BROOKLYN COLLEGE LIBRARY ARCHIVES & SPECIAL COLLECTIONS 2900 BEDFORD AVENUE BROOKLYN NEW YORK 11210 718.951.5346 http://library.brooklyn.cuny.edu THE ANNIE SMITH PECK COLLECTION Accession #89-002 Dates Bulk dates: 1873-1935 Extent 16.5 cubic feet; 238 linear feet Creator Annie Smith Peck (1850-1935) Access / Use The Collection is open for research. Copyright is retained by Brooklyn College. Files can be accessed at the Brooklyn College Library Archives & Special Collection, 2900 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, New York, Main floor (Room 130). 1 Languages English, German, Greek and Latin Finding aid Guide presently available in-house and on-line. Acquisition/Appraisal This collection was donated to Brooklyn College Archives by the late Prof. Shaista Rahman, Professor Emeritus of English, Brooklyn College. In 2016, additional correspondence was donated by Hannah Kimberley. Description Control: Guide adheres to that prescribed by Describing Archives: A Content Standard. Preferred Citation Item, folder title, box number, The Annie Smith Peck Collection, Brooklyn College Archives & Special Collections, Brooklyn College Library Subject Heading Peck, Annie S., 1850-1935. South America -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1961. South America -- Description and travel. Mountaineering. Peru -- Description and travel. Bolivia -- Description and travel. Huascaran Mountain (Peru). Related Materials New York Times newspaper 1908-1934 2 Biographical Note Annie Smith Peck (1850-1935), scholar and mountaineer, was born in Providence, R. I., October 19, 1850, the youngest of five children of George Batchelder Peck and Ann Power Smith Peck. Mr. Peck (father) was a graduate of Brown University and a member of the Providence City Council with a successful law practice. He also owned a wood and coal yard. Annie’s schooling began at Dr. Stockbridge's School for Young Ladies. She then attended Providence High School and the Rhode Island Normal School graduating in 1868. After teaching for a while, she moved to Saginaw, Michigan, to become a principal (1872-1874). But, she wished to continue her education and enrolled (in 1874) at the University of Michigan, which had just started to allow women to attend. She graduated in 1878 majoring in Greek and classical languages and went on to receive a master's degree in 1881. Ms. Peck accepted a position as professor of Latin and elocution at Purdue, one of the first women to have such a job. Ms. Peck left for Greece and became the first woman student at the American School of Classical Studies there (1885-1886). Upon her return, she accepted a teaching position at Smith College which she kept until 1892, when Ms. Peck realized that she could support herself with her public lectures on Greek and Latin archeology. At the age of forty-four, Annie Peck took up mountain climbing. She was the third woman to scale the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps. She climbed mountain peaks throughout the world and ascended the north peak of Peru's (22,205-foot) Mount Huascaran in 1908 at the age of fifty-eight. Ms. Peck climbed the highest summit in the Americas, but was still ridiculed by many male mountaineers. She was also hampered by limited funding and poorly constructed equipment (because they were designed for men). For her ascent of Mount Huascaran, she designed and made her own mountain shoes. In 1909, Ms. Peck climbed Peru's Mount Coropuna (21,083 feet) and, as an early feminist, planted a "votes for women" pennant on its summit. She continued traveling and mountain-climbing until the end of her life; her last ascent was of New Hampshire's Mount Madison (5,636 feet) at the age of eighty-two. Annie Smith Peck, a woman of many “firsts,” died in New York on July 18, 1935. 3 Chronology 1850 Born in Providence to George B. and Ann Power Smith Oct. 19, 1850 1856-1868 Attended Providence, R.I., Public School system through high school 1872-1874 Preceptress (teacher) in Saginaw, Michigan, high school 1878 Received her B.A. from University of Michigan 1878-1879 Taught mathematics in Bartholomew’s School for Girls, Cincinnati, Ohio 1879-1880 Preceptress in Montclair, NJ, high school 1881 Received M.A. from University of Michigan 1882 Professor of Latin at Purdue University 1892 Professor of Latin at Smith College 1884-1885 Studied German & Music in Germany 1885-1886 First woman to study at the American School of Classical Studies in Greece 1887-1889 Gave parlor lectures in Greek and Roman archeology 1890 Public lecturer on Greek archeology, mountain climbing and South America 1895 Climbed the Matterhorn in Switzerland 1897 Climbed Popocatepetl and Orizaba 1900 Climbed Funffinferspitze in Tyrol and other Alpine summits 1900 Official delegate of U.S. to the International Congress of Alpinism in Paris 1904 Climbed Mt. Sorota (Bolivia) 20,500 ft.; partial ascent of Mt. Huascaran in Peru 1906 Exploration in Peru at source of Amazon (18,000 ft. on highest peak of Raura Range); partial ascent of Mt. Huascaran, Peru, without guides 1908 Reached summit of north peak, Mt Huascaran, Peru, with guides Sept 2, 1908 1911 First ascent of two peaks of Mt Coropuna, Peru, July 10, 1911 1911 Wrote A Search for the Apex of America 1914 Wrote The South American Tour, reprinted in 1924. 