Guide to the Virginia Eckels Malone Family Papers 1854-1974


Search this Finding Aid





Table of Contents

• Descriptive Summary
• Information on Use
• Access
• Digital Images
• Citation
• Biographical Note
• Scope Note
• Related Resources
• Subject Headings
• INVENTORY
• Series I: Virginia Eckels Malone
  • Subseries 1: Correspondence
  • Subseries 2: Writings
  • Subseries 3: Childhood and Education
  • Subseries 4: Publications and Ephemera
  • Subseries 5: Personal
• Series II: Eckels Family
• Series III: Malone Family
• Series IV: Bright, Oberly and Schuckers Families
• Series V: Photographs
• Series VI: Art and Artifacts
• Series VII: Oversize

Descriptive Summary

Information on Use

Access

The collection is open for research.

Digital Images

Original documents, texts, and images represented by digital images linked to this finding aid are subject to U. S. copyright law. It is the user's sole responsibility to secure any necessary copyright permission to reproduce or publish documents, texts, and images from any holders of rights in the original materials.

The University of Chicago Library, in its capacity as owner of the physical property represented by the digital images linked to this finding aid, encourages the use of these materials for educational and scholarly purposes. Any reproduction or publication from these digital images requires that the following credit line be included: Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

The images presented here may include materials reflecting the attitudes, language, and stereotypes of an earlier time period. These materials are presented as historical resources in support of study and research. Inclusion of such materials does not constitute an endorsement of their content by the University of Chicago.

The University of Chicago Library appreciates hearing from anyone who may have information about any of the images in this collection.

Citation

When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Malone, Virginia Eckels. Family. Papers, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library

Biographical Note

Virginia Eckels Malone (1898-1978), was the daughter of George Morris Eckels and Edith Oberly Eckels. She was raised in Chicago, where her family lived at 5537 South Woodlawn Avenue in Hyde Park. As a teenager and young adult, she lived in Washington, D.C. and attended the elite Miss Madeira's School. In 1920, she married Robert J. Malone. The couple's primary residence was on Long Island, where they pursued their interests in journalism, art and publishing. Virginia Eckels Malone wrote editorial and historical articles for the Smithtown News and other local publications.

Eckels Family:

George Morris Eckels (1863-1913), was the husband of Edith Oberly Eckels, father of Virginia Eckels Malone and George M. Eckels, Jr., and son of James Starr Eckels and Margaret Herron Eckels. Educated at Columbia University, he worked in Chicago as a corporate attorney. He also built a major collection of literary material related to Oliver Cromwell. In 1916, the collection was presented to the University of Chicago in 1916 as the George Morris Eckels Collection of Cromwelliana.

Edith Oberly Eckels (1862-1939), was the wife of George Morris Eckels and mother of Virginia Eckels Malone and George Morris Eckels, Jr. She was one of six daughters of John H. Oberly and Virginia Schuckers Oberly. After her husband's death, she became a prominent member of women's political organizations in Washington D.C. With her sister Portia Oberly, she worked on behalf of Hillcrest, a Washington D.C. orphanage.

George Morris Eckels, Jr. (1894-1924), was the son of Edith Oberly Eckels and George Morris Eckels, and older brother of Virginia Eckels Malone. He earned a B.S. from University of Chicago in 1916. He died in 1924 of an illness related to his military service in World War I.

James Herron Eckels (1858-1907) was the brother of George Morris Eckels and son of James Starr Eckels and Margaret Herron Eckels. Like his brother, he was trained as a lawyer and went on to work in finance. He was appointed comptroller of currency during the presidential administration of Grover Cleveland, and became a personal friend of the president. After leaving national office he became president of Commercial National Bank of Chicago.

James Starr Eckels (1827-1907), was the father of George Morris Eckels and James Herron Eckels, and the husband of Margaret D. Herron (1830-1892). Originally from Pennsylvania, Eckels moved with his family to Princeton, Illinois. He practiced law and was active in the Democratic Party.

