Kitāb Ḥusn al-tawassul ilá ṣināʻat al-tarassul

taʼlīf Shihāb al-Dīn Abī al-Thanāʼ Maḥmūd ibn Sulaymān al-Ḥalabī al-Ḥanafī.

Münşeât-ı Nâbî Efendi : manuscript, 1762

Collection of Nâbî's letters, petitions, and other correspondence to various dignitaries. It was compiled after Nâbî's death by Abdürrahim Çelebi by order of Şehid Ali Paşa.

Letter from Daniel Upton to James Savage, 1799 September 29

Daniel Upton wrote this letter from Machias, Maine on September 29, 1799; it is addressed to James Savage, who was then a freshman at Harvard College. In the letter, Upton advises Savage to study ardently, avoiding the temptation to procrastinate. He thanks Savage for having sent him a copy of "Mr. Lowell's oration" and sends greetings to a Mr. Holbrook and Mr. Jones. He also passes along the fond wishes of those in Machias who know Savage, including John Cooper and his wife, Phineas Bruce and his wife, and Hannah Bruce (Upton's future wife). Upton explains that he is writing the letter in a hurry because he is sending it on board with Captain Merryman, who is about to set sail, presumably for Boston.

[Letter from Thankful Smith to Mary Dunster, ca. 1767]

Handwritten one-page undated letter from Thankful Smith to Mary Dunster of Harwick, Mass. The letter is witnessed by Judith Smith, Elisha Parker, and Caleb Gannett. The short letter is playful and provides cryptic details about Smith's life. Though the letter is closed, "I remain your dutiful Parent," the author appears to be Thankful Smith writing to her sister Mary Dunster.

Letter from William Tudor to Thomas Handasyd Perkins,

One letter in which Tudor writes of his relief at the acquittal of his brother-in-law Charles Stewart at a court martial. He also discusses speculation and trade, his shares in silver mines at Bella Vista and Chanca, Peru, and the political climate. He additionally references his role in planning the monument at Bunker Hill in Charlestown, writing, "I had something to do in originating and preparing the way for the Bunker Hill monunument, a truly patriotic object, which I believed was a proper way to excite public enthusiasm."

Letter from James Winthrop to William Bentley, 1784 June 12

Two folio-sized leaves containing a two-and-a-half-page handwritten letter from Winthrop to Bentley discussing mythology, a reference to the writing of David Hoar, and miscellaneous news.

Letter from James Winthrop to William Bentley, 1811 May 13

Two folio-sized leaves containing a three-page handwritten letter from Winthrop to Bentley discussing Winthrop's attempts to print Chinese characters with moveable type. The document also has notes on books in Bentley's hand.

Letter from Samuel Willard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, to William Willard, Petersham, Massachusetts, September 6, 1799

This letter written to his father describes his arrival at Harvard, book expenses, and present financial situation; he also asks his father to build him a writing desk. Willard discusses the family of his uncle, Harvard president Joseph Willard, and his uncle’s health and issues with jaundice.

Letter from Samuel Willard, Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Abigail Willard, Petersham, Massachusetts, May 1, 1801

Willard thanks his sister for writing to him and asks her to write as often as possible. He also mentions his cousin Sophia Chadwick, who has been living with President Willard.

Letter from Samuel Willard, Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts, to William Willard, Petersham, Massachusetts, October 16, 1801

Willard reports on President Willard’s travels and general well-being and asks his father to apologize to his sister for not writing to her often enough. He also tells his father that he is in debt, details his purchases, and asks for money.

Letter from Samuel Willard, Deerfield, Massachusetts, to Catherine Willard, Petersham, Massachusetts, July 28, 1808

Willard apologizes for not writing or visiting in a long time, discusses a problem with getting his sister Sophronia to visit in Deerfield, and writes: “I think I have a wife, who will do everything in her power to make me happy.”

Montague, Abigale, autographed letter signed to John Winthrop; Hadley, Mass., 1 side (2 pages), 1663 July 19

Correspondence about her seven-year-old daughter, who was suffering from inflammation and discharge from her eye, in which Montague requests Winthrop's advice on whether sarsaparilla root or English barley boiled with herbs would be an effective treatment. Montague adds a postscript about her own health, writing she has a "thick rotten fleame rising out of my stomach" but no cough.

Letter from Benjamin Colman to Edward Wigglesworth about John Leverett, 1728 March 4

Benjamin Colman wrote this letter to Edward Wigglesworth on March 4, 1728; it was sent from Colman, in Boston, to Wigglesworth, in Cambridge. The letter concerns their mutual friend, John Leverett, who had died several years before. It appears that Wigglesworth was charged with writing an epitaph for Leverett and had solicited input from Colman. Colman writes of his great admiration for Leverett, praising his "virtue & piety, wisdom & gravity [...] majesty & authority [...] eye & voice, goodness & courtesie."

Chinese women at housing demonstration

General note: Title and date provided by Bettye Lane.