1915-1916 Lectured in South America on U.S. industries & educational institutions 1922 Visited Brazil Centennial Exposition 4 1922 Wrote Commercial and Industrial South America, reprinted in 1927 1925 Delegate to Pan American Conference of Women (re: Pan American Scientific Congress in Lima). Peck was only woman delegate to read paper in Spanish. 1929-1930 Tenth visit to South America. Arrived by plane. 1930 Presented with gold medal (Peru); silver slipper (stirrup) by Geographical Society; decorated with Order Al Merito (Chile) for her 80th birthday, Nov 1930 1935 Annie Smith Peck died July 18, 1935. Book: Peck, Annie S. A Search for the Apex of America, high mountain climbing in Peru and Bolivia including the conquest of Huascaran. New York: Dodd Mead, 1911. Located in Brooklyn College Library XBC F 3423.P36, 1911. Additional information on the Peck Family can be found in the John Hay Library of Brown University, Providence, RI. Scope and Content Note The Annie Smith Peck Collection is comprised of 16.5 cubic feet and 238 linear feet and has been divided into two sub-groups. The first series or subgroup is comprised of Ms. Peck’s diaries (1862-1931), correspondences (1879-1935), printed materials (articles, typescripts, news clippings, research notes, pamphlets, publications), ephemera (such as scrapbooks, posters, fliers), and photographs. The second group contains photocopied materials and correspondence of the Peck Family. The Peck Family was a well-known family in Rhode Island. These materials of “Peckiana” originally came from the John Hay Library at Brown University in Providence, R.I. Other additional materials have been added. 5 Collection Outline SUB-GROUP I: Peck Correspondence /Printed Works `/Ephemera Series 1: Diaries, 1862-1931 Series 2: Correspondence/Incoming, 1856-1935 Series 3: Correspondence/Outgoing (1866-1835) and Undated Series 4: Printed Works –Articles/Typescripts/News Clippings/Notes Series 5: Pamphlets, Publications, Series 6: Ephemera/ Memorabilia SUB-GROUP II: Research Materials Series 7: Peck Family History/Historical notes/Peckiana notes Series 8: Oversized. 6 Sub-Group/Series Descriptions Sub-Group I: Peck Diaries, Correspondence /Printed Works /Ephemera Series 1: Diaries Dates: 1862-1931. Bulk: 1862-1931 Extent: 1 cubic foot. Arrangement: Chronologically by year The diaries are in book form and are divided by the year with some gaps. For example, there are none between the years 1863-1871 or the years 1909-1920 so that some portions of Ms. Peck’s life are better documented than others. Each diary contains personal insight into Annie Peck’s life with her commentary on events during a certain time period. Most of the diaries deal with her love of travel and some take on the form of a travel log. Series 2: Correspondence, Incoming Dates: 1856-1935 Bulk: 1856-1935 Extent: 9 cubic feet; 3.9 linear feet Arrangement: Chronologically by year and then by month Incoming correspondence are letters received by Ms. Peck throughout her life. These letters cover a wide range of topics from her academic achievements, fund raising for her trips, and her attempts to create greater interest in the United States government for increase trade with South America. Series 3: Correspondence, Outgoing and undated Dates: 1861-1935 Bulk: 1861-1935 Extent: 1.5 cubic feet; 1.8 linear feet Arrangement: By Date The outgoing correspondence consists of some drafts of Peck’s letters, but is ambiguous and does not contain much of her letter writings. In a separate folder are mostly undated letters that Peck received. 7 Series 4: Printed Works. Dates: Miscellaneous Bulk: Miscellaneous Extent: .5 cubic feet; 3 cubic feet Arrangement: Miscellaneous The printed works are divided into three groups; articles and manuscripts, journals and books, as well as miscellaneous pamphlets. The articles and manuscripts are writings by Ms. Peck and contain items on her travels and her interest in women’s rights. The journal articles are either by Ms. Peck or about her. The miscellaneous pamphlets include writings of interest to Ms. Peck and/or others that were printed for organizations in which Ms. Peck was involved. A number of pamphlets deal with women’s rights issues. Series 5: Pamphlets/ Publications Dates: Miscellaneous Bulk: Miscellaneous Extent: 1 cubic foot; 2 linear feet Arrangement: Miscellaneous This series consists mainly of pamphlets/ publications, posters and memorabilia of Annie Peck’s life, especially her professional career as a lecturer and mountain climber. The memorabilia consists of invitations, calling cards, programs, membership cards, biographical information, genealogical data on the Batchelder family and papers from Annie Peck’s school career.