Travel Literature in the Special Collections Research Center

• Frances Evarts Clark Diary, 1926–1927 (SC 00866) 

  of Washington, DC, travelled aboard USS Chaumont to Guam, China, Philippines, Japan, then on the USS Arabic to England and France

• Beatrice Livingstone Travel Diary, 1926–1929 (SC 01312) 

  Travel diary along with itinerary, charted courses, pictures, and mementos kept by Beatrice Livingstone, wife of Lieutenant John Livingstone. Ships include the USS Chaumont, SS President Madison, SS President Jackson, and SS Malolo. Ephemera includes newspapers, tickets, maps, telegrams, cablegrams, and pamphlets from the Panama Canal Zone, the Pacific coast of the United States, Manila, Shanghai, Peking [Beijing], Kyoto, and Tokyo.

• Amos Koontz Papers II, 1865-1970 (Mss. 91 K83 and 1996.25) 

  Includes travel diaries from 1948 (Guam, Philippines, Japan, Korea, Okinawa, and China, typed), 1955 (England, Austria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Philippines, Hong Kong, and Japan, typed), and 1961 (Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, India, Israel, Greece, Hungary, and Austria, typed)

• Blake T. Newton, Jr. Papers, 1939-1985 (Mss. 84 N42) 

  Primarily professional correspondence of a lawyer and insurance company executive. Collection contains correspondence for overseas travel, including a 1973 "trip to the Orient" (Box 8, Folders 58-62) and 1980 trip to China (Box 8, Folders 77-88).

• Margetta Hirsch Doyle Papers, 1941-1984 (UA 5.005) 

  Includes a diary, photographs, and financial information related to a trip through China, Japan, and Hong Kong in the fall of 1984

• William F. Willoughby Papers, 1818-1955 (Mss. 72 W66) 

  The papers of William F. Willoughby, mostly concerning his service as treasurer and secretary of Puerto Rico and as deputy legal advisor to President Yuan Shikai (term 1912-1915) of China during the period when Yuan made an unsuccessful attempt to restore the monarchy to China by having himself crowned emperor. The collection includes personal correspondence of Willougby with his twin brother Westel Woodbury Willoughby, sister Alice Estelle Willoughby, copies of official memoranda prepared for the Chinese and published writings.

• Carl Neprud Papers, 1920-1976 (Mss. Acc. 2002.50) 

  Approximately fifty record storage boxes of Carl Neprud (1889-1976), U.S. government official, consultant in the Far East, personal and professional papers relating to his years in China primarily from the mid 1920s through the 1940s. This is a large collection (50 boxes), but it is not organized and can be very difficult to use. It is stored offsite, so it must be requested with several days' notice.

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• Robert Nelson Papers, 1845-1897 (Mss. 39.1 N34) 

  Correspondence, 1875-1885, sermons and accounts of Robert Nelson, Protestant Episcopal missionary to Shanghai, China. Includes two account books, a lettercopy book, and articles written by Nelson as well as two manuscript Chinese-English dictionaries compiled by Nelson. There is one letter written to Nelson in which the writer has used Wade-Giles transliteration.

• H. M. Lewis Papers, 1932-1934 (SC 00848) 

  Includes a 15-page letter written by Lewis, a missionary in Japan, describes in detail travels to different places in Asia. Sections are titled: 'Manila', 'Along the China Sea - Hong Kong', 'Shanghai', and 'Yokohama,' 1934.

• Myers-Burrage-Graham (I) Papers, Group B, 1888-1942 (Mss. 98 M99 Group B) 

  Transcript of "An Address to a Group of American and British Missionaries" delivered by Soong Mei-ling [Madame Chiang Kai-shek] at a conference in Hankou, China, 1938 (Box 1 Add, Folder 22)

• Galt Papers (V), 1900-1979 (Mss. 78 G73 (V)) 

  Includes diaries and personal correspondence of Louise Alberta West Galt (b. 1876) and Howard Spilman Galt (1872-1948), who were missionaries to China between approximately 1899-1940. Galt helped establish what is now Yenching University. Of special interest are the diary and letters of Louise A. W. Galt written during the summer of 1900 during the siege of Peking [Beijing] during the Boxer Rebellion, available online in the W&M Digital Archive.

Visual Material

Also see the Facsimiles of Chinese Paintings page for our collection of high quality reproductions of Chinese masterwork paintings.

• Chinese Posters, 1910-1915 (Mss. Acc. 2004.10) 

  25 posters and hand-painted scenes from China. Subject matter includes family scenes and cultural themes.

• The costume of China: illustrated by sixty engravings; with explanations in English and French by Mason, George Henry. 

  Call Number: Rare Book - Folio 391.0951 M38 oversize

  Publication Date: 1804

  Subjects: Costume -- China; China -- Social life and customs

• Ephemera Collection (Mss. 1.02) 
  Communist Woodcuts (China), 1951. (Acc. 2012.079) Woodcuts depict various scenes in China and Korea. Includes idealized Communist depictions of Chinese life, Chinese soldiers training Korean soldiers, and the capture of a U.S. Army tank. (Box 12)

  Anti-Nazi Woodcuts (China), circa 1940s. (Acc. 2012.078) Chinese woodcut images of Nazi characters and symbols, as well as Chinese people, with quotations in Chinese around them. (Box 11)
  Photographs (China), circa 1960s. (Acc. 2012.087) Photographs of various locations throughout China, mostly of workers and manufacturing in China, with captions in Chinese at the bottom of each image. (Box 13)

• Jie zi yuan hua zhuan by Wang, Gai, active 1677-1705. 

