Charles Claflin Davis Digital Collection

The Charles Claflin Davis Digital Collection spans the years of 1897-1923 (bulk dates 1921-23) and contains materials illustrative of the work Davis did while leading the efforts of the American Red Cross in Turkey and Greece.  The Collection includes thank you letters written to Davis, newspaper clippings, a ledger, photographs, scrapbooks, and American Red Cross Reports. 

A 1910 graduate of the Harvard Law School, Charles Davis received international praise for the relief work he oversaw as Director of the South Eastern Base of the American Red Cross from 1920-1922. Headquartered in Constantinople, the South Eastern Base coordinated humanitarian efforts for Russian refugees fleeing the Russian Revolution and oversaw operations in Smyrna, Turkey and Lemnos, Greece, as well as in Constantinople.  In mid-September 1922, the Turkish armies assaulted the city of Smyrna on Turkey's Aegean coast, which had been occupied by Greece since 1919.  The ensuing battle and subsequent fire destroyed the ancient city and created a large number of refugees in need of the American Red Cross's assistance.  Davis received numerous citations for his work on behalf of these refugees.

Highlights of the Collection are scrapbooks made for Davis by refugees as way to thank him for his work.  The collection should be of interest to researchers studying refugee camps, orphans, international relief work, and the American Red Cross among others.

To view the Collection, follow the links in the "Find it Fast!" sidebar to the right.  Images of the scrapbooks are available in both the PDS and VIA delivery systems.  Digitization services were provided by Harvard College Library's Imaging Services department.