Real People and Real History: Helen Hooker O'Malley's World

Born in 1905 to Elon and Blanche Hooker in Greenwich, Connecticut, Helen Hooker was raised with ready access to education, and creative expression. Helen came of age at a time where women of her socio-economic background were expected to attend college and become the next generation educated women in high-society. Instead, Helen “broke the mold” for young women in her family. Rather than pursuing academics, Helen chose to travel and create art. Her experiences in the 1920s, portrays a compelling story of a modern and trailblazing woman, who held her passions above societal pressures.

Rare Books and Special Collections holds two large manuscript collections from the Huntington-Hooker families that span from the 1830s to the mid–20th century. As expected, there is less accessible information on the specificities of the earlier generations of the family, making an exploration across multiple generations complicated. The Huntington-Hooker family papers are expansive and detailed for a collection of its age. Members of the family were prolific in their artistic and literary works. Their upper-class position also allowed for high volumes of photo documentation, which was uncommon for most families before the 20th century.

The Huntington-Hooker Family papers demonstrate the importance of preserving family history, and how family memorabilia contribute to traditional library archives. “The family” can be seen viewed a socio-political institution, documentation of how the familial construct has shifted over time is important for understanding broader historical trends. Family historians may have a more informal role than trained historians and librarians in documenting and preserving historical materials, but their contributions are still vital work. The practice of personal genealogy can be an accessible way to interact with documents that relate to our own past, and may make history feel more “real” for some, by being outside of an academic setting. If the significance of documenting personal history for future generations is recognized and better understood, historical research and documentation will also be more widely valued.