Lucy J. Whiting China's Warlord Era collection

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: 2013-031-r

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

A collection of letters, envelopes, newpaper clippings, photographs, and artifacts which show a glimpse of the lives of American Christian missionaries trying to educate impoverished Chinese in the first half of the 20th century. Lucy J. Whiting, a resident of Santa Ana, California in the mid 1920s, is the recipient of most of the letters. Tsu Hsiu Min Pao, a resident of Peking (Beijing), China in the same time period, is the daughter of one of Mrs. Whiting's pupils and writes several of the letters. The Warlord Era (1916-1928) of the Republic of China was a dangerous time period for missionaries as the country was divided among military cliques and there was a strong nationalist, anti-foreign sentiment.

Included in this collection are: Realia: 3 scrolls of Chinese calligraphy on pink paper 1 red, embroidered Chinese shoe, approximately 6.5 inches 1 embroidered compact mirror, with a pocket for 1 blue wallet 1 small black purse with a flower bud design 1 small embroidered black and white ornament attached to a blue string 2 pen and ink drawings: 1 of a Chinese family at a table, 1 of a bearded man 4 scrapbooks showing pictures of Peking and other places in China

Ephemera: 1 gray booklet of postcards 1 gray booklet of Chinese writing 3 yellow booklets of Chinese writing 1 gray booklet, "Twenty-Sixth Annual Report of the Peking Association for the Relief of Destitute Native Women, 1924-1925" 1 white booklet, "Going on Furlo" 1 book, "Ming I Middle School of Fenchow Shansi," which contains 1 letter from the principal thanking a donor 1 handwritten "List of Chinese Things to Exhibit" 1 red cloth with 4 pieces of embroidered work of flowers and fruit 1 3-page article entitled "Work among women of Peking"

Newspaper Clippings: 15 newspaper clippings of "The China Courier," published in English, from 1926

Correspondence: 7 empty envelopes addressed to Lucy J. Whiting, 5 with Chinese stamps, 1 with Japanese stamps, 2 empty envelopes with American stamps addressed to Mabel Whiting of Santa Ana, California 1 empty envelope with an American stamp addressed to L. E. Reark of Santa Ana, California 1 typed Christmas newsletter from Clara L. Watson, who worked in the Fenchow Hospital in China, no envelope 1 translated handwritten letter from Salome to Mabel Whiting, no envelope 1 typed letter from an American woman back from China to Lucy J. Whiting, no envelope 3 letters from Tsu Hsiu Min Pao to Lucy J. Whiting, 1 has an envelope 1 letter from Pao's brother Nalson Gatrelle to Lucy J. Whiting, has an envelope 1 letter to Lucy J. Whiting from China, has an envelope 1 formal typed letter from E. W. Sheffield to Lucy J. Whiting asking for a cheque for the American Board Mission, has an envelope 1 typed newsletter from William B. Stelle of the American Board Mission from China to Lucy J. Whiting, has an envelope, contains a newsclipping

Dates

Creation: 1906 - 1949
Creation: Majority of material found within 1924 - 1926

Language of Materials

The materials in this collection are in English and Chinese.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

There are no restrictions on the use of this material except where previously copyrighted material is concerned. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain all permissions.

Biographical / Historical

Lucy J. Whiting lived in Santa Ana, California during the 1920s. However, previously she had worked as a teacher in China. She probably worked with the American Board Mission, an organization that focused on educating illiterate rural Chinese as well as converting them to Christianity. Throughout the 1920s, Lucy Whiting continued to receive letters from China. These letters often included newsclippings from "The China Courier," an English newspaper printed in China, which described the violence of the Chinese Warlord Era (1916-1928), in which the country was divided among warring military cliques, and anti-foreign sentiment was strong among Chinese nationalists. Mabel Whiting, another Santa Ana resident, is also the recipient of a letter from China.

Tsu Hsiu Min Pao, a resident of Peking (Beijing), China in the same time period, was the daughter of one of Lucy Whiting's pupils and wrote four letters. Her brother, Nalson Gatrelle, wrote another letter to Lucy.

Extent

2 Linear Feet (2 boxes)

Additional Description

Abstract

A collection of letters, envelopes, newpaper clippings, photographs, and artifacts which show a glimpse of the lives of American Christian missionaries trying to educate impoverished Chinese in the first half of the 20th century. The Warlord Era (1916-1928) of the Republic of China was a dangerous time period for missionaries as the country was divided among military cliques and there was a strong nationalist, anti-foreign sentiment.

Arrangement

Items are arranged by document type.

Box 1: Folder 1: (Newsclippings.) Folder 2: (Correspondence.) Folder 3: (Correspondence.) Folder 4: (Ephemera.) Folder 5: (Ephemera.) (Realia.)

Box 2: (Realia.)

Physical Location

Leatherby Libraries

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Dorothy Koerner

Physical Description

Most papers in this collection are fragile. Some news clippings, two pen and ink paintings, and a scrap book are ripped, and several letters have holes.