Lorenzo James Hatch and Hatch family papers, bulk 1902-1914, circa 1890-1950

Family correspondence consists primarily of letters written by and between Lorenzo Hatch, wife Grace, son Harrison, and sister-in-law Effie Harrison from China to family members back in the United States. Lorenzo's letters to his mother, Mrs. Francis E. Hatch are less informative than letters to his sisters, Lizzie Cheney and Mrs. Frederick Bush. Typically, Grace's letters are to her mother and mother-in-law discussing general daily activities Effie wrote to her mother, Lydia J. Harrison and sister Gail Harrison about her experiences in China. Combined, these letters are a rich source of information about the Chinese revolution in 1911-1912 and the fall of the Qing dynasty, as well as general information about Chinese people, places, and other affairs, particularly the pneumonic plague. Some topics are noted in the folder descriptions.

Letters are arranged by name of family member, followed by more general correspondence. Researchers should note that letters may not be in strict chronological order as Grace and Effie did not always put dates on their correspondence. Letters for which a specific date could not be assertained have been placed in a circa dated folder which is found at the end of each person's correspondence files. At times, original order has been maintained for undated letters although it is unclear at which point the letters were arranged in this manner.

Often, Grace and Effie included enclosures in their letters of fabric, photographs, and ephemera. These items are scanned directly following the letter in which they were enclosed. This series has been scanned in its entirety.

This series consists of a written account by Effie Harrison about her journey to China and time spent there.

This series has been scanned in its entirety.

This series includes one catalog of an exhibition of Hatch's work at the Macbeth Gallery in New York and three newspaper clippings concerning Chinese events.

This series has been scanned in its entirety.

This series includes three photographs of Beijing (formerly Peking), China.

This series has been scanned in its entirety.

This series contains three scrapbooks consisting of photographs taken in China of and by the Hatch family, landscapes, and Chinese monuments, buildings and temples. Also found are examples of Chinese currency designed by Hatch, postage stamps, some clippings and postcards.

The scrapbooks were photocopied in their original order and disassembled for preservation.

This series has been scanned in its entirety.

An unprocessed addition of 0.4 linear feet donated 2015 includes biographical material, photographs of Hatch, his family and works of art, personal correspondence, artwork, printed material, and legal and financial records relating to the estate of Lorenzo Hatch. Also included is a horseshoe from Harrison Hatch's pony "Moses" (in China).