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Size | 24.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 13,000 items) |
Abstract | Antonina Hansell Looker was an author, teacher, and psychiatric worker of Atlanta and Lakemont, Rabun County, Ga., and New York City. Antonina worked as an assistant to various psychiatrists in New York in the late 1930s, and, with her second husband, published a novel, Revolt, in 1967. Her first husband was John Elwood Macdonald of Frogmore, with whom she had a son James Ross Macdonald. Correspondence, writings, financial and legal papers, clippings, diaries, genealogical materials, pictures, and other items documenting Antonina's work as a writer, her work in psychology, her personal and family relationships, her financial and legal affairs, her medical history, and her interests in genealogy. Much material relates to the effects of aging on Antonina and other members of her family. Correspondents include author Leo Buscaglia, poet Howard Nemerov, English professor Howard Mumford Jones, and historian C. Vann Woodward. Psychology materials include papers relating to Antonina's work with servicemen in a Red Cross hospital in Hawaii during World War II and with disturbed children in the 1930s and 1940s, including letters documenting her association with Benjamin Spock and items about her use of music therapy. Antonina's interest in dream therapy is shown in her 1934 dream journal and in her collection of the dreams of others. Also included are materials relating to Antonina's exploration of meditation and psychic power. Family history materials include 19th-century family correspondence of the Looker, Austin, Hansell, and related families, including several letters from William Hansell written during his service in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama in the Civil War. Also included are some papers of Antonina's cousin Atlanta lawyer and writer Edward R. Austin and second husband Reginald Earle Looker. |
Creator | Looker, Antonina Hansell, 1898-1987. |
Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. |
Language | English |
Processed by: Marion Presler and Manuscripts Department staff, 1998
Encoded by: Margaret Dickson, April 2006
Updated by: Dawne Howard Lucas, January 2021
Back to TopThe following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
Antonina Jones Hansell was born 23 February 1898 in Atlanta, Ga., the daughter of Andrew Jackson Hansell and Annis Elise Compton Hansell.
Antonina (known variously as Nina, Tony, and Toni) grew up in Atlanta and attended school there. From a very early age, she wanted to be a writer. Throughout her life, she wrote short stories, poems, and novels, but was largely unsuccessful in getting her work published.
After she finished high school, Antonina Hansell began teaching French. During World War I, she taught at Fort MacPherson and at Camp Gordon, both in Georgia. She also taught for three years at Mrs. Lovett's Private School in Atlanta. In 1918, she took a certificate at the Harvard Summer School in Cambridge, Mass.
In 1920, Antonina Hansell married John Elwood (Jack) Macdonald of Frogmore, South Carolina. They had a son James Ross (Ross) Macdonald in 1923. Jack and Antonina were divorced in 1933. After the divorce, Antonina began using her maiden name again.
In the late 1920s, Antonina Hansell began working as a psychiatric aide in private duty and in public institutions in Atlanta, as well as in the northeast. From 1929 to 1931, she worked at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. While there, she attended the Pennsylvania School of Social Work. Returning to Atlanta, she was an assistant to Dr. W. W. Young from 1933 to 1934. She also took a course in psychological testing at Emory University and taught courses at the YMCA.
Around 1935, Antonina Hansell decided to move to New York City, hoping to earn the money she would need to send Ross, who had been living in Georgia with his maternal grandparents, to a boarding school. The issue of Ross's schooling caused much conflict between Jack Macdonald and Antonina.
In New York, Antonina studied with Bernard Gluek, Alfred Adler, and others. However, she never actually received a degree in any discipline from any institution.
For six months in 1935, Antonina was the director of Psychiatric Social Service at Lenox Hill Hospital. In 1940, she worked at the National Hospital for Speech Disorders. Also in 1940, she organized a school called the Children's Group and was its director until 1942. From 1941 to 1942, she was a part time aide at the Walt Whitman School. Apparently during this time, Antonina Hansell did some work with Benjamin Spock.
In 1944, Antonina went to work in a naval hospital in Hawaii as a Red Cross volunteer. There she met Colonel Reginald Earle (Look) Looker. They were married in 1947.
The Lookers decided to settle at Hill House, Antonina's mother's home in Lakemont, Rabun County, Georgia. There, they hoped to support themselves by writing books. Earle Looker was already a published author, having written the non-fiction bestseller The White House Gang, which described the adventures of Theodore Roosevelt's children with whom Looker played as a child.
The Lookers' efforts to collaborate on novels largely failed. They did get one of their novels, called Revolt, published in England in 1967. Because it concerned what might have happened if the South had won the Civil War, no American publisher would take the project on, possibly because of the racial unrest at the time.
Since the Lookers could not support themselves by writing, they were largely supported by Antonina's mother and son.
In 1976, Earle Looker died of lung cancer. Antonina continued to live at Hill House alone until she accidentally drowned on 30 January 1987.
Back to TopCorrespondence, writings, financial and legal papers, clippings, diaries, genealogical materials, pictures, and other items documenting Antonina Hansell Looker's work as a writer, her work in psychology, her personal and family relationships, her financial and legal affairs, her medical history, and her interests in genealogy. Much material relates to the effects of aging on Looker and other members of her family. Correspondents include author Leo Buscaglia, poet Howard Nemerov, English professor Howard Mumford Jones, and historian C. Vann Woodward. Psychology materials include papers relating to Antonina's work with servicemen in a Red Cross hospital in Hawaii during World War II and with disturbed children in the 1930s and 1940s, including letters documenting her association with Benjamin Spock and items about her use of music therapy. Looker's interest in dream therapy is shown in her 1934 dream journal and in her collection of the dreams of others. Also included are materials relating to Looker's exploration of meditation and psychic power. Family history materials include 19th-century family correspondence of the Looker, Austin, Hansell, and related families, including several letters from William Hansell written during his service in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama in the Civil War. Also included are some papers of Looker's cousin Atlanta lawyer and writer Edward R. Austin and second husband Reginald Earle Looker.
