Lectures, Seminars, and Forums

Description

These papers document the Littles' involvement in the field of American decorative arts and material culture as lecturers, seminar faculty and sponsors, and museum board members. Much of the series relate to Nina Fletcher Little's work as a lecturer from the 1930s through the 1970s. The lecture files contain notes, outlines, slide lists, programs from the events at which she spoke, clippings, and photos. Nina Fletcher Little's daughter, Selina Fletcher Little, notes that her mother generally lectured from outlines and rarely wrote out her talks.

The other cluster of files relates to seminars and forums in which both Bertram K. Little and Nina Fletcher Little participated as faculty, guest speakers, or organizers. These include the Cooperstown Seminars on American Culture held by the New York State Historical Association (NYSHA), the Williamsburg Antiques Forums, and several others. The seminar files contain event programs and schedules, outlines of presentations, lists of seminar participants, and some clippings and other publicity materials.

Researchers should note that two additional files related to the New York State Historical Association at Cooperstown, but which do not concern seminars, are included in this series. The concern Nina Fletcher Little's role as a board member at the NYSHA's Farmers' Museum and her involvement in restoring two of the Farmers' Museum buildings: the Bump Tavern and the Lippitt Homestead. These files were arranged with the Lectures, Seminars, and Forums series when the collection was donated to Historic New England by Selina Fletcher Little. It is uncertain whether their placement in this series represents Selina Little's arrangement or that of her parents.

These papers were found in a single carton, in folders created by Selina Fletcher Little. The order of the folders and the papers within them has been preserved.