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Florence Kelley Letter (Digitized Content)

1 Item Full Collection Description

The digitized content of the Florence Kelley Letter consists of one letter on Hull House letterhead, dated February 11, 1897, from Florence Kelly to Dr. Braun.

Florence Kelley (1859-1932) was a social reformer who campaigned for labor rights. The recipient, Dr. Braun, was most likely Dr. Heinrich Braun (1854-1927), editor of several socialist publications for which Florence Kelley wrote several articles. Hull House, founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr, served as a social and educational hub for immigrants in Chicago.

The digitized content contains one letter written on Hull House letterhead. In the letter, Kelley describes her struggle to write objectively on subjects she feels strongly about. She writes, “…it is not easy to write as an interpreter. The temptation is too strong towards writing as advocate of certain measures of reform.” Kelley writes to Braun that she will make an effort to write her articles “strictly scientific.”

The Illinois History and Lincoln Collections unit at the University of Illinois Library manages the physical items of the Florence Kelley Letter (MS 1065). The collection was completely digitized in 2020. For more information, contact an archivist at ihlc@library.illinois.edu.

Letter from Florence Kelley to Dr. Braun, February 11, 1897 — 1065_001-001.tif