Converted to EAD3 : Encoded Archival Description (EAD), Version 3 : Release: 1.1.1 : Release Date: 2019-12-16. Validating against latest version of schema.
Contact information: https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/mss.contact
Catalog Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/mm79012930
Collection material in English
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
The Blair Family Papers were given to the Library of Congress between 1903 and 2007 by various donors, including members of the Blair family, William E. Smith, the Breckinridge Long family, Patrick T. Lanigan, the Blair House in Washington, D.C., Jane Blair, and Louise Kirkland Condon. Additional papers were acquired by purchase. Material given by Richard C. Hollyday II was received in 2000.
The Blair family papers were processed in 1963 by Lyman Heine and reprocessed in preparation for microfilming in 1987 by Paul D. Ledvina. Several revisions of the register from 1967 to 2014 by C. Rutherford in 1967, Allan J. Teichroew in 1978, John McDonough in 1982, Margaret McAleer in 1997, Michael Spangler in 2003, and Karen Linn Femia in 2014 reflect the incorporation of additions to the collection.
The Blair Family Papers have been described in
Items have been transferred from the Manuscript Division to other custodial divisions of the Library. Some prints and photographs have been transferred to the Prints and Photographs Division. Most maps and atlases have been transferred to the Geography and Map Division. Some newspapers have been transferred to the Serial and Government Publications Division. All transfers are identified in these divisions as part of the Blair family papers.
Other collections in the Manuscript Division related directly to the Blair family
include the Levi Woodbury family papers,
the Asa Clapp Family
Papers, the Samuel
Phillips Lee Papers in the Naval Historical Foundation Collection, the Breckinridge Long Family
Papers, and the Blair
& Rives Records which relate to the publishing business partnership of
There are also substantial manuscript collections related to the Blair family at the
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of members of the Blair family is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
The papers of the Blair family are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
A microfilm edition of part of these papers is available on forty-nine reels. Consult reference staff in the Manuscript Division concerning availability for purchase or interlibrary loan. To promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to consult the microfilm edition.
Part of the papers of the Blair faily is available on the Library of Congress website at
https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/collmss.ms000112.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container or reel number, Blair Family Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
The Blair Family Papers span the years 1755-1968, with the bulk of material dating from
1829 to 1892. The collection chronicles the activities of a politically prominent family
that included
The Family Correspondence
series comprises letters written by family members to one another. The most
prolific correspondent represented is
The series also contains numerous letters to
The papers of Francis Preston
Blair span the period from 1829 to 1876. His general correspondence begins about the
time he moved from
Francis P. Blair's
speeches and writings file contains rough drafts of exhortations to
presidents, letters to newspaper editors, and political campaign speeches. Miscellaneous papers
document secret meetings between Blair and
The papers of Frank P. Blair
consist of a small body of correspondence
(1853-1874) and a miscellany
file. A few letters relate to his military activities during the Civil War. His
political career is documented in several speeches, fragments of political lists,
clippings, and a legal file concerning his contested congressional election in 1862.
Blair's correspondence forwarded to his brother,
The papers of Montgomery Blair
span the years from 1842 to 1887 and relate chiefly to his professional career
after his return from
Included among Montgomery Blair's correspondence are letters received and rough drafts of
letters written by
The papers of Gist Blair
(1860-1940), lawyer and businessman, span the period from 1830 to 1968. A journal (1887-1888),
general correspondence
(1876-1925), and
financial papers (1889-1917) chiefly concern his law practice and land
speculation prior to his return to
A significant portion of Gist Blair's papers consists of historical research files.
Blair assumed the role of family historian and was instrumental in placing in the
The papers of Woodbury Blair
(1852-1933), lawyer and businessman, span the period from 1866 to 1892 and
chiefly concern the settlement of the estate of Montgomery and
The series designated as Other
Family Papers pertains to individuals related to the Blair family, most of
whom are represented by a small number of items. There is, however, a substantial amount
of general correspondence received by
The Miscellany series
contains genealogical material and files relating to the
Addition I of the Additions series includes
drafts of writings by
Addition II comprises chiefly correspondence received by Francis Preston Blair and Montgomery Blair. Letters to Francis Preston Blair include political discussions at the state and national levels from the 1820s to the 1850s. Letters from Henry Clay concerning national and presidential politics focus on the disputed election of 1824 and Clay’s defense against allegations that he was party to a "corrupt bargain" that resulted in the selection by the House of Representatives of John Quincy Adams as president over Andrew Jackson. Drafts of a few of Blair’s responses are also included. Other significant correspondents with Francis Preston Blair include Thomas Hart Benton (1782-1858), John A. Dix (1798-1879), William H. Haywood (1801-1852), Amos Kendall, John Van Buren, Martin Van Buren (1782-1862), and Silas Wright.
