The 1942 Bessie Nesbit Letters

[Envelope]

History

Bessie Nesbit finishes out her senior year. There are a few letters beyond 1942 in this collection as well, which reveal she has married and is the mother of at least one child, a son.

The Images

All documents have at least a portion of the first page scanned, and comments about their contents are included below.

A Letter Written on Jan 10, 1942
envelope Addressed to Rev. Dr. and Mrs Wm M. Nesbit in Naugatuck Conn. Postmarked Jan 10, 1942 5:30pm in South Hadley.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Feb 3, 1942
envelope Addressed to Miss Bessie B. Nesbit at Mount Holyoke College (54 Wilder). Postmarked Feb 4, 1942 7:30am in Naugatuck Conn.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Feb 10, 1942
envelope Addressed to Miss Bessie B. Nesbit at Mount Holyoke College (54 Wilder). Postmarked Feb 11, 1942 7:30am in Naugatuck Conn.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Feb 11, 1942
envelope Addressed to Miss Bessie B. Nesbit at Mount Holyoke College (54 Wilder). Postmarked Feb 12, 1942 7:30am in Naugatuck Conn.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Card Written on Feb 14, 1942
envelope Addressed to À Mlle Bessie B. Nesbit at Mount Holyoke College (54 Wilder). Postmarked Feb 13, 1942 8pm in Naugatuck Conn.
front "To a Dear Daughter on Valentine's Day"
inside Papa doodles parents embracing their college daughter. Dated Feb. 14, 1942.

A Letter Written on Feb 14, 1942
envelope Addressed to Miss Bessie B. Nesbit at Mount Holyoke College (54 Wilder). Postmarked Feb 15, 1942 8pm in Naugatuck Conn. Special Delivery.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Feb 16, 1942
envelope Addressed to Miss Betsey Nesbit Sr at Mount Holyoke College (54 Wilder). Postmarked Feb 17, 1942 7am in Naugatuck Conn.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Feb 19, 1942
envelope Addressed to Miss Bessie B. Nesbit at Mount Holyoke College (54 Wilder). Postmarked Feb 20, 1942 7:30am in Naugatuck Conn.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Feb 24, 1942
envelope Addressed to Miss Bessie B. Nesbit at Mount Holyoke College (54 Wilder). Postmarked Feb 25, 1942 7:30am in Naugatuck Conn.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Feb 26, 1942
envelope Addressed to Miss Bessie B. Nesbit at Mount Holyoke College (54 Wilder). Postmarked Feb 27, 1942 7:30am in Naugatuck Conn.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Feb 28, 1942
envelope Addressed to Miss Bessie B. Nesbit at Mount Holyoke College (54 Wilder). Postmarked Mar 1, 1942 8pm in Naugatuck Conn. Special Delivery.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Mar 2, 1942
envelope Addressed to Miss Bessie B. Nesbit at Mount Holyoke College (54 Wilder). Postmarked Mar 3, 1942 7:30am in Naugatuck Conn.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Mar 4, 1942
envelope Addressed to Miss Bessie B. Nesbit at Mount Holyoke College (54 Wilder). Postmarked Mar 5, 1942 7:30am in Naugatuck Conn.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Mar 5, 1942
envelope Addressed to Miss Bessie B. Nesbit at Mount Holyoke College (54 Wilder). Postmarked Mar 6, 1942 7:30am in Naugatuck Conn.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Mar 7, 1942
envelope Addressed to Miss Bessie B. Nesbit at Mount Holyoke College (54 Wilder). Postmarked Mar 7, 1942 7pm in Naugatuck Conn. Transit marked Mar 8, 1942 12:30pm in South Hadley on reverse flap. Special Delivery.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written around Mar 17, 1942
envelope Addressed to Miss Bessie B. Nesbit at Mount Holyoke College (54 Wilder). Postmarked Mar 18, 1942 7:30am in Naugatuck Conn.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

Two Letters Written on Mar 17-18, 1942
envelope Addressed to Miss Bessie B. Nesbit at Mount Holyoke College (54 Wilder). Postmarked Mar 18, 1942 7:30am in Naugatuck Conn.
page 1 Full contents of letters, though only the first page of one of the letters is scanned.

An Invitation Mailed on May 27, 1942
envelope Addressed to Mr & Mrs William M Nesbit in Naugatuck Conn. Postmarked May 27, 1942 7am in South Hadley. Special Delivery.
page 1 Bessie's graduation announcement and signature card.

