Letter signed S. Mason, Philadelphia, to My Dear Sister [Mrs. Henry von Phul], St. Louis. Offering consolation in your affliction. Regarding young Berthold’s death; Julia Hunt is here, never looked so well. I see some likeness to her mother. She is to remain here….at school…for two years. In the 3 or 4 preceding years it seemed as though half the world was afloat, traveling. Formerly most genteel families had country seats, now they prefer going a distance and make regular allowance for traveling as an item of expense. It has been quite a fashion to go to Europe., 1837 Sept 1

Item — Box: 2

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The collection contains family correspondence, mainly letters of Anna Maria von Phul, Sarah von Phul (Jordan) Mason, and Graff von Phul to Henry von Phul in St. Louis. The letters mention family news, Anna Maria von Phul’s artwork, soldiers in Lexington just prior to the War of 1812, Henry's business affairs, an 1819 flooding in St. Louis from Chouteau's Pond when the dam gave way, the murder of Elijah Lovejoy, and the Civil War. The collection also contains Graff von Phul's extracts from the first lecture of Sir Joshua Reynolds, delivered at the opening of the Royal Academy on January 2, 1769; a deed of emancipation of Richard, dated August 30, 1844; a bill of sale of an enslaved girl dated November 2, 1858; poems, newspaper clippings kept by Anna Maria von Phul, land surveys, Von Phul family genealogy, and a detailed biography and accounts of Henry von Phul.