Most of the letters received by Montgomery Blair in Addition II depict national, state,
and party politics as well as military affairs chiefly during the Civil War. Maryland
politics and patronage dominate the correspondence which includes letters from four
governors, officers of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Co., and residents throughout the
state. Topics include requests from unionists for protection against southern
sympathizers and concern over the potential effect of emancipation and compensation.
Also among the correspondence is a file pertaining to
Addition III includes the student notebook, dated 1811 and undated, of Francis Preston Blair, who graduated from Transylvania University in 1811. Also in the addition are appraisals of the Maryland and Washington, D.C., Blair property, correspondence written by Francis Preston Blair, Frank P. Blair, Abram Baldwin Olin, and Minna Blair Richey, and printed matter. A newspaper with an 1868 transcription of a speech by Montgomery Blair is in Oversize.
The collection is arranged in ten series:
Available on microfilm. Shelf no. 19,713
Letters sent and received by family members.
Arranged alphabetically by author and chronologically therein.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Letters sent and received.
Arranged chronologically.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Letters from Martin Van Buren to Francis Preston Blair.
Arranged chronologically.
Also available on microfilm (shelf no. 17,631).
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Printed copies, rough drafts, notes, and memoranda.
Arranged chronologically.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Correspondence, circular letters, deeds, notes, memoranda, bills and receipts, printed matter, and newspaper clippings.
Arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically therein.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Letters sent and received.
Arranged chronologically.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Financial and legal papers, speeches and writings, military papers, political files, printed matter, notes, and memoranda.
Arranged alphabetically by subject or type of material and chronologically therein.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Letters sent and received with miscellaneous attachments and enclosures.
Arranged chronologically.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Account books, checkbooks, and business records.
Grouped by type of material and arranged chronologically therein.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Correspondence, transcripts of letters and interviews, and indexes pertaining to William E. Smith's history of the Francis Preston Blair family and the papers of Andrew Jackson.
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Invitations, programs, legal papers, newspaper clippings, notes, memoranda, memorabilia, school papers, and writings by others.
Organized by type of material.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Letters sent and received with miscellaneous attachments and enclosures.
Arranged chronologically.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Correspondence, notes, memoranda, briefs, opinions, deeds, indentures, depositions, powers of attorney, court dockets, and research material.
Arranged alphabetically by name of client.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Account books, bank books, bills and receipts, checkbooks, and cancelled checks comprising the financial papers of Montgomery Blair and Mary Elizabeth Woodbury Blair.
Arranged by person and by type of material therein.
Bankbooks available on microfilm, Reel 39.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Circular letters, a journal, and newspaper clippings.
Arranged alphabetically by type of material and chronologically therein.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Address and memoranda notebooks, speeches and writings, business cards, certificates, memorials, United States postmaster lists, notes, and memoranda.
Arranged alphabetically by type of material.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Financial papers, chiefly concerning the estates of Montgomery and Mary Elizabeth Woodbury Blair, a legal file, and a school catalog.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Papers of other individuals related to the Blair family, most of whom are represented by a small number of manuscripts. These papers include a diary, correspondence, notebooks, scrapbooks, and financial and legal papers.
Grouped by name of family member and then organized by type of material and chronologically therein.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Correspondence, genealogical material, wills and testaments, obituaries, printed matter, material related to the Blair family estates, and notebook. Printed matter available only on microfilm (shelf no.4,991).
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Correspondence, journals, drafts of writings, account ledger, and scrapbooks.
Arranged alphabetically by name of author or creator.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Correspondence received, writings, financial records, testimony, reports, a certificate, and maps.
Arranged alphabetically by name of person or organization, type of material, or topic and chronologically thereunder.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Arranged alphabetically by type of material or topic and chronologically thereunder.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Plats, surveys, newspapers, maps, and a certificate.
Arranged and described according to the series, containers, and folders from which the items were removed.
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available
Digital content available