Albert Leffingwell Collection

Wells College - Louis Jefferson Long Library

Albert Leffingwell Journal Hong Kong October 15, 1881 to Singapore and Penang November 7, 1881 - Image Source

Collection Facts

Extent:

Dates of Original:

c. 1853-1914

Explore the Collection >>>

Historical Context

Dr. Albert Leffingwell (1845-1916) was a physician, social reformer, and vocal advocate for vivisection reform born in Aurora, NY. He authored many books bringing light to the cruel abuses of animal experimentation and calling for regulation. He worked at the Dansville Sanatorium at Dansville, NY, had a private practice in New York City, and served as U.S. Consul to Warsaw in 1905, then part of the Russian Empire. His wife, Elizabeth (née Fear) was also a doctor. His son Albert Fear Leffingwell (1895-1946) was a pulp novelist who wrote mystery thrillers under the pen name Dana Chambers.

Scope of Collection

The Albert Leffingwell Collection was originally preserved and organized by Leffingwell himself. The correspondence and other documents reveal the state of animal rights and mental healthcare in the U.S. during the Victorian era. The scope of the collection is wide, ranging from some early settlement claims in Aurora, NY to his observations during the Russian Revolution of 1905 and the persecution of Jews in Warsaw.