A Card Written around Apr 24, 1943
envelope Addressed to Miss Bessie B. Nesbit in Unionville, Conn. Postmarked Apr 24, 1943 5pm in Unionville, Conn.
card "Happy Easter, Daughter"
inside Inscription: "With lots and lots of lotions from your Progeniteer [her father] 1943"

A Letter Written on May 13, 1944
envelope Addressed to Miss Bessie Nesbit in Unionville Conn. Postmarked May 14, 1944 6pm in Springfield Mass.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Jul 10, 1944
envelope Addressed to Miss Bessie Nesbit in Unionville Conn. Postmarked Jul 12, 1944 3pm in Hartford Conn.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Postcard Written around Jul 26, 1946
front "Bathing Beach and Hotels Looking West from Pier, Old Orchard Beach, Maine"
back Divided back, postmarked Jul 26, 1946 7am in Darkharbor, Maine. Addressed to Mr and Mrs Howard Nelson in Long Island, NY. "Dear Bessie and Howard: We stopped over here on our way to Arthur's folks. It is lovely, an Amusement Center like Saven Rock or Coney Island, no[t] so big as Coney Island though. Sorry that I haven't written before. Will write a letter when I get home Arthur's week is almost up. Hope all of you folks are O.K. Love Louise & Arthur"

A Letter Written on Feb 26, 1947
envelope Addressed to Mrs. Howard G. Nelsen in Glen Cove NY, with return address from the Field Secretary at Mount Holyoke College. Postmarked Feb 20, 1947 5:30pm in South Hadley.
page 1 Full contents of letter.

A Letter Written on Jan 3, 1948
envelope Addressed to Mrs. Howard Nelsen in Glen Cove, NY, with return address of Mrs Arthur Fross in Ravena NY on reverse flap. Postmarked Jan 4, 1948 in Albany NY.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Newsletter Written on Mar 5, 1948
envelope Addressed to Mrs. Howard G. Nelsen in Long Island NY, on stationery from Mount Holyoke College. Postmarked on Mar 1-, 1948 5:30pm in South Hadley.
page 1 First page of an 8-page newsletter to raise money for Mount Holyoke College.

A Letter Written on Mar 7, 1948
envelope Addressed to Mrs. Howard Nelsen in Glen Cove, NY, with return address of Miss Sally S Poor in Boston on reverse flap. Postmarked Mar 8, 1948 5pm in Boston, Mass.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only part of the first page is scanned.

A Postcard Written on Jul 13, 1948
front "Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California"
back Divided back, postmarked Jul 13, 1948 7pm in San Francisco, Calif. Addressed to Mr and Mrs Howard Nelson in Glen Cove, NY. "July 13 Dear Bessie, So glad to hear from you and Stelle at reunion. Wish I could have been there. We crossed this bridge the 4th for a picnic in Muir Woods and then I ran into Louise Burr who had just moved to Oakland 3 days before. She's an M.D. at a hospital there. Spent last weekend down at Stanford. Met a friend of Evie Yellow Robe's there. Also saw Ruth Benedict Hadley recently, but understand she has now gone back East. Love, Lisa"

A Postcard Written on Jul 18, 1948
front "Windsor Castle, Changing the Guard, Henry VIII Gateway"
back Divided back, postmarked Jul, 1948 6:15pm in London. Addressed to Mr and Mrs Howard Nelson in Glen Cove, NY. "July 18 Dearest Bess: I finally made the trip, you can see. We came over from Quebec on the "MS Tabinta," troop accommodations from Quebec to LeHavre, that ruined port in France. After three days in Paris, we crossed the Channel from Sieppe to New Haven ... a delightfully wild crossing. Now we are in London for three days, then at the University of BIrmingham for two weeks, then back to the continent to visit Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and western Germany. Then to Paris for three more weeks. We sail from Rotterdam on Sept 1. We are sightseeing, studying, becoming acquainted furiously. My love to you all. and a happy summer Stelle"

A Fundraising Letter Mailed on Sep 15, 1948
envelope Addressed to Mrs. Howard Nelsen in Glen Cove, NY, with return address for the Alumnae Fund Committee of Mount Holyoke College. Postmarked Sep 15, 1948 7am in South Hadley.
page 1 Mailer opens to a plea for donations to the Alumnae Fund.

A Letter Written around Dec 9, 1948
envelope Addressed to Mrs. Howard Nelsen in Glen Cove, NY, with return address of V. E. Smith in Washington DC on reverse flap. Postmarked Dec 9, 1948 11:30am in Washington, DC.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Dec 30, 1948
envelope Addressed to Mrs. Howard Nelsen in Glen Cove, NY, c/o Rev. Dr. W. M. Nesbit, with return address of E. L. Nesbit in Mt. Arlington NJ on reverse flap. Postmarked Dec 31, 1948 4pm in Mount Arlington, NJ.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.

A Letter Written on Jan 6, 1949
envelope Addressed to Mrs. Howard G. Nelsen in Glen Cove, NY, with return address of 53 Imlay St, Hartford, Conn. on reverse flap. Postmarked Jan 6, 1949 11am in Hartford, Conn.
page 1 Full contents of letter, though only the first page is scanned.