Collection Overview
Carpenter, Frances, 1890-1972
Frances Carpenter Papers
1917-1972
MS 81
4 boxes
(1.5 linear ft.)
English
Sophia Smith Collection
Smith College
Northampton, MA
Children's author, Geographer, Author. The Carpenter Papers include correspondence; writings; original manuscripts of The Story of East Africa and South American Wonder Tales; radio talk transcripts on topics such as children's books and "women of the arts"; and five scrapbooks consisting of photographs, clippings, illustrations, bibliographies, reviews, and book jackets.
Biographical Note
Frances Carpenter was born in Washington, D.C. on April 30, 1890 to Joanna Condict and Frank G. Carpenter. She graduated from Smith College in 1912. Her father was a foreign correspondent and travelled extensively. Frances accompanied him on many of his travels as secretary and photographer. They co-authored several books including
The Foods We Eat (1925), The Clothes We Wear (1926), and The Houses We Live In (1926). She also wrote Ourselves and Our City (1928), The Ways We Travel (1929), Tales of a Basque Grandmother (1930) Our Little Friends of Eskimo Land (1931) Our Neighbors Near and Far, An Elementary Geography (1932), and other books. In 1960 she edited a book of articles her father had written in the 1880s about life in Washington, D.C. entitled Carp's Washington (1960). She married W. Chapin Huntington, commercial attaché at the American Embassy in Paris. She was Vice President of the International Society of Woman Geographers, a Fellow of the Royal Geography Society of London, and President of the Smith College Alumnae Association and on the Smith College Board of Trustees. She died November 2, 1972.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Frances Carpenter Papers include correspondence (primarily with publishers); original manuscripts of
The Story of East Africa and South American Wonder Tales; radio talk transcripts on topics such as children's books and "women of the arts"; and five scrapbooks consisting of photographs, clippings, illustrations, bibliographies, reviews, and book jackets.
The papers are open to research according to the regulations of the Sophia Smith Collection without any additional restrictions.
Copyright ownership of Frances Carpenter's writings is unknown. Works published by Frances Carpenter prior to 1963 are most likely in the public domain. Copyright to unpublished materials and to materials authored by others may be owned by those individuals or their heirs or assigns. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights. Permission to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use" must also be obtained from the Sophia Smith Collection as owners of the physical property.
Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:
Frances Carpenter Papers, Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College, Northampton, Mass.
Frances Carpenter Huntington donated her papers to the Sophia Smith Collection from in 1965 and 1969.
Processed by Rachel Denham, 2009
Carpenter, Frances, 1890-1972
Carpenter, Frank G. (Frank George), 1855-1924
Children's literature--Authorship
Geographers--United States--Biography--Sources
Women geographers--United States--Biography--Sources
Women authors, American--20th century--Biography--Sources
Frank G. Carpenter Papers (father) in the SSC.
Many books on famous women in the SSC were donated by Frances Carpenter Huntington (some are now in Neilson Library).
The Frank and Frances Carpenter photograph collection at the Library of Congress.
The Frances Carpenter Collection of scrapbooks at the Library of Congress
Records of the Society of Woman Geographers are also at the Library of Congres.
Correspondence
1
1
American Book Company 1950-55
1
2
Doubleday & Co. 1935-68
1
3
Follett Publishing Company 1968-69
1
4
McCormick-Mathers of American Book Company 1966-68
1
5
Junior Literary Guild 1930-55
1
6
Knopf, Washington D.C. 1957-58, n.d.
1
7
Red Cross 1934-59
Correspondence about writings
1
8
"African Wonder Tales" 1962-63
1
9
"Arabian Desert" 1930
1
10
"Basque Grandmother" 1928-42, n.d.
1
11
"Chinese Grandmother" 1936-59
1
12
"The Elephant's Bath Tub" 1962
1
13
"Horses and Heroes" 1950-66, n.d.
1
14
"Korean Grandmother" 1946-65, n.d.
1
15
"The Mouse Palace" 1963-64, n.d.
1
16
"Pocahontas and Her World" 1951-66
1
17
"Russian Grandmother" 1923-36, n.d.
1
18
"Seas and Ships" (Doubleday) 1958-60, n.d.
1
19
"South American Wonder Tales" (includes transcript) 1969
1
20
"The Story of East Africa" (includes transcript), n.d.
1
21
"The Story of Korea" 1965-69
1
22
"Swiss Grandmother" 1939-41, n.d.
1
23
"Wonder Tales of Dogs and Cats" 1953-58, n.d.
1
24
Radio and TV Talks: transcripts 1942-48, n.d.
1
25
"Ladies of the Literary": transcript 1965
People from the Sky
2
1
Snapshot and cover 1972, n.d.
2
2
Manuscript 1971
2
3
Gallery proofs n.d.
2
4
Illustrations by Betty Frasern.d.
Oversize materials
3
1
Binder of children's book covers and illustrations, n.d.
3
2
Scrapbook 1917-31
3
3
Scrapbook 1928-40
4
1
Scrapbook 1942-62
4
2
Scrapbook 1962-72