Addition

These materials are arranged in four main categories: biographical materials, correspondence, stock and other certificates, and publications.

The biographical materials include clippings and other items relating to Dr. Abt and other members of his family; the script of the American Medical Association's “Gold Medal Doctors” radio program (1948) featuring Dr. Abt; the ship's passage (in German, August 1, 1853) for Dr. Abt's father, Levi, from Bremen; a certificate of admission to high school, June 29, 1883; a few school and college papers; a guest book for the Abt house in Leland, Michigan (1922-1938); and 20 diary, note, and memoranda books. The latter provide information about meetings, trips, and other professional concerns, as well as a few personal and family matters. The notes on the Abt's various European trips include some information on visits to clinics, hospitals, and educational institutions. One memo book contains a collection of cigar bands. Here also is the minute book for the Peerless Literary Society (1881-1884) of which Abt was a founder and president.

The correspondence, arranged chronologically by date, includes letters and postcards, mostly from Dr. Abt to other members of his family. Some correspondence is from Abt's wife and a small amount from relatives and friends pertains mainly to Abt's autobiography, Baby Doctor. Of special interest are three letters (May 7, 1887-January 21, 1888) written home while Abt attended Johns Hopkins University. These mention the serious illness, probably diphtheria, of Abt's youngest sister, May, and gifts of money and clothes. In the January 21, 1888 letter, Abt referred to the difficulties that his father and older brothers, Solomon and Herman, were having with their clothing business. Abt offered to withdraw from school to help the family.

The stock and other certificates are of no monetary value and serve only to illustrate some of Dr. Abt's less fortunate investments.

The publications include a paperback Portuguese translation (1946) of Baby Doctor and a bound volume of The Literary Star, a monthly 8-page tabloid issued from February 15, 1885 through January 15, 1886, by the “Editors and Proprietors”: Isaac A. Abt, Leo A. Loeb, and Simon B. Eisendrath.

The package contains the Peerless Society minute book and The Literary Star volume.