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Collection Number: 04221

Collection Title: Alfred Mordecai Papers, circa 1850-1986.

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.


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Size About 2,000 items (9.0 linear feet).
Abstract Alfred Mordecai, physician of Winston-Salem, N.C., who served with the United States Army Medical Corps, 1918-1944, and as a health officer in Forsyth and Wilkes counties, N.C., 1940s-1960s. His wife was Elsie Elizabeth Hess. Correspondence, writings, essays and addresses, printed materials, maps, drawings, and photographs relating to Alfred Mordecai's service in World War I; his duties in Forsyth and Wilkes counties, N.C.; rural culture and folk traditions in the area near Blowing Rock, N.C.; and Mordecai's various interests, including conservation, astronomy, and horticulture.
Creator Mordecai, Alfred, 1890-1975.
Curatorial Unit University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.
Language English
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Restrictions to Access
No restrictions. Open for research.
Restrictions to Use
No usage restrictions.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Alfred Mordecai Papers, #4221, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Acquisitions Information
Received from Elsie Hess Mordecai, 1980-1986 (Acc. 080024, 080073, 081016, 081091, 082157, 083037, 084014, 085062, 086177).
Additional Descriptive Resources
A more complete finding aid for this collection is available at the Southern Historical Collection.
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.
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Processed by: SHC Staff

Encoded by: Noah Huffman, December 2007

Updated by: Jodi Berkowitz and Amy Morgan, April 2018

Updated by: Laura Hart, January 2021

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The 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.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Biographical Information

Alfred Mordecai, physician of Winston-Salem, N.C., who served with the United States Army Medical Corps, 1918-1944, and as a health officer in Forsyth and Wilkes counties, N.C., 1940s-1960s. His wife was Elsie Elizabeth Hess.

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Correspondence, writings, essays and addresses, printed materials, maps, drawings, and photographs relating to Alfred Mordecai's service in World War I; his duties in Forsyth and Wilkes counties, N.C.; rural culture and folk traditions in the area near Blowing Rock, N.C.; and Mordecai's various interests, including conservation, astronomy, and horticulture.

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Contents list

expand/collapse Expand/collapse Alfred Mordecai Papers, circa 1850-1986.

Approximately 2000 items

Correspondence, writings, essays and addresses, printed materials, maps, drawings, and photographs relating to Alfred Mordecai's service in World War I; his duties in Forsyth and Wilkes counties, N.C.; rural culture and folk traditions in the area near Blowing Rock, N.C.; and Mordecai's various interests, including conservation, astronomy, and horticulture. Includes image of a man identified as 'Uncle' Billy Holmes."

Folder titles were derived from original folder names and from descriptive metadata found within the files by the processing archivist.

Folder 1a

Original finding aid

Folder 1-5

Folder 1

Folder 2

Folder 3

Folder 4

Folder 5

Correspondence, 1915-1974 and undated

Folder 6

Printed material

Folder 7-16

Folder 7

Folder 8

Folder 9

Folder 10

Folder 11

Folder 12

Folder 13

Folder 14

Folder 15

Folder 16

Literary productions, 1913-1952

Folder 17

Literary productions, Writings about Globe, 1948-1952,"The Story of a Family" [1949?]

Folder 18

Literary productions, Writings about Globe, 1948-1952 "Upton--The Land and the People," [after 1948]

Folder 19

Literary productions, Writings about Globe, 1948-1952 "Around the Globe in 1 Hour," [after 1947]

Folder 20

Literary productions, Writings about Globe, 1948-1952 "Gleanings from the Globe," [ca. 24 Dec. 1949]

Folder 21

Literary productions, Writings about Globe, 1948-1952 "A Homespun Epic Poem," [1948-49]

Folder 22

Literary productions, Writings about Globe, 1948-1952 "Reminicences [sic] of This and That," [ca. 24 Nov. 1952]

Folder 23-45

Folder 23

Folder 24

Folder 25

Folder 26

Folder 27

Folder 28

Folder 29

Folder 30

Folder 31

Folder 32

Folder 33

Folder 34

Folder 35

Folder 36

Folder 37

Folder 38

Folder 39

Folder 40

Folder 41

Folder 42

Folder 43

Folder 44

Folder 45

Literary productions, 1953-1973

Folder 46-50

Folder 46

Folder 47

Folder 48

Folder 49

Folder 50

Literary productions, undated

Folder 51

Maps, lists

Folder 52

Correspondence, 1907-1915

Folder 53

Correspondence, 1916-1918

Folder 54

Correspondence, 1919-1920

Folder 55

Correspondence, 1921-1939

Includes photograph of Charles "Dess" DeSaussure MacKay, Jr. as a freshman at Yale, circa 1935

Folder 56

Correspondence, 1940-1944

Folder 57

Correspondence, 1945-1949

Folder 58

Correspondence, 1950-1954

Folder 59

Correspondence, 1955-1956

Folder 60

Correspondence, 1957-1958

Folder 61

Correspondence, 1960-1969

Folder 62

Correspondence, 1970-1975

Includes photograph of Margaret Lane Blomquist as a baby with her mother, circa 1897.

