1920 Archive of a Seminary Girl’s Letters Revealing Early Same-Sex Affection and Intellectual Awakening at Northfield Seminary for Girls

On offer is a wonderful archive of nine [9] original 1920 manuscript handwritten letters; eight envelopes as one includes two letters, ranging in length from two pages to 12 pages by Elaine M. Hannay (1904-1991), a 16-year-old student at Gould Hall, Northfield Seminary for Girls, Northfield, Massachusetts. Hannay writes each letter to her mother, Lena McDonald Hannay (1868-1947) in Ballston Spa, New York, between February and May, 1920.

Elaine is a lively letter writer and covers many aspects of life at the school and of particular interest to collectors and historians of women's and gender studies will be her "crush" (which she brings and then denies in the same sentence in her May 2^nd letter) on fellow student Edith Dorothea Witt.

These letters highlight the experiences of young women discovering themselves in an era of close female friendships, but devoid of open dialogue relating to same-sex attraction. Research shows that neither Hannay nor Witt ever married. Both lived with females in their older adulthood, though Hannay declared her living companion a border while Witt (who worked as an obstetrician and surgeon) declared her companion a life partner, and in fact is buried beside her.   [TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ELAINE & DORTHEA, SEE BIO NOTES AT END OF LISTING]

Here are some snippets of Elaine’s newsy letters home:

"They have about 20 pairs of snowshoes in the gym for our use and a party was organized by Miss Lash (my gym teacher) and Kirkie. There were 15 of us and we went all the way to Garnet Rock and back. It was terribly steep and we slipped and slid but had piles of fun. As you know i never was on snowshoes before in my life but I was soon scampering along in the liveliest fashion. ... Well I've made a nut of myself. If you could see me you would you would probably disown me. I was amusing myself before dinner by fussing with my hair and I took the hair from my hair receiver, stuffed it under at the sides and made some regular "cootie garages" with a string of hair drawn straight back to hold them down. Then I pulled the front way down... and put a hair net over the whole thing and went down to dinner--Miss Trowbridge there and everything. The kitchen girls yelled at me, everybody yelled at me, several people complimented, Mary was delighted and on the whole I don't like it” [Feb 15, 1920].

I am going to a Student Volunteer meeting this evening with (Dorothea) Witt (otherwise known as "Sonny")... I got Mary Lincoln to wash my hair and she certainly did a thorough job. It's so dry and fine I can't do a thing with it. Last night I had it crimped and a hair net over it, and you should have seen Witt rave! She hates my hair done up, and she simply clawed at that net. But I like her. She says what she thinks and is a fine sport. She comes from Panama and can't go home until she graduates from here! I'll send you a picture of her sometime when I get it” [Feb 22, 1920].

“I've ordered my railroad ticket for the 7:21 train Friday morning. Hattie has promised to meet me & I just have to let her know the time. Now can you please tell me whether I can get home Friday night or not & how. Talk about corresponding early. I think it's high time. Gosh, me! Vacation begins next Friday! Only four days. Are the roads terrible? Goodness! I'll be glad to be home and sleep. I believe I am tired. ... [Witt is] a dandy girl, and I feel awfully sorry for her. Of course her home is in Panama and she can't go home until she graduates. Of course she works hard in school, not only on lessons but outdoors in outdoor sports. She worked here at the hotel all Christmas vacation, then came back to school again. Now she has agreed to work again all Easter vacation and she's tired out. She agreed to do it before she realized how tired she is and she won't change her mind because one girl accused her of being fickle-minded and she wants to prove she's not. She's absolutely worn out and yet she won't get any rest at vacation and she'll come back and study until June and next Summer she's going to be a farmerette” [March 15, 1920].

“Monday I went tinpanning in the afternoon. It's lots of fun. Did you ever do it? Just take a tin tray, sit down on it and slide down hill frontwards, backwards, or sideways. We slid down chapel hill (this side of Stone Hill) and down the hill back of the gym. That one is awfully steep. ... In the evening we dressed up and went to Stone Hall to hear a singer and Mrs. Daley tell about the presidential campaign. I was dead tired but wanted to go so put on my waist and Mary's skirt, wore my arctics over Mary's oxfords and my holey stockings (my high shoes and only whole stockings were wet), twisted up my hair and jazzed along. Mary didn't go and Cappy and Witt stayed home and turned sommersaults. Mrs. Daley's talk was awfully good” [Mar. 17, 1920].

