Contextual Documents: Or What Does it All Mean?

Basically, I broke my contextual documents down into three categories: documents about "Rosenglory," documents about the Amelia Norman trial, and documents about Lydia Maria Child herself. I have included here small screen shots of the documents and a short explanation. 




I chose to include images of the front matter of Fact and Fiction, the dedication page and the actual title page for "Rosenglory."

I feel that including images from the original print of the text would give the students an idea of how this story was meant to be read and by whom.

I also found a contemporaneous review from The Christian Inquirer:

This short review would also provide an excellent understanding of the morality of literature in 1846.


















Since my project will focus on the change in public perception, I decided to also include news articles about the Amelia Norman trial and a small engraving of the inspiration for "Rosenglory" herself. (The drawing of Norman is included at the beginning of my last post.

Obviously, I would include the full text to these articles. These six clippings come from various points in the trial and provide an overview of the shift in public opinion. They were originally printed in New York Evangelist, Christian Secretary, 
Liberator, Massachusetts Ploughman and New England Journal of Agriculture, and The Western Law Journal.












The last section of contextual documents concern Mrs. Lydia Maria Child. She was an influence figure in the early Women's and Abolitionist. I included here a portrait and two obituaries from her October 1880 death.

This is a portrait by L. Schamer of Child in 1870, just ten years before her death.
















Below is a portrait of Child from 1820. I could not locate any contemporaneous with the publication of "Rosenglory."

I thought that it would be appropriate to introduce Mrs. Child since she is such a large presence in both the Norman case and the short story, "Rosenglory," itself. I think she looks like a lady who backs down from no one.
























For the same reasons, I also found two obituaries: one rather long one from Friends' Intelligencer and a short one from Harper's Bazaar. I would also include the full text from both pieces but I only feature smaller clips here:

Bibliography

Chr Freeman.  "A Woman's Revenge. " Christian Secretary (1822-1889)  17 Nov. 1843: American Periodicals Series Online, ProQuest. Web.  5 Nov. 2010.

"General Intelligence. " New York Evangelist (1830-1902)  18 Jan. 1844: American Periodicals Series Online, ProQuest. Web.  5 Nov. 2010.

L. Schamer, Lydia Maria Child (1870), courtesy of the Library of Congress [LC-USZ62-5535].

"LYDIA MARIA CHILD. " Harper's Bazaar (1867-1912)  27 Nov. 1880: American Periodicals Series Online, ProQuest. Web.  5 Nov. 2010.

Portland Argus.  "Selected Summary :A Righteous Verdict--Amelia Norman. " Christian Secretary (1822-1889)  2 Feb. 1844: American Periodicals Series Online, ProQuest. Web.  5 Nov. 2010.

S R.  "LYDIA MARIA CHILD. " Friends' Intelligencer (1853-1910)  13 Nov. 1880: American Periodicals Series Online, ProQuest. Web.  5 Nov. 2010.

"A TERRIBLE PICTURE. " Liberator (1831-1865)  17 Nov. 1843: American Periodicals Series Online, ProQuest. Web.  5 Nov. 2010.

"TRIAL FOR STABBING. " Massachusetts Ploughman and New England Journal of Agriculture (1842-1906)  27 Jan. 1844: American Periodicals Series Online, ProQuest. Web.  5 Nov. 2010.