Although classical, including Etruscan, collections had been donated to the University of Pennsylvania Museum since the early 1890's it was in 1896 that Dr. William Pepper as President of the Museum’s Board of Managers and Sara Yorke Stevenson as Secretary of the Museum and Mediterranean Section Curator formally authorized excavations in Italy and the acquisition of Etruscan tomb groups, as well as individual objects, for the Museum. Professor Arthur L. Frothingham of Princeton, then Secretary of the American School of Classical Studies in Rome, was commissioned to represent the Museum in Italy. Most of the tomb groups which Frothingham obtained are from Narce and Vulci, although there are objects from many other sites including Cerveteri, Orvieto, and Civita Castellana. Although the actual excavation work was conducted by Italian archaeologists, Francesco Mancinelli-Scotti in particular, Frothingham sent letters, notes, and photographs (made by Lorenzo Cozza) of the Etruscan finds to Stevenson for the Museum's decision on purchases. Thus, much of the correspondence is of a financial nature, and is often between Stevenson and the Museum's managers as well as Frothingham, and a small amount with Mancinelli. Many of the funds for these purchases were provided by the American Exploration Society, which worked closely with the Museum and had been founded by Pepper and Stevenson as a fundraising arm of the institution.
Frothingham was connected with the University of Pennsylvania Museum from 1895 to 1898 and was even named an associate curator in January of 1897. However, his relationship with the Museum deteriorated following a dispute between Frothingham and Italian archaeologists over the ownership of armor from Narce and Stevenson's simultaneous questioning of Frothingham's appropriation of Museum funds following her visit to Italy in the summer of 1897. Much of the correspondence concerns the controversy over Frothingham and is often with Hector de Castro, Consulate-General of the United States, who represented the Museum. Since John Wanamaker had both contributed heavily to the Museum's Etruscan funds and entered into a contract with Frothingham to acquire his own small Etruscan collection, many of the papers concern him. Much of the correspondence was copied or summarized by Stevenson.
Correspondence — Listing of individual letters compiled by Valentina Follo
1893 December 21
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
1895 November 24
(Rome, Via Lazio 26) Frothingham/Stevenson
1895 November 18
(Rome, Via Lazio 26) Frothingham/Stevenson
1895 October 20
(Rome, Via Lazio 26) Frothingham/Stevenson
1895 June 19
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
1895 February 14
Stevenson/Frothingham [Book letter I, pp. 215]
1895 December 3
(Rome, Via Lazio 26) Frothingham/Stevenson
[accounts, Dec 3rd, 1895, abstract by Stevenson: the Field is in the scheme with $1500 and more if needed. Again on the arch of Benevento]
1895 November 29
(Rome, Via Lazio 26) Frothingham/Pepper
(there are two letters with the same date, they are identical apart from a couple of introductory lines)
[accounts, Nov. 29 1895, abstract by Stevenson: proposal for a great Etruscan museum]
1895 December 14
(Rome, American School, Via Lombardia) Frothingham/Stevenson
[accounts, Dec. 14, 1895, abstract by Stevenson]
1895 December 16
[accounts, Dec. 16, 1895, abstract by Stevenson]
1895 December 18
(Rome, American School, Via Lombardia) Frothingham/Stevenson
1895 December 24
Stevenson/Frothingham [Letter Book I, pp. 212]
1896 January 8
(1821 Delancey Place) Biddle/Stevenson
1896 January 22
(?) Frothingham/ Stevenson
[accounts, Jan. 22 1896, abstract by Stevenson]
1896 January 27
(?) Stevenson/ Frothingham [Book letter I, pp. 216-17]
1896 January 30
(Rome, American School, Casino dell’ Aurora, Via Lombardia) Frothingham/Stevenson
[accounts, Jan. 30 1896]
1896 February 8
(Philadelphia museum to Via Lazio 26) Stevenson/Frothingham
1896 February 9
(Rome, American School, Via Lombardia) Frothingham/Stevenson
Response to Jan 28th. [we do not have it]
[accounts, Feb. 9, 1896]
1896 February 12
(Rome, American School, Via Lombardia) Frothingham/Pepper
1896 February 22
(Philadelphia to Rome, Via Loglio 26) Stevenson/Frothingham
1896 February 29
(Philadelphia ? to Rome, Via Lazio 26) Stevenson/Frothingham
Response to the letter of Feb. 9th.
1896 March 2 (?)
(Philadelphia to ?) Pepper(?)