[Travel plans home have apparently been delayed and Elaine is staying at the hotel in which Witt works.] “Friday afternoon Witt came down almost as soon as we had had dinner. We talked for a while and then went over to Gould [Hall] for my other suitcasefull of things. ... [45 girls are still stranded at the school.] Well, the first thing on deck was to invite some Hermanites [boy students from the neighboring Mt. Herman school] over Saturday night (about 50) for us to entertain. ... Well, it turned out to be just like our young peoples' parties. We played a game with little green bows. Every one had one to begin with and if you could make anyone say "Yes" or "No" you could demand his or her bow. I ended up with eight” [March 21, 1920].

"Mary has come up but has gone for a walk with Ruth so I shall write until Witt finishes her tins and then perhaps go for a walk with her. What do you suppose Mary told me today? That she was jealous of Witt! Now what am I to do? I confess I go around with Witt more than with her but she goes with Ruth (although she says she doesn't like her) and Witt and I are friends and Cappy goes with us too. We would be glad to have Mary go with us but she won't because she doesn't like Witt. ... Was so glad to hear that you thought we might arrange to have Witt [in the summer]. ... And August will be the time to have her because Cappy and her friend at East are going to be here the first part of the summer but not the last and she will be here alone (you know what I mean)” [April 25, 1920].

“I am writing this from Witt's room where I am spending the week-end. ... Mary is staying alone and said she expected to have a lovely time but tonight in the kitchen she fell on my neck and begged me to come back. I guess she'll have to stand it until tomorrow though. I am enjoying myself immensely. Last night we kept quiet until Miss Goulding retired (we went to the bathroom to make sure she was safe) and then we each ate a popcorn ball and talked a while. It was eleven before I went to sleep. ... I admire Witt more every day but don't worry about my getting a "crush" on her. We are chums and a "crush" is noncompatible with that term. But her ideas (and ideals) and determination are wonderful and she's better than a sermon every time. ... How I wish I were like her! ... Mary had Mrs. La Bella to supper Monday night and then went to the lecture with her and Ruth, and I went with Witt. I returned to my own bed and spouse after the lecture” [May 2, 1920].

“If Miss Moody will let me I am going to spend this week-end with Witt, too. She seems to want me and Mary says she doesn't mind" [May 7, 1920].

"I am with Witt again for the week-end and it is nearly lights out Sunday night. ... [Describing a trip to the Reservoir with several other girls] We took sandwiches, -- cheese, apple butter, and honey, -- from Gould, a whole one apiece, also some chocolate cake. The others got some doughnuts from Woodbury's. I ate six slices of bread (three sandwiches) and two crullers and had just enough then. We leaned over and drank out of the reservoir and had our pictures taken and then went up into the woods for arbitus. ... P.S. Can you please order a hair brush from Charles-William's just like mine for Witt? Hughes Ideal. .98, you know. Enclosed find one dollar. As soon as you can” [May 9, 1920].

Taken together, these extremely well-preserved letters (all G+ to VG with very little signs of age aside from toning and some heavy fold lines) shine a light into the world of young women coming-of-age together in an America that was beginning to redefine womanhood, education, and intimacy in the wake of World War I and on the cusp of women’s suffrage. Hannay’s correspondence captures this transitional cultural moment—when girls’ schools functioned as both sanctuaries of discipline and laboratories of emotional discovery. Through her candid observations, humor, and affection for her classmate Dorothea Witt, these letters trace the subtle formation of identity, desire, and self-awareness that prefigured later movements for gender and sexual equality.

BIO NOTES:

Elaine M. Hannay (1904-1991) was born to Lena McDonald (1868-1947) and John V Hannay (likely 1866-1938) in Schenectady, New York. Hannay never married. She worked as a social worker in children’s welfare in New York, eventually becoming a supervisor. She seems to have lived with her mother, Lena, in New York until her death. In the 1950 census, Elaine is indicated as single (never married). She is working as a Supervisor at the Job Welfare Board and living with a colleague, Elizabeth Nicol, who is a social worker at the same workplace. Nicol is indicated as a “lodger” on the census. News records show she was heavily involved in women’s business causes in New York, chairing the Schenectady Business and Professional Women’s Association club.

Dr. Edith Dorothea Witt (1903-1975) was born to parents Stephen and Edith Annie Witt in Costa Rica. Her father was a British missionary, so the family moved around a lot and each of her siblings was born in a different country. During the time Witt and Hannay attended school together, her parents were stationed in Panama, where they lived and worked for 20 years. Witt became a surgeon and obstetrician, serving for 11 years as a medical missionary in the Congo and then joining the staff at Baptist and Sara Mayo hospital in Louisiana. She never married, but lived with a female life partner, Jeanette O’Brien (1899-1991), a Registered Nurse. Witt owned a wholesale coffee company. Witt and O’Brien are buried beside each other in the Garden of Memories cemetery in Metairie, Louisiana.