Included are materials from Platt Rogers Spencer’s career as a teacher, calligrapher, businessman, poet, essayist, politician. There are copy-books, notes from his years as county treasurer in Ohio (1832-1844), a treatise on slavery, newspaper clippings by and about Platt Rogers Spencer (and his family), recipes for mixing inks, photographs of the family as well as of the family homestead, hand-written calling cards, genealogical research, penmanship samples and calligraphic flourishes, correspondence between Platt and his students, as well as correspondence within his own family. Spencer fathered ten children and was one of ten children himself, so the volume of correspondence was vast.

Many of Platt’s students and colleagues became well-known as calligraphers and as founders of important business colleges across the U.S. and their correspondence, copybooks, and penmanship samples are also included.

Because Platt’s children achieved recognition for their work establishing business schools, their papers are an important part of the collection as well. Lyman’s illustrated letters (and drawings) documenting his Civil War service with the 2nd Ohio Heavy Artillery Regiment are included as well as his drawings, penmanship samples, information related to his work as teacher, and correspondence within his family circle. There are also press clippings regarding the establishment of the various business schools across the country by the other brothers (Henry C., Harvey A., Platt Rogers Jr., and Robert C. Spencer).

In addition, papers related to the life and career of Spencer’s son-in-law, Junius Sloan, a prominent Chicago artist are also included. Sloan’s wife, Sarah, Platt’s daughter, was also a calligrapher and teacher, and so her work, and the work of her many students is also included. There are also press clippings about Junius, information about local art exhibits and art organizations, art galleries, photographs, sketchbooks, family histories and genealogy, financial records, correspondence with potential clients as well as with other artists of his time and family members. This entire collection was donated to the Newberry Library by Junius and Sarah’s son, Percy Sloan, an art teacher with the Chicago Public Schools, and a few of his childhood mementoes are also included as well as those of his brother, Carl (or Carle).

Artifacts such as pen quills, inkwells, a glass pen, a child’s writing slate from 1863 (Emma Spencer’s), a boxed set of copy-book lessons written by Lyman Spencer are included as well as bound volumes of penmanship samples written by contemporaneous penmen.