Gaines Collection of Americana

Collection

Identifier: 1977-0002

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The collection contains individual manuscript items collected by Mr. Gaines dating from 1786 through 1842. This portion of the collection includes correspondence, petitions, legal documents, receipts, reports concerning such issues as the slave trade, Quakers, taxes, state of the Treasury, etc. The documents were issued by the federal government (Congress) and the States (or Commonwealths of) of Vermont, Maryland, Virginia, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New York, and Georgia. Other materials in the collection include manuscripts of his historical and bibliographical publications, correspondence with fellow collectors and librarians concerning his collecting activities and inventories and notes on items in his collections. The book and pamphlet collections have been removed and catalogued individually.

Gaines's accession materials (3 notebooks) for the collection have been separated and are accessible upon request.

Dates

undated, 1786-1981

Access

The collection is open and available for research.

Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish from these Papers must be obtained in writing from the owner(s) of the copyright.

Biography

Pierce Welch Gaines was born 13 August 1905, in New Haven, Connecticut, the son of John Marshall (an efficiency expert) and Cornelia (Welch) Gaines. He attended Yale University (A.B., 1927) and Harvard University (LL.B., 1931). Gaines actively collected in the area of political Americana for the period 1789-1810. A member of the American Antiquarian Society, Bibliographical Society of University of Virginia, Connecticut Historical Society, New York Historical Society, and Acorn Club (Connecticut), Gaines resided in Fairfield, Connecticut.

An attorney by profession, Gaines worked for Allan R. Campbell (law firm, New York, N.Y., 1932-1935), U.S. Reconstruction Finance Corporation (New York, N.Y., 1935-1936), Cutis & Stoddard (law firm, Bridgeport, Connecticut, partner, 1936-1940), Davis Polk Wardwell Sunderland & Kiendl (New York, N.Y., attorney, 1940-1942, 1945-1946), American Telephone and Telegraph Co., (New York, N.Y., 1947-1968), U.S. Department of the Navy, Bureau of Aeronautics (Washington, D.C., assistant counsel, later counsel, 1942-1945). Mr. Gaines also served as a Trustee for the Yale Library Associates (1962-1977), Fairfield Country Day School (trustee, 1952-1963, secretary of the board, 1953-1958), Fairfield Community Chest(director, 1961-1962), and Fairfield Historical Society (vice president, 1971-1977). Mr. Gaines died in 1977.

Extent

6.5 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Contains individual manuscript items collected by Gaines dating from 1786-1842, including correspondence, petitions, legal documents, receipts, and reports concerning such issues as slave trade, Quakers, taxes, state of the Treasury, etc. Other materials in the collection include research notes and correspondence with fellow collectors and librarians relating to Gaines's collecting activities and historical and bibliographical publications; and inventories and notes on items in his collections.

Arrangement

Correspondence has been arranged alphabetically by signatory and documents chronologically. The remainder of the collection has been sorted into six topical series. Pamphlet and book collections have been cataloged separately and are accessible via the Library's online catalogue.

Series I: Americana Collection (undated, 1786-1842)

Series II: Subject Files (undated, 1949-1968)

Series III: Correspondence (undated,1956-1981)

Series IV: Writings (undated, 1792-1977)

Series V: Materials removed from Book and Pamphlet collection (undated)

Series VI: Catalogues, Brochures, and other Publications (undated, 1840-1976)

Acquisition Information

The materials were received through gift and purchase from Mr. Gaines in 1977.

Separated Material

The Books and Pamphlet portions of the collection have been separated from the collection and cataloged.

General note

Published Works:

Missing Title

Political Works of Concealed Authorship During the Administrations of Washington, Adams and Jefferson, 1789-1809, Yale University Library, 1959.
Political Works of Concealed Authorship Relating to the United States, 1789-1810, Shoe String, 1972.
The Journal of William Stebbins (editor), Acorn Club, 1968.
William Cobbett and the United States, 1792-1835: A Bibliography with Notes and Extracts, American Antiquarian Society, 1971.
Proceedings and Yale University Library Gazette (contributor), American Antiquarian Society.