Back to TopArrangement: chronological.
Personal correspondence between Antonina Hansell Looker (many of them written as Antonina Hansell), and her family and friends, consisting chiefly of incoming letters, some original outgoing letters, and typed carbon copies of outgoing letters. Also included is family correspondence between other members of Antonina's family. Undated letters are filed at the end of the series. Most of the correspondence from Antonina Looker to her son, James Ross Macdonald, and his family, is located in Subseries 7.2. Note that there is other correspondence of Antonina in Subseries 2.1 and Series 5.
1910-1919 | Letters from family members, friends, soldiers whom Antonina met while teaching French during World War I, students, and lovers. Correspondents include Dick Edmunds, an early boyfriend; John Elwood (Jack) Macdonald, Hansell's fiancee (and future husband); John Stuart Dudley, a boyfriend attending Harvard Law School; Ethel Tye, a childhood friend attending Smith College; Edwin Davies, an admiring biplane trainee in Memphis; Homer Nicholson, a doting Army officer cousin; John Wilcox (Willie) Anderson, an old boyfriend who was killed while serving in France; Phil Brumblett, an army officer in France; and various admirers, friends, and family members. Although Hansell was virtually engaged to a soldier, Robert (Bobbie) Burrows, in 1918, all letters from him were burned after an apparently bitter break-up that is not well documented in these papers. Letters in this series discuss Antonina's hospitalization for appendicitis in 1917, her experience at Harvard Summer School in 1918, her intended engagement to Robert Burrows, and her actual engagement to Jack Macdonald. Since there are very few letters written by Antonina herself, however, these letters circumscribe her life rather than narrate it. Those written by Antonina are chiefly letters to Jack Macdonald, her first husband. In these letters, she looked forward to married life; few details of her daily life are revealed. Letters written to Antonina often discuss college and military life. For example, Ethel Tye wrote of the winters in Northampton, Mass., as well as of her studies at Smith College. Edwin Davies wrote of his experiences flying (and crashing) biplanes at an army airfield in Memphis. Stuart Dudley, a highly stylistic writer, discussed law school and army life. Brumblett, Anderson, and Nicholson wrote from Somewhere in France, describing war activities, including, in Anderson's case, leading patrols through no-man's land. |
1920-1929 | The few letters from this period provide only scant details about Antonina's marriage to Jack Macdonald and about the birth of their son James Ross (Ross) Macdonald. Of particular interest is a letter from Howard Mumford Jones, an English professor at the University of North Carolina and later at Harvard, who was Antonina's mentor. Stuart Dudley continued to correspond in the early 1920s, as did Raymond Vetter, a musician who, like, Dudley, continued to admire Antonina despite her married state. Letters from Noel Seddon, whose correspondence continued for the next half century, indicate a possible love affair in 1922. |
1930-1939 | Letters from Antonina's mother Elise Hansell; her son Ross Macdonald; her husband Jack Macdonald, whom she had divorced; various psychiatrists under whom she worked; friends; lovers; and others. Correspondents of particular note are her mentor Howard Mumford Jones; noted historian C. Vann Woodward; Nils Hersloff, a psychiatrist with whom Antonina had an amorous relationship; Russell Potter, director of the Institute of Arts and Sciences at Columbia University; Edward Richards, a poet and professor of English at Columbia University; and Ernest (Pico) Heller, who worked for Electro Spark, Inc., in New York City. Correspondence documents Antonina's work with emotionally disturbed children, her move from Georgia to New York City, her relationships with various suitors, and her conflict with Jack Macdonald over the schooling of their son. |
1940-1949 | Both Antonina's mother and her son Ross, who was in college, wrote frequently in the 1940s while Antonina was in New York and in Hawaii. Other frequent correspondents were Russell Potter; Reginald Earle Looker, whom she married in 1947; and various soldiers whom she met in Hawaii during World War II. |
1950-1959 | Chiefly correspondence between Antonina and her son Ross and his wife Margaret Taylor (Peg) Macdonald. Also included are a few some letters from friends and others. In the 1950s, family and domestic matters are the primary topics. The letters document the Lookers' move back to Georgia, the births of Ross and Peg Macdonald's children, and the failing health of Antonina's mother. |
1960-1969 | Chiefly correspondence between Antonina and various members of her family. In addition to letters from Ross and Peg Macdonald, there are many letters from Antonina's niece Anne Crane Pritchett and from Earle Looker's daughters Edith Mitchell and Karen Hyde. Russell Potter, C. Vann Woodward, Ernest Heller, John Stuart Dudley, Edward R. Richards, and Howard Mumford Jones all continued to correspond with Antonina in the 1960s and 1970s. Correspondence from the 1960s also documents the death of Antonina's mother in 1960, the Lookers' efforts to gain compensation after they inhaled carbon tetrachloride in 1962, their bout with hepatitis in 1962, various other illnesses, the publication of Revolt in 1966, and their trip to England in 1967. |
