Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Diamond, Sidney (1922-1945) to Estelle Spero

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09120.109 Author/Creator: Diamond, Sidney (1922-1945) Place Written: Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 27 September 1942 Pagination: 5 p. ; 16 x 26.5 cm. Order a Copy

Diamond pops into a Catholic church while in town in order to take a break. He writes to Estelle that, "while seated there, alone, in the strange hush that only religion can bring about, the thought of death overcame me." He then describes looking into the Bible for some sort of inspiration, and tries to interpret the Biblical verse, "Deliver me from mine enemies, Protect me from them that persecute me."

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