Davis Company Ltd. records, 1909-1946:
A Guide to the Collection
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Creator: |
Davis Company Ltd. |
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Title: |
Davis Company Ltd. records |
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Dates: | 1909-1946 |
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Abstract: |
Davis Company, Ltd. was a Hong Kong and New York business directed by Paula Davis in the early part of the twentieth century. The company’s interests included construction, railroad development, mineral exploration, harbor improvement, mills, Dragon Car Motor Company, and the unsuccessful manufacture of arms for various warlords in China. This collection contains business correspondence and reports for prospective projects in China.
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Identification: |
MSS 0143 |
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Quantity: |
5 boxes (4 linear feet) |
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Language: |
English |
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Repository: |
DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University |
On August 30, 1918 the Davis Company, Ltd. was incorporated in Hong Kong as an import/export business. Offices were located in New York, California, and Hong Kong. The Davis Company was also involved in construction, railroad development, mineral exploration, harbor improvement, mills, Dragon Car Motor Company, and the unsuccessful manufacture of arms for various warlords in China in the early part of the twentieth century. Business partners were Frederick E. Davis, James A. Rabbitt Engineering Corporation, and Charles Powrie.
Paula Margarita Davis ran away from home at the age of eighteen to Honolulu, and was a secretary for Frederick E. Davis. Sometime after Mr. Davis’s wife died, he and Paula married. In 1917, Frederick E. Davis died upon their yacht in Hong Kong. Paula Davis took over her husband’s business interests and became director of the Davis Company. She lived in Hong Kong, New York, California, and in 1936 she moved to Copenhagen.
Sources:
Box 1, Folders 1-2
Nedda Adams letter to DeGolyer Library, 1982 March 17
Most of the documents refer to the company as Davis Company instead of Davis Company Ltd. Researchers interested in twentieth century neo-colonialism in China, corporate history, and Chinese railroads should find these materials useful.
The first series contains records of the Davis Company Ltd. and include business operating documents. The second series contains business correspondence of major Davis Company partners: Charles Rollo Powrie, Paula Davis [P.M. Davis], James A. Rabbitt, George Lynott, and Robert W. Munk. Most of the correspondence was written in Hong Kong and New York, and describes the political climate in early twentieth century China. Researchers should note there is correspondence about Sun Yat-sen, and manufacturing firearms for various warlords in China.
The third series contains reports written for the company about prospective business projects in China. The last series includes Paula Davis’ personal documents and correspondence. Two folders contain materials on Alexander Sklarevksy, a pianist and teacher at the Peabody Institute. His materials indicate that Davis funded his travel to America after he fled Russia. Also included are the personal papers of Charles Rollo Powrie, Davis’s business partner.
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Arrangement of the Collection |
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The collection is organized into 4 series: |
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Series 1: Davis Company records, 1918-1946 |
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Series 2: Davis Company correspondence, 1919-1937 |
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Series 3: Davis Company reports, 1921-1923 |
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Series 4: Personal papers, 1909-1928 |
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research use.
Publication Rights:
Permission to publish materials must be obtained from the Director of the DeGolyer Library.
Copyright Statement:
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain copyright authorization.
Sensitive Material Statement:
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications for which DeGolyer Library assumes no responsibility.
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This collection is indexed under the following terms in the Southern Methodist University Libraries' online catalog. Researchers desiring related materials may search the catalog using these terms. |
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Subjects (Persons) |
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Davis, Paula Margarita. |
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Kettering, Charles Franklin, 1876-1958. |
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Rabbitt, James A. |
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Sklarevski, Alexander (Alexander Fedorovich), 1882-1963. |
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Sun, Yat-sen, 1866-1925. |
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Subjects (Organizations) |
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Davis Company Ltd. |
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Dragon Motor Car Company. |
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Subjects |
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Women directors of corporations. |
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Business enterprises, Foreign -- China -- Hong Kong. |
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Places |
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Guangzhou (China) -– History -– 20th century. |
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Yunnan Sheng (China) -– History – 20th century. |
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China -– Foreign relations -- 1912-1949. |
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Document Types |
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Correspondence. |
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Minutes. |
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Account books. |
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Contracts. |
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Photographs. |
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James A. Rabbitt papers, Hoover Institution Archives,
https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/tf5n39n7kp/entire_text
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Davis Company Ltd. records, DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University
Nedda Adams, daughter of Paula Davis, donated records from the Davis Company in 1971 to DeGolyer Library. In 1985 Carl Briggs donated to the DeGolyer Library a few letters regarding the end of the Davis Company, which were given to him by Nedda Adams.