1896 March 3
Cable: Stevenson/Frothingham [letter book I, p. 218]
1896 March 5
Stevenson/Frothingham
1896 March 6
[accounts, abstracts by Stevenson]
1896 March 16
(Philadelphia) Pepper/Frothingham
1896 April 6
Frothingham/Wanamaker (copy of the contract)
1896 April 16
(Rome) Frothingham/Stevenson
[accounts, April 16th, 1896]
1896 April 30
(Roma, Via Lazio 26) Frothingham/Stevenson
(response to Feb 29th)
[accounts, April 30, 1896]
1896 May 25
Stevenson /Frothingham [letter book I, pp.71-74]
1896 May 27
1896 (Rome) Frothingham / Stevenson
[accounts, May 27, 1896]
1896 May 31
(Rome) Frothingham /Stevenson
[accounts, May 31, 1896]
1896 June 11
(Orvieto) Frothingham/Stevenson
Note: One hour later another letter is sent (he is on his way from Orvieto to Bisenzio)
1896 June 14
Platt/Stevenson
1896 June 15
(Philadelphia) Pepper/Frothingham
Note: Reference to the letter of 27 and 31 May
1896 June 20
(Philadelphia) Stevenson/Frothingham
1896 June 22
(Rome?) Frothingham/Stevenson
1896 July 13
Telegram: Frothingham (Rome)/Pepper
1896 July 26
(Rome) Frothingham/Stevenson
1896 July 31
(Rome) Telegram: Frothingham/Pepper
1896 August 1
(Rome) Frothingham/Stevenson
1896 August 3
(Rome) Frothingham/Pepper
(Philadelphia) Wanamaker/Frothingham
1896 August 7
(Philadelphia) Wanamaker/Stevenson
1896 August 10
(Rome) Frothingham/Stevenson
1896 August 20
(Devon, PA to San Francisco, room 33 9th floor Mills building) Stevenson/Pepper telegram on Wanamaker and Frothingham
1896 September 2
Angelo del Nero (Rome, Studio Babuino 99) / Wanamaker
1896 September 24
(Princeton, the Nassau Club) Frothingham/Stevenson
1896 September 25
(Devon) Stevenson/Frothingham
1896 October 3
(the letter is attached to the one of April 6th)
1896 October 5
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
1896 October 8
(Princeton) Frothingham/Mancinelli
Note: In English and Italian
1896 October 9
(Princeton, to the Devon Inn, Devon, PA) Frothingham/Stevenson
1896 October 17
(Philadelphia) Stevenson/Frothingham
1896 October 18
(New York) Frothingham/Pepper
1896 October 29
(Civita Castellana) Mancinelli/Frothingham. In English [on the paper there is a stamp by the American Consulate, letter sent by De Castro]
1896 November 9
Platt/Stevenson
1896 November 11
Frothingham/Stevenson
(Civita Castellana) Mancinelli/Frothingham. In English [on the paper there is a stamp by the American Consulate, letter sent by De Castro]
1896 November 12
(Princeton) Frothingham/Mancinelli
Note: In both Italian and English
1896 November 15
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
He is going to Baltimore (cf. Letter Nov 11th!)
1896 November 20
(Rome) Mancinelli/Frothingham. In English [on the paper there is a stamp by the American Consulate, letter sent by De Castro]
1896 November 24
Wanamaker/Frothingham
1896 November 26
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
1896 November 29
(Brooklyn) Frothingham/Pepper
1896 December 1
Telegram Pepper/Frothingham
And Telegram from Pepper confirming (Dec 11th)
1896 December 8
(Princeton) Frothingham/Pepper
1896 December 11
(Princeton) Telegram: Frothingham/Pepper
1896 December 12
(Princeton) Telegram Frothingham/Pepper
1896 December 16
(?) Frothingham/Stevenson
1896 December 21
(Brooklyn) Frothingham/Stevenson
1896 December 22
(Roma) Mancinelli/Frothingham (all letters are in English, typed and not signed) [on the paper there is a stamp by the American Consulate, letter sent by De Castro]
1896 December 27
Biddle/Stevenson
1896 December 28
(Brooklyn) Frothingham/ Pepper
Telegram: from NY to Pepper.
