MSS 2/032-01: CORRESPONDENCE, 1899-1957
Series
Scope and Contents
This small collection of Burton Chance's papers, primarily correspondence, touches on many aspects of his professional work and interests as well as his personal life.
Series 1 comprises the bulk of the collection. Chance's correspondence, generally letters received from other ophthalmologists with occasional copies of letters written by Chance (1899-1957), spans his career and contains professional recommendations, patient referrals, and letters on many aspects of ophthalmology and medical history.
Notable items in Series 1 include: Chance's application to the U. S. Army's Medical Reserve Corps; extensive correspondence with Sir D'Arcy Power on the history of ophthalmology, Chance's published writings, Power's trip to Philadelphia in 1930, and his reactions to the onset on World War II; a letter (4 March 1926) from Howard F. Hill concerning sutures in cataract surgery; letters (1942) from W. R. Le Fanu about a biography of Sir D'Arcy Power; a letter from Edward A. Shumway (8 November 1930), criticizing an operation performed by Chance at Wills Eye Hospital; letters (1946) from William Evans Bruner and J. Hamilton Taylor giving information for Chance's biography of G. E. de Schweinitz; correspondence from Casey A. Wood concerning medical history and a Sinhalese medical manuscript; an extensive collection of letters from Fielding H. Garrison concerning medical history, opera, and a speech Chance was to deliver on the history of ophthalmology; and a letter (1917) from Samuel D. Risley concerning his resignation from Wills Eye Hospital. Correspondence with Harvey Cushing (1920) concerning alcoholic injections into the Gasserian ganglion is contained in Series 1.4 along with correspondence received concerning Chance's writing on Sir William Lawrence.
Series 1 also contains two files of subject correspondence. One is a series of letters from Chance to W. Adams Frost and W. T. Belding of Cassell and Company, a publishing firm, concerning a proposed revision of Carter and Frost's "Ophthalmic surgery" (1905). The second folder contains correspondence about Fielding H. Garrison from his wife and daughter, Margaret, as well as Chance's typescript reminiscences of Garrison and correspondence about a proposed biographical project (1935-1936).
The remainder of the Chance Papers consist of several small series with few items. Chance's proposal to the College of Physicians for a new category of membership for recent graduates in medicine, the member associate, is discussed in Series 2. Series 3 contains a few miscellaneous items relating to Chance's ophthalmological practice including notes on three cases (1917) and a list of necessary ophthalmological instruments. Series 4 contains an example of a patient registration card (1905) from Wills Eye Hospital as well as correspondence concerning the formation of an association of ex-residents. Chance's remarks on the occasion on the 20th reunion of the Class of 1893 of the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Medicine are contained in Series 5. Series 6 is a small collection of printed material, primarily newsclippings or journal articles, concerning medical artworks or the history of medicine and prominent medical figures. Series 7 includes some miscellaneous items of historical interest, such as visiting cards from A. J. Abbe and William J. Ketchner and two autograph letters concerning members of the Tillinghast family. One (25 May 1839) from N. E. Rogers describes farm and religious life and abolition in Ohio, while the other (7 January 1844) is a love letter from L. B. to Mary Tillinghast.
Series 1 comprises the bulk of the collection. Chance's correspondence, generally letters received from other ophthalmologists with occasional copies of letters written by Chance (1899-1957), spans his career and contains professional recommendations, patient referrals, and letters on many aspects of ophthalmology and medical history.
Notable items in Series 1 include: Chance's application to the U. S. Army's Medical Reserve Corps; extensive correspondence with Sir D'Arcy Power on the history of ophthalmology, Chance's published writings, Power's trip to Philadelphia in 1930, and his reactions to the onset on World War II; a letter (4 March 1926) from Howard F. Hill concerning sutures in cataract surgery; letters (1942) from W. R. Le Fanu about a biography of Sir D'Arcy Power; a letter from Edward A. Shumway (8 November 1930), criticizing an operation performed by Chance at Wills Eye Hospital; letters (1946) from William Evans Bruner and J. Hamilton Taylor giving information for Chance's biography of G. E. de Schweinitz; correspondence from Casey A. Wood concerning medical history and a Sinhalese medical manuscript; an extensive collection of letters from Fielding H. Garrison concerning medical history, opera, and a speech Chance was to deliver on the history of ophthalmology; and a letter (1917) from Samuel D. Risley concerning his resignation from Wills Eye Hospital. Correspondence with Harvey Cushing (1920) concerning alcoholic injections into the Gasserian ganglion is contained in Series 1.4 along with correspondence received concerning Chance's writing on Sir William Lawrence.