Malone Family:

Robert J. Malone (1892-1966) was the son of William Nathaniel Malone and Sloan C. Malone. Raised in Birmingham, Alabama, he attended Auburn University and served in World War I. He married Virginia Eckels in 1920, and worked as a caricaturist, journalist and newspaper publisher.

William Nathaniel Malone (b. 1861), was a Birmingham-based real estate developer, father of Robert J. Malone, and husband of Sloan C. Malone (b. 1862).

Bright, Oberly and Schuckers Families:

John H. Oberly (b. 1838) was a publisher, editor and politician. He served as Commissioner of Indian Affairs from 1887-1889. Originally from Ohio, he married Virginia H. Schuckers (b. 1841). The two had six daughters: Edith, Gertrude, Ruth, Beatrice, Portia and Eunice. The family lived in southern Illinois, where John H. Oberly was an influential newspaper publisher and politician. Oberly's work later took the family to Washington, D.C.

Eunice Rockwood Oberly (1878-1921) worked as a librarian for the United States Department of Agriculture. Portia Oberly (b. 1875) was a philanthropist who supported the Hillcrest orphanage in Washington, D.C. Gertrude Helen Oberly (b.1865) married lawyer Frank S. Bright.

Scope Note

The collection consists of family papers kept by Virginia Eckels Malone. There are papers of the Eckels family, the Malone family, and the Bright, Oberly, and Schuckers family. It also includes Virginia Eckels Malone's own personal papers.

The collection is organized into seven series:

Series I: Virginia Eckels Malone, consists of personal papers and belongings of Virginia Eckels Malone, dating from 1879-1974. Much of this series consists of correspondence sent to Virginia Eckels Malone, as well as letters written by Virginia Eckels Malone to Robert J. Malone. Also included are diaries, manuscripts, notes, educational material, publications, ephemera and artwork.

Series II: Eckels Family, consists of papers and memorabilia of the Eckels family. It includes correspondence, financial records, ephemera, manuscripts and patent material. Materials date from 1854-1939.

Series III: Malone Family, consists of papers and memorabilia of the Malone family. It includes correspondence, manuscripts, publications, ephemera, and legal documents. Materials date from 1911-1956.

Series IV: Bright, Oberly and Schuckers Families, consists of papers and memorabilia of the Bright, Oberly and Schuckers families. It includes correspondence, manuscripts, financial records, ephemera, publications, and records of the Hillcrest Children's Village. Materials date from 1858-1944.

Series V: Photographs, contains photographs of members of the Eckels, Malone, Bright, and Oberly families. There are also photographs of travel and leisure activities; photographs of friends and family pets; publicity photographs of notables including Grover Cleveland, Alfonso XIII of Spain, and Arturo Toscanini; editorial photographs from the Smithtown News; and several files of photographs of unidentified people. Most photographs are undated, but are concentrated in the 1880s-1930s.

Series VI: Art and Artifacts, contains artworks such as prints, drawings and paintingsArtifacts include household items, consumer goods, childhood keepsakes and historical memorabilia. Many items are undated, but generally date from the mid-nineteenth century through the 1940s.

Series VII: Oversize, contains large-format materials transferred from Series I-V.

It also includes a commonplace book containing diary entries and correspondence of Thaddeus Potter, who died serving in the 5th New York Volunteer Infantry (known as "Duryée's Zouaves") in the Civil War.

Related Resources

Browse finding aids by topic.

George Morris Eckels Collection of Cromwelliana

Subject Headings

• Bright, Gertrude Oberly
• Eckels, Edith Oberly
• Eckels, George Morris
• Eckels, George Morris, Jr.
• Eckels, James H. (James Herron), 1858-1907
• Eckels, James Starr
• Malone, Robert J.
• Malone, Virginia Eckels
• Malone, William Nathaniel
• Malone, Sloan C.
• Oberly, John H.
• Oberly, Eunice Rockwood
• Oberly, Portia
• Oberly, Virginia Schuckers
• Commercial National Bank of Chicago
• Madeira School (McLean, Va.)
• Hyde Park (Chicago, Ill.)
• Smithtown (N.Y.)
• Bright family
• Eckels family
• Malone family
• Oberly family
• Schuckers family

INVENTORY

This series consists of personal papers and belongings of Virginia Eckels Malone, dating from 1879-1974. Materials are organized into five subseries:

Subseries 1: Correspondence, contains correspondence sent to Eckels Malone, as well as letters written by Eckels Malone to Robert J. Malone. There are letters sent to Eckels Malone by family and friends throughout her life. Large files of correspondence are arranged alphabetically at the beginning of the subseries. Files of general and unsorted correspondence are arranged chronologically at the end of the subseries.

