William Arnold Spicer, III papers (Ms.2012.023)

The William A. Spicer III papers contains scattered correspondence; personal and business documentation; photographs and photographic slides; vintage postcards; travel brochures and maps; ephemera; and a few artifacts. Of special note is an antique stereoscope (manufacturer and date of manufacture unknown) in near perfect condition, with accompanying glass slides. This small collection dates from 1901 to 2004, with the bulk between the late 1950s to 2004.

Series 1, Antique Clocks, consists of a variety of materials documenting William A. Spicer's interest in the history, care, and restoration of antique clocks. It includes business correspondence, dealers' catalogs, auction catalogs, photo documentation, and other snippets of technical and historical information that Spicer collected over the years.

Series 2, Friends and Associates, includes a small number of files of Spicer's friends and associates, including materials relating to some prominent families of Rhode Island--namely, the Browns, the Lippitts and the Chafees. They include scattered correspondence, invitations, programs, and various newspaper and magazine clippings referencing them, and others, in a variety of contexts.

Series 3, Brown University, includes a small assortment of materials related to Brown University, particularly within the context of Spicer and his lifelong association with Brown--as student, as an administrator, and later on in his life, as a caretaker of the John Hay Library's antique clocks. It includes materials documenting Spicer's undergraduate years at Brown, including a small file on his graduating class of 1942, as well as a few files documenting his extracurricular contributions--most notably his participation in the management of sets and designs for various theatrical productions. It includes issues of The Brown Daily Herald (from 1939) and a program from the 1941 Brownbrokers' production of "Run for your life," all attesting to Spicer's contributions to various theatrical productions. It also includes an assortment of commencement programs that he collected over the years as well as a complimentary calendar from Brown's Division of Engineering where Spicer worked as an administrator.

Series 4, Travel, contains materials relating to Spicer's travels. It includes a hefty collection of travel memorabilia--brochures, maps, postcards, photographs, slides--as well as some topical files about various modes of transportation, including trips by rail or by ocean liner.

Series 5, Subject Files, comprises an eclectic assortment of files by topic, all of which document Spicer's various interests. It includes files on sailing, the Statue of Liberty and Charles Lindbergh, among others. Of special note is a file of materials on Helen Hayes, which includes Hayes' signature on a 1947 issue of The Playbill highlighting the role she played in the comedy "Happy Birthday" as well as a biographical overview of her stellar career in theatre and film.

Series 6, Artifacts, is a small collection of disparate objects, including a cap from China, a novelty handkerchief from the manufacturer Girard-Perregaux, and a graphic print from Elgin watch company. The most striking and noteworthy item in this series is an antique stereoscope which is in pristine condition, accompanied by glass slides of images depicting various historical sites and works of art.