Without date
Stevenson/Wanamaker
“I enclose a letter received yesterday by F…I think we should send him the $800 dollars”
1897 January 1
Mancinelli/Frothingham
1897 January 11
Telegram: Pepper/Frothingham
1897 January 12
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
Curatorship
1897 January 13
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
1897 January 14
(Princeton) Frothingham/Wanamaker
(Viterbo) Mancinelli/Frothingham (two versions of the same letter)
[N.B. there are two different letters one typed and the other handwritten]
1897 January 15
(Princeton) Frothingham/Mancinelli.
Note: Both Italian and English
1897 January 23
(Boston, Museum of Fine Arts), signature illegible (Edmund Robinson)
1897 January 24
Putnam/Stevenson
1897 January 25
(Philadelphia) Pepper/Frothingham
1897 January 26
(Philadelphia) Stevenson/Frothingham
[from letter book I p. 97]
1897 February 1
(New York) Frothingham/Pepper
1897 February 20
(Ardea, near Genzano) Mancinelli/Frothingham
1897 February 28 (17?)
(Rome) Mancinelli/Frothingham
Note: The date typed is 17, on top a pencil correction to 28.
1897 March 2
(Florence), Guglielmo Isola/Stevenson
[see letter book p.236]
1897 March 3
(Princeton) Telegram: Frothingham/Pepper
1897 March 4
(Princeton) Frothingham/Pepper
1897 March 5
(Princeton) Frothingham/Pepper
1897 March 6
(Philadelphia) ?/Sebasti e Reali
1897 March 8
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
1897 March 11
Stevenson/Frothingham [letter book I p.114]
1897 March 15
MET/Stevenson
(Rome) Mancinelli/Frothingham
1897 March 16
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
Stevenson /Frothingham [letter book I p.117]
(see also March 11th)
1897 March ?
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
1897 March 18
MET/Stevenson
In response to her letter of the 16th
Stevenson/Isola [book letter I, p. 118]
(see his letter of March 31st )
1897 March 20
note by Sebasti and Reali to Pepper (N.B. A separate telegram from Rome exists)
1897 March 22
(Princeton ?) Frothingham/Pepper
1897 March 27
Response
1897 March ?
Culin/Pepper
1897 March 31
(Florence) Isola/Stevenson
1897 April 13
Frothingham/Pepper
Frothingham/Stevenson
1897 April 23
Stevenson/James W. Paul [letter book I, p. 125]
1897 April 28
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
1897 May 12
Frothingham/Stevenson
1897 May 13 (?)
(?, the date is missing) Frothingham/Wanamaker
1897 June 5
(Princeton) Telegram Frothingham/Stevenson
Stevenson/Frothingham [letter book I, p. 145]
Illegible. Something about New York.
1897 June 7
Stevenson/Mr. W. R. Grace and Co. [letter book I, p. 148]
1897 June 10
Stevenson/Mr. W. R. Grace and Co. 1 & 2 Hanover Square New York [letter book I, p. 152]
1897 June 15
(Philadelphia) Pepper/Frothingham
1897 June 28
(New York) Wanamaker/Pepper
(New York) Wanamaker/Frothingham
1897 July 1
(Princeton) Frothingham/Pepper
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
1897 July 2
(Philadelphia) Pepper/Frothingham
1897 July 6
(New York) Frothingham/Stevenson
1897 July 9
Stevenson/Mr. Hipple [letter book p. 175]
1897 July 10
(Via Tornabuoni 4, Florence) same firm
Note: The signature is illegible, but he refers to “our Rome Manager Mr. William, The Selby 49 Piazza di Spagna”
1897 July 12
Piazza di Spagna 49, Rome
Alfred Lemon and Co., Florence, Rome, Leghorn/Mrs. Stevenson
1897 July 22
(?) Stevenson/Frothingham
1897 July 24-27 (the second number is not visible *)
Telegram (in French) Frothingham/Stevenson
*in the 1897 calendar Fridays are: 23 and 30. Since he is probably answering the letter of the 22 (Thursday) and he has not written “I am leaving today or tomorrow”, even if he did receive the letter on the same day it was sent, it is probable that he is writing after the 23 and before the 28th (He sent another telegram on the 28th), either the 24, 25, 26, 27
1897 July 24-27
Stevenson/Frothingham (he is still in Paris)
Telegram: (appears to be the answer to the previous telegram)
Note: See letter by Frothingham Aug 2nd
1897 July 28
Frothingham /Stevenson
Telegram from Paris, she is at the hotel Brown in London.
