Chipmunks and Children: The Photography and Life of Ruth Alexander Nichols

Document 1: 21 August 1917, Ruth Alexander to Herman Nichols   |    Document 2: 23 August 1918, Albert Britt to Ruth Alexander
Document 3: 1919 Thomas Clay O’Donnell to Ruth Alexander   |    Document 4: 23 May 1927 Jean M. Whitman to Ruth Nichols
Document 5: 20 June 1931- W. C. Vogt to Ruth Nichols   |    Document 6 & 7 Introduction
Document 6: 14 June 1950, W.H. Zippler to Ruth Nichols     |    Document 7: 20 June 1950, Ruth Nichols to W.H. Zippler
Document 8: 1953 – Better Homes and Gardens Transcript       |     Bibliography

Document 1: 21 August 1917, Ruth Alexander to Herman Nichols

Author: Ruth Alexander

Herman Nichols, approximately 1915.
Herman Nichols, approximately 1915.
Source: Series XIII. Photographs, Box 1. Nichols Family Papers, RG 30/372. O.C.A.

Recipient: Herman Nichols

Date: 21 August 1917

Location: Nichols Family Papers, Record Group 30/372, Series 1. Personal Correspondence of Ruth A. Nichols (sent and received), Subseries 1. Letters sent by Ruth A. Nichols, Box 2. O.C.A.

Document Type: Autograph Letter, Signed by Author

Introduction:

        The following letter was written by Ruth Alexander to her future first husband, Herman Nichols. The two had attended Oberlin College together, and had been dating or engaged for quite some time. When this letter was written, Alexander was at her family vacation home in Cable, Wisconsin, while Nichols was with his family in Brooklyn.[1] Though the two exchanged letters constantly, this was the beginning of a long period of physical separation they endured after graduation from Oberlin. While Alexander had returned home to Kansas, Nichols attended Columbia University, where he studied law.[2] In 1918, Nichols, who had enlisted in the military in 1914, was sent overseas to fight in World War I. His unit, the Kings County Medical Unit, was stationed in various places across England for the remainder of the war.[3] Though Nichols had qualified as a pilot, he was never transferred to an aviation unit and so remained among the medical staff; this may have been fortunate, as pilots in World War I were sometimes called themselves the “20 Minute Club” for the average life expectancy of a new pilot in the air.[4] He and Ruth Alexander were not married until 1920 after he had returned from the war and finished his degree at Columbia. Herman then worked in his famil’s  law firm,  R.S. and H.E. Nichols. He and Ruth lived together at his family home in Brooklyn for several years before moving to Westfield, New Jersey.[5] Unfortunately on 4 February 1924, a few months before the birth of their second daughter, Herman Nichols died from peritonitis following an operation for an intestinal ulcer.[6]

Herman Nichols during World War I.
Herman Nichols in uniform during World War I.
Source: Series XIII. Photographs, Box 1. Nichols Family Papers, RG 30/372. O.C.A.

        Though short, Herman Nichols and Ruth Alexander’s relationship was clearly one filled with much love. Their extensive correspondence documents how much they cared about each other, and longed for the other’s presence. As the following letter demonstrates, Herman was also extremely supportive of Ruth’s efforts in writing and photography. His support and encouragement likely helped paved the way for her later career.

        This letter also illuminates Ruth Nichols’ early work, much of which dealt primarily with nature photography. At the beginning of the letter, she describes the painstaking process of photographing small, skittish animals. The patience she demonstrates in waiting for them to pose is remarkable, as is her restraint and persistence in the face of many frustrations. The skills that she learned in early photoshoots like this greatly informed the trajectory of her later career, and gave her experience that allowed her to work successfully with other small animals that require patience and persistence: namely, children.

Original                       Both                    Transcription

 

 

letter 1 p1
letter 1 p2
letter 1 p3
letter 1 p4

Transcription:

8-21-17[7]

In the Back Yard

Monday noon

Dearest Boy, – [sic]

Ruth Alexander and Herman Nichols
Ruth Alexander and Herman Nichols during their time at Oberlin.
Source: Series XIII. Photographs, Box 1. Nichols Family Papers, RG 30/372. O.C.A.