1970-1979 | Correspondence from the 1970s documents very thoroughly the effects of aging on Antonina, her family, and friends. Much of the correspondence deals with cancer--Antonina's breast cancer in 1975, which resulted in a double mastectomy; Earle Looker's death from lung cancer; and the deaths of their friends Russell Potter and Dorothy Botts from cancer. Letters also document the conflict between Ross Macdonald and his mother over his financial support of her. There are also many other letters from friends, which deal with the problems of caring for the elderly and the stress it causes in families. During this time, Antonina corresponded with Kate Edwards, the Atlanta portrait painter; Helen Bullard, who was deeply involved in Atlanta politics; and Chuck Doughty, director of the Children's Theater of Atlanta. There are also letters written to Antonina's granddaughter Nina Macdonald from a soldier about his experiences in the Vietnam War (folder 167). |
1980-1986 | Letters are chiefly family correspondence. The substance and quantity of correspondence begins to diminish in the 1980s. Correspondents of note are author Leo Buscaglia (20 October 1982) and Howard Nemerov, poet and professor at Washington University. |
Folder 1 |
1910-1913 |
Folder 2-4
Folder 2Folder 3Folder 4 |
1914 |
Folder 5 |
1915-1916 |
Folder 6-10
Folder 6Folder 7Folder 8Folder 9Folder 10 |
1917 |
Folder 11-13
Folder 11Folder 12Folder 13 |
1918 |
Folder 14-16
Folder 14Folder 15Folder 16 |
1919 |
Folder 17-19
Folder 17Folder 18Folder 19 |
1920 |
Folder 20 |
1921-1929 |
Folder 21 |
1930-1934 |
Folder 22-23
Folder 22Folder 23 |
1935 |
Folder 24-25
Folder 24Folder 25 |
1936 |
Folder 26-27
Folder 26Folder 27 |
1937 |
Folder 28-31
Folder 28Folder 29Folder 30Folder 31 |
1938 |
Folder 32-35
Folder 32Folder 33Folder 34Folder 35 |
1939 |
Folder 36 |
1930s |
Folder 37-40
Folder 37Folder 38Folder 39Folder 40 |
1940 |
Folder 41-43
Folder 41Folder 42Folder 43 |
1941 |
Folder 44-46
Folder 44Folder 45Folder 46 |
1942 |
Folder 47-48
Folder 47Folder 48 |
1943 |
Folder 49-58
Folder 49Folder 50Folder 51Folder 52Folder 53Folder 54Folder 55Folder 56Folder 57Folder 58 |
1944 |
Folder 59-69
Folder 59Folder 60Folder 61Folder 62Folder 63Folder 64Folder 65Folder 66Folder 67Folder 68Folder 69 |
1945 |
Folder 70-75
Folder 70Folder 71Folder 72Folder 73Folder 74Folder 75 |
1946 |
Folder 76-82
Folder 76Folder 77Folder 78Folder 79Folder 80Folder 81Folder 82 |
1947 |
Folder 83-85
Folder 83Folder 84Folder 85 |
1948 |
Folder 86-88
Folder 86Folder 87Folder 88 |
1949 |
Folder 89 |
1940s |
Folder 90-92
Folder 90Folder 91Folder 92 |
1950 |
Folder 93-95
Folder 93Folder 94Folder 95 |
1951 |
Folder 96-98
Folder 96Folder 97Folder 98 |
1952 |
Folder 99-100
Folder 99Folder 100 |
1953 |
Folder 101-102
Folder 101Folder 102 |
1954 |
Folder 103-107
Folder 103Folder 104Folder 105Folder 106Folder 107 |
1955 |
Folder 108-111
Folder 108Folder 109Folder 110Folder 111 |
1956 |
Folder 112-114
Folder 112Folder 113Folder 114 |
1957 |
Folder 115-116
Folder 115Folder 116 |
1958 |
Folder 117-120
Folder 117Folder 118Folder 119Folder 120 |
1959 |
Folder 121-127
Folder 121Folder 122Folder 123Folder 124Folder 125Folder 126Folder 127 |
1960 |
Folder 128-134
Folder 128Folder 129Folder 130Folder 131Folder 132Folder 133Folder 134 |
1961 |
Folder 135-139
Folder 135Folder 136Folder 137Folder 138Folder 139 |
1962 |
Folder 140-142
Folder 140Folder 141Folder 142 |
1963 |
Folder 143-146
Folder 143Folder 144Folder 145Folder 146 |
1964 |
Folder 147-150
Folder 147Folder 148Folder 149Folder 150 |
1965 |
Folder 151-155
Folder 151Folder 152Folder 153Folder 154Folder 155 |
1966 |
Folder 156-159
Folder 156Folder 157Folder 158Folder 159 |
1967 |
Folder 160 |
1968 |
Folder 161-163
Folder 161Folder 162Folder 163 |
1969 |
Folder 164-166
Folder 164Folder 165Folder 166 |
1970 |
Folder 167-169
Folder 167Folder 168Folder 169 |
1971 |
Folder 170-173
Folder 170Folder 171Folder 172Folder 173 |
1972 |
Folder 174-181
Folder 174Folder 175Folder 176Folder 177Folder 178Folder 179Folder 180Folder 181 |
1973 |
Folder 182-187
Folder 182Folder 183Folder 184Folder 185Folder 186Folder 187 |
1974 |
Folder 188-191
Folder 188Folder 189Folder 190Folder 191 |
1975 |
Folder 192-195
Folder 192Folder 193Folder 194Folder 195 |
1976 |
Folder 196-197
Folder 196Folder 197 |
1977 |
Folder 198-201
Folder 198Folder 199Folder 200Folder 201 |
1978 |
Folder 202-204
Folder 202Folder 203Folder 204 |
1979 |
Folder 205-206
Folder 205Folder 206 |
1980 |
Folder 207-208
Folder 207Folder 208 |
1981 |
Folder 209-210
Folder 209Folder 210 |
1982 |
Folder 211-212
Folder 211Folder 212 |
1983 |
Folder 213-214
Folder 213Folder 214 |
1984 |
Folder 215 |
1985 |
Folder 216 |
1986 |
Folder 217-228
Folder 217Folder 218Folder 219Folder 220Folder 221Folder 222Folder 223Folder 224Folder 225Folder 226Folder 227Folder 228 |
Undated |
Folder 229 |
Undated from Russell Potter |
Arrangement: chronological.
