MSS 67:  Charles Foster Batchelder Papers, 1712-1973 - New Bedford Whaling Museum
Inventory of the Charles Foster Batchelder Papers In the New Bedford Whaling Museum Research LibraryProcessed by: Barbara E. Austen; machine-readable finding aid created by: Kermit DeweyFunds for processing this collection were provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities.Inventory of the Charles Foster Batchelder Papers In the New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library

Table of Contents

Biographical Note

Scope and Content Note

Information for Researchers

Administrative Information

Description

Subject Headings

Inventory of the Charles Foster Batchelder Papers

In the New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library



Title:
Charles Foster Batchelder Papers
Date Span:
1712-1973
Creator:
Charles Foster Batchelder, 1898-1973
Mss Number:
Mss 67
Extent:
4 linear feet
Abstract:
Chiefly correspondence and reading notes of a businessman, book collector, and amateur whaling historian from Milton, Massachusetts, 1712-1973.
Repository:
New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library
Phone: (508) 997-0046

Biographical Note

Charles Foster Batchelder was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1898. He received his degree in civil engineering from Harvard in 1922 and eventually formed a company that developed shoe-lasts. He was active in town politics for the town of Milton, Mass., where he served as selectman for fifteen years, as well as holding other offices. Batchelder also served as overseer of Old Sturbridge Village from 1953, president of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities from 1961, and trustee of the Old Dartmouth Historical Society from 1969 until his death in 1973. However, he was perhaps best known for his knowledge of whaling history and for his library of whaling books, pamphlets, and journals, both of which he pursued as a hobby.

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Scope and Content Note

Materials of note in the papers of Charles Foster Batchelder include incoming and outgoing personal correspondence from the years 1922 to 1973. These letters principally consist of requests for or an exchange of information on whaling vessels, captains, whaling terms, whaling grounds, and ports of call with museum professionals, an author, and researchers. The correspondents include Ernest Stanley Dodge (1913-1980), Edouard Alexandre Stackpole (b. 1905), and Marion Vernon Brewington (1902-1974). Additional letters concern his collection of books and articles on whaling or request that he review works on whaling for the American Neptune or the American Activities in the Central Pacific, 1790-1870, series. Batchelder arranged his incoming correspondence either by subject or by writer and usually attached his response and notes to the letter. In most instances, this arrangement has been retained. The incoming letters have been arranged chronologically by year and then alphabetically arranged by writer with Batchelder's responses or initial inquiries attached.

Other materials in this collection include bills for books, 1922-1926, and Old Dartmouth Historical Society material consisting of incoming and outgoing correspondence, 1923-1973; treasurer's reports, 1969-1973; trustee meeting minutes, 1970-1972; budgets, 1970-1972, material concerning a whaling symposium, 1972; and notices, notes, lists, flyers, and similar materials, 1944-1973. In addition, this collection contains substantial reading and research notes kept by Batchelder, probably between 1952 and 1973. These notes, primarily about whaling vessels, their locations on the ocean, and ports of call, were taken from information in books, serials, and pamphlets both within and outside of Batchelder's collection and have been arranged alphabetically by author. This material is supplemented by research notes, which do not appear to be taken from a single specific source; bibliographic material, ca.1950; an annotated index to American Activities that Batchelder was compiling, 1968-1969; lists of rare books, 1967; clippings and a picture, ca.1925, 1960-1971; and original documents or copies of originals, 1712, 1830-1869, ca.1880, 1922, such as pages from an account book, a bill of lading, a Seamen's Protection Paper, and a letter, presumably used by Batchelder in his research.

The materials in this collection were given to the Old Dartmouth Historical Society as part of Batchelder's larger collection of books, serials, and pamphlets. The reading notes were removed from this collection, and some may still be in the volumes.

Arrangement of Collection

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Access to Collections

Unrestricted. Consult librarian for an appointment.

Preferred Citation

New Bedford Whaling Museum Research Library Mss 67, [sub-group, series, sub-series, folder/volume as appropriate], [item]

Copyright Notice

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials. The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 United States Code 552a) governs the use of materials that document private individuals, groups, and corporations.

Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a reproduction if the document does not infringe the privacy rights of an individual, group, or corporation. These specified conditions of authorized use include:

- non-commercial and non-profit study, scholarship, research, or teaching
- criticism or commentary
- as a NBWM archives preservation or security copy for research use
- as a research copy for deposit in another institution

If the researcher later uses a copy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," the researcher is personally liable for copyright, privacy, or publicity infringement and agrees to indemnify the New Bedford Whaling Museum from any legal action as a result of the error. Permission to obtain a photographic, xerographic, digital, or other copy of a document does not indicate permission to publish, exhibit, perform, reproduce, sell, distribute, or prepare derivative works from the document without permission from the copyright holder and from any private individual, group, or corporation shown or otherwise recorded.

Permission to publish, exhibit, perform, reproduce, prepare derivative works from, sell, or otherwise distribute the item must be obtained separately in writing from the holder of the original copyright (or if the creator is dead, from his/her heirs) as well as from any individual(s), groups, or corporations whose name, image, recorded words, or private information (e.g. employment information) may be reproduced in the source material. The holder of the original copyright is not necessarily the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The New Bedford Whaling Museum is not legally liable for copyright, privacy, or publicity infringement when materials are wrongfully used after being provided to researchers for "fair use."

This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if fulfillment of the order is judged in violation of copyright or federal or state privacy law. This institution also places restrictions on the use of cameras, photocopiers, and scanners in the research room.