Subseries 2: Writings, contains Virginia Eckels Malone's diaries, manuscripts, and notes. Related correspondence and ephemera is filed with some writings. Included are several files on the history of Smithtown, New York. There are also manuscripts by writers other than Eckels Malone, and some unidentified manuscripts.

Subseries 3: Childhood and Education, contains notes, class material and ephemera. Most of this material documents Eckels Malone's education at the Madeira School. Some other unique items are notes from a Ouija board game, and notes kept by Eckels Malone's childhood friend, the heiress Cornelia Vanderbilt, for a fundraising drive.

Subseries 4: Publications and Ephemera, contains periodicals and books organized alphabetically by author or title; ephemera such as clippings, programs, brochures and pamphlets, organized alphabetically by topic; and unsorted newspaper clippings. Some material was originally collected by Edith Oberly Eckels and passed on to Eckels Malone. The materials in this subseries represent the women's interests in art, antiques, music, theater, politics, and current events. Of note is an 1879 New York libretto for Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore. Oversize material consisting of clippings, theater programs, museum pamphlets, and scrapbook of Saturday Evening Post cartoons, have been transferred to Series VII.

Subseries 5: Personal, contains financial documents, notes, travel material, artwork, and a file of general correspondence that may have been collected by other family members, or used by Eckels Malone for her journalistic research. Some unattributed artworks are probably by Robert J. Malone.

Additional correspondence of Virginia Eckels Malone is in Series II: Eckels Family and Series III: Malone Family.

This series consists of papers and memorabilia of individual members of the Eckels family, as well as collected family materials. This series is arranged alphabetically by name. Files of correspondence among members of the Eckels family, and correspondence to multiple members of the Eckels family, are at the end of this series. Materials date from 1854-1939.

Papers of Edith Oberly Eckels include correspondence, financial records, meeting minutes and a notebook. It includes files on the military service and later death of her son, George M. Eckels, Jr. There are two unusual letters between Mary Lincoln Isham, a member of the extended family of Abraham Lincoln, and Judge Ewing, discussing the gift of a portrait of the president to the Eckels family. An oversize scrapbook has been transferred to Series VII.

The papers of George Morris Eckels reflect his varying interests in business, history and technology. There is correspondence between Eckels and the University of Chicago administration, much of it related to his gift of the Eckels Collection of Cromwelliana. Eckels also kept correspondence with book dealers, binders, and presses. However, most of Eckels's correspondence is bound in a set of large letterbooks. These contain personal and professional correspondence from 1887-1907, including letters related to his involvement in Commercial Bank, politics, civic and philanthropic activities, and family affairs. The 1887-1907 volume also contains clippings, writings and ephemera. A large section of Eckels's papers documents his development of patents for typewriter technologies. This material includes patent filings, petitions, mechanical drawings and diagrams, correspondence, and notes.

The papers of George M. Eckels, Jr. consist of correspondence, certificates from his education and military service, an essay he wrote for the Ray School Class of 1907, and coursework from University of Chicago college classes. An elaborate scrapbook of his student life at University of Chicago has been transferred to Series VII.

James Herron Eckels is represented by correspondence and a memorial address. Included is a letter from Theodore Roosevelt, debating government regulation of corporations.

James Starr Eckels is represented by a manuscript of a debate speech given at the Big Spring Literary Institute, and a memorial address.

At the end of the series, collected correspondence of the Eckels family includes material sent to and among multiple family members.

Correspondence of Virginia Eckels Malone, including letters from the Eckels family, is in Series 1: Subseries 1. Additional correspondence of Edith Oberly Eckels is in Series IV.

