James King Steele Papers: Finding Aid mssSteelejk
Gayle Richardson
The Huntington Library
December 2020
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Business Number: (626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: James King Steele papers
Creator:
Steele, James King, 1875-1937
Identifier/Call Number: mssSteelejk
Physical Description:
2.75 Linear Feet
(2 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1909-1936
Abstract: A collection of personal and
professional papers related to James King Steele, American travel lecturer, writer, and
publisher.
Language of Material: Materials are in
English.
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from
or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The
responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining
necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
[Identification of item]. James King Steele papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino,
California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Edith Shorb Steele, March 1950.
James King Steele (1875-1937) was a travel author, editor, and publicist. He married Edith
Shorb, daughter of James de Barth Shorb. Steele published the Del Monte (California) Weekly
from 1908 to 1911, was editor and publisher of the World traveler from 1911 to 1916 and the
travel magazine, Japan from 1917 to 1929. He was also the manager of the publication
department at the Toyo Kisen Kaisha (Oriental Steamship Company). Steele was active in
tourist development organizations, including the Philippine Tourist Association from 1930 to
1935 and the Japan Tourist Bureau, which he founded. He lectured, wrote articles on Asia,
and presented radio talks on a variety of subjects.
The collection consists of approximately 591 items from 1909 to 1936, it contains the
correspondence of James King Steele and Edith Shorb Steele. The collection also includes
business papers mainly relating to the tourist business in the Philippine Islands and in
Japan. There are also typescripts of articles and talks, eight radio scripts, and
photographs in the collection.
Processed by Huntington Library Staff, circa 1955. In 2020, Gayle Richardson created the
finding aid derived from a legacy summary report.
Organized in the following series: 1. Business and professional papers; 2. Correspondence;
3. Manuscripts; 4. Ephemera.
Former call number: mssSteele papers.
A photograph album from Japan that belonged to James King Steele (photCL 60) is now part of
the Photo Archive; a James King Steele and travel-related ephemera collection (mssSteeleEph)
is now part of Prints and Ephemera.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Authors, American -- 20th century
Periodical editors -- United States
Tourism -- Japan
Tourism -- Philippines
Japan -- Description and
travel
Philippines -- Description and
travel
Business records -- 20th century
Letters (correspondence) -- 20th century
Photographs -- 20th century
Radio scripts -- 20th century
Typescripts -- 20th century
Steele, Edith Shorb
Box 1
Julean Arnold - Notes on Japan
Box 2
Correspondence - Ephemera