The Joseph P. Davis Papers document the professional activities of Joseph P. Davis, civil engineer and graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Class of 1856. The bulk of the collection comprises journals and correspondence regarding Davis' work for the Department of Public Works in Peru, 1861-1865. The collection is divided into two series: Series I. Correspondence is comprised of letters, orders and reports regarding engineering projects and expeditions. Most of the correspondence is between Joseph Davis and Mariano Felipe Paz Soldan, Director of Public Works for the government of Peru. Paz Soldan's letters are in Spanish. Biographical sketches of Joseph P. Davis included in the collection have been placed at the beginning of this series. Series II. Journals is comprised of journals that record Davis' journey to Peru, two expeditions to survey guano beds off the coast of Peru and notes on a variety of engineering projects including water systems, bridges, sewer systems, structural analyses, and railroads. The journals contain detailed reports and in many cases detailed drawings of Davis' projects. An additional journal records a trip to Europe during the winter of 1877-1878 to inspect sewer systems on behalf of the City of Boston. An addendum to this series consists of typed transcripts of Davis' journals. In addition to transcriptions of extant journals, a journal transcription recording Davis' trip to Cuzco in 1864 is included. The disposition of the original journal and the identity of the transcriber are unknown.
