Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Hiroshima Diary letters
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Hiroshima Diary letters
- Date
- 1955 (inclusive)
- Extent
- 0.03 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Letters.
- Correspondence.
- Books.
- Authors and publishers.
- Magazines.
- Atomic bomb.
- Biographies
- Look magazine Correspondence.
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged chronologically. The Wade Hall Collection of American Letters has been processed into discrete collections based on provenance.
- Preferred Citation
- 2009ms132.0646: [identification of item], Wade Hall Collection of American Letters: Hiroshima Diary letters, 1955, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- The Hiroshima Diary is a book by Michihiko Hachiya (1903-1980), translated by Warner Wells, MD, that documents and describes the effects of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and its residents from August 6, 1945 to September 30, 1945. Dr. Hachiya was a medical practitioner and director of the Hiroshima Communications Hospital who, upon surviving and healing from the blast, made his daily rounds as he would have normally made as a doctor and cares for the patients he sees. The diary details how people came to learn of what exactly happened to them, the surrender of Japan, how the hospital improves after more medical supplies are brought into the city, and Dr. Hachiya's treatment of his patients. About 1950, the diary was brought to the attention of Dr. Warner Wells, who was in Japan as a surgical consultant to the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission, and he worked with Dr. Hachiya to translate and have the full diary published in 1955.
- American Letters collector Wade Hall (1934-2015) was a native of Union Springs, Alabama. Starting in 1962, he lived in Louisville, where he taught English and chaired the English and Humanities/Arts programs at Kentucky Southern College and Bellarmine University. He also taught at the University of Illinois and the University of Florida. He held degrees from Troy State University (B.S.), the University of Alabama (M.A.), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.). He served for two years in the U.S. Army in the mid-fifties. Dr. Hall was the author of books, monographs, articles, plays, and reviews relating to Kentucky, Alabama, and Southern history and literature. His most recent books include A Visit with Harlan Hubbard; High Upon a Hill: A History of Bellarmine College; A Song in Native Pastures: Randy Atcher's Life in Country Music; and Waters of Life from Conecuh Ridge.
- Scope and Content
- The Hiroshima Diary letters (dated 1955; 0.03 cubic feet; 1 folder) comprises two letters between the director of the University of North Carolina Press and Look magazine that document the efforts to bring awareness of the publication of the diary in 1955. The first letter discusses sending photographs taken by Wells and Hachiya to the magazine to run alongside their excerpt of the book, and the second letter discusses gathering more information on Wells to write a short article about him in relation to the book.
- The Hiroshima Diary letters collection is part of the Wade Hall Collection of American Letters, which includes correspondence and diaries from all over North America covering the time period of the Civil to Korean Wars. The materials were collected by Wade Hall and document everyday men and women.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Letters about publication of Hiroshima Diary, 1955
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