Correspondence between Antonina and her agent Nannine Joseph, and various publishers, writers, and writers'organizations. (Note that correspondence relating to individual works is filed with material relating to that work. Letters chronicle Antonina's attempts to publish short stories, novels, and poems. Included is correspondence with The World Who's Who of Authors, Notable Americans, and other biographical publications about her inclusion in these works. Letters beginning 26 February 1979 concern her attempts to offer a cottage at her Hillhouse home as a writers' retreat and her plans to join the Ossabau Island Project, an artists' and writers' retreat off the coast of Georgia.
Folder 230 |
1939-1940 |
Folder 231 |
1941-1950 |
Folder 232 |
1951-1953 |
Folder 233 |
January 1954-April 1955 |
Folder 234 |
May 1955-July 1957 |
Folder 235 |
6 October 1957 |
Folder 236 |
31 October 1957-November 1957 |
Folder 237 |
1958-1960 |
Folder 238 |
1961-1967 |
Folder 239 |
1968-1971 |
Folder 240 |
1972 |
Folder 241 |
1974 |
Folder 242 |
1975-1977 |
Folder 243 |
1978-1979 |
Folder 244 |
1980-1983 |
Folder 245-246
Folder 245Folder 246 |
Undated |
Arrangement: alphabetical by title.
Notes, handwritten drafts, typescripts, and correspondence relating to Antonina's novels. She wrote "Allison," "The Governing Ghosts," "Linda," and "Scarsdale Story" by herself and collaborated with Earle Looker on "A Branch Cut Off," "Exalt This Valley," Revolt, "The Sinne of Love," "Slowly I Awoke," and "Stand Fast." Revolt, for which there is no handwritten draft or typescript, is the only published novel.
Folder 247-251
Folder 247Folder 248Folder 249Folder 250Folder 251 |
"Allison" (see also "Exalt This Valley" and "Sinne of Love" for related novels) |
Folder 252-265
Folder 252Folder 253Folder 254Folder 255Folder 256Folder 257Folder 258Folder 259Folder 260Folder 261Folder 262Folder 263Folder 264Folder 265 |
"A Branch Cut Off" (also called "The Three Lives of Alan Rodney"; see also "Slowly I Awoke" and "Stand Fast" for related novels) |
Folder 266-271
Folder 266Folder 267Folder 268Folder 269Folder 270Folder 271 |
"Exalt This Valley" (see also "Allison" and "Sinne of Love" for related novels) |
Folder 271-274
Folder 271Folder 272Folder 273Folder 274 |
File 42 (see also Subseries 2.3: "Ironpants," "Luncheon at Luchow's," and "Opening Move.") |
Folder 275-286
Folder 275Folder 276Folder 277Folder 278Folder 279Folder 280Folder 281Folder 282Folder 283Folder 284Folder 285Folder 286 |
"The Governing Ghosts" (see also "Scarsdale Story"; Subseries 2.3, Subseries 2.5, [Diary 1958]; and Subseries 2.6 for related material) |
Folder 287-288
Folder 287Folder 288 |
"Linda" |
Folder 289-290
Folder 289Folder 290 |
Revolt |
Folder 291-293
Folder 291Folder 292Folder 293 |
"Scarsdale Story" (see also "Governing Ghosts" and Subseries 2.2, Diaries [1958] for related material) |
Folder 294-306
Folder 294Folder 295Folder 296Folder 297Folder 298Folder 299Folder 300Folder 301Folder 302Folder 303Folder 304Folder 305Folder 306 |
"The Sinne of Love" (see also "Allison" and "Exalt This Valley" for related novels) |
Folder 307-312
Folder 307Folder 308Folder 309Folder 310Folder 311Folder 312 |
"Slowly I Awoke" (see also "A Branch Cut Off" and "Stand Fast" for related novels) |
Folder 313-318
Folder 313Folder 314Folder 315Folder 316Folder 317Folder 318 |
"Stand Fast" (see also "A Branch Cut Off" and "Slowly I Awoke" for related novels) |
Arrangement: alphabetical by title.
Notes, handwritten drafts, typescripts, galley proofs, and correspondence relating to short stories written by Antonina with or without Earle Looker. Of special interest is correspondence with Benjamin Spock concerning "Play a Tune." Also of interest are Antonina's early short stories, written 1910-1911 (folders 357-360).
Arrangement: by type of poem, with related correspondence attached.
Notes, handwritten drafts, typescripts, and correspondence relating to Antonina's poetry. Poetic genres include general lyrics, haiku, and sonnets. Of special interest is "You, the Single-Hearted," published in the New York Times, 26 September 1928.
Folder 362 |
General lyrics |
Folder 363 |
Haiku and sonnets |
Folder 364 |
Untitled poems |
Arrangement: chronological.
Early diaries and a diary kept by Antonina during an illness in 1958. The early diaries document her early desire to become a writer. They also provide details about her family life and relationships. Also see the dream diaries in subseries 5.4 for similar material.
Folder 365 |
Diary, beginning 22 September 1910 |
Folder 366 |
Diary, beginning 16 February 1911 |
Folder 367 |
Diary, beginning 20 May 1911 |
Folder 368 |
Diary, beginning 9 September 1911 |
Folder 369 |
Diary, circa 1911 |
Folder 370-371
Folder 370Folder 371 |
Diary, 1958 |
Arrangement: alphabetical by type of material.
Notes, handwritten drafts, typescripts, and correspondence relating to various writing projects in genres other than novels, poetry, short stories, and diaries. Included are her early school assignments; materail relating to a proposed book on Georgia history; correspondence relating to a musical version of Gone with the Wind; scripts for the television series "I Love Lucy," which were probably never submitted; and an article about gardening, which was published in the May 195 issue of The Home Garden.
