Scope and Content Note
The papers of Edith Jacobson (1897-1978) span the years 1922 to 1977 and relate primarily to her career as a psychoanalyst. They include correspondence , writings , artwork, and a small amount of other professional and personal items. Much of the professional writing is in English, but most of the correspondence and poetry is in German.
Writings by Edith Jacobson and her colleagues in the field of psychoanalysis comprise the major portion of the collection. Topics include the study and treatment of depression and depressive conditions and object relations theory. One of Jacobson's early papers examines the psychological effects of imprisonment on female political prisoners and is based on her observations while being held as a prisoner by the Nazis before World War II. A brief description of her own experience as a prisoner can be found in a compilation of unpublished short stories and essays entitled "The American Oak Tree."