        You can’t guess what I’m doing! No not if you guessed & guessed. I’m sitting on a campstool waiting for a porcupine to get ready to have his picture taken.[8] I’ve been sitting here quite patiently (for me) for the last day.[9] I was trying to make my gophers & porc chipmunks pose [inserted above the line: on the cave roof]  when father called from the hollow below the cave – “Here’s a porcupine.” I jumped up & hurried down. The old fellow had just climbed halfway up the cave & I got two good pictures of him (at least they ought to be good [sic].  He [inserted above the line: then] climbed [inserted above the line: conveniently] into a big box & we dragged him in it up to the house.[10] Now I’m waiting for him to pose so that I can get a good side view. I have all views of him but that. I wish you could see him. He is too coy for words the way he runs to a corner & tucks his head into it every

Ruth and Herman
Ruth and Herman together, approximately 1915.
Source: Series XIII. Photographs, Box 1. Nichols Family Papers, RG 30/372. O.C.A.

time he sees any of us.[11] They [inserted above the line: Porcupines] are fearfully ungainly looking creatures. They act much like little bears & really from a head-on view look something like a bear. You would never dream they could get up much speed but they surely can travel once they take a notion to.too [sic] You didn’t see a “porcy”[12] & I’m so sorry. Father & Chet[13] met another in the woods this morning. They seem fairly common this year. How do you think an article on the habits & antics of porcupines might strike an editor[14] – of course on my porcupine in particular illustrated by photographs.

        I kept the animal under a (tub?) last night. I gave him a poplar tree to eat & this morning there wasn’t much of that poplar tree [inserted above the line with a carrot: left] worth looking at. He ate leaves & bark & [pulp?]. My gophers & chipmunks have been doing some fine posing today –[15] just when it’s so cloudy that I’m not particular about taking any pictures of them. I’m planning to get a lot of pictures of them & make a fairly large article out of them –[16] I mean with a fine collection of pictures.

Later

        Your dear dear letter came this afternoon. I’m dreadfully ashamed that I haven’t gotten this letter to you before. It’s dreadfully late but dearest Boy you know how I love you anyway and it’s so hard to get mail in from there unless you know just when people go to town. But I promise you faithfully that you shall have your letter from now on if I have to make a special trip to town to mail them.

Ruth and Herman
Ruth and Herman having some fun, approximately 1915.
Source: Series XIII. Photographs, Box 1. Nichols Family Papers, RG 30/372. O.C.A.

        The last two days I haven’t been feeling as well as I might. I’m O.K. today however – quite myself again. The reason for the upset if was because I went too hard for two days.[17] But those two days I surely had a wonderful time. I wished for you every minute only I don’t know whether you are as fond of exploring in [inserted above the line: through] all kinds of thickets & swamps as I am.[18] Mrs. Bereman & Marjory (you remember in the Gadd cottage next to Harmon’s)[19] & I went to look for raspberries[20] up behind Mud lake.[21] We followed a path back to a [inserted above the line: little] lake behind Mud lake & then followed its shore line for quite a ways. We found a few berries but a very few[22] until we struck a little patch near a tamarack & balsam swamp.[23] I struck off into the swamp while Marjory & Mrs. Bereman picked the little fellows there & found on the edge of another little lake a perfect thicket of wonderful big berries. We couldn’t pick any then to speak of because we had used up our time so we had to go back. We thought the little unknown lake might be George lake[24] (the tiny lake between Mud & Wiley lakes where I dragged you to one day I think).[25] If that was so we thought we might reach our berry patch from Wiley Lake. so We went back, I stayed at Bereman’s for dinner & then Marjory & I went exploring in[26] earnest & such fun as we had. To make a long story short we finally discovered a short cut [sic] to our berry patch (which was on George Lake) from the head of Wiley. Also we ran into another wonderful patch this side of that one. Berries are rather scarce this year in most places so we were lucky.[27] However it was a hard day of exploration & [inserted above the line: & that &] the next day spent picking berries there finished me[28] for a day or so. I won’t get so frisky again I don’t believe. I felt so good I was sure I was fit for anything & now I am again.

        I must stop now & send this to town because Chet is going now. Remember dear I love you heaps & heaps. Lot’s of love to your mother. I’ll write a better letter next time.

        Heaps & heaps of love

                Your Ruth

[Transcribed by Nora Rice]

 

[1] Nichols Family Papers, Record Group 30/372. Series 1. Personal Correspondence of Ruth A. Nichols (sent and received), Subseries I. Letters sent by Ruth A. Nichols, Box 2. O.C.A; Nichols Family Papers, Record Group 30/372. Series 2. Personal Correspondence of Herman Nichols (sent and received), Subseries I. Letters sent by Herman Nichols, Box 2. O.C.A.

