Chinese Tapestry, circa 1930-1942

This series features Perry O. Hanson and Irene Forsythe Hanson's collected correspondence, photography, her writings and academic work, and other assorted ephemera. The materials date from as early as the 1890s, spanning all the way to the last years of Irene Hanson's life in 1994. The Hansons' correspondence features letters written to family members such as her brother and sister-in-law, Emmett and Betty Forsythe, as well as to Margaret Forsythe, and Irene's many other correspondents, including friends made during her time as a missionary in China. The Hansons' notes feature research into Irene Hanson's geneological background, copies of a manuscript for her book "The Wheelbarrow and the Comerade," notes for the couple's various speaking engagements, and personal writings touching on a variety of subjects. The Hansons' photography collection features photographic images on a wide variety of mediums from their time working as missionaries in China as well as their life after. Irene and Perry Hanson's ephemera contains everyday items like newspapers, magazines, and certificates, but also more unique items such as a traditional Chinese child's outfit and a tapestry.