Scope and arrangement
The Lebzeltern Family Papers contain correspondence to and from Edward Lebzeltern, his wife, his daughter Marie, his son Victor, and Victor's daughter Marie, and a few items of memorabilia. The vast majority of the correspondence consists of letters sent by Edward to his father, 1834-1863. They provide an almost daily journal of his activities while in London, St. Petersburg, Lisbon, and other European cities. The letters from 1835-1849 have been translated from the German by Victor Lebzeltern. They provide abundant details of life at the Austrian embassy, social life among the British and Russian aristocracy, and glimpses of the courts of King William IV, Queen Victoria, and Tsar Nicholas I. The remaining letters in Edward's "journal" hare not been translated.
Letters written by other members of the Lebzeltern family and their friends, 1844-1925, are predominantly in French. These include letters to Edward from his wife Marie, Marie's letters to her daughter the Vicomtesse de Ghancellelros, and the latter's correspondence with her brother Victor and his daughter Marie Lebzeltern Woods.
In addition to the correspondence are an essay written by Victor Lebzeltern on the life of Jacques Casanova, an autograph album belonging to Edward's sister Wilhelmina (Mina), and death notices and eulogies for Alexandrine Lebzeltern, Vicomtesse de Cara, and Marie Lebzeltern, Vicomtesse de Chancelleiros.