Vivek Dhokalia wrote a preliminary inventory in 1982. In 2019 duplicative and out of scope materials were discarded. Cynthia Franco processed the collection and wrote the finding aid in 2019.
Detailed Description of the Collection
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Series 1: Davis Company records, 1918-1946 2 boxes |
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The first three folders contain administrative documents for the company, and folders 4-29 are arranged alphabetically by business subject or client. The end of the series contains catalogs, a statement on the Chinese political situation, office stationery, one unidentified photograph, and two company stock books.
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Box |
Folder |
1 |
1 |
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Paula Davis and Company memorandum and articles of association, 1918 |
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2 |
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Agreement between Civil Governor of Kwangtung (at Canton) and Davis Company, 1924; letter and release document, 1937-1946 |
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3 |
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Report of examination, Davis Company Limited, 1921 October 31 |
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4 |
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Contract X, 1919-1921 |
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5 |
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Contracts, 1920 |
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6 |
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Contracts – Davis Company and James A. Rabbitt, 1923-1925 |
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7-8 |
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Contract, 1924 July 18-19 [includes photographs] |
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9 |
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Contracts, 1924-1927 |
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10 |
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American Consul General, Canton, 1923-1924 |
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11 |
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Canton Inner Harbour Development, 1921 |
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12 |
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Dragon Motor Car Company - memorandum and articles of association, 1921 |
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13 |
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Dragon Motor Car Company – meeting minutes, documents, 1924-1927 |
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14 |
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Dragon Motor Car Company – legal documents, 1922-1924 |
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15 |
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Dragon Motor Car Company – Minnesota lawsuit briefs, 1925 |
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16-21 |
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Dragon Motor Car Company – correspondence, 1928-1938 |
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22 |
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Lee Higginson and Company and Philadelphia National Bank, 1923-1924 |
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23 |
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Lee Higginson and Company – accounts, 1924 |
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24 |
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Lee Higginson and Company – Mortimer Boutelle, 1924-1925 |
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25 |
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Old Hickory Powder Plant, Jacksonville, Tennessee, 1921 |
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26 |
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Mexican Engineering and Development Co., S.A., 1925-1926 |
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27 |
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Steamship Woudrichem legal matters, 1921-1921 |
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28 |
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Yunnan, China, 1921-1922 |
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29 |
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80cm base infantry range finder, 1920 [catalog] |
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30 |
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Memorial draft by Executive Committee of the American Association of South China, 1921 |
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31 |
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Lewis machine gun, undated [catalog] |
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32 |
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Stationery samples |
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33 |
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[photograph of group dinner], undated |
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34 |
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Davis Company stock book, 1918-1923 |
Box |
Item |
3 |
12 |
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Davis Company account book for shares, 1918-1924 |
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Series 2: Davis Company correspondence, 1919-1937 1 box |
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Business correspondents include Charles Rollo Powrie, Paula Davis [P.M. Davis], James A. Rabbitt, George Lynott, and Robert W. Munk. This series is arranged alphabetically and chronologically beginning with the fifth folder. Most of the correspondence was written in Hong Kong and New York, and describes the political climate in early twentieth century China. Subjects include Sun Yat-sen, and manufacturing firearms for various warlords in China.
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Box |
Folder |
2 |
1-2 |
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1924-1925 |
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3-4 |
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1927-1928 |
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5 |
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Mortimer Boutelle, 1926-1937 |
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6 |
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Canton correspondence, 1920-1921 |
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7 |
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Wing-sen Chun, 1921-1922 |
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8 |
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Wing-sen Chun, accounts, 1921-1922 |
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9 |
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Wing-sen Chun, Kwangtung arsenal, Canton, China, 1920-1922 [Guangzhou, China] |
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10 |
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G.H. Corse, 1921-1922 |
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11 |
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Robert McDonald Ford, 1919 |
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12 |
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F.R. Henderson and Co., 1923-1924 |
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13 |
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E.J. Grist, 1921-1924 |
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14 |
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Tom Gunn, 1922 |
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15 |
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Captain Howard, S.S. Woudrichem, 1920-1921 |
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16 |
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Charles Kettering, 1924 |
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17 |
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Oscar Lachmund, 1920 |
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18-19 |
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George Lynott, 1919-1920 |
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20-21 |
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George Lynott, 1922-1923 |
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22 |
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George Lynott correspondence about Henderson-Forbes, and Canton, 1920-1925 |
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23 |
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George Lynott and Reginald Tobey, 1923 |
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24 |
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George Lynott correspondence about Hong Kong, 1924-1927 |
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25 |
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Robert W. Munk, 1923-1927 |
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26 |
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Charles Rollo Powrie, 1920 |
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27 |
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Charles Rollo Powrie draft of letter to Sun Yat-sen, 1921 |
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28 |
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Charles Rollo Powrie, 1922-1924 |
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29 |
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Charles Rollo Powrie – Hong Kong and Canton wires and other papers, 1922 |
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30 |
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Charles Rollo Powrie, 1927 |
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31 |
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James A. Rabbitt - documents, 1920-1924 |
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32 |
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James A. Rabbitt - summary of the Canton situation, 1923 March 10 |
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33-34 |
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James A. Rabbitt, 1920-1924 |
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35 |
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Frederick W. Stevens, 1921 |
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36 |
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Letters to R.P. Stewart, 1927 |
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37 |
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Reginald S. Tobey, 1919-1921 |
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38 |
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Tong Shui Lin, 1921-1927 |
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39 |
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Wilkinson and Grist, 1921-1925 |
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40 |
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R.J. Weir, 1921-1922 |
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41 |
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Cable codes, 1926 |
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42 |
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Private cables from Davis Company to New York, 1920 [2 volumes]; steamer cables to and from Hong Kong, circa 1920 [1 volume] |
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Series 3: Davis Company reports, 1921-1923 2 boxes |
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Most of these reports written for the company are about prospective projects in China. Box 3 mostly contains unbound reports, and box 4 contains bound reports.
