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

High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09120.394 Author/Creator: Diamond, Sidney, (1922-1945) Place Written: Bougainville, Papua New Guninea Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 17 April 1944 Pagination: 5 p. ; 18.5 x 26.7 cm. Order a Copy

Diamond describes the contents of a package that his parents have sent him. He recalls the day that he proposed to Estelle, and comments that nearly a year has passed since that date, May 18th. He then discusses how important Estelle is to him in his present position: "When I returned from the front with the nauseating stench of the dead lingering on my cloths it was the memory of the past, which is you, that made me throw off the melancholy."

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources