Alfred and Amanda Vail Papers, 1855-1858

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Summary

This accession consists of a bound volume of correspondence to and from Alfred Vail. Vail is known for his involvement in the development of the telegraph with Samuel F. B. Morse. For more information about Vail and his work on the telegraph see Record Unit 7055 - Vail Telegraph Collection. The majority of the correspondence is from Alfred to his wife Amanda. The majority of the content is personal in nature, covering travel, family matters, work, meetings, religion, and his excursions doing genealogical research. Vail frequently wrote from Morristown, New Jersey; New Britain, Connecticut; and New York, New York. Among those mentioned in Alfred's correspondence are Samuel F. B. Morse and Charles Fowler of the New York firm of Janes, Fowler, Kirtland & Co. who supplied and constructed the cast iron frame for the U. S. Capitol dome.

Subject

  • Vail, Alfred 1807-1859
  • Vail, Amanda d. 1894
  • Morse, Samuel Finley Breese 1791-1872
  • Fowler, Charles 1792-1867

Organization

Unarranged

Repository Loc.

Smithsonian Institution Archives Capital Gallery, Suite 3000, MRC 507; 600 Maryland Avenue, SW; Washington, DC 20024-2520

Date

  • 1855
  • 1855-1858

Topic

  • Telegraph
  • Genealogy
  • Family
  • Communication in marriage
  • Letter writing
  • Family life

Place

  • Morristown (N.J.)
  • New Britain (Conn.)
  • New York (N.Y.)

Form/Genre

  • Manuscripts
  • Collection descriptions

Local number

SIA Acc. 22-066

Physical description

0.25 cu. ft. (1 half document box)

Full Record

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