Raymond & Mildred Pitcairn Papers

Collection

Identifier: Mss.002

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection holds the personal and business papers of Raymond & Mildred Pitcairn. The papers contain information about Raymond's business, art collecting, music, musical instruments, Cairnwood Estate, Cairnwood Farms, Bryn Athyn Stone Company, Bryn Athyn Studios, Bryn Athyn Borough, the Bryn Athyn Cathedral, Pennsylvania and national politics, Prohibition Repeal movement and architecture. The collection ranges from the last decade of the 19th century until Mildred Pitcairn's death in 1979.

Dates

Created: 1885-1979
Other: Majority of material found in 1895-1965

Creator

Pitcairn, Raymond (Person)

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright in the political films may be held by The Republican National Committee, the Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania and The Sentinels of the Republic. Digital Copies of these films have been made due to the deterioration of the original film stock. Copies of these films can be viewed under the supervision of Glencairn Archives but are not available for distribution.

Extent

475.00 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement Note

The collection is arranged in series by subject area. In addition, there are many files of correspondence arranged by year, and alphabetically by entity/topic/person.

Physical Access Requirements

Plate glass negatives are fragile and, in some cases, cracked or broken. They may be handled only by the archives staff.

Technical Access Requirements

Included in this collection are lantern slides, glass plate negatives, 35 mm film slides, audio cassette and reel-to-reel tapes, magnetic video tape and original motion picture film.

Custodial History

The materials in the original collection were in the home(s) of Raymond & Mildred Pitcairn. They were arranged and described, establishing the Raymond & Mildred Pitcairn Archives after the death of Mildred Pitcairn in 1979. In 2009, this Archives was redesignated as the Raymond & Mildred Pitcairn Papers collection in the Glencairn Archives. It's Bryn Athyn Cathedral elements were (intellectually) separated and established as the Bryn Athyn Cathedral Collection, also in the Glencairn Archives. No physical removal was made during this transition (the materials were just re-designated due arrangement and appraisal decisions. March 2010 - records of the Bryn Athyn Stone Company and Bryn Athyn Supply Company were moved from the basement of Bryn Athyn Cathedral and placed in the Raymond & Mildred Pitcairn Papers, as these two companies were owned by the Pitcairn family. The papers were somewhat in disarray and as some business records (most) were in reverse chronological order and some were in regular order, it was decided to arrange the records in proper chronological order for easier searching. Because of the extent of the records and in order to produce a more complete descriptions, it was decided to make the records of the Bryn Athyn Stone/Supply Company a separate record group (RG.09 Bryn Athyn Supply Company).

Source of Acquisition

Glencairn Foundation

Method of Acquisition

Donated by the family of Raymond and Mildred Pitcairn to the Academy of the New Church.

Accruals and Additions

Various accruals have taken place over the years which have not been recorded. 9/17/2009 - Builders drawings of Glen Tonche and photographs of the interior. Donated by Mrs. Garth (Phyllis) Pitcairn, last family owner of Glen Tonche. 7/26/2012 - Raymond Pitcairn's Home Portrait Graflex camera, in a metal case which includes a separately cased lens and direction booklet. Letters in Raymond Pitcairn's correspondence file indicate the he owned the camera prior to 1916. A interview regarding the camera and Raymond Pitcairn's relationship to it was recorded by Ed Gyllenhaal. The camera and accessories noted above are the gift of Alan Pitcairn. 7/29/2012 - Architectural/mechanical drawings and blueprints were separated from the records group of Bryn Athyn Supply Company during its arrangement and description and reunited with other drawings/blueprints of Glencairn. They are as follows: Dwg# 111 Glencairn Boiler Plant Dwg# M-131 Plan of Mechanical Room Equipment (Glencairn) Dwg# M-132 Plan of Mechanical Room - Arrangement of Ducts (Glencairn) Dwg# M-133 Plan of Mechanical Room - Overhead Piping (Glencairn) Dwg# M-134 Plan of Mechanical Room - Electrical (Glencairn) Dwg# M-135 No Title - Sections 1-1, 2-2 (Glencairn) Dwg# M-136 No Title - Sections 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-6 (Glencairn) Dwg # M-137 Isometric Sketch Showing Piping at Hot Water Generators (Glencairn) Dwg# M-138 Temperature Control Board (Glencairn) Dwg# M-139 6th Floor Mechanical Room (Glencairn) Dwg# M-140 Detail of Hot Water Generator and Storage Tank for Laundry (Glencairn) Dwg# X11 Mrs. Pitcairn's Bath 3-13 (Glencairn) 2 copies Dwg# P1333 Incinerator, Can Washer and Ash Hoist (Glencairn Incinerator) Dwg# 2358 Glencairn Garage Dwg# SH-1 Linotile Floors - Main Pantry, Kitchen & Service Pantry Dwg# SH-2 Linotile Floors - Back Hall, Corridor & Future Pantry Dwg# SH-3 Linotile Floors - Toilet Room & Pantry, 2 copies Dwg# 4074 No Title - door fittings Dwg# ---- Dahlstrom Metallic Door Co Sheet 1 Dwg# ---- Dahlstrom Metallic Door Co Sheet 2 Dwg# ---- F.S. Detail Door Bucks Dwg# ---- No Title Leonard B. Hartley Door or Window screen drawings Dwg# ---- No Title Leonard B. Hartley Door or Window screen drawings

4/18/2018 - Clark Pitcairn donated fifteen folders of correspondence (mostly copies) and other documents related to Raymond Pitcairn's personal life. They have been placed in letter file drawers in their appropriate places. Special subjects include vehicles and musical instruments.

Existence and Location of Originals

multi-part note content

Related Materials

Other material related to this collection: John & Gertrude Pitcairn Collection Bryn Athyn Cathdral Collection Theodore Pitcairn Family Collection Bryn Athyn Supply Company Files (.pdf) containing the history of the Pitcairn Clan and family can be found in the collection of Theodore Pitcairn and Family Collection Mss.005.089.

Separated Materials

Bryn Athyn Cathedral Collection Bryn Athyn Supply Company

Processing Information

This collection was originally retrieved from various files, closets and desks throughout the home of Raymond Pitcairn. A study was conducted in 1991 by Sara A. Hodgson. Her recommendation was that immediate action be taken to arrest the deterioration of the materials. It was organized mainly by subject. The initial organization was done by Frank Vagnone as Archive Manager and assistance from Laura Vagnone, Danielle Odhner and Walter Childs II. The material was organized into "series" with the following titles: Photographic Material, Public, Private. Later the system was refined with series being entitled: 1) Buell House, Retreat, area homes, 2) Cathedral, 3) Glencairn, 4) Glen Tonche, 5) Raymond & Mildred - Public, 6) Raymond & Mildred Private, 7) Bryn Athyn/Huntingdon Valley, 8) Letters, 9) Scrapbooks, 10) Newpaper Clippings, 11) Three-dimensional material. The original finding aid was developed by Joyce Bellinger with text and formatting by Eli Echols. It was updated by Elise Simons on 5/22/2003 and again by Gregory Jackson in 2009.