The Cobb family descended from Henry Cobb of Kent, England, who came to Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1629 on the ship Anne. His descendants became pioneers, religious leaders, social reformers, educators, writers, and artists. Two family members, Darius Cobb (1834-1919) and his twin brother Cyrus Cobb (1834-1903), became prominent artists in the Boston area.

This collection contains original writings, diary entries, correspondence, transcriptions of letters, articles, newspaper clippings, ephemera, keepsakes, and photographs concerning the Cobb family members of several generations. The materials are divided into fourteen different categories the twelve family members to whom most of the materials pertain and the two topic areas of "Family Origins" and "Civil War." The family members are Sylvanus Cobb, Jr. (1825-1887), Cyrus Cobb (1834-1903), Darius Cobb (1834-1919), Laura Lillie Cobb (1846-1919), Grace Cobb Sanborn, Ernest Cobb, Cora Cobb (1868-1960), Frederick W. Cobb (1870-1958), Stanwood Cobb (1861-1982), Edith Cobb Allen (1886-1991), Priscilla Cobb Payne, Laura-Lillie Snyder, and Percival B. Cobb.

The greatest area of research strength in this collection is the large amount of original correspondence (35 letters dated March 26, 1863 December 6, 1864). These letters were written to and from Cyrus and Darius Cobb while the brothers served for the Union army in the 44th Massachusetts Regiment during the Civil War.

Other areas of interest include materials concerning the life and works of Cyrus and Darius Cobb, twins and prominent Boston artists; Ernest Cobb, writer and publisher; Cora Cobb, writer and lecturer; and Stanwood Cobb, writer and educator. In addition, the memoirs of Edith Cobb (Myers) Allen, written between May 19,1980, and October 22, 1980, provides insight into daily life in nineteenth and early twentieth century Massachusetts.

The photographs in box 3 depict Darius and Cyrus Cobb as well as many of their descendants. They include pictures of the twins and their artwork, nature and scenery, and a collection of pictures used in a book on the Middle East by Stanwood Cobb.

Extent: 3 manuscript boxes, 2 linear ft.
Finding Aids: Yes

Related materials at the Newton History Museum:
Various glass negatives, daguerreotypes and other photographs as cross referenced in the Cobb Family Papers finding aid, one bas relief, one painting: "1137-1139 Boylston Street," the scrapbook of Darius Cobb, three oral history tapes of Edith Cobb (Myers) Allen, and Family Remembrances by Edith Cobb (Myers) Allen and Estelle Cobb Weed

Additional Cobb Family materials are located in the Darius Cobb Collection at Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, and The Cobb Family Collection at Colby College, Waterville, Maine