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Box |
Folder |
3 |
1 |
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Various reports – Report of a fertilizer survey in the Mulberry districts of Kwangtung by Edward Shim; preliminary reports on Sam Tong coal beds, Na Pu San lead mine, Pein Ma and Na Po coal mines, mining investigation in Kwangsi Province, 1921-1922 |
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2 |
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Preliminary report on Kwangsi Railways System, 1921 |
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3 |
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Report on condition of the Kwantung Arsenal after attempted destruction, 1920 |
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4 |
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Preliminary report on iron and coal deposits near Lai Foo, 1921 |
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5 |
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Preliminary estimates for Canton municipal industrial development project, 1921 |
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6 |
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Kwan Shan power development, 1921 |
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7 |
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Proposed change in railway building policy of the government of the province of Kwangtung, China, 1921 |
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8 |
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Report on proposed railway connecting the Canton-Kowloon Railway and Yuen-Han Railway, 1921 |
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9 |
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Report on proposed Pun Ping Railroad, 1921 |
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10-11 |
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James A. Rabbitt Engineering Corp. daily office bulletin, 1922-1923 |
Box |
Folder |
4 |
1 |
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Report on proposed Waichow-Cheung Muk Tou highway, Kwangtung province, China, 1921 March 16 |
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2 |
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Report on proposed hydro-electric development on the Yung Kiang, province of Kwangtung, China, 1921 April 20 |
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3 |
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Reports on Siwan coal mine and proposed railroad between Konghau and Siwan, provinces of Kwangtung and Kwangsi, China, 1920 October 6 |
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4 |
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Preliminary menthol report, 1921 |
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5 |
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Report on coal mining near Shiu Chow, Kwangtung province, China, 1921 April |
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Series 4: Personal papers, 1909-1928 1 box |
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All but the last two folders include personal documents and correspondence for Paula Davis. Researchers should note that Alexander Sklarevksy was a pianist and teacher at the Peabody Institute. His materials indicate that Davis funded his travel to America after he fled Russia. Correspondence from the Peabody Institute about his employment, and various recital promotional materials are also included.
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The last two folders contain the personal papers of Charles Rollo Powrie, Davis’s business partner. |
Box |
Folder |
5 |
1 |
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Paula Davis letters, 1919-1925 |
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2 |
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Paula Davis correspondence, 1919 |
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3 |
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Paula Davis private correspondence, Hong Kong, 1920 |
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4 |
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Paula Davis – Canton correspondence, 1922 |
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5 |
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Paula Davis correspondence, 1923 |
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6 |
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Dolly letters to Paula Davis, 1924-1925 |
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7 |
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East Bay Country Club, California, 1924-1925 |
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8 |
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W.L. Kidston correspondence, 1921-1922 [newspaper editor describes Galveston, Tampico, newspaper business] |
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9 |
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Prince and Princess Achille Murat, 1927-1928 |
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10 |
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Alexander Sklarevsky letters to Paula Davis, 1921-1922 |
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11 |
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Paula Davis and Alexander Sklarevksy papers, 1921-1927 |
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12 |
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“Paula” yacht documents, 1917 |
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13 |
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Indictment against Paula Davis, Charles Rollo Powrie, and others, 1928 |
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14 |
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Charles Rollo Powrie papers, 1909-1922 |
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15 |
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Charles Rollo Powrie correspondence, 1920-1921 |
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