This series consists of papers and memorabilia of individual members of the Malone family, as well as collected family correspondence. This series is arranged alphabetically by name. Files of correspondence among members of the Malone family, and correspondence to multiple members of the Malone family, are at the end of this series. Materials date from 1911-1956.

Robert J. Malone's papers include correspondence, catalogues and other publicity for exhibitions of his artwork, a map of Mississippi, and a stenciled caricature of an unidentified man. Some of his correspondence relates to the operation of the Smithtown News, and community affairs in Smithtown. An oversize clipping of an illustration he created has been transferred to Series VII.

Sloan Malone's papers consist of correspondence and a travel journal.

William N. Malone's papers consist of correspondence, publications, sentimental ephemera, tax collector's deeds, and a will.

At the end of the series, collected correspondence of the Malone family includes material sent to and among multiple family members.

Correspondence between Robert J. Malone and Virginia Eckels Malone is in Series I: Subseries 1.

This series consists of papers and memorabilia of individual members of the Bright, Oberly and Schuckers families, as well as collected family correspondence. This series is arranged alphabetically. Materials date from 1858-1944.

Papers of the Bright family include correspondence, an indenture between several members of the family, and a ledger, notes and clippings belonging to Gertrude Oberly Bright.

Memorabilia of Eunice Rockwood Oberly consists of a memorial address, library science publications, and press releases. Some of this material is related to the American Library Association's Eunice Rockwood Oberly Award.

John H. Oberly's papers consist of correspondence, primarily with branches of the United States federal government.

Portia Oberly's papers document her involvement with the museum of the Hillcrest Children's Village. Included are children's writings, meeting minutes, a handbook, a ledger, notes and receipts. There is also a manuscript written by Portia Oberly for an unidentified periodical.

Collected correspondence of the Oberly family includes material sent to and among multiple family members. Much of this correspondence was sent by J.W. Schuckers. One additional document of the Schuckers family is a letter from N.H. Schuckers to Bess Schuckers.

An oversize scrapbook compiled by members of the Oberly family has been transferred to Series VII. Additional correspondence of the Oberly family is in Series I and II.

This series contains photographs of members of the Eckels, Malone, Bright, and Oberly families. Photographs are in black and white and include formal portraits and informal snapshots. There are also photographs of travel and leisure activities; photographs of friends and family pets; publicity photographs of notables including Grover Cleveland, Alfonso XIII of Spain, and Arturo Toscanini; editorial photographs from the Smithtown News; and several files of photographs of unidentified people. Most photographs are undated, but are concentrated in the 1880s-1930s.

Oversize photographs and negatives have been transferred to Series VII. These include photographs of members of the Eckels family; group portraits of Robert J. Malone and his classmates at Auburn University; framed wedding photographs of Robert J. and Virginia Eckels Malone; an album of Virginia Eckels and her friends at Miss Madeira's School; and negatives associated with the Smithtown News.

This series contains artworks such as prints, drawings and paintings, including work by Robert J. Malone. Artifacts include household items, consumer goods, childhood keepsakes and historical memorabilia. Many items are undated, but generally date from the mid-nineteenth century through the 1940s. While many of the items are not attributed to a specific family member, most belonged to or were collected by Virginia Eckels Malone and Edith Oberly Eckels.

This series contains large-format materials transferred from Series I-V. Materials are organized by size. Names of family members to which the items are attributed are given when possible.

An unusual item in this series is a commonplace book prepared by Pierpont Potter to honor his son, Thaddeus Potter. Thaddeus Potter (1844-1863) of Jamaica, New York, enlisted in the 5th New York Volunteer Infantry, a celebrated Civil War regiment known as "Duryée's Zouaves." Potter was one of a large number of the unit's casualties. The book contains transcribed diary entries, correspondence, and newspaper clippings. The diary entries and correspondence include Thaddeus Potter's detailed descriptions of his life in the Zouaves up to the time of his death. The Potter family's relationship to Virginia Eckels Malone is unknown; the book may have been used by Eckels Malone for her research on the history of Long Island.