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Provenance

Materials in this collection were given to the Old Dartmouth Historical Society by Mrs. Charles F. Batchelder on 22 December 1975.

Processing Information

Processed by: Barbara E. Austen, ca. 1982

Encoded by: Kermit Dewey, 26 June 2012; box list appended by Timarie Malo, 13 December 2012

Funds for processing this collection were provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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Description

Series A: Correspondence, 1922-1973 [17 inches]
Incoming and outgoing personal correspondence
Sub-series 1: Incoming, 1922-1973
Box 1
Folder 1
1922-1923
Folder 2
1924
Folder 3
1925, 1936-1940
Folder 4
1943, 1948
Folder 5
1949-1950
Folder 6-8
1951
Folder 9
1952
Folder 10
1953
Folder 11-12
1953
Folder 13-16
1955
Folder 17-18
1956
Folder 19
1957
Folder 20
1958
Folder 21
1959
Box 2
Folder 22
1960
Folder 23-25
1961
Folder 26
1962
Folder 27
1963
Folder 28
1964
Folder 29-30
1965
Folder 31-33
1966
Folder 34-36
1967
Folder 37-38
1968
Box 3
Folder 39-42
1969
Folder 43-46
1970
Folder 47
1970-1971
Concerns Edouard Stackpole's manuscript Pursuit of Whales and Destiny, being considered for publication.
Folder 48-50
1971
Folder 51-55
1972
Folder 56-57
1973
Sub-series 2: Outgoing, 1945-1973
Box 4
Folder 1
1945, 1951-1954
Folder 2
1955
Folder 3
1956-1958
Folder 4
1959-1960
Folder 5
1961-1963
Folder 6
1964-1966
Folder 7
1967-1969
Folder 8
1970-1971
Folder 9
1972-1973
Series B: Bills, 1922-1926 [5 items]
Folder 1
1922-1926
Series C: Old Dartmouth Historical Society Material, 1923-1973 [5 inches]
Incoming and outgoing correspondence; notices; notes and clippings; flyers, announcement, and newsletter; lists; committee reports; treasurer's reports; trustee meeting minutes; budgets; materials concerning whaling symposium; and docent training program.
Box 5
Folder 1-9
Incoming corresponsence, 1923-1973
Folder 10-11
Outgoing correspondence, 1959-1972
Folder 12
Notices of appeals and annual meetings, 1944-1957
Folder 13
Notes and clipping, 1955, 1968-1972
Folder 14
Flyers, announcements, and newsletter, 1968-1973
Folder 15
Lists of staff, officers, and trustees, 1968-1973
Folder 16
Committee reports 1969, 1972
Folder 17-19
Treasurer's reports, 1969-1973
Folder 20
Trustee meeting minutes, 1970-1972
Folder 21
Budgets, 1970-1972
Folder 22
Correspondence concerning and papers delivered at the Whaling Museum Symposium, 1972
Folder 23
Docent training program, 1973
Series D: Reading and Research Notes, Ephemera, Clippings, and Miscellany, 1712-1972 [24 inches]
Reading notes and ephemera; research notes; bibliographic material; annotated index; lists; clippings and picture; and original documents.
Box 6-9
Envelope 1-973
Reading notes and ephemera, ca. 1952-1973
Box 10
Folder 1-9
Research notes, ca. 1952-1973
Folder 10
Bibliographic material, ca. 1950
Folder 11-12
Annotated index of American Activities in the Central Pacific, 1790-1870, 1968-1969
Folder 13
Lists of rare books, 1967
Folder 14
Clippings and picture, ca. 1925, 1960-1971
Folder 15-16
Original documents, 1712, 1830-1869, circa 1880, 1922
Includes bill, bill of lading, Seamen's Protection Paper, letter, order of payment, and copies of account book and Dennis Wood abstracts

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Subject Headings

Authors--Correspondence, reminiscences, etc.
Batchelder, Charles Foster, 1898-1973--Library
Book collecting
Book collectors--Mass.--Milton
Books--Reviews--Mass.--Milton
Brewington, Marion Vernon, 1902-1974
Civil engineers--Mass.--Milton
Clark, Eugene Seymour, ca.1905-1982
Clough, Benjamin Crocker, 1888-1975
College teachers--U.S.--Correspondence, reminiscences, etc.
Crosby, Everett Uberto, 1871-1960
Dahl, Curtis, b.1920
Dodge, Ernest Stanley, 1913-1980
Dorsett, Edward Lee
Gregg Press, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
Heflin, Wilson L., b.1913
Historians--Conn.--Correspondence, reminiscences, etc.
Historians--Mass.--Correspondence, reminiscences, etc.
Historians--Mass.--Milton
Historical research--Mass.--Milton
Kaplan, Sidney, b.1913
King, S. Clyde
Kugler, Richard Cory, b.1930
Libraries, private, Mass.--Milton
Lothrop, Francis B.
Mason, Francis Van Wyck, b.1897
Milton, Mass.--Officials and employees
Museum curators--Conn.--Mystic
Museum curators--Massachusetts
Museum directors--Massachusetts
Museums--Mass.--New Bedford--Trustees
Old Dartmouth Historical Society, New Bedford, Mass.
Purrington, Philip Foster, b.1912
Richards, Rhys
Sherman, Stuart C., 1917-1983
Smith, Philip Chadwick Foster, b.1939
Stackpole, Edouard Alexandre, b.1905
Whalers
Whaling
Whaling in literature

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