James M. Plumer papers, 1921-1958
2 linear feet
Civil servant with Chinese Maritime Customs Service, later professor of Far Eastern art at the University of Michigan. Letters to his mother describing his experiences in China, other related papers, and photographs from his years in China.
The Plumer collection has been arranged into the following series: Letters to his mother from China; Other Materials; and Photographs. The letters to his mother are bound together in seven volumes with occasional descriptive photographs. The letters describe his experiences in Nanking, Manchuria, Shanghai, and Hankow, and his vacation trip to India in 1928. Also included are typescripts of selective letters. The Photographs series consists of people, buildings, and views in China, especially in Nanking and Manchuria. There are also photos of visits to Hong Kong, India, Japan, and the Philippines.