Folder 371-380
Folder 371Folder 372Folder 373Folder 374Folder 375Folder 376Folder 377Folder 378Folder 379Folder 380 |
Early Writing Projects, circa 1911 |
Folder 381 |
Georgia Writing Project |
Folder 382 |
Gone With the Wind Musical |
Folder 383 |
Grandmother Flora's Christmas |
Folder 384 |
"I Love Lucy" |
Folder 385 |
"My Wildflower Garden and How I Planned It" |
Notes, rough drafts, and manuscript fragments for various unidentified projects, both prose and poetry.
Folder 386-405
Folder 386Folder 387Folder 388Folder 389Folder 390Folder 391Folder 392Folder 393Folder 394Folder 395Folder 396Folder 397Folder 398Folder 399Folder 400Folder 401Folder 402Folder 403Folder 404Folder 405 |
Unidentified fragments |
Edward R. Austin was Antonina's cousin. Although Austin was nearly 30 years older than Antonina, they were very close friends. Austin made Antonina his heir and executor of his will. When he died in 1944, she inherited his property and papers.
Arrangement: chronological.
Chiefly business and financial correspondence dealing with Austin's work as an Atlanta lawyer and his subsequent employment with Southern Telephone and Telegraph. Correspondence refers primarily to Austin's work as a bill collector, with a few references to his work as a notary public. Note that there is no correspondence for 1913-1915 and 1925-1934.
Other business correspondence deals with stock trading, especially Austin's dealing with Pell City Manufacturing. Other letters deal with Austin's association with the Electric Manufacturing and Equipment Company and its subsidiary, Carter and Gillespie Electric Company. Austin was president and general council for the former.
Some correspondence concerns Austin's work with both the Capitol City Club of Atlanta and the Freemasons. Austin served as secretary and treasurer for the former and was a Worshipful Master and Member of the Guard in the latter.
There is also correspondence between Austin and Antonina. Of particular interest are Antonina's letter dated 18 February 1923 announcing her pregnancy and Austin's reply. Correspondence in 1940 and 1941 indicates that Austin was supporting Antonina for a time during her years in New York. In his letters of 13 December 1907 and 23 June 1910, Austin described the initiation and subsequent operation of a "Locker System" at the Capitol City Club. Locker systems were devised to circumvent the laws restricting the sale and consumption of alcohol in Georgia during the period.
Folder 406 |
1893-1905 |
Folder 407-410
Folder 407Folder 408Folder 409Folder 410 |
1906 |
Folder 411-413
Folder 411Folder 412Folder 413 |
1907 |
Folder 414-415
Folder 414Folder 415 |
1908 |
Folder 416-418
Folder 416Folder 417Folder 418 |
1909 |
Folder 419 |
1910 |
Folder 420-421
Folder 420Folder 421 |
1911 |
Folder 422 |
1912 |
Folder 423 |
1916-1917 |
Folder 424-425
Folder 424Folder 425 |
1918 |
Folder 426 |
1919-July 1920 |
Folder 427 |
August-December 1920 |
Folder 428-430
Folder 428Folder 429Folder 430 |
1921 |
Folder 431 |
1922-1924 |
Folder 432 |
1935 |
Folder 433 |
1936-1938 |
Folder 434-435
Folder 434Folder 435 |
1939 |
Folder 436-437
Folder 436Folder 437 |
1940 |
Folder 438 |
July 1940-1944 |
Folder 439 |
Undated and letter fragments |
Arrangement: by type of material.
Handwritten drafts, typescripts, and published versions of articles, poetry, short stories, and speeches written by Austin, and letters relating to his work. The letters consist of rejection notices from major national magazines. However, Austin's work was frequently featured in local newspapers and magazines. He was published in Southern Telephone News, of which he was the editor, and in The Constitution, The Autocrat, and Alkahest, all Atlanta publications. Of particular interest is an article written by Austin on prohibition in Georgia that was published in Bonfort's Wine and Spirit Circular, 10 January 1913. The Circular called Austin, "an authority in regard to the prohibition question in that state." Note that unsigned work is filed at the end of the subseries and may not be Austin's writing, but copied from other sources.
Folder 440 |
Articles: Typescripts |
Folder 441 |
Articles: Clippings |
Folder 442 |
Poems: Manuscripts |
Folder 443-446
Folder 443Folder 444Folder 445Folder 446 |
Poems: Typescripts |
Folder 447 |
Poems: Clippings |
Folder 448 |
Short Stories: Typescripts |
Folder 449 |
Short Stories: Clippings |
Folder 450 |
Speeches: Typescripts |
Folder 451 |
Rejection Letters |
Folder 452 |
Fragments |
Folder 453-454
Folder 453Folder 454 |
Unsigned works |
Arrangement: by type of material.
Clippings, financial and legal papers, material relating to Freemasonry, and miscellaneous items documenting Austin's personal life.
Clippings consist of articles mostly from the Atlanta Constitution about Austin. The clippings document Austin's involvement in amateur theater, his retirement as editor of Southern Telephone News, and his status as one of Atlanta's "most eligible bachelors."
Financial and legal papers consist of receipts, bills of lading for whiskey, pages from an account book, a typed carbon copy of Austin's will, directions for his burial, a lease, and two bankbooks. For more information about the settlement of Austin's estate by Antonina, see Subseries 5.1.
Material relating to Freemasonry consists of a program for a production of The Master Builder, in which Austin acted; a book of by laws; and typed carbon copies of rites and rituals used by the Masons. Austin was a Mason and very much involved in the Atlanta organization.
Miscellaneous personal material consists of address books, certificates, and other items. Of particular interest are the by laws of the Player's Club, of which Austin was a member.
