Lyman family papers

1818–2000

The Lyman family papers (MS017) reflect the personal, social, and professional life and work, of the Lyman family of Boston and Waltham, Massachusetts. Most of the collection is comprised of personal and business correspondence; bills and receipts; genealogical material; estate inventories; and trust fund papers. The collection is arranged in three series. Background: In 1951, Historic New England received the Lyman Estate in Waltham, Massachusetts, as a gift from the children of Arthur and Susan Cabot Lyman. A later gift, in 1988, from Martha Miller, formed the bases of the collection: Lyman family papers (now MS017). Update: 2013-2014 In 2013-2014, through a National Historical Publications and Records Commission grant (Award Number: NAR13-RH-50051-13: "Family Manuscript Collections: Expanding Online Access to New England Heritage Project"), twenty-six Historic New England manuscript collections of family papers were re-evaluated and processed/reprocessed to meet current archival standards and "best practices;" corresponding finding aids were created/updated to be DACS-compliant and converted into electronic Microsoft Word document form; and the finding aids were made accessible/searchable online through the use of the Minisis M2A archival database of the Minisis Collections Management System. The Lyman family papers (MS017) were part of the grant project. Prior to the 2013-2014 collection processing, the Lyman family papers (MS017) comprised two file boxes (approx. 0.83 linear ft.), which contained correspondence and related envelopes; an account log; bills, receipts, and other financial records; genealogical material; trust fund material; material related to the Lyman family estate, the Vale; and other Lyman family papers. During processing, the collection was arranged according to record type; most of the original folder titles were maintained (appropriate headings and folder titles were supplied, as applicable); related folders were combined or rearranged, as applicable; and brief research was engaged to create a biographical/ historical sketch and genealogy. Preservation issues were identified and basic preservation methods were applied, as applicable; papers throughout the collection were removed from envelopes (if applicable), unfolded, flattened, and related pages were noted with corresponding information in brackets ([x-1/3], [x-2/3], [x-3/3]; and oversize material was rehoused appropriately (or materials were interleafed within file boxes), as applicable. The collection was rehoused (in acid-free folders and boxes), numbered, labeled, barcoded, and stored accordingly; subsequent accessions were tracked and noted with their corresponding items; and related collections held by Historic New England and other repositories were researched and noted. A DACS-compliant, electronic 2010-2013 Microsoft Word document finding aid was created (with corresponding paper finding aid) and entered into the collection record in the Minisis M2A online database. NOTE: Processing/updating the collection and making the finding aid accessible online were made possible through grants from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (Award Number: NAR13-RH-50051-13), the Bedford Family Foundation, and an anonymous donor.