Letters home, April 1917

The seventh folder of the Natalie Gookin papers follows the everyday correspondence between Bryn Mawr freshman Natalie Gookin and her aunt, mother, and father during April 1917. These letters are arranged chronologically according to the date by which they were written. There is a break in early April where no letters were written because Natalie was at home in Chicago for Easter. The advent of spring is a common theme during Natalie’s April letters as she mentions frequently how beautiful and gorgeous the weather is. She also includes several diagram sketches of her walking routes and a beautiful watercolor drawing of a Japanese Cherry tree on campus. Consequently, she writes a lot about how much she admires her spring wardrobe and looks forward to spending time at home during the summer. In addition, she writes about her daily activities, academics, and friendship with her two girlfriends Alice and Anne. These letters would be of interest to anyone studying women’s colleges, student life, and family relationships.