Search

The majority of correspondence dates from 1841 to 1916.  Other miscellaneous documents date through 1970. These letters and postcards represent leisure and business correspondence to and from the Clarkes and reflect concerns, beliefs and opinions of ordinary men and women of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. The photos within this collection date from the 1840s and include various methods of processing illustrative of the evolution of photographic procedures.  The majority of the photos are in carte de visite format.  Also included in the collection are cabinet mounted photos and Kodak box camera snapshots.  Additionally, photos taken in the 1970s depict the Clarke's ancestral home, Patmore Manor in Bishop Stortford, England. The transcription of an oral history interview conducted in 1998 with Alice B. Wilkes is also included.

The collection of Clarke M. Brandt contains an oral history transcript and various publications about army life during World War II. In it are examples such as George (Bob) Caron who was a tail gunner on the "Enola Gay" B-29 Bomber. The oral history includes Caron's eyewitness account of the bomb being dropped on Hiroshima. Also included are pamphlets and newsletters including "War Buddies," which covers the relationship between a soldier and his canine companion through his years as a member of the US Marine Corps. "War Buddies" is written by Earle Welch and Dick Roberts.

Containing over two million pages, the Claude Pepper Papers includes his official correspondence, speeches, legislative, committee, and campaign files. In addition, there are files of his personal correspondence, speeches, photographs, recordings, and memorabilia. Also included are the personal papers, photographs, recordings, and memorabilia of his wife, Mildred Irene Webster Pepper. Mrs. Pepper always took a deep interest in public affairs and in helping her husband in his political career. She vigorously supported medical research, urban beautification, conservation, and actively participated in charitable and humanitarian organizations. There are also personal papers of the Pepper/Webster family, largely consisting of correspondence from parents, brothers, sisters, and other family members.