[2] Student File, Ruth Alexander Nichols, Record Group 28/2, Box 57, O.C.A.; Student File, Herman Nichols, Record Group 28/2, Box 756, O.C.A.

[3] Presumably, although Nichols enlisted earlier, he was exempted from active Military service for a time, due to his studying at Columbia (Student File, Herman Nichols, Record Group 28/2, Box 756, O.C.A.).

[4]Student File, Herman Nichols, Record Group 28/2, Box 756, O.C.A.; Nelson Wyatt, “First World War Flyers Risked Shortened Lifespan but Have Extended Legacy.” The Great War, 20 October 2014. Source.

[5]While the couple moved to New Jersey, they apparently kept their home in Brooklyn, New York, and the family alternated between the two until they permanently settled in New Jersey in November of 1925 (Student File, Ruth Alexander Nichols, Record Group 28/2, Box 57, O.C.A.; Student File, Herman Nichols, Record Group 28/2, Box 756, O.C.A.).

[6] Student File, Herman Nichols, Record Group 28/2, Box 756, O.C.A.

[7] Added in a different ink, likely a later addition made by the family or archives. 

[8] As is mentioned in Document 2 of this mini-edition, Alexander later used these pictures for an article withOuting magazine entitled “My Friend the Porcupine.” She sold the same magazine several of her chipmunk photos as well, and many similar photos later formed the basis for her National Geographic article “In the Land of the Chipmunk,” which is discussed further in Document 5 (Nichols Family Papers, Record Group 30/372. Series VI. Professional Correspondence of Ruth A. Nichols, Box 1. O.C.A.).

[9] The preceding two sentences were underlined in orange, when this addition was made is not clear.

[10] Sentence underlined in orange.

[11] Sentence underlined in orange.

[12] Shorthand for “porcupine.”

[13] Chet’s exact identity is unclear, but other letters from the same trip show him often spending time with Ruth and her older sister Mabel, suggesting that he is probably a member of their extended family, or possibly the fiance or husband of Mabel. A later letter, sent to Ruth Nichols’ second husband by Mabel, also mentions Chet, and suggests that they were living together at the time, which supports the second possibility (Nichols Family Papers, Record Group 30/372. Series I. Personal Correspondence of Ruth A. Nichols (sent and received), Subseries I. Letters sent by Ruth A. Nichols. Box 2. O.C.A; Nichols Family Papers, Record Group 30/372. Series V. Personal Correspondence of Brewster Sperry Beach (sent and received), Subseries II. Letters received by Brewster Sperry Beach, Box 1. O.C.A).

[14] Beginning of the sentence underlined in orange.

[15] Beginning of sentence underlined in orange.

[16] Underlined in orange from “of them” to the the dash. 

[17] Sentence underlined in orange.

[18] Sentence underlined in orange from “fond of exploring” till the end.

[19] Marjory, Mrs. Bereman, and Harmon were presumably friends or neighbors of Ruth and her family at their vacation home.

[20] “Look for raspberries” underlined in orange.

[21] Mud lake is either very small, or has had it’s name changed in the years since Alexander’s family stayed there as it cannot be located on maps of the area (“Google Maps,” Google Maps. Accessed 27 June 2016. Source).

[22] “Few” to “few” is underlined in orange.

[23] “Tamarak and balsam swamp” is underlined in orange. Tamarak and balsam are both conifer trees. Along with the black spruce they make up most of the swamp conifers in this region of the country, though balsam trees also regularly grow outside the swamp (Michigan State University. “Swamp Conifer Forest Types.” Forest Types of Michigan, May 2013. Source).

[24] Beginning of the sentence underlined in orange.

[25] Like Mud Lake, George Lake is either too small or has had its name changed, as it does not appear on maps of the area. Wiley Lake, however, is fairly large and is visible on Google Maps. There are also numerous other lakes in the area that could have been visited by Alexander’s family (“Google Maps,” Google Maps. Accessed 27 June 2016. Source).

[26] Underlined in orange from “then Marjory” to “in”

[27] Sentence mostly underlined in orange. 

[28] Sentence underlined in orange from “a hard day” to “finishing me.”