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An addendum to women's breakup letters query



Sorry to post again, but I just got an email from one of your members with
some hints on what to include in my post - and of course, I read it AFTER I
sent my query. :)

It was suggested that I make some mention of how I've gone about finding
breakup letters in the libraries I've been able to visit (most in the NYC
area).

Basically, whenever possible, I've used online finding aids and looked for
collections with keywords such as:

infidelity
first/second/third husband
first/second/third wife
divorce
affair
breakup
suitor(s)
heartbreaker
mistress
lover

If the collection is that of a woman, I've looked in the outgoing
correspondence, particularly if the finding aid mentions that the collection
contains correspondence to that woman's known lovers/husbands.

If the collection is that of a man, I've looked in the incoming
correspondence.

Often times, even though the scope and content descriptions do not get so
specific as to mention "breakup letters", looking in a woman's outgoing
correspondence (or a man's incoming) around the time these affairs ended has
worked.  For example, the Swinburne Hale collection at the NYPL yielded
material from his first wife Beatrice Forbes-Robertson, whom he divorced in
1920; I began looking at Hale's incoming correspondence, starting about 1917
(three years before the divorce) and working up until 1922, and was able to
find some wonderful letters regarding the separation and his infidelity,
letters that were both understanding yet hurt, and alluded to a wonderful
inner strength on her part.

Hope that helps; I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Anna Holmes

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