Scope and arrangement
The papers, 1861-1951, document the wealthy and prominent Montague and Collier families who were connected through marriage. The papers principally reflect the professional and social lives of Gilbert H. Montague, Amy Angell Collier Montague, Peter Collier and Caroline Frances Angell Collier.
Dominant in the collection is correspondence between family members, particularly the letters of Gilbert H. Montague to his wife Amy. These letters 1902-1940, cover their courtship period and marriage. Other papers include notes, laboratory notebooks of the agricultural chemist Peter Collier, cookbooks and assorted financial documents and photographs. The photographs are circa 1890s with a few from the early 1940s. Many of the pictures serve as excellent examples of dress worn during the 1890s, especially clothing worn by upper-income women. Also included are photographs of a procession of the Barnum circus on horseback; nude and seminude women; exteriors and interiors of houses, American soldiers in the Philippines during the 1900s; as well as snapshots of a European tour, including a visit to the Mediterranean sea area.
Arrangement
Four series: Gilbert Holland Montague; Amy Angell Collier Montague; Peter Collier; Caroline Frances Angell Collier