Emily Haynes: A Victorian Life in Letters April 7, 2007

Like many educated Victorians of her day, Emily Leonard Haynes was a devoted correspondent, writing weekly letters to her parents and three sisters. A talented young vocalist from Easthampton, Massachusetts, she trained at Smith College and then accompanied her sister Alice on their Grand Tour of Europe in the 1880s, studying with several of the leading voice teachers of the period at the famous conservatories in Germany. Upon her return, Emily Leonard lived in Springfield with the socially prominent Haynes family while she was employed as a professional soloist at Hope Church. A great beauty with a gentle, winning personality, she married Stanford Haynes in 1891. Haynes & Co. was the leading men's and boys' clothing store in western Massachusetts for many years.