Charles Lionel Chute papers, 1899-1913

Summary Information

At a Glance

Arrangement

Arrangement

Material is arranged into five series.

• Series I: Child Labor, 1904-1913
• Series II: The Street Trades: Newsboys, Night Messengers, 1899-1912
• Series III: Industrial Accidents, 1909-1910
• Series IV: Welfare, Civic, and Educational Interests, 1907-1916
• Series V: Biographical Items

Description

Summary

Reports, articles, case histories, and clippings representing a partial record of the anti-child labor movement. To a large extent, these documents are the work of Charles Lionel Chute.

• Series I: Child Labor, 1904-1913

  Empahsis on establishing and enforcing new laws which would protect children, employed mainly in industrial and commercial firms, by correcting the abuses inherent in bad working conditions, health hazards, lack of educational opportunities, etc.

• Series II: The Street Trades: Newsboys, Night Messengers, 1899-1912

• Series III: Industrial Accidents, 1909-1910

• Series IV: Welfare, Civic, and Educational Interests, 1907-1916

• Series V: Biographical Items

Using the Collection

Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Restrictions on Access

You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.

This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

This collection has no restrictions.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Charles Lionel Chute papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Accruals

Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.

Ownership and Custodial History

Gift of Audrey S. Chute to the New York School of Social Work, 1959; transferred in 1970 & 1983.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Source of acquisition--Chute, Audrey S. Method of acquisition--Transferred from the New York School of Social Work, 1970, 1983; Date of acquisition--1959. Accession number--M-59.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Processing Information

Surveyed Christina Hilton Fenn 05/03/89.

Collection processed by Audrey S. Chute, 1959. Previous finding aid written April 1959 by Margaret M. Otto, Librarian, The New York School of Social Work.

Revision Description

2012-12-06 xml document instance created by Carrie Hintz

2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

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Genre/Form

Subject

History / Biographical Note

Biographical Note

Mr. Chute's long and successful career in social work began in 1910, soon after graduation from The New York School of Social Work, when he was appointed special agent for the National Child Labor Committee. Two years later he became executive secretary of the Pennsylvania Child Labor Association. During this period Mr. Chute drafted a uniform child labor law, and led many campaigns for the enactment of labor laws that would protect children from exploitation.

The studies, and reports of investigations, include valuable source material. They represent primary sources, the factual data about child labor conditions, principally in glass, mining, and textile industries, and in the street trades. As might be expected, these investigations were carried on in highly industrialized states such aa Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana and Illinois, during the years 1911 - 1913.

For students who may wish to trace evidence of early use of the community organization method, these documents will be an important historical source. It is indeed interesting that, fifty years ago, Charles L. Chute and other pioneer leaders who worked with him in the child labor movement, planned community-wise on state and local levels, to achieve social action goals. Specific references to the Pennsylvania campaign present evidence of the community planning process at work in 19131

To the research worker, the collection of 100 clippings will be a rich source of reporting on action and reaction trends during the Pennsylvania campaign of 1913. Mrs. Audrey S. Chute has written an excellent description and interpretation of these clippings, which is included in the annotated bibliography of the whole collection.