Folder 63

Correspondence, 1976-1979

Folder 64

Correspondence, 1980-1986

Folder 65

Correspondence, undated

Folder 66

Writings: Publications by Alfred Mordecai

Folder 67

Writings: Poetry by Alfred Mordecai

Folder 68

Writings: Speeches by Alfred Mordecai

Folder 69

Writings: Church writings by Alfred Mordecai

Folder 70

Writings: Prose writings by Alfred Mordecai

Folder 71-72

Folder 71

Folder 72

Writings: Volumes by Alfred Mordecai

Folder 73

Writings: Other writings by Alfred Mordecai

Folder 74

Writings: Writings by Samuel Fox Mordecai

Folder 75-77

Folder 75

Folder 76

Folder 77

Writings: By relatives

Folder 78

Writings: About Alfred Mordecai

Folder 79-83

Folder 79

Folder 80

Folder 81

Folder 82

Folder 83

Correspondence with Bessie MacKay, 1919-1954

Folder 84

Correspondence with MacKay and Mordecai family members, 1929-1950

Folder 85

Letter from Blowing Rock, N.C., to Alfred Mordecai

Folder 86

Correspondence with Nathan Crawford Remsen

Folder 87

Conservation, Christmas greens

Folder 88

Willow trees

Folder 89

"Indian make-up, legends of folklore and flowers, etc."

Folder 90

Ebert fertilizer

Folder 91

Mockingbird

Folder 92

Tobacco

Folder 93

"Story of a Dog-Hater"

Folder 94

"More or Less the Truth About Man": Article, artwork and related papers

Folder 95

"The Priesthood and Medical Profession", "More or Less the Truth", and related papers, April 1975

Folder 96

Newspaper clipping of Old Smith Hotel, "William the Conquerer: His Cook and His Soup"

Folder 97

"A Biographical Sketch of Wiley Vanney" by Alfred Mordecai

Folder 98

Biographical sketch of Wiley Cleveland Vanney by Alfred Mordecai

Folder 99

Biographical sketch of Dr. James E. Brooks

Folder 100

"Effort of Poetry" by Alfred Mordecai

Folder 101

Notebook of poetry by Alfred Mordecai

Folder 102

Papers regarding public health, circa 1940s

Folder 103

Reminiscences, including memories at age 85

Folder 104

North Carolina Journal, Volume 9. No. 9, September 1948

Folder 105

Religious writings by Alfred Mordecai

Folder 106

"Senility: Homespun talk on aging"

Folder 107

"My Book of Human Anatomy: A Teacher's Manual, prepared February 1953"

Folder 108

Clippings, "More or Less" article, "Hark, the Dandelion!"

Folder 109

Stories told by Alfred Mordecai

Folder 110-112

Folder 110

Folder 111

Folder 112

Miscellaneous writings by Alfred Mordecai

Folder 113

Writings of Charles DeSaussure MacKay, Sr.

Folder 114

"Snapshots of Things I've Seen and Heard and Done" by William G. Mordecai, Sr.

Folder 115

Booklet on the Moore Family, "Mountain Sayin'" by Beatrice Cobb, clippings

Folder 116

"The Nature of God" by Dr. Francis C. Anscombe, and clippings of his articles

Folder 117

Alfred Mordecai artwork: Mary Warner cigarettes

Folder 118

Artwork and miscellaneous matters for Ladies' Night program at Winston-Salem Torch Club

Folder 119

Clippings

Folder 120

Related papers

Folder 121

Memorabilia from organizations to which Alfred Mordecai belonged

Folder 122

Old Army orders for Alfred Mordecai and related papers

Folder 123

The Blowing Rocket: Articles by Alfred Mordecai

Folder 124-125

The Blowing Rocket: Clippings about Alfred Mordecai's memorial service, dedication of park, etc.

Folder 126

Clippings

Folder 127

Miscellaneous papers from Bessie MacKay's files

Folder 128

Alfred Mordecai's notes on Bontoe trip and other related material, 1928-1930

Folder 129

Papers associated with photographs, 1910s-1950s

Folder 130

Volume 1: "Sinbad - the Discontented Squirrel," 1948

Folder 131

Volume 2: "The Sacred Herb Tobacco"

Folder 132

Volume 3: "Something About the Human Body"

