Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America
Archives related to: Lankenau, John D., 1817-1901
| title | The John D. Lankenau (1817-1901) papers. | repository | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Archives |
| description | This series comprises personal and business records of John Diederich Lankenau, president of the German Hospital of Philadelphia and founder of the Mary J. Drexel Home and Philadelphia Motherhouse of Deaconesses. Records date from 1816 to 1984, but the bulk is from 1883-1901. Record types include personal and business correspondence, financial records, letterpress books, newspaper articles, documents such as marriage records and birth and death certificates, last will and testament, records of the disposal of his estate such as estate sale books, a hymnbook, notebooks, scrapbooks, published books, photographs, and photograph albums. These records were retained by the Philadelphia Motherhouse of Deaconesses and passed down to their successor communities. Many of the records, including personal and business correspondence and Lankenau's notebook entries, are handwritten. Materials are in English and German, with one letter in French. Several of the German records have been translated into English. Early personal correspondence and the letterpress books are difficult to read because they are written on very thin paper on which the ink bleeds through. These records provide only a broad outline of Lankenau's early life, although his biography and the personal letters give some brief but informative insights into his character. His later life, especially the photographic record of his last two years at Cape May Point, are very well documented. It was determined that the archivist would have to impose and order on the material. The records are arranged by subject matter and where possible, chronologically within each group. Biographical Note: President of the German Hospital of the City of Philadelphia; brought German deaconesses to work as nurses in the hospital; later founded the Mary J. Drexel Home and Philadelphia Motherhouse of Deaconesses. |
| extent | 7.3 cubic ft. |
| formats | Personal Papers Legal Papers Business Papers Printed Materials Scrapbooks |
| access | Contact repository for restrictions and policies. |
| record source | www.elca.org |
| finding aid | Finding aid available in the archives: folder level control. Files are arranged by subject. |
| updated | 03/16/2023 10:29:52 |
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