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This collection contains correspondence between Charles W. Chase, Jr. ("Pete") and his wife, Harriet P. Johnson, during their courtship and throughout the early years of their marriage. The couple's courtship letters highlight social aspects of everyday life in the Florida Keys just before the First World War, and a series of letters from Charles illuminates the experience of a naval officer stationed along the Atlantic coast during the war.

This collection contains correspondence between Charles W. Chase, Jr. ("Pete") and his wife, Harriet P. Johnson, during their courtship and throughout the early years of their marriage. The couple's courtship began around 1912, and they wrote each other frequently before their marriage in mid-October of the following year. Pete, who worked for his father at the Florida Keys Sponge & Fruit Company, often mentioned aspects of his work and frequently made arrangements to see Harriet, who lived in Key West and who shared details of her active social life in her own letters to Pete. As the wedding approached, the couple focused on plans for the day, and both anxiously anticipated the ceremony, with Pete counting down the days by early October. After the wedding, they wrote less frequently until April 1917, when Pete joined the United States Navy in anticipation of the nation's entry into World War I. An ensign, he was assigned to the U.S.S. Barney at the Charleston Navy Yard, and though his military service was voluntary, he greatly missed his wife and young child, who lived for a time in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Several letters from 1918 reflect his efforts to find a local apartment where they could join him. While at Charleston and, later, Norfolk, Virginia, Pete regularly wrote of daily naval life, which he found tiresome, and about his leisure activities, which included many trips to movies and, occasionally, to the theater. By 1919, Chase, a lieutenant stationed on the U.S.S. Anniston, focused his efforts on obtaining a transfer to inactive duty following the war; his father intervened on his behalf, but it is unclear whether their efforts were successful. Pete later wrote to Harriet while he worked for several real estate companies located in Miami Beach, Florida, and also received several letters from his young daughter Sarah between 1931 and 1939.

Ezra T. Doughty's diary entries pertain to his experiences onboard the USS St. Louis and USS Grampus during the ships' voyages in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in 1832 and 1833. Doughty, a midshipman who became sailing master of the Grampus in December 1832, recorded detailed descriptions of Haiti; Veracruz, Mexico; and Havana, Cuba, and reflected on several aspects of navy life.

Ezra T. Doughty's diary entries (63 pages) pertain to his experiences onboard the USS St. Louis and USS Grampus during the ships' voyages in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in 1832 and 1833. Doughty, a midshipman who became sailing master of the Grampus in December 1832, recorded detailed descriptions of Haiti; Veracruz, Mexico; and Havana, Cuba. The first page of the volume contains an incomplete description of the Grampus, including measurements of the schooner's masts, decks, hold, and ballast.

Doughty began his diary on October 9, 1832, while in port at New York onboard the St. Louis. He anticipated the ship's upcoming journey to the West Indies and complained that the ship would be carrying a significant number of officers bound for other vessels. He wrote semi-regular entries about his experiences on the St. Louis until December 3, 1832, in which he commented on party politics and the Andrew Jackson administration, scenery and nautical animals, his personal history, women, Commodore John D. Henley, and a theological discussion with a shipmate. On October 11, 1832, he quoted lines from a poem by Thomas Moore, "As Slow Our Ship." Two entries have descriptions of deaths at sea: a sea burial (October 13, 1832) and a failed attempt to rescue a crewman who had fallen overboard (November 13, 1832). In these entries, Doughty also reflected upon death in general and upon his feelings after watching a man drown. While traveling off the coast of Hispaniola, he composed an extensive description of Haiti, including notes on its history, governance, people (particularly with regard to slavery and race), customs, and coastline (November 13, 1832; November 23, 1832). Along the southern coast of Cuba, Doughty noticed the contrast between Spanish planters' villas and their slaves' huts (December 1, 1832).

The St. Louis arrived at Pensacola in early December 1832, and Doughty accompanied a fowl-hunting party on at least one occasion while in port. On December 11, 1832, he accepted a transfer to the schooner Grampus, on which he served as sailing master. Doughty also noted recent animosity between the United States Navy and the Mexican government, prompted by the ship's previous capture of suspected pirates sailing under the Mexican flag (December 11, 1832). On one occasion, Doughty was a member of a party that unsuccessfully attempted to recover a man who had gone overboard (December 24, 1832). He composed lengthy descriptions of Veracruz, Mexico (December 27, 1832, and January 1, 1833), and Havana, Cuba (January 11, 1833, and January 20, 1833). In Mexico, he recorded the effects of recent military operations, his opinions about Mexicans, and the history of Spanish rule. In Havana, he mentioned the local inhabitants and markets, and the United States's possible interest in owning Cuba, Havana Harbor, and Morro Castle. Later, he commented on workers on "Thompson's Island" (now Key West, Florida), the efforts of "wreckers" to assist ships stranded on nearby reefs, and the work of naturalist John James Audubon (January 20, 1833). By January 14, the Grampus had embarked for Norfolk, Virginia, and Doughty's entries of mid- to late February 1833 and March 1833 pertain to his social activities in Norfolk and his thoughts on nautical careers. His final entry is dated March 14, 1833.