Folder 455 |
Clippings |
Folder 456 |
Financial and legal papers |
Folder 457-460
Folder 457Folder 458Folder 459Folder 460 |
Freemasonry |
Folder 461-462
Folder 461Folder 462 |
Miscellaneous |
Arrangement: type of material.
Arrangement: chronological.
Chiefly letters to and from Looker's first wife Edith Applegate Looker and his daughters Edith (Babs) and Karen from that marriage. These are letters about personal matters and were written after the divorce. (Note: Edith Looker called Earle "Bob.") Also included is correspondence reflecting Earle and Antonina's numberous attempts to publish their various literary works, particularly with Nannine Joseph, their literary agent. There are also letters conceringing Looker's divorce and his attempts to hasten the settlement of the estate of his aunt, Emily Earl Wilson, of which he was a beneficiary.
Folder 463 |
1942-1946 |
Folder 464 |
1947 |
Folder 465 |
1948 |
Folder 466 |
1949 |
Folder 467 |
1950 |
Folder 468 |
1951-1952 |
Folder 469 |
1953-1954 |
Folder 470 |
1955-1958 |
Folder 471 |
1967-1972; undated |
Drafts, fragments, and notes relating to Looker's writings, including "A Great American Family" (pamphlet); The White House Gang (non-fiction); Yesterday's Tomorrow (novel); and short stories that apparently were never published. Most of the correspondence relates to publication attempts, though the correspondence with regard to The White House Gang, published in the late 1920s, concerns the possibility of making the book into a motion picture.
Folder 472-473
Folder 472Folder 473 |
"A Great American Family" |
Folder 474 |
Short stories |
Folder 475-478
Folder 475Folder 476Folder 477Folder 478 |
The White House Gang |
Folder 479-484
Folder 479Folder 480Folder 481Folder 482Folder 483Folder 484 |
Yesterday's Tomorrow |
Correspondence, newsclippings, a brief biography, a guest book, receipts and planning notes, and a death certificate relating to Looker's death and the memorial service organized by Antonina.
Folder 485 |
Guestbook |
Folder 486 |
Other materials |
Correspondence regarding letters from Franklin D. Roosevelt that Looker possessed and was trying to sell; Antonina's correspondence with Emory University and the Atlanta Historical Society about Looker's papers; material relating to Looker's long service as a trustee of the Theodore Roosevelt Association; and other items, including legal documents from the estate of Emily Earl Wilson, Looker's tax returns from the 1940s, and a patent for his invention of an outboard motor guard.
Folder 487 |
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano |
Folder 488 |
Roosevelt, Theodore |
Folder 489 |
Looker Papers |
Folder 490 |
Miscellaneous |
Arrangement: by type of material, then chronologically.
Correspondence, tax receipts, tax returns, wills, leases, budgets, insurance policies, and notes pertaining to the finances of Antonina and her family. This subseries is divided into two parts, correspondence and non-correspondence, with the items in each arranged in chronological order.
Of particular interest in the correspondence are letters in 1933 dealing with Antonina's divorce from John Elwood Macdonald and the custody of their son John Ross Macdonald. Also of interest is correspondence in 1945 relating to the settlement of cousin Edward R. Austin's estate. There are also letters in 1961 relating to settlement of Antonina's mother's estate. Among the non-correspondence items are several detailed budgets documenting Antonina's expenses and income.
Arrangement: chronological.
Chiefly correspondence between Antonina and various doctors about her and Earle Looker's health problems. The Lookers seem to have written their doctors for advice, instead of going in for consultation, because of the isolation of their home on Lake Raburn. These letters provide concise details of the Lookers' symptoms and illnesses. Antonina suffered from herpes simplex and sciatica, among other ailments. Looker had lung cancer and eventually died of it. In addition to the correspondence, there are some notes, a vaccination record, and a few clippings relating to health issues.
Folder 522 |
1944-1970 |
Folder 523 |
1971-1973 |
Folder 524 |
1974-1980 |
Folder 525 |
1981-1984, undated |
Arrangement: by type of material.
Correspondence, deeds, charts, notes, pamphlets, typed transcriptions of wills and letters, clippings, Antonina's application to the Daughters of the American Revolution, and several family histories.
Genealogy centers around the efforts of the Hansell and Austin families to document their family trees. Genealogy is further subdivided into correspondence and non-correspondence. Dates of the correspondence range from 1866 to 1983. The 19th-century letters, however, mostly concern W. A. Hansell's election to the Minor chapter of Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. Margaret (Peg) Macdonald, Antonina's daughter-in-law, is the primary correspondent of the late 20th century. Margaret Macdonald, a professional genealogist, apparently conducted much of the genealogical research documented here. Non-correspondence items are arranged loosely by family line. (For more information about Antonina's family, see clippings in Subseries 3.3 and 5.5. See also Pictures 93-94)
Folder 526 |
Correspondence, 1856-March 1899 |
Folder 527 |
Correspondence, April 1899-1900 |
Folder 528 |
Correspondence, 1901-1909 |
Folder 529 |
Correspondence, 1936-July 1961 |
Folder 530 |
Correspondence, August 1961-1962 |
Folder 531 |
Correspondence, 1963-1968 |
Folder 532 |
Correspondence, 1969-1983 |
Folder 533-540
Folder 533Folder 534Folder 535Folder 536Folder 537Folder 538Folder 539Folder 540 |
Other materials |
Non-genealogical papers consist of family letters, which may have been useful in compiling the genealogies, of members of the Austin, Rockwell, and Fletcher branches of the family. The vast majority of this correspondence is of cousin Edward R. Austin's parents Bloomer Hart and Etta Rockwell Austin. Included is correspondence between a young Etta Rockwell in Alabama and relatives living in Milwaukee. Many of these letters were sent by advantage of "flags of truce" during the Civil War. Also included are love letters, 1855-1905, between the Austins. Of note is a letter from 13-year-old Edward R. Austin to his father, documenting a run-in with the law over a dead robin and the efforts of Joel Chandler Harris to vouch for the boy's character. Also of note is a September 1864 letter from William A. (Willie) Hansell to his wife Antonina Jones Hansell about "the Beast, General Sherman" and the problems he had searching for his mother and children among the many civilian refugees. Other correspondence includes letters of Sarah Fletcher, Orson Rockwell, and Jacob Peters, who was related to John Ross Macdonald.
