Subject: Love Letters

Letter - Henry Cohen (Philadelphia Merchant, 1810-79). Autograph Letter Signed. London : 23rd January 1844…. Courtship letter written to his bride-to-be Matilda Samuel (1820-88) of Liverpool. Four pages, including integral address panel along with one-penny postage stamp. Small hole, repair to lower margin of last page. 4to Henry Cohen had come to Philadelphia from England in 1837 and established a wholesale import stationary business there. He met Matilda in 1844 when visiting his family in Liverpool. They promptly married and returned together to America. Settling in Philadelphia, they joined Mikveh Israel, where they both became active in the affairs of the congregation and the greater Jewish community. Mrs. Cohen became close friends with Rebecca Gratz and together they gave their time, energy, and resources to several worthy causes. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Matilda Cohen became a member of the Women's Branch of the Sanitary Fair Committee. Taking a leadership role, she led Pennsylvania's Jewish women sewing bandages and clothing packing food, nursing soldiers and raising money for military supplies. Under her leadership, two hundred and fifty Jewish women joined the Ladies Hebrew Relief Association for the Sick and Wounded Soldiers. In the midst of the war, in 1864, Matilda Cohen wrote a letter in response to General Benjamin Butler's published account of the capture of five Jews accused of smuggling across the military blockade. Butler had written that he was "from the force of circumstances, unacquainted with any other Israelites than those engaged in the contraband trade". In her remarkable and articulate response, Mrs. Cohen writes: "This is a satisfactory explanation as far as it goes but when I refer you to the history of my people, your intellectual mind will readily perceive the injustice you have done to us. I am a native of England, but America is the land of my adoption, having dwelt here 20 years, my sons and daughters glory in "being natives here and to the manner born". Mr. Cohen is among the earliest member of the Union League, taking a deep interest in the success of the national cause. I have established a Hebrew Women's Aid which cooperates with the U.S. Sanitary Commission and has added many stores for the sick and wounded soldiers. I see a great and glorious future for this century if, at the close of this war it truly proves itself to be the 'Land of the Free' to all races, and to all religions." Henry and Matilda Cohen had nine children. Among them were Charles J. Cohen, who succeeded his father as President of Mikveh Israel in 1879, Mary Cohen who was an accomplished writer, and Katherine Cohen who was a well-known artist. AI SUMMARY: Henry Cohen immigrated from England to Philadelphia in 1837 and quickly established a highly successful business career. Shortly after his arrival, he founded a high-end wholesale stationery enterprise that specialized in envelope manufacturing and foreign imports. During the 1850s and 1860s, the commercial headquarters for this flourishing operation were located at 42 Market Street. Under Philadelphia's older grid numbering system, this specific location later shifted to what is known today as the 500 block of Market Street. When the American Civil War broke out in the 1860s, Cohen's business experienced significant growth. He chose to use his newly acquired wealth to fiercely back the Union cause. As part of these patriotic efforts, he became an early member of Philadelphia's historic Union League. Through this organization, he provided massive financial subscriptions to help fund and equip the Union military.Beyond his commercial success, Henry Cohen and his wife, Matilda, were pillar figures in the early American Jewish community. According to 19th-century historical records—including Henry Samuel Morais' landmark 1894 volume The Jews of Philadelphia—the family maintained a deep commitment to Jewish communal life. They were lifelong, deeply involved members of Kahal Kadosh Mikveh Israel, one of the oldest and most historic synagogues in the United States, where Henry routinely contributed leadership, resources, and financial support. The Cohens also maintained an elite social and philanthropic partnership with Rebecca Gratz, the famous Jewish-American educator who founded the first Hebrew Sunday School in America. Matilda Cohen was an intimate friend of Gratz and served as her primary co-worker across multiple local Jewish charity organizations. This philanthropic drive extended into the Civil War when Philadelphia hosted the Great Central Fair for the Sanitary Commission. Henry funded and Matilda led the Women's Branch of the Sanitary Fair Committee, where she spearheaded efforts for Pennsylvania’s Jewish women to organize mass sewing circles that crafted essential clothes and blankets for Union soldiers. In addition to wartime relief, historical records show that Henry Cohen acted as a primary benefactor and financial adviser to the early Philadelphia Jewish Foster Home and Orphan Asylum. His leadership helped establish a vital social safety net for arriving Jewish immigrants and orphaned children. Toward the end of his life, Cohen continued his civic dedication by acting as a chief promoter for the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. His wife served as a highly decorated organizer for the event, ensuring that the civic, cultural, and charitable contributions of the Jewish community were prominently represented on a global stage

A courting letter written by Ed Horton to Miss Sadie Miller on February 12, 1876, in New York City. The letter references addresses in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The envelope features advertising.

A handwritten personal letter from Abraham Touro to Clarissa Chadwick, dated March 30, 1817, from New York. The letter informs Chadwick of Touro's safe arrival after a journey and inquires about her well-being, stating that others are also asking after her. The integral stampless cover, visible on the reverse, is addressed to "Miss Clarissa Chadwick, West Cambridge, Massachusetts" and bears a red circular postal cancellation mark. The letter is entirely handwritten in cursive script.