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[X400L-F] Madeleine Edison and John Eyre Sloane Correspondence (1919)

David E. E. Sloane Collection

Title: [X400L-F] Madeleine Edison and John Eyre Sloane Correspondence (1919)
Description: [The images for this folder are not currently available.]

These letters are primarily from Madeleine Edison Sloane to her husband, John Eyre Sloane. There is also one letter to Madeleine from her mother, Mina Miller Edison. Most of the letters were written during February and March, when Madeleine was vacationing at Fort Myers with her parents and sons Thomas Edison (Teddy) Sloane and John Edison (Jack) Sloane. Some of the letters discuss family finances, including Madeleine's concern that her father might be taking back part of her trust fund. There is also discussion of John's efforts to find employment in anticipation of being discharged from the army and Madeleine's frustration that her husband was away in Muncie, Indiana, and unable to join his family. Also included are numerous references to the influenza epidemic (known as "Spanish Flu" or "the grippe"), which began in the fall of 1918 and ultimately took the lives of 675,000 Americans, including the mother of Mina's close friend Lucy Bogue. The letters contain comments about the health of Madeleine's husband John, who became ill after returning to Washington in late February, along with remarks about the health of her brother Charles and her aunt Mary, who both came down with flu-like symptoms. One letter mentions the mental condition of Mina Edison, who continued to suffer from depression. A letter from March 9 discusses Thomas Edison's attitude toward the League of Nations and his belief that every advancement in civilization had been accompanied by some curtailment of individual rights.
Identifier: X400L-F
uri: https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/folder/X400L-F
Alternative Title: Madeleine Edison and John Eyre Sloane Correspondence (1919)
Is Part Of: David E. E. Sloane Collection
Rights: David E. E. Sloane Collection, New Haven, Conn.

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