An unattributed journal entry (3 pages) is dated December 20, 1859, with an additional heading made for the following day. The entry pertains to the first day of a transatlantic voyage on the Fortunata, commenting on encounters with fellow passengers (often British) and expressing anticipation for exploring tombs in "Nubia." A piece of heavy linen is tied over the book's covers, and the front cover bears the ink title "Amphibiology."

The Hampton, Virginia, photograph album contains approximately 120 photographs, mainly panoramic images, showing waterfront views of the Hampton Roads region of Virginia as well as images of a rural farm or estate.

The Hampton, Virginia, photograph album contains approximately 120 photographs, mainly panoramic images, showing waterfront views of the Hampton Roads region of Virginia as well as images of a rural farm or estate. The album (28 x 38 cm) is half bound in brown leather. Images of interest include several exterior and interior views of a beach cottage; men, women, and children in swimming apparel, bobbing in the surf, strolling the beach and the boardwalk, and posing on the cottage porch swing and lawn; two photographs of a family group dining on the cottage veranda while an African American servant holds a fan; and a well-dressed African American couple on the porch steps.

Other photographs include views of the Chamberlain and Buckroe Beach hotels; the Cape Henry lighthouse; the Hampton Institute from across the water; the Ocean View Resort in Norfolk; the electric railway bridge over the water; and the Hampton soldier's home. Marine subjects include views of numerous small boats manned by sailors; possibly engaged in a rowing exercise; a naval station and battleship in the background; a Navy monitor under steam; and sailing boats moored in a harbor. An additional series of photographs show exterior views of a large country house in a landscaped setting, with elegant horse-drawn carriages, a farmyard with livestock, an African American man plowing a field, workers harvesting fruit in an orchard, and two African American men tending a steaming vat over an open fire.

The Leckie family papers document the business activities and relationships of Alexander Leckie and his sons, who traded dry goods between England, the United States, and the Caribbean around 1800.

The Leckie family papers contain 44 letters, 3 ledgers, 2 inventories, and a receipt, spanning 1794-1808. The materials primarily document the business activities of the Leckies, who traded dry goods between the United States, England, Jamaica, and Haiti. The correspondence contains many details on the nature of an ambitious mercantile business and matters affecting it during this period. These include political disruptions that threatened trading, especially in Santo Domingo (August 31, 1797), insurance of cargoes, the suitability of certain kinds of goods for specific markets (August 5, 1797), and the types of materials bought and sold, such as cloth, groceries, soap, and candles. The inventories provide further specifics on types of items and prices.

The letters also reveal family relations and their repercussions on the business. In their correspondence, the Leckie brothers frequently quarreled with and chastised one another. They found particular fault with Alexander, who, according to his brothers, made a number of bad contracts (April 7, 1795), as well as an "unfortunate and premature attachment" to a young woman in Virginia (December 28, 1795). In a letter of February 4, 1802, George discussed Alexander's enormous debts ("Alexander could not be indebted at New providence in any less sum than 100.000 Dollars"). Despite this, all three remained in the business at least until 1808.

William Leckie's letters, in particular, show him to be a keen observer of society. In a letter of August 15, 1802, he described the rapid growth of cotton as a crop, the construction of Washington, D.C., and his views on the American social and political scene. His comments on the growing tensions over slavery in the south would prove prophetic: "I have thought that two circumstances are likely to operate at possibly no very distant day to the disadvantage of this happy Country, the first is the great laxity of morals & religion…The other is the increasing quantity of blacks…who are all natives & many of whom can read & write, these will perhaps prove the bane of all the Southern States & by their struggles for freedom involve nearly one half of the Union in Civil Wars."

This collection is made up of 27 letters that Leroy Stecker wrote to his family while serving in the United States Navy during World War II. Stecker, a seaman first class, was based at Norfolk, Virginia, and served onboard the Oceanographer in the Pacific Theater.