Note: See letter by Frothingham dated Aug 2
1897 July 30
Frothingham/Stevenson
Telegram from Paris
1897 August 2
(Leipzig, Hotel De Prusse) Frothingham/Stevenson
1897 August 5
(Berlin, hotel Bellevue) Frothingham/Stevenson
Frothingham/Stevenson
Telegram
1897 August 5-10
Stevenson/Frothingham
1897 August 13
(Rome?) Frothingham/Stevenson [the date it is not consistent with her arrival in Rome, only on August 14th, see report read in November to the Board]
(Rome) Frothingham/ Stevenson
1897 August 15
(Rome) Stevenson/Pepper
Frothingham/Stevenson
[see the note on the Laurati hotel card]
(Castel Gandolfo –Villa Torlonia), Conte a de Casa/Stevenson (in Italian)
1897 August 16
(Rome) Frothingham/Stevenson
Stevenson to? [cf. the 3 pages in plastic to whom are they addressed?]
1897 August 17
note unsigned but in Stevenson hand
(Rome) Frothingham/Stevenson
[but on the 16th he was in Fiano! Can this be the 18th?] “I will leave tomorrow” (Where is he going? Fiano? If this is the case the date of this letter is August 15th)
1897 August 17 (?)
(Rome) Frothingham/Stevenson
1897 August 18-22
Frothingham/Stevenson
1897 August
On the trip to Fiano (August 16th) “Mancinelli is going to Ardea tomorrow” (Aug 17th?)
He talks about some of the results of the excavation at Capena-Fiano (very scarce) and complains about Mancinelli (after August 18th, the date Mancinelli was supposed to be back and before the 22nd when Mrs. Stevenson leaves for Paris) “It is good news indeed that you can get such help from the consulate”
In one there is a reference to a vase to be bought for lire 1000.
A letter on terracotta plaques (after the 17th)
On terracotta slabs
A note without date written by Frothingham on the Hotel Laurati card (Via Nazionale)
1897 August 22
(Roma) Mancinelli Scotti
[1897 August 23]
Stevenson transcribing (?) (writing to Pepper about Frothingham, referring de Castro opinion?) "After I left Rome..."
1897 August 25
(Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters)
1897 August 27
Telegram Frothingham/Stevenson
1897 August 30
(Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters)
1897 August-September
[the entire heading is on the letter] (Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters)
1897 Spetember 1
(Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters)
1897 September 2
(Roma) Franco Mancinelli Scotti/De Castro
List of objects given to Frothingham and translation in French
1897 September 7
(Liverpool, North Western Hotel) Frothingham/De Castro
(Rome) Mancinelli/De Castro (in Italian and English)
He is sending Frothingham’s letters.
1897 September 8
(Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters)
(Rome) De Castro/Stevenson
(Rome, Via della Scrofa 47) Giuseppe Ficola/De Castro (Italian and translation)
1897 September 10
(Rome, Via della Scrofa 43) Giuseppe Ficola/De Castro (Italian and translation)
1897 September 11
(Roma) De Castro/Stevenson
He is enclosing two letters (September 8th and 10th) and translations by Ficola (dated Sept. 10th)
(Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters)
(Roma) Corrado Cozza/Ficola (Italian and translation). This letter was enclosed with the one sent by De Castro to Stevenson (16 Sept. 1897)
1897 September 16
(Roma) De Castro/Stevenson
1897 September 18
(Roma) De Castro/Stevenson
1897 September 24
(Roma) De Castro/Stevenson (also attached the original and a translation of Mancinelli’s letter to De Castro, 20 Sept. 1897)
1897 September 30
(Via Veneto 26, Roma) Alfredo Barsanti/Stevenson (in Italian)
1897 October 2
(Philadelphia) Stevenson/Pepper [letter book I, p.11]
1897 October 9
(Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters)
1897 October 16
(Philadelphia) Pepper/Stevenson
1897 October 20
(Philadelphia) Stevenson/Frothingham (copy)
1897 October 24
(Orvieto) R. (?) Mancini/Frothingham
1897 October 25
(Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters)
1897 October 29
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
1897 November
Report read at the meeting of Board (by Mrs. Stevenson)
1897 November 3
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
1897 November 6
(Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters)
(Roma) De Castro/Frothingham
1897 November 8
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
Accounts
1897 November 11
(Bologna) accounts
1897 November 12
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
Stevenson/Frothingham [letter book II, p.31]
1897 November 14
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
(Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters)
