Connecting the Past with the Present: Elizabeth Kelly-Griswold
- Meghan Cenci
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Elizabeth Kelly-Griswold, the owner of Blue Mango Books and Manuscripts, of New Hope, Pennsylvania, collects and sells early American primary source material, including journals, diaries, account books, and bibles. She loves finding stories and connections in the material she collects. A big part of being able to sell these items is researching what they mean and the people involved.
She uses platforms like Find A Grave in order to do extensive research on the people mentioned in these books and manuscripts. Oftentimes, she’ll go on Ancestry and try to connect family members to important pieces of their history that she happens to find. In her words, it's important for her to “connect the past with the present.” Kelly-Griswold is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America and the Bucks County Antique Association, and she closely works with local historical societies in order to connect local towns to glimpses of their history.
A significant part of Kelly-Griswold's journey is her interest in genealogy, biology, and the environment. She set off for college at the University of Wisconsin where she graduated with a degree in water resources and fisheries management. Her original career was as a fisheries biologist in both Wisconsin and Minnesota, where she focused on lab research. She credits a lot of the skills that help her focus on researching history nowadays, to the attentiveness and levels of observation she held in the lab setting.
In 2011, she moved to Pennsylvania where she began attending local auctions. It was here on Saturday mornings that she began buying and collecting bibles in hopes of eventually researching and selling them. A big part of this process included genealogy and connecting these bibles with descendants of the family lines in which they came from. This was all very different for her, she came from a family of physicians, but there was always a value placed on history. She remembers looking at old medical journals, recipes, and photos of her ancestors as they went through their medical careers. This part of her journey didn’t take off until a few years before she was contemplating full retirement. Currently, she spends her time between her three children and her grandchildren when she isn't collecting and researching. She wants others to know. “It's never too late to start a second career and do what you love and love what you do.”
Kelly-Griswold is looking forward to exhibiting at the upcoming Northampton Book Fair after selling, earlier this year at a variety of venues outside the region. She loves New England and Historic Deerfield in particular, often calling it a home away from home. She’ll also be participating in the Philadelphia Rare Book Fair in December.
She is extremely excited to showcase some of the manuscripts, bibles, and books she's come across recently, and will have a collection full of history, meaning, and connection for others to look at and buy. One of the things, Blue Mango will have for sale is an "1849-1852 Maritime Log, over 300 pages, maintained on the HMS Hogue, featuring a fine watercolor frontispiece of the three-mast vessel, double-page manuscript chart of Ireland, England and France; double-page manuscript chart of the Mediterranean; large detailed folding manuscript diagram of the decks including storage of barrels, and folding manuscript diagram of St. Michael's Cave in Gibralter. Departing Ireland, July of 1849, making port at Portsmouth, to Lisbon, Sicily and returning to Spithead, May of 1852. Ship’s log notes routine duties, drills, and Divine Services, along with frequent punishments for theft, desertion, and misconduct. The crew exchanged signals, received supplies, and held salutes for royal occasions and visiting ships. Several men were lost overboard; one buried at sea. Honors included salutes for Queen Victoria and foreign dignitaries, and mourning for a U.S. President. Captain John McDougall later commissioned the ship." according to Kelly-Griswold's description.
Yet another selection is a "Travel diary (1923–1928) of a British woman, likely an Anglican minister’s wife, documenting life in Kashmir with her husband “Dick” and daughter. Includes nine original watercolors of mountains, camps, and daily scenes. Entries describe fishing, church services, local culture, and encounters with missionaries and villagers. She records events like the 1923 Alliance Bank failure and reflects humorously on hardships, scenery, and social life. Notes their 25th wedding anniversary and practical camping advice. 137 pages (105 written), moderate wear, original mounted watercolors in very good condition," the bookseller states.
Blue Mango Books and Manuscripts will have much more up for exhibit, and Kelly-Griswold is excited to share the story behind these stories with others as passionate about history as she is. “It’s fascinating to me to read and to study about the lives that have gone before us,” she says.
To learn more about Blue Mango Books and Manuscripts. For book fair tickets and information.
Written by Meghan Cenci on November 23, 2022. Updated by Mark Brumberg on October 30, 2025.