Series 1 also contains two files of subject correspondence. One is a series of letters from Chance to W. Adams Frost and W. T. Belding of Cassell and Company, a publishing firm, concerning a proposed revision of Carter and Frost's "Ophthalmic surgery" (1905). The second folder contains correspondence about Fielding H. Garrison from his wife and daughter, Margaret, as well as Chance's typescript reminiscences of Garrison and correspondence about a proposed biographical project (1935-1936).
The remainder of the Chance Papers consist of several small series with few items. Chance's proposal to the College of Physicians for a new category of membership for recent graduates in medicine, the member associate, is discussed in Series 2. Series 3 contains a few miscellaneous items relating to Chance's ophthalmological practice including notes on three cases (1917) and a list of necessary ophthalmological instruments. Series 4 contains an example of a patient registration card (1905) from Wills Eye Hospital as well as correspondence concerning the formation of an association of ex-residents. Chance's remarks on the occasion on the 20th reunion of the Class of 1893 of the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Medicine are contained in Series 5. Series 6 is a small collection of printed material, primarily newsclippings or journal articles, concerning medical artworks or the history of medicine and prominent medical figures. Series 7 includes some miscellaneous items of historical interest, such as visiting cards from A. J. Abbe and William J. Ketchner and two autograph letters concerning members of the Tillinghast family. One (25 May 1839) from N. E. Rogers describes farm and religious life and abolition in Ohio, while the other (7 January 1844) is a love letter from L. B. to Mary Tillinghast.
Dates
- 1899-1957
Extent
From the Collection: 3 boxes
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Custodial History
Provenance of this collection is generally unknown, although probably all items are gifts of Burton Chance.
The division of correspondence in Series 1 derives from separate cataloguing that was made while these letters were housed in the Autograph Collection of the Library. Each subdivision seems to represent a separate gift of letters to the College of Physicians, so this division has been preserved.
Series 1.4 was donated to the College by Burton Chance circa April 1954.
The correspondence in Series 1.1 and Series 2 through 7 were housed in a box file which was isolated on the 7th floor of the Cage in 1988. This file was in the Historical Collections before 13 June 1957; at that date, some of the correspondence was examined by W. B. McDaniel II.
The letters of Fielding H. Garrison in Series 1.3 were loaned to the Historical Division of the National Library of Medicine for microfilming in 1959. The ALS from Alfred Stengel in Series 1.3 was donated to the College on 29 May 1919, but, clearly, other items in this subseries were added at a later date.
The collection was fully processed in 1989.
The division of correspondence in Series 1 derives from separate cataloguing that was made while these letters were housed in the Autograph Collection of the Library. Each subdivision seems to represent a separate gift of letters to the College of Physicians, so this division has been preserved.
Series 1.4 was donated to the College by Burton Chance circa April 1954.
The correspondence in Series 1.1 and Series 2 through 7 were housed in a box file which was isolated on the 7th floor of the Cage in 1988. This file was in the Historical Collections before 13 June 1957; at that date, some of the correspondence was examined by W. B. McDaniel II.
The letters of Fielding H. Garrison in Series 1.3 were loaned to the Historical Division of the National Library of Medicine for microfilming in 1959. The ALS from Alfred Stengel in Series 1.3 was donated to the College on 29 May 1919, but, clearly, other items in this subseries were added at a later date.
The collection was fully processed in 1989.
Creator
- From the Collection: Chance, Burton (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia Repository
Contact:
19 S. 22nd Street
Philadelphia PA 19103 United States
215-399-2001
library@collegeofphysicians.org
19 S. 22nd Street
Philadelphia PA 19103 United States
215-399-2001
library@collegeofphysicians.org