Folder 133

Volume 4: circa 1957

Folder 134

Volume 5: September 1959

Folder 135

Volume 6: September 1959

Folder 136

Volume 7: 1958-1960

Folder 137-138

Folder 137

Folder 138

Volume 8: circa 1960

Folder 139

Volume 9, 10: 1950s-1960s

Folder 140

Volume 11: 1960s

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/1

Alfred Mordecai as a baby, circa 1890

1 image

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/2

Alfred Mordecai age 6, circa 1896

1 image

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/3

Alfred Mordecai, 1915

1 image

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/4

Alfred Mordecai and military camp, circa 1917

4 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/5

Postcards of Alfred Mordecai's time in military, circa 1917

20 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/6

Postcard book from Nancy, France, circa 1918

24 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/7

Postcards from France, circa 1918

20 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/8

Postcards from France, circa 1918

15 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/9

Postcards from France, circa 1918

15 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/10

Postcards from France, circa 1918

20 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/11

Postcards from France, circa 1918

15 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/12

Postcards from France, circa 1918

15 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/13

Postcards from Italy, circa 1918

5 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/14

Postcards from Germany and Switzerland, circa 1918

3 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/15

Postcards from Canada and Yorktown, Virginia, circa 1910s

5 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/16

Military camp, circa 1910s

9 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/17

Military camp, circa 1920s

2 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/18

Alfred Mordecai and nephew Dess Jr., circa 1920s

2 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/19

Alfred Mordecai and friends and family, circa 1920s

5 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/20

Fort Eustis, Virginia, circa 1920s

4 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/21

Baguio, Philippines: Alfred Mordecai with Indigenous people, circa 1928

2 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/22

Baguio, Philippines: Elsie Mordecai riding pony, circa 1928

5 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/23

Baguio, Philippines: Bontoc Trail, November 1928

3 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/24

Baguio, Philippines: Igorot people, circa 1928

9 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/25

Baguio, Philippines: Bontoc people, circa 1928

2 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/26

Baguio, Philippines: Kalinga people, circa 1928

2 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/27

Baguio, Philippines: Indigenous people, circa 1928

15 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/28

Baguio, Philippines: Miscellaneous, circa 1928

15 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/29

Philippines: "Igorotes and Negritoes," circa 1928

6 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/30

Philippines: "Negritoes, Mountains of Batan," circa 1928

6 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/31

Philippines: "China Sea, Mariveles," circa 1928

4 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/32

Philippines: "The Igorote Country," circa 1928

4 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/33

Baldwin family, 14 November 1937-1938

5 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/34

Blowing Rock, North Carolina: William Mordecai and Wiley Vanney, circa 1970s

1 image

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/35

Blowing Rock, North Carolina: Postcards, circa 1930s-1950s

3 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/36

Blowing Rock, North Carolina: Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Coffey, Sr., circa 1940s

3 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/37

Blowing Rock, North Carolina: Plants, circa 1970s

Color photographic prints

8 images

Image Box IB-04221/1

Image Folder PF-04221/38

Blowing Rock, North Carolina: Miscellaneous, circa 1910s-1950s

2 images

Image Box IB-04221/2

Image Folder PF-04221/39

31st Hospital Company, September 1936

1 image

Image Box IB-04221/2

Image Folder PF-04221/40

Blowing Rock, North Carolina: Photographs by Wiley Vannoy (?), circa 1970s

4 images

Image Box IB-04221/2

Image Folder PF-04221/41

Blowing Rock, North Carolina: Wiley Vannoy's old home near Boone, N.C., circa 1910

1 image

Image Box IB-04221/2

Image Folder PF-04221/42

Blowing Rock, North Carolina: Snowy landscape, circa 1960s

4 images

Image Box IB-04221/2

Image Folder PF-04221/43

Blowing Rock, North Carolina: Miscellaneous, circa 1970s

10 images

Image Box IB-04221/2

Image Folder PF-04221/44

Aunt Betsy Holmes, circa 1900s

1 image

Have negative (PF-04221/49)

Image Box IB-04221/2

Image Folder PF-04221/45

Aunt Betsy Holmes (?), circa 1900s

3 images

Image Box IB-04221/2

Image Folder PF-04221/46

Willow trees on the Potomac River, Washington, DC, circa 1950s

2 images

Photographer Peter Bozick. Have negative (PF-04221/47

Image Folder PF-04221/47

Willow trees on the Potomac River, Washington, DC, circa 1950s

Black-and-white sheet film

2 images

Photographer Peter Bozick

Image Folder PF-04221/48

Alfred Mordecai examining child, circa 1948

Black-and-white sheet film

1 image

Used in Winston-Salem Journal or Twin City Sentinel.

Image Folder PF-04221/49

Aunt Betsy Holmes, circa 1900s

Black-and-white sheet film

1 image

Image Folder PF-04221/50-63

PF-04221/50

PF-04221/51

PF-04221/52

PF-04221/53

PF-04221/54

PF-04221/55

PF-04221/56

PF-04221/57

PF-04221/58

PF-04221/59

PF-04221/60

PF-04221/61

PF-04221/62

PF-04221/63

Photographs, circa 1850-1975

Photographs document the life and interests of Alfred Mordecai. There are photographs of the Mordecai family, photographs in Blowing Rock, N.C., and photographs taken in the Philippines and Japan. Filed with family photographs are images of enslaved people owned by the Mordecai family of Raleigh, N.C.

Oversize Paper Folder OPF-04221/1

Oversize papers

Oversize Paper Folder OPF-04221/2

Pages from a French-language book, possibly titled "En Plein Feu"

circa 1910s? Images on pages appear to be war scenes from World War I.

Oversize Image Folder OP-PF-04221/1

Igorote men on Bontoe, Philippines, 1928

Black-and-white photographic prints

1 image

Extra Oversize Image Folder XOP-PF-04221/1

Extra oversize images

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