Folder 541 |
Austin, Bloomer and Etta, 1855-1863 |
Folder 542 |
Austin, Bloomer and Etta, 1864-1865 |
Folder 543 |
Austin, Bloomer and Etta, January-April 1866 |
Folder 544 |
Austin, Bloomer and Etta, June-December 1866 |
Folder 545 |
Austin, Bloomer and Etta, 1867-1870 |
Folder 546 |
Austin, Bloomer and Etta, 1871 |
Folder 547 |
Austin, Bloomer and Etta, 1873-1884 |
Folder 548 |
Austin, Bloomer and Etta, 1888 |
Folder 549 |
Austin, Bloomer and Etta, 1889-1894 |
Folder 550 |
Austin, Bloomer and Etta, 1895-1905 |
Folder 551 |
Austin, Bloomer and Etta, Undated |
Folder 552 |
Fletcher, Sarah |
Folder 553-554
Folder 553Folder 554 |
Hansell, A. J., 1901-1903 |
Folder 555 |
Hansell, W. A. to Antonina Jones Hansell, 1860, 1864 |
Folder 556-557
Folder 556Folder 557 |
Peters, Jacob, 1876-1879 |
Folder 558 |
Rockwell, Orson, to Lucy Fletcher Rockwell |
Arrangement: alphabetical by subject.
Notes, programs, pamphlets, correspondence, and dream journals pertaining to Antonina's career in the field of mental health. This subseries is divided into six subject areas: American Red Cross, children, dreams, "mind control," music therapy, and notes on neurosis and general psychology.
The American Red Cross material relates to Antonina's position as a volunteer working with psychologically disturbed servicement in a Red Cross Hospital in Hawaii during World War II. It consists of programs, a newsletter, handwritten copies of letters written by soldiers to send home, and some soldiers poetry she collected.
The material on children relates to Antonina's work with psychologically disturbed children in the 1930s and 1940s. Included are notes on the behavior of specific children; general notes on techniques for dealing with children; and pamphlets and programs that document her directorship of the Children's Group, her work at the Walt Whitman School, and her leadership of personal adjustment classes in Atlanta. There is also correspondence that mentions Antonina's association with Benjamin Spock.
The material on dreams is divided into two sections: Antonina's dreams and the dreams of others. Apparently, Antonina was in therapy in 1934 and kept a dream journal for about a year as part of the therapy. Each dream is followed by her interpretaion of it and sometimes her doctor's interpretation. The dream journal provides detailed information about Antonina's life and about her relationship with others. (Also see Subseries 2.5 for Antonina's childhood diaries.) Antonina remained interested in dreams throughout her life and also wrote down other people's dreams and collected them. Some of those dreams are included in this subseries.
"Mind Control" is a file established by Antonina that consists of carbon copies of letters she wrote in the late 1970s to Sandra Senness of the Mind Control Research Center in Atlanta. The letters discuss Antonina's use of Transcendental Meditation and her experiences of psychic power. Antonina had these experiences in conjunction with her attempts to contact Colonel Jean Moreau, whom she met in Hawaii during World War II at the Red Cross Hospital. Also included is correspondence with Colonel Moreau, whom she eventually contacted, although not psychically.
The material on music therapy consists of notes and pamphlets on music therapy. Apparently, Antonina used music in her work with both children and soldiers. The notes provide song lists and describe the effects of various musical selections on the emotions.
Notes are class notes taken by Antonina on neurosis and on psychology in general.
Folder 559-560
Folder 559Folder 560 |
American Red Cross |
Folder 561-566
Folder 561Folder 562Folder 563Folder 564Folder 565Folder 566 |
Children |
Folder 567 |
Dreams: Antonina |
Folder 568 |
Dreams: Others |
Folder 569 |
"Mind Control" |
Folder 570-571
Folder 570Folder 571 |
Music therapy |
Folder 572 |
Notes |
Arrangement: chronological.
Newspaper clippings of articles about Antonina and her family.
Folder 573 |
1940s and 1950s |
Folder 574 |
1960s |
Folder 575 |
1970s and 1980s |
Address books, passport, calendar, Christmas lists, notes on the Hillhouse garden, notes to tenants and guests of Hillhouse, ration books, and a list of the contents of Antonina's wardrobe.
Folder 576-578
Folder 576Folder 577Folder 578 |
Miscellaneous |
Arrangement: by subject.
Chiefly black-and-white photographs of Antonina and of family members and friends. There are a few color photographs included, and one oil portrait (OP-P-4482/14b). The pictures date chiefly from 1947 to 1970, but there are some pictures from earlier years. Subjects are identified, but most pictures are undated. In addition to pictures of family and friends, there are a few images of buildings. Of particular interest is a series of pictures of Edward R. Austin and guests at a party at which the guests dressed up like children and at which alcohol seems to have stimulated the antics portrayed. The pictures were taken by Reeves of Atlanta and some of them are numbered as if they were meant to be a set (P-4482/72-82).
Nineteenth-century letters of William Hansell, including Civil War letters from Georgia, Alabama, and Florida; letters of Antonina Looker to her son, Ross Macdonald, other family members, and friends; other family correspondence; writings by Looker; a diary; a scrapbook; a picture; and other items.
