Mourning Ephemera Belonging to Mary Coraline Voorhees Risley (1840-1887) and Family
- Indiana and New York , 1891
Indiana and New York, 1891. Good to very good. Minor flaws including toning, soiling, wear to envelopes, short tears.. A unique grouping of mourning ephemera belonging to Mary Coraline Voorhees Risley (1840-1887), wife of prominent New York lawyer and real estate mogul John Ewing Risley (1840-1912). Contains the following items: a memorial card for her mother; an 1860s warranty deed granting property from her father to her in 1862; a handwritten letter from her to Risley to be opened on the event of her death; and an interesting scrap of paper that appears to be part of a eulogy written by her son. All are contained in an envelope hand-addressed in ink to her and postmarked 1880. Mary's letter to her husband John, in particular, is touching, and begins: "When your dear eyes look upon this, all that is immortal of me will be in Eternity, and the dark River of Death rolling calmly between us." The letter goes on to beseech her husband to, in the event of her death, take care of her sister Lizzie ("in every respect, just as you would for me"). Her tone is rather heartbreaking: "You have never known what a deep, and ever present sorrow my sister's misfortune has been to me, marring every pleasure, and darkening every prospect [?] life at time is a burden almost more than I can bear, in spite of my happy, perfect love for you, and yours for me." It remains unfinished and unsigned, but the inscription on the envelope reads, "Mr. John E. Risley. To be read by him after the Death of his Wife." The details surrounding Lizzie's "misfortune" are unclear, but for what it's worth, we have been unable to locate any Elizabeth in that generation of the Voorhees family, suggesting some kind of illegitimacy.
The items include:
8.25" by 3.75" Warranty Deed transferring property from Stephen Voorhees to daughter Mary Coraline Voorhees Risley in 1862. Measures approx. 8.25" by 3.75" folded. Ink manuscript on lithographed form printed on blue paper.
Handwritten letter on blank bifolium dated Oct. 29, 1874, from unnamed sender to "My own Precious Husband" from New York City. Measures approx. 10" by 8". In original 3.75" by 8.25" envelope.
c.1887 scrap of paper with ink manuscript (5" by 5"). Appears to be part of a eulogy written in 1887 about Mary Coraline Voorhees Risley by her son Richard Voorhees Risley.
[Memorial card for Mrs. Rachel E. Voorhees, mother of Mary Risling]. Chicago: G.S. Utter & Co., 1891. Measures approx. 6.5" by 4.25". Black coated card stamped with gold, all edges gilt, corners rounded. Name and dates of deceased in center of an image of the Bible, poem on scroll below, and dove at head heralding the message "in loving remembrance".
All contained in original envelope (4" by 8.75") hand addressed to Mary C. Risley, postmarked and stamped 1880 from Indiana, no return address. John Ewing Risley (1840-1912). was appointed in 1893 by President Grover Cleveland to the post of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States to Denmark. He served in this post until he was recalled by President William McKinley in 1897. During his tenure in Denmark, Risley would become a highly sought-after guest and was popular even amongst the common people of Denmark.
The items include:
8.25" by 3.75" Warranty Deed transferring property from Stephen Voorhees to daughter Mary Coraline Voorhees Risley in 1862. Measures approx. 8.25" by 3.75" folded. Ink manuscript on lithographed form printed on blue paper.
Handwritten letter on blank bifolium dated Oct. 29, 1874, from unnamed sender to "My own Precious Husband" from New York City. Measures approx. 10" by 8". In original 3.75" by 8.25" envelope.
c.1887 scrap of paper with ink manuscript (5" by 5"). Appears to be part of a eulogy written in 1887 about Mary Coraline Voorhees Risley by her son Richard Voorhees Risley.
[Memorial card for Mrs. Rachel E. Voorhees, mother of Mary Risling]. Chicago: G.S. Utter & Co., 1891. Measures approx. 6.5" by 4.25". Black coated card stamped with gold, all edges gilt, corners rounded. Name and dates of deceased in center of an image of the Bible, poem on scroll below, and dove at head heralding the message "in loving remembrance".
All contained in original envelope (4" by 8.75") hand addressed to Mary C. Risley, postmarked and stamped 1880 from Indiana, no return address. John Ewing Risley (1840-1912). was appointed in 1893 by President Grover Cleveland to the post of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States to Denmark. He served in this post until he was recalled by President William McKinley in 1897. During his tenure in Denmark, Risley would become a highly sought-after guest and was popular even amongst the common people of Denmark.