This collection is made up of 27 letters that Leroy Stecker wrote to his family while serving in the United States Navy during World War II. Stecker, a seaman first class, was based at Norfolk, Virginia, and served onboard the Oceanographer in the Pacific Theater. Stecker addressed his letters to his mother and stepfather in Torrance, California, and to a woman named Joan who lived with them, from July 12, 1942, to September 8, 1943. He was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, until late August, when he joined the crew of the Oceanographer, which served in the Aleutian Islands, Hawaii, and the South Pacific during the war. Stecker wrote primarily about his everyday life and discussed his meals, hobbies, and acquaintances. In Norfolk, he met a woman whose husband had gone to war, and he later discussed a relationship with a married woman, reporting her intention of getting a divorce. Stecker frequently responded to news of acquaintances from home and on one occasion offered advice for a man named "Bus," who considered joining the navy. A pencil drawing of a man in profile is enclosed in Stecker's letter of February 2, 1943.

This collection contains around 200 letters that Reginald Johnson of Webster, New York, wrote to his parents while serving in the United States Navy between 1917 and 1920. He commented extensively on military life and on his experiences while serving onboard the USS Florida in Scotland during the final months of World War I, and along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean during his postwar service.

This collection contains around 200 letters that Reginald Johnson of Webster, New York, wrote to his parents while serving in the United States Navy between 1917 and 1920. He commented extensively on military life and on his experiences while serving onboard the USS Florida in Scotland during the final months of World War I, and along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean during his postwar service.

Johnson wrote his mother about once or twice weekly throughout his time in the navy, beginning just after his enlistment in June 1917 and ending with his discharge in July 1920. He provided regular updates about daily life in the navy, while training at Newport, Rhode Island, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and while serving on the Florida during and after the war. The topics he discussed included the scenery, his activities while on liberty, and the food. He occasionally commented on his work and the ship's crew. Johnson inquired about his father's health, asked who had been drafted from his hometown, and reported meeting other sailors from the Rochester area. He shared his excitement about being able to see various parts of the world and described several of his destinations, including Edinburgh, Scotland; Guantánamo Bay, Cuba; and Colon and Panama City, Panama. While in port at Norfolk and Boston after the war, Johnson wrote about his leisure activities, compared the hospitality of the two cities toward sailors, and commented on his romantic relationship with a Boston woman.

The US Frigate Potomac collection is made up of a letter book and logbook concerning the ship's service along the Atlantic coast, in the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Caribbean in the mid-1840s. The letter book contains correspondence between Captain John Gwinn and various navy officials from 1844-1847, and the log chronicles daily incidents onboard the Potomac from 1844-1845.

The US Frigate Potomac collection is made up of a letter book and log book concerning the ship's service along the Atlantic coast, in the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Caribbean in the mid-1840s.

The Letter Book contains 107 pages of copied outgoing letters that John Gwinn wrote to various United States Navy personnel, such as Secretaries of the Navy John Y. Mason and George Bancroft, from October 11, 1844-December 29, 1847 (primarily in 1844 and 1845). The first letter is a copy of the Navy Department's official order for Gwinn to assume command of the Potomac, and the remaining letters pertain to the ship's service along the Atlantic coast, in the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Caribbean. Gwinn discussed the ship's movements, personnel, and maintenance. Many letters concern a leak sustained by the Potomac and its repair, and another group of letters addresses Gwinn's concern about possible cases of yellow fever on another ship. Gwinn wrote far less frequently after the Potomac's arrival at the Gosport Shipyard in December 1846, and his later correspondence includes a lengthy letter from Philadelphia with his opinions regarding possible improvements to the Pensacola Navy Yard (February 2, 1846). A letter by Gwinn dated July 3, 1847, is laid into the volume's back pages, alongside a transcription written directly into the book.

The Potomac's Journal (198 pages) is a log of the ship's movements and incidents onboard, with daily entries covering October 16, 1844-December 17, 1845. Entries written while the Potomac was at sea include charts with hourly records of the ship's course and wind direction, and every entry has prose remarks, often concerning weather conditions. The remarks also address issues such as activities at various ports, encounters with other ships, rations and cargo, and crew discipline and deaths. This log was compiled while the Potomac visited ports such as Norfolk, Pensacola, Port Royal, Port-au-Prince, Havana, and Veracruz. The final entry was written as the ship entered dry dock at the Gosport Shipyard. Two sheets of blotting paper are laid into the volume.

The Virginia, Georgia, and Maryland carte-de-visite album contains carte-de-visite and tintype studio portraits of men, women, and children taken around the 1870s-1880s. Most of the tintypes are hand-tinted.

This album (13cm x9cm) contains 16 carte-de-visite and 13 tintype photographs taken in Virginia, Georgia, and Maryland circa 1870s-1880s. Most items are individual portraits, with three exceptions: a carte-de-visite of two women, a tintype of a woman holding an infant, and a tintype family photograph of six people, mostly children. The majority of the tintypes and at least two of the cartes-de-visite have hand coloring. One photograph of an infant is identified as Estelle Simcoe. The volume's brown cover has a raised geometric design, and the title "Album" is stamped in gold on the spine.