  Call Number: Rare Books ND1043 .W33 1800z

  Publication Date: 18--?

  Subjects: Painting, Chinese -- Technique; Painting -- Technique; Painting, Chinese -- Ming-Qing dynasties, 1368-1912

• Jie zi yuan hua zhuan. 4 ji di 2 ce by Wang, Gai, active 1677-1706. 

  Call Number: Rare Books ND1040 .W34 ser.4, bk.2

  Publication Date: 188-?

  Description: Each leaf contains a picture and instruction for painting a particular character. Includes Buddhist saints, monks and nuns, teachers, musicians, and children. Woodblock printed book.
  Subjects: Portraits, Chinese; Painting, Chinese; Painting -- Technique

• Keystone View Company Collection Tour of the World, circa 1892-1933, 1936 (MS 00008) 

  The set includes stereoview images from six continents, excluding Antarctica. The scenes capture diverse people, monuments, and landscapes. Each stereoview has a description of the scene located on the back, which are often ethnocentric towards non-western cultures.
  Images of China, such as a city scene in Shanghai or bamboo production techniques, are located in Box 5.

• The pageant of Peking: comprising sixty-six Vandyck photogravures of Peking and environs from photographs by Mennie, Donald. Putnam Weale, B. L. (Bertram Lenox), 1877-1930. Couling, Samuel, 1859-1922. 

  Call Number: Rare Book - Folio 915.11 M52 oversize

  Publication Date: 1920

  Subjects: Beijing (China) -- Description and travel

• 敦煌飛天 [Dunhuang fei tian] by Zhao, Puchu, ǂd 1907-2000. 中国旅游出版社. Zhongguo lü you chu ban she. 

  Call Number: Rare Book - Folio ND2850 .T8 T827

  Publication Date: 1982

  Subjects: Mural painting and decoration, Chinese -- China -- Dunhuang Xian: Apsaras; Apsaras in art; Dunhuang Caves (China)

Rare Books

William & Mary Libraries owns many volumes of travel narratives, memoirs of missionaries and businesspeople, and histories that focus on or include China; these can be found in Special Collections, the main circulating collection, and as eBooks. Special Collections also has some volumes dealing with dogs and with papermaking in China.

• The Chinese recorder and missionary journal. 

  Call Number: Rare Books BV3410 .C6

  Publication Date: 1868-1941

  Subjects: Missions -- China -- Periodicals
  Available online through the HathiTrust

• The fight for a new China by Mao, Zedong, 1893-1976. 

  Call Number: Rare Books DS777.53 .M25 1945

  Publication Date: 1945

  "Delivered ... to the Seventh national congress of the Chinese communist party [April 24, 1945]"
  Subjects: Communism -- China; China -- Politics and government -- 1937-1945

• A new digest of Japanese war conduct, compiled by Shuhsi Hsü. Prepared under the auspices of the Council of international affairs, Chungking. by Xu, Shuxi, 1892- Council of International Affairs (China) Kelly & Walsh, publisher. 

  Call Number: Rare Books DS777.53 .H76 1941

  Publication Date: 1941

  Subjects: Japanese -- China; Bombardment; Military occupation; China -- History -- 1937-1945
  Available online through the HathiTrust

• A new history of China: containing a description of the most considerable particulars of that vast empire by Magalhães, Gabriel de, 1609-1677. 

  Call Number: Rare Book - Nicholson DS708 .M1713 1688

  Publication Date: 1688

  This title was part of the original library of the College of William & Mary prior to 1700.
  Subjects: Magalhães, Gabriel de, -- 1609-1677; China -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
  Available online through Early English Books Online (EEBO)

• Shanghai almanac and miscellany 

  Call Number: Rare Books DS796 .S2 S482 1855

  Publication Date: 1855

  Description: From the collection of books stored in the basement of the Wren Building for many years.
  Subjects: Shanghai (China) -- Periodicals
  Available online through the HathiTrust

• Sian: a coup d'état. A fortnight in Sian: extracts from a diary by Chiang Kai-shek. by Chiang, May-ling Soong, 1897-2003. Chiang, Kai-shek, 1887-1975. 

  Call Number: Rare Books DS778 .C55 C45 1937

  Publication Date: 1937

  Subjects: Chiang, Kai-shek, -- 1887-1975; China -- Politics and government -- 1912-1949; China -- History -- Republic, 1912-1949; Xi'an Shi (China)
  Available online through the HathiTrust

• Treaties between the Empire of China and foreign powers : together with regulations for the conduct of foreign trade, conventions, agreements, regulations, etc. by China. Mayers, William Frederick, 1831-1878. 

  Call Number: Rare Books JX926 1902

  Publication Date: 1902

  Subjects: China -- Foreign relations -- Treaties; China -- Commercial treaties
  Available online through the HathiTrust

• Yi zong jin jian. Wai ke. by Wu, Qian, active 1736-1743. 

  Call Number: Rare Books R127.1 .Y5 Vol.1-7, 9-10

  Publication Date: 189-?

  Lithographed edition of Wai ke xin fa yao jue, a section of the comprehensive treatise on medical knowledge which was originally compiled as ordered by the Qianlong emperor 1739-1742 under the editorship of Wu Qian and others.
  Subjects: Medicine, Chinese -- Early works to 1800