(Rome) Mancinelli/De Castro (only translation in English)
1897 November 15
(Princeton) Frothingham/ Stevenson
1897 November 16
(Philadelphia) Stevenson/Pepper [also in letter book II, p.34]
1897 November 19
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
Enclosed is the receipt (30 Sept. 1897)
(Rome) De Castro/Frothingham
(see letter by Mancinelli Nov. 14th)
1897 November 24
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
(?) Stevenson/De Castro [also in letter book II, p.39]
(Princeton) Frothingham/Ficola (there is the original in Italian with the answer, Dec 11th 1897, written by the same hand at the end of the letter, a copy in Italian and an English translation)
1897 November 25
(Princeton) Mrs. Helen Frothingham/Stevenson
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
1897 November 26
Stevenson/Pepper
1897 November 29
(Princeton) Frothingham/Stevenson
1897 December 3
(Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters)
1897 December 6
(Chicago) W. M. R. French, Director of the Art institute of Chicago/Stevenson
(?) Stevenson/Frothingham [also in letter book II p.58]
1897 December 8
(copy) letter Frothingham/Wanamaker
1897 December 13
Stevenson/Messrs Hampton Jr. and Co. [letter book II, p. 75]
1897 December 14
Stevenson/Frothingham [letter book II, p. 77]
1897 December 19
(Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters)
(Roma) De Castro/Stevenson
1897 December 29
(Orvieto) Mancini/De Castro (only English translation)
1897 December 30
(Rome) De Castro/Stevenson
1898 January 5
(Piazza di Spagna 49) P. P. Alfred Lemon & Co./De Castro. The letter refers to the bill for the expedition and was attached to the De Castro letter dated Jan. 8th
1898 January 8
(Rome) De Castro/Pepper
Enclosed: a letter by Mancini (Orvieto, Dec. 29th, 1897) to De Castro (see English translation), and a letter from Lemon.
1898 January 14
(Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters)
1898 January 21 (Extract)
(Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters)
[ * we have the copy of the letter (found in Dec. 1897 by Stevenson, used as wrap paper) is from F. to Pezzantino]
1898 January 22
(Roma) De Castro/Pepper
1898 January 24
(Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters)
1898 January 25
(The Astoria) Hearst/Stevenson
1898 January 26
(Princeton) Frothingham/Pepper
1898 February 4
(Philadelphia) Pepper/De Castro
Response to letter of Dec 22nd
1898 February 8
(Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters)
1898 February 18
(Rome) De Castro/Pepper
1898 March (?)
(copy) Frothingham/Wanamaker. See letter by Frothingham to Sparhawk Dec. 18, 1899
1898 March 1
(Roma) Marchese I. Lavaggi/De Castro (Translation and original in Italian)
Attached two “reports” by Mancinelli, March 11th 1898
1898 March 12
(Rome) Stevenson/De Castro
1898 March 25
(Philadelphia) Stevenson/Pepper
(Philadelphia) Stevenson/Sparhawk [letter book II, p. 102]
1898 March 28
(Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters), on the same page there are brief summaries for the following dates: May 2nd, 1898; April 8th 1898, March 28, 1898)
1898 April 4
(Rome, Via Mercede 42-45) ditta C. Stein
1898 April 8
(Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters)
1898 April 14
(Philadelphia) Sparhawk/Stevenson
1898 April 23
Ficola/De Castro
1898 April 28
(Roma, Consulate General of the U.S.) De Castro/Stevenson
(enclosing Mancinelli’s notes in re excavations, Ficola’s letter attached asking that Museum buy tombs Montebello, Toscanella, Faleria, Ardea e Mazzano)
Letter of Ficola, Roma, 23 April 1898 (in Italian and translation), Scrofa 47 ? (beneath the signature)
1898 April 29
(Philadelphia) Sparhawk/Pepper
1898 May 2 (Extract)
(XVIII) (Stevenson’s transcriptions of De Castro letters) on the same page there are brief summaries for the following dates: May 2nd, 1898; April 8th, 1898, March 28, 1898)
1898 May 2
(Rome) De Castro/Stevenson
1898 May 16
(Philadelphia?) Stevenson/De Castro
1898 June 3
(Rome) De Castro/Stevenson
Response to May 16th, he delivered the message to Ficola
1898 June 8
(Rome) De Castro/Stevenson
1898 June 15
Stevenson/Sparhawk [letter book II, p.173]
1898 July 11
Stevenson/Pepper [letter book II, p.158]
1898 October 8
(Pennsylvania Railroad Company) Penn Museum/Mrs. Phoebe Hearst
1898 October 14
(1400 New Hampshire Avenue Washington D.C.) the sender is Hearst?/Stevenson
1899 January 11
(Via dei Bardi 5, Firenze) letter by Prof. Eugenio Casanova
1899 February 20
(Via dei Bardi 5, Firenze) Casanova/Mrs. Stevenson
(response to her letter of Feb. 3rd).
