Overview of Records

The Beatrice Siegel Collection consists mainly of items relating to Ms Siegel's research on the books that she wrote.  She explored different areas of interest, mainly historical in nature, and published books that were geared primarily to a young adult audience.

Beatrice Siegel has been praised for the extensive research presented in her books.  When writing about basket weaving and spinning, she described it in the context of the relationships between early American colonists and the Native American Indians.  When writing of life in the lower East Side, she depicted the difficulties immigrants experienced early in the twentieth century.

Ms Siegel conveyed the hardships and eventual gains of young women who attained positions of power.  She wrote books about Martha Washington, Lillian Wald [who established the Henry Street Settlement House in New York City], Corazon Aquizon, [who became the first woman President of the Philippines], Alicia Alonso,[a young ballerina], or the notable Margaret Bourke-White [famous female photographer].  No doubt these books made a great impact on her young female audience.

The papers in this collection contain items related to the books Ms Siegel published.  There is research material, galley proofs, manuscripts, background files, miscellaneous articles, and numerous photographs.

Beatrice Siegel was an early graduate of Brooklyn College, a young woman who grew up during the Great Depression and was very much affected by life then.  Writing about the early life of American colonists in the basket maker and the spinner, Ms Spiegel showed the reader the "historic symbols of changing cultures" from a bygone era.  When describing the Lower East Side in the biography of Lillian D. Wald, an early pioneer of women's  rights, labor, health and commitment, Ms Siegel's wrote of Ms Wald's "commitment to social change".  This is what Beatrice Siegel was expert at exploringShe spent much of her time exploring and writing books that reflected these views.
 
 
 

Quantity:  23 boxes

Accession number:  93-003

Repository:  Brooklyn College Library Archives & Special Collection
                   2900 Bedford Avenue
                   Brooklyn  NY   11210
                   [718]951-5346

Access Restrictions:  The collection is open for research

Preferred Citation:  Item, folder title, box number, Beatrice Siegel Collection, Brooklyn College Special Collections, Brooklyn College Library