Grant Info
The Jane Tunis Poultney Bigelow diaries are part of a larger collection: the John Bigelow papers. In 2021, Union College’s Schaffer Library received an award from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission of the National Archives to digitize and make available this large collection of correspondence, papers, and other materials. John Bigelow (1817-1911) had a distinguished career as an editor, writer, statesman, and tireless advocate for the public good. Union College’s John Bigelow Collection consists of over 80 linear feet of material, including over 20,000 letters; 17 bound diaries; 1 loose-leaf diary; 18 bound scrapbooks; and 1 linear foot of mixed archival collections consisting of letters, notes, ephemera, and professional working papers.
Seventeen of the collection’s diaries were written by Jane Bigelow, and they represent a significant aspect of the collection as they offer a different perspective into the Bigelow family life. They reflect Jane Bigelow’s activity in New York literary circles, her time in London and Paris, and her interactions with the large circle of Bigelow family, friends, and acquaintances. Transcription of these diaries will make these materials available to a wider audience and provide new opportunities for researchers and students.