The addition is arranged as follows:
7. Correspondence
7.1. William Hansell Correspondence
7.2. Antonina Hansell Looker Correspondence
8. Writings
9. Other Papers
10. Pictures
Arrangement: chronological.
Family and business correspondence of William Andrew Hansell (1843-1907). Most of the letters are written from Hansell to his wife, Antonina Jones Hansell. There are a few letters from other family members. During the Civil War, Hansell served as an officer in the Confederate army and was stationed in northern Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. His letters during that time often addressed his health and the movements of his regiment. Several letters from 1864 make reference to "Sherman's army," whose actions Hansell witnessed first-hand. Letters of 1879 appear to be business letters addressed to William Hansell. Other letters from Hansell appear in series 5.3.2.
Folder 578a |
1861 |
Folder 579 |
1862 |
Folder 580 |
1863 |
Folder 581 |
1864 |
Folder 582 |
18 November 1864 |
Folder 583 |
1865 |
Folder 584 |
1866 |
Folder 585 |
1868 |
Folder 586 |
1869 |
Folder 587 |
1870 |
Folder 588 |
1872 |
Folder 589 |
1873 |
Folder 590 |
1879 |
Folder 591 |
Undated (19th century) |
Arrangement: chronological.
Correspondence of Antonina Hansell Looker and her family. This series contains letters received by James Ross Macdonald (son of Antonina Looker) and his family. Most of the letters are are from Antonina Looker to her son. The family correspondence begins in 1940, when Ross Macdonald entered Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., and ends in 1986, just before the death of Antonina Looker. News of family and friends was given throughout the correspondence, although in later years the primary topics of most of the letters were the health and finances of Antonina Looker. The latter was of special significance as Antonina and Earle Looker were receiving substantial financial support from Ross Macdonald. Letters received after 1986 are letters of condolence to Ross Macdonald after the death of his mother. Other topics discussed in the correspondence are similar to those described in Series 4.
Folder 592 |
1919 |
Folder 593 |
1935 |
Folder 594 |
1940 |
Folder 595-597
Folder 595Folder 596Folder 597 |
1941 |
Folder 598-600
Folder 598Folder 599Folder 600 |
1942 |
Folder 601 |
1943 |
Folder 602-604
Folder 602Folder 603Folder 604 |
1945 |
Folder 605-606
Folder 605Folder 606 |
1946 |
Folder 607 |
1953 |
Folder 608-609
Folder 608Folder 609 |
1954 |
Folder 610-611
Folder 610Folder 611 |
1955 |
Folder 612-615
Folder 612Folder 613Folder 614Folder 615 |
1956 |
Folder 616-617
Folder 616Folder 617 |
1957 |
Folder 618-619
Folder 618Folder 619 |
1958 |
Folder 620-621
Folder 620Folder 621 |
1959 |
Folder 622-623
Folder 622Folder 623 |
1960 |
Folder 624-625
Folder 624Folder 625 |
1961 |
Folder 626-628
Folder 626Folder 627Folder 628 |
1962 |
Folder 629-630
Folder 629Folder 630 |
1963 |
Folder 631-634
Folder 631Folder 632Folder 633Folder 634 |
1964 |
Folder 635-636
Folder 635Folder 636 |
1965 |
Folder 637-638
Folder 637Folder 638 |
1966 |
Folder 639-640
Folder 639Folder 640 |
1967 |
Folder 641-642
Folder 641Folder 642 |
1968 |
Folder 643 |
1969 |
Folder 644 |
1970 |
Folder 645-646
Folder 645Folder 646 |
1971 |
Folder 647-648
Folder 647Folder 648 |
1972 |
Folder 649-650
Folder 649Folder 650 |
1973 |
Folder 651 |
1974 |
Folder 652 |
1975 |
Folder 653 |
1976 |
Folder 654-655
Folder 654Folder 655 |
1977 |
Folder 656-657
Folder 656Folder 657 |
1978 |
Folder 658-659
Folder 658Folder 659 |
1979 |
Folder 660 |
1980 |
Folder 661-662
Folder 661Folder 662 |
1981 |
Folder 663-664
Folder 663Folder 664 |
1982 |
Folder 665-666
Folder 665Folder 666 |
1983 |
Folder 667 |
1984 |
Folder 668 |
1985 |
Folder 669 |
1986 |
Folder 670 |
1987-1993 |
Folder 671 |
Undated (20th century) |
Writings by Antonina Looker include a typed story, "Scarab on 77th," and a carbon copy of a novel, "The Governing Ghosts." There is no date on either piece and no evidence that either was published.
Folder 672 |
"Scarab on 77th" |
Folder 673-674
Folder 673Folder 674 |
"The Governing Ghosts" |
Diary and address book bleonging to Antonina Looker, selected title deeds and bonds from Atonina Looker's mother, Elise Hansell, a genealogy prepared by Peg Macdonald in 1996, and a scrapbook of pictures and clippings put together by Peg Macdonald. The diary is from 1977-1978 and contains notes for stories and accounts of dreams. The genealogy contains ancestral charts for the Jones and Hansell families.
Folder 675 |
Diary, 1977-1978 |
Folder 676 |
Address book |
Folder 677 |
Title deeds and bonds |
Folder 678 |
Lineage of Jones and Hansell families |
Volume V-4482/S-1 |
Scrapbook"PICTURES AND CLIPPINGS CONCERNING ANTONINA JONES HANSELL WHO MARRIED #1 JOHN ELWOOD MACDONALD AND #2 COL. EARLE REGINALD LOOKER put together by her daughter-in-law Margaret 'Peg' Taylor Macdonald." |
Mounted photograph dated 1900. On the back is written "time of H. H. Wilson golden Wedding." The five people in the picture are identified as Albian, Mattie, Mary, Charles Van, and William.
Image P-4482/113 |
Wilson Golden Wedding |