Call Number:

Ms. Coll. 1213

Repository:

University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts

Extent:

1.2 linear feet (3 boxes)

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Enid Frank Goldsmith letters, 1886-1984 (bulk: 1918-1965), Ms. Coll. 1213, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania

Date:

1886-1984 (inclusive) and 1917-1960 (bulk)

Creator:

Goldsmith, Enid Frank

Form:

Family papers, Photographic postcards, Correspondence, and Clippings (information artifacts)

Abstract:

Enid Frank Goldsmith, the sister of Waldo Frank (1889-1967), was born on March 30, 1888, and died on December 7, 1983. The letters in this collection span several generations and mainly include correspondence between various members of the Frank and Goldsmith families between 1886 and 1984. The majority of the letters are either written to or by Enid Goldsmith between 1917 and 1960. Other prominent writers include Waldo Frank, Julius J. Frank, and Morton Goldsmith.

Enid Frank Goldsmith was born on March 30, 1888, and died on December 7, 1983. She married Morton "Jimmie" Goldsmith on November 29, 1916, and had two sons: John Frank and Frank Morton. Enid's marriage to Morton cemented the ongoing relationship between the Frank and Goldsmith families, which is documented in this collection.

Julius Joseph Frank, Esq., and Helene Rosenberg Frank were the parents of four children: Enid (Goldsmith), Joseph, Edna and Waldo. Julius Frank was a prominent attorney in New York City. The youngest Frank child, Waldo, was a well-known literary figure throughout much of the twentieth century, and was also known for his political activism and work in Latin American nations, hailed much more widely in Spanish-speaking literary circles than in his own English-speaking world.

Jacob and Fannie Koch Goldsmith were the parents of Morton Goldsmith, Enid's husband. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, they moved to New York around 1907. According to marriage records, Jacob Goldsmith was first married to Louisa Koch in 1863, having two children, Nettie and Louis, before marrying Fannie Koch on February 1, 1870. It is not clear if Louisa and Fannie were related. Morton was the youngest child of Jacob and Fannie, born in 1882.

The Enid Frank Goldsmith letters span several generations and mainly include correspondence between various members of the Frank and Goldsmith families between 1886 and 1984. The majority of the letters are either written to or by Enid Goldsmith between 1917 and 1960. Waldo Frank, Enid's brother, is also represented in this collection by the typewritten letters he sent to her over the course of his literary career detailing his travels, personal life, and various literary successes and failures. Other materials include telegrams sent by members of the Goldsmith family, photo postcards, obituaries, and newspaper clippings.

The first series includes letters written exclusively by Waldo Frank to his sister Enid Frank Goldsmith, his brother-in-law Morton Goldsmith, his mother Helene Rosenberg Frank, and various other family members. These letters include warm personal remarks including updates on his latest travels, literary projects, and romantic relationships. Although it seems Waldo and Enid were not often physically together, their long-standing correspondence reveals the intimacy of their relationship as brother and sister. It is also shown, through Waldo's last letter to Morton, how his papers came to be held by the University of Pennsylvania.

The second series includes letters written exclusively by Enid Frank Goldsmith to her husband, Morton "Jimmie" Goldsmith, and her parents between 1907 and 1943. The bulk of the letters are written to Morton, detailing the progression of their relationship from courtship into their middle aged years. They reveal a fond connection and love for each other that is echoed in many other letters sent from family members to the Morton Goldsmiths well into the 1960s. The letters are mainly comprised of family updates and longing to be together during various periods of time when the couple were obligated to be physically separated due to childbirth, illness, business, and travel. Enid's letters to her parents as a young girl detail her adventures in Italy in 1907.

The third series, arranged in chronological order, includes letters written by various members of the Frank and Goldsmith extended families between 1886 and 1984. Many of the letters were written to Morton and Enid Goldsmith in thanks for their hospitality to family and friends. Letters written by Enid's sister-in-law Nettie Goldsmith Naumburg to her husband Aaron Naumburg in 1886 to 1887, give a delightful view into the life of the oldest sibling of their generation. A lovely letter from Enid's uncle Al, written to her before her birth, shows the love and positive expectation of her family into which she was to be born. Researchers also get a glimpse of the relationship between Morton Goldsmith's parents, Jacob and Fannie Goldsmith, through letters they wrote to each other. Letters written by Julius Frank, Enid's father, are also represented here, showing his prominent place in society and the extended Frank family life. Frank Goldsmith, son of Morton and Enid Goldsmith, is represented with many letters written to his parents throughout his young adulthood into middle age, sharing his thoughts honestly about coming of age and parenthood.

The fourth series includes telegrams, postcards, obituaries, and clippings relating to the Frank and Goldsmith families between 1918 and 1974. The telegrams were sent between members of the Goldsmith family, primarily in reference to hospital stays due to childbirth and illness. Postcards include photographs of friends and family with short notes written from vacation locations. The obituaries of Waldo Frank and Jacob Goldsmith are included as newspaper clippings. Various magazine and newspaper articles written about Waldo Frank's literary career are also included. A family tree generated by the processor in June 2016 is included here which details the relationships between the Frank and Goldsmith families in the 18th and 19th centuries.