the papers relate to the American Fireside Club, of which Eleanor Fredricks was the organizer.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• American Fireside Club
• Chicago (Ill.)--Social life and customs
• Clippings (information artifacts)
• Correspondence
• Fliers (printed matter)
• Manuscripts for publication
• Men--Societies and clubs
• Photographs
• Postcards
• Scrapbooks
• Visiting cards
• Women--Societies and clubs