Contents and Arrangement
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Series 1: Correspondence and Personal Material, 1757-2019

19 boxes
Restrictions may apply. See Access Note.

Collection Overview

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

Series 1: Correspondence and Personal Material comprises the most voluminous series in Gillett Griffin's papers. Griffin was a prolific correspondent who often created several drafts of his letters and illustrated their salutations. Griffin filed correspondence in several different alphabetical runs. Some correspondence was also unfiled. The bulk of the letters were received by Griffin, but drafts or copies of his own letters are also present.

Personal and professional correspondence is interfiled. Correspondence relating to archaeological objects and art museum acquisitions, donations, and loans is distributed throughout the correspondence. Researchers seeking information about objects and art museum acquisitions should consult both the correspondence and the professional activities series.

Personal material includes Griffin's collection of "Old Printed Matter" from the 18th and 19th centuries, autobiographical writings, day planners, his own and his brother's schoolwork, drafts of his will at various dates, notes on courses he took at Yale, and other personal documents.

To protect the privacy of living individuals, access to portions of the correspondence is restricted for 25-50 years.

Arrangement

Series 1 is arranged in three different alphabetical runs as maintained by Griffin, followed by additional material that was received unorganized.

Collection History

Appraisal

The following material was separated from the papers: two boxes of subject clippings; printed publications and duplicates; student work, grades, recommendation letters and fellowship applications; personal letters not addressed to or written by Gillett Griffin; personal documents of people other than Gillett Griffin.

Leather, plastic and vinyl luggage tags and travel document enclosures have been removed. Some envelopes have been removed.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Phoebe Nobles in 2017. Finding aid written by Phoebe Nobles in 2017.

Where possible, Griffin's folder titles were maintained. Papers received loose in boxes were arranged into folders and titles were created for those folders. Additional material added to finding aid in 2022 by Phoebe Nobles.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use with some exceptions. To protect the privacy of living individuals, portions of this collection are restricted for 25-50 years. Relevant restrictions are noted in the folder descriptions.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. The Trustees of Princeton University hold copyright to all materials generated by Princeton University employees in the course of their work. For instances beyond Fair Use, if copyright is held by Princeton University, researchers do not need to obtain permission, complete any forms, or receive a letter to move forward with use of materials from the Princeton University Archives.

For instances beyond Fair Use where the copyright is not held by the University, while permission from the Library is not required, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Materials in the Gillett Good Griffin Papers have been treated for mold; however, materials may still be fragile and exhibit signs of damage. Researchers should exercise caution when handling these materials.

Credit this material:

Series 1: Correspondence and Personal Material; Gillett G. Griffin Papers, AC464, Princeton University Archives, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Location:
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
65 Olden Street
Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
(609) 258-6345
Storage Note:
  • ReCAP (rcpph): Boxes 1-18; 30-31; 36

Find More

Related Materials

Elmer Adler Papers, CO262

Elizabeth Benson Papers, AC467

Princeton University Library Records, AC123; especially subseries 4C (includes Graphic Arts Collection, Gillett Good Griffin Correspondence)