Haverford College Special Collections
When researching East Asia, Haverford College's Special Collections' strongest suit is Japan (because this is where Quakers largely focused their mission work). However it also has a sizable among of material related to China, and its coverage of that area has grown significantly in recent years.
For a more thorough understanding of Haverford's connection with China (and what our archives have that relates to China), download this report written by Special Collections Librarian Diana Franzusoff Peterson titled, Haverford College, Quakers and China Missionaries.
If you end up doing research in Haverford's Special Collections, there's a good chance its because you're interested in missionaries in China. If that's the case, then download this bibliography (PDF) to help you find other primary and secondary sources on American China Missions.
NOTE: When visiting for the first time, make sure you sign in at the computer!
On this page, go to...
Getting Started...
Manuscript Collections
Searching the Finding Aids
- Go to the Special Collections Homepage
- At the top right of the page, at the right of "Search our Collections", select "Special Collections Finding Aids" and then enter your search terms.
- You can also browse the finding aids here.
- Alternatively, you may use Tripod to search Special Collections' Manuscript materials
- For your purposes, it will probably be best to limit the search to "Archives and Manuscripts". You can control the search even more in the Advanced Search Page. Select a location, and then "Limit to" OR "Material Type"=Archives MSS. Different combinations of search limiters give different results, so play around a bit.
- Lastly, consult this short word document created by the library regarding material at Haverford's Special Collections Library pertaining to South Asia (including China). Most of the relevant material is covered elsewhere on this website, but it may be useful nonetheless.
Examples of Manuscript Collections
Special Collections Exhibits
Every semester, the staff at Special Collections prepares a new exhibit based on material available in Haverford's archives. The exhibit Connecting Cultures: Haverford and the China Experience is one such example. Below are some examples of some of the materials that exhibit used:
- Haverford Student Newspaper Articles Relating to China PDF | HTML
- Emma Cadbury Oral History
- Article in Haverford News, October 31, 1927: Chinese Student Finds Student Attitude at Haverford similar to That in China
- Books of notes by William Warder Cadbury for course on Comparative Religion for Lingnan College Students taught by WWC (Lingnan College is in China)
- A letter by Nathan Dunn in Canton (4/13/1824) to his niece Hannah Risley about government restrictions on their interactions with Chinese merchants
- Reflections on a China Tour, Revisiting the Roads of West China, May 1996
Rare books and Quaker Books
These are stored in Special Collections' area and are not available in regular circulation due to their valuable nature. Examples include:
Reflections on a China tour, revisiting the roads of west China, May 1996: members of the Friends Ambulance Unit, China Convoy, go back after fifty years.
By Christopher B. Barber ... [et al.] ; with a talk at the 1996 FAU reunion at York by Duncan Wood ; edited by Christopher B. Barber and Theodore M. Mills. Includes "China impressions" by Paul M. Cope, jr., a Haverford alumnus, class of 1942. Theodore M. Mills is a Haverford alumnus, class of 1942 | Tripod Record
Letters from China : Quaker relief work in bandit country, 1944-46
By John E. Simpson | Tripod Record
TriptychÂ
"Triptych, a digital initiative of the Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore College Libraries, builds on the cooperative model set by TRIPOD, the online catalog that merges the collections of three colleges founded on the Quaker traditions of social conscience and thoughtful citizenship. Originating with a generous grant from the SNAVE Foundation, the collections continue to grow, with new items added on a regular basis. Triptych draws from four repositories — Bryn Mawr College Library Special Collections; the Swarthmore College Peace Collection, which focuses on social reform and issues of peace; and the Haverford College Library Special Collections, which shares with the Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College the stewardship of the records of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends. (Triptych Website)"
The collections are all searchable.
Examples:
Rufus Jones' 1926 Diary while in China, Japan, India, and other places in East Asia.