1899 February 22
(Via Curtatore 3, Florence) Mary H. Smith/Mrs. Stevenson
1899 February 24
(Rome) De Castro/Stevenson
Response to January 28th
1899 March 25
(Harvard) W. M. Lindsay/?
1899 May 11
(Siena via di Montebello 4) Casanova/Stevenson. In French
1899 December 7
(copy) Wanamaker/Frothingham (attached to the letter Frothingham/Sparhawk Dec. 18, 1899)
1899 December 18
(Princeton) Frothingham/Sparhawk. Includes: 1) the account and what Frothingham “owes” to Wanamaker, 2) a memorandum “I enclose copies of two letters which I wrote to Mr. Wanamaker in 1897 and 1898” they remained unanswered until last week, he encloses also a copy of Wanamaker answer, and 3) Copies of the 3 letters: a) Dec 8th 1897 (the letter is in the 1897 folder under the date) and b) March (?) 1898 (which is in the 1898 folder), and c) Wanamaker’s answer to these two letters dated Dec. 7th, 1899
Mrs. Frothingham/Stevenson
1899 December 19
(Philadelphia) Wanamaker/Stevenson
Letter accompanying the jewels
1899 December 22
(Philadelphia) Wanamaker/Stevenson
1900 January 2
Mrs. Frothingham/Miss McHugh
1900 January ?
Mrs. Frothingham/Miss McHugh
1900 May 13
(3704 Locust St.) William N. Bates/Stevenson
1900 May 21
(3704 Locust St.) William N. Bates/Brock
1900 May 24
(Princeton) Frothingham/Mr. Williams
1900 May 29
Williams/Stevenson
1900 June 6
(Cambridge) Bates/Stevenson
1900 June 18
Frothingham/Stevenson
1900 July 26
(Rome) De Castro/Stevenson
1900 August 1
letter in French, no addressee, signed (De Castro?)
1900 August 2
letter in French, no addressee, signed (De Castro)? (the paper is from the American consulate in Rome)
It seems to be addressed to Mr. Culin, but it is illegible
1901 April 1
(1400 New Hampshire Av. Washington D.C.) Hearst/Stevenson
1901 April 20
Hearst/Stevenson
1901 June 21
Emanuel H. Nardi (attorney in Philadelphia, 1011 Chestnut Street)/Stevenson
1903 July 11
(Cambridge) Bates/Miss Mc Hugh
She sent him notes on the acquisition of the Orvieto vase fragments “They certainly point to the honesty of the excavator and the genuineness of the vase”
The records relating to the excavation of Etruscan tomb groups in Italy was originally compiled by Sara Yorke Stevenson, first Curator of the University of Pennsylvania Museum’s Mediterranean Section (1894-1905). These records were later gathered together by Edith Hall Dohan (Assistant Curator, 1911-1915, and Curator, 1930-1943) in order to prepare her 1943 publication, Italic Tomb Groups. It consists of correspondence, notes, financial accounts, and photographs related to the excavation of Etruscan tombs through which the Museum obtained the majority of its Etruscan collections.
Papers relating to other acquisitions of Etruscan material (Coleman Collection, Phoebe Hearst, Platt, etc.) are filed in the records of the Mediterranean Section — Sara Yorke Stevenson. Frothingham was asked to also investigate the purchase of marbles from Lake Nemi, and therefore some of the letters in the Etruscan Tomb Groups collection pertain to these finds.
In the "Excavation Notes" series, most seem to have been written originally by Mancinelli, but some were copied in other hands. Many were obtained by de Castro from Frothingham, then sent to Stevenson. The folder on Musarna concerns a collection of Etruscan sarcophagi and includes newspaper clippings from 1900.
For related collections see Sara Yorke Stevenson’s and Edith Hall Dohan’s curatorial papers in the Mediterranean Section records. See also the artifact photograph collections for studio photography of the Museum pieces, the Minutes of the Board of Managers, and the Mediterranean Section object catalogues.