Henrietta Cozens papers

The Henrietta Cozens papers document the lives of three artists, Elizabeth Shippen Green Elliott, Violet Oakley, and Jessie Willcox Smith, as well as their friend, Henrietta Cozens. The papers span the years 1889 to 1956, but the bulk of the material is from 1901 to 1938. The collection provides insight into their friendship and the art of Elliott, Oakley, and Smith.

The collection is organized into three series: “Series I: Correspondence,” “Series II: Art and Photographs,” and “Series III: Other Papers.” “Series I: Correspondence” is organized into five subseries: “Henrietta Cozens,” “Elizabeth Shippen Green Elliott,” “Violet Oakley,” “Jessie Willcox Smith,” and “Other People.” Each subseries is organized into Outgoing and Incoming as appropriate and is then arranged alphabetically. Many of the letters use nicknames for the four friends; Cozens was referred to as Heddy or Henry, Elliott as Liddy or Twinny, Smith as Jeddy, and Oakley as Viddy. The majority of the letters in the collection is from Elliott to Cozens, from 1904 to 1938, and include detailed descriptions of Elliott's work, social life, and travels. Many of the letters are also addressed to Oakley and Smith, but were sent to Cozens to be shared with the other two. There are a few letters that were addressed directly to Oakley and to Smith. The outgoing letters from Cozens are to Smith while she was travelling in England in 1907. The majority of the incoming letters to Cozens are from her family members, mainly in the Philadelphia area; there are also a few letters from Elliott's husband, Huger, from Oakley's friend, Edith Emerson, and from Oakley's mother, Cornelia. The letters from Oakley to Cozens cover the period from 1901 to 1936, and some of them are also addressed to Smith. There are a few letters addressed directly to Smith. The letters from Smith to Cozens are from 1904 to 1933, and some are also addressed to Elliott and Oakley. The incoming letters to Smith mainly concern her work; some of them were sent after her death and were presumably answered by Cozens. “Series II: Art and Photographs” is arranged alphabetically by artist and includes printed versions of art, as well as original art. The printed version of the bookplate that Elliott made for Cozens is in the collection, as well as the block from which it was printed. This is the same for Huger Elliott's two bookplates for Frank Adair Monroe, Jr. There are printed versions of Christmas cards that Elliott, Huger Elliott, Oakley, and Smith each made; printed versions of the Bryn Mawr College calendars on which Elliott and Smith collaborated; and the calendar that Smith made alone in 1905. There are also original drawings by Elliott, Huger Elliott, and Oakley. “Series III: Photographs” is organized into “People,” “Places,” and “Other” and includes photographs of Cozens, Elliott, and Smith, and of Cogshill, the house where Smith and Cozens lived. “Series IV: Other Papers” is arranged alphabetically by person. There are financial materials and calling cards belonging to Cozens and Smith; blueprints, deeds, and surveys regarding Cogshill; and two eviction notices regarding the Red Rose Inn. There are some humorous poems written by Elliott and by Smith, an article by Smith about painting children, a diary that she kept during her trip to England in 1907, and a poem that Christopher Morley wrote for her. There are also some clippings and invitations regarding Oakley's work, including reproductions of six of the murals she made for the Pennsylvania State Capitol building. “Series V” consists of oversized materials, primarily pen-and-ink drawings, pencil drawings, and watercolors by Elizabeth Shippen Green Elliott.

Elizabeth Shippen Green Elliott, Violet Oakley, and Jessie Willcox Smith, known as the Red Rose Girls after their workspace at the Red Rose Inn in Villanova, were artists and friends. All three women lived with their friend, the horticulturalist Henrietta Cozens. Through correspondence, photographs, and memorabilia, this collection evidences the deep friendship between the four. It also highlights the artistic abilities of Elliott, Oakley, and Smith. It would be of use to anyone interested in the Red Rose Girls, Henrietta Cozens, and romantic realism.