Introductions & Archives
Welcome to Ruthmere’s new blog, the House of History! This idea was borne out of an abundance of interesting information at the hands of Ruthmere staff that seemed to have no outlet - before now. Between an arts reference library teeming with underappreciated texts, archives interwoven with the fascinating story of the Beardsleys and early Elkhart, and a world-class collection of historic objects and fine art, we have such a wealth of knowledge on our hands that it seems almost selfish to keep it all to ourselves. This blog will be about that and everything else Ruthmere - behind-the-scenes insights, events, people, and news.
We plan to release a new article at least once a month; a handful of Ruthmere staff members are contributing to the authorship of the blog thus far, but we hope to extend an invitation to others as time goes on. Are you a Ruthmere volunteer or board member with something to talk about? Let us know - we’d be thrilled to share this opportunity with you. Even if you want to write but don’t know where to start, we have a number of prompts that could help point you in the right direction. (Consider this a nice opportunity to share what you love about Ruthmere without the pressure of standing in front of a crowd at a Gallery Talk!)
Ruthmere’s Outreach Curator, at your service!
My name is Andrea (everyone on staff calls me Dree), and I will be overseeing the editing and publication of House of History, as well as authoring the occasional post myself.
With all that said, we’re very excited to share this new experience with the community. Let’s leave 2020 far behind in its bleak dust and look forward!
Introductions aside, I would like to take this opportunity to kick off the blog by sharing some of my recent research endeavors. At the start of a new year, I like to formulate a social media plan that guides what I post on Facebook and Instagram throughout the year. This year, I decided on “Archives & Architecture,” meaning I’m putting the spotlight on unseen documents, photos, or objects from our Archives, alternating with interesting details from the architecture of Ruthmere and the Havilah Beardsley House. I’m not ashamed to admit that it might just be a thinly veiled excuse for me to spend hours exploring our archives, looking for hidden gems. I’ve already found so many cool things!
In our archives are an abundance of letters to and from Andrew Hubble Beardsley, or Hub. Hub, as some of you may know, was Albert and Elizabeth’s nephew (the son of Albert’s brother, Solomon), and once upon a time, he lived next door to Ruthmere in an equally stunning abode. That house was sadly torn down in the 1960s to make way for the First Presbyterian Church and its parking lot (the fate of many long-lost Elkhart houses from the Victorian/Edwardian eras). Hub and Albert were not only nephew and uncle, but also friends and business partners. We have several letters between Hub and Albert from the 1910s and 20s, many of which are about business (Miles Laboratories) and family affairs.
I found one letter from 1913 about a thief stealing from both Hub’s garage and Albert’s, which caught my eye:
March 22, 1913 letter from Andrew Hubble Beardsley to Albert Beardsley
And another that talks about Elizabeth taking a 50-mile car ride with the Olivers of South Bend (owners of Copshaholm/the Oliver Mansion):
March 4, 1921 letter from Albert Beardsley to Andrew Hubble Beardsley
A few discoveries left me a little melancholy. After Elizabeth died in March of 1924, Albert’s mental and physical state seemed to decline quickly. In this letter to David Beardsley (Hub’s brother), Hub describes Albert’s dwindling spirits. Beatrice, Albert’s niece, had since moved into Ruthmere and took over running the house in Elizabeth’s place.
April 2, 1924 letter from Andrew Hubble Beardsley to Dr. David Beardsley
Sadly, Albert passed only a few months later.
Still, it is quite interesting to witness this all unfold in the form of letters. It really makes you wonder how much of our history is still going to be preserved now that everything is digital. What do you think - will the digital age be better or worse for preserving history?
-Dree Barbour, Outreach Curator
Questions? Want to get involved with the blog? Email me at abarbour@ruthmere.org.
