The collection chiefly documents Conway's friendship with Lydia Ely and his connections with Wisconsin following his departure from Milwaukee in 1881. In addition, there are several folders of family correspondence in the collection. Also included are several folders of original correspondence received by Lydia Ely from other people concerning her charitable work for soldiers during the Civil War and the Milwaukee Art Exposition. In addition to correspondence, the collection includes a Conway diary (1901), memoranda, drafts of writing by Conway about art in Milwaukee; photographs of the Conway family, some of his paintings and sculpture, and a miniature portrait of Conway painted by Mrs. Ely; and miscellaneous material concerning the Soldiers Monument. Also included is a folder of correspondence and inventories of Grace Robinson Conway concerning the disposition of a large collection of Conway art. Conclusions drawn from this correspondence leave unclear the amount of additional Conway correspondence still in existence.
Because of the sustained, close relationship between Conway and Ely, the collection, although small, provides good documentation about the kind of man Conway was both as an artist and an individual, and of some of the significant events in his life. The Conway-Ely correspondence is most complete for the years 1881-1885, when Conway was in Europe. There are some gaps in the coverage for the full duration of their friendship, and it may be that they were visiting or traveling together during these periods.
The correspondence between Conway and his wife, which covers a ten-year period, is in Italian. As a result, its research value has not been evaluated.
Conway's general correspondence predominantly concerns the Soldiers Monument, details of its construction, and congratulations following its erection. There is some correspondence with the National Art Club of New York and various European museums concerning an artifact in his possession. His letters to Ely dating from the early 1880s discuss his visits to galleries including the Louvre and the Sistine Chapel; customs and conditions in Europe; and his work and training with Boulanger and Lefebvre. He repeatedly refers to his loneliness, concerns for Ely's health, and arrangements for her travel to Europe. Later he discusses his financial hardships, his work in Rome, and his continued unhappiness. He makes no mention of his wife and children in his letters to Ely. Letters of the early 1900s concern personal matters, issues in the art world, Ely's agricultural ventures, and his declining health and financial hardships.
The correspondence between Conway and his children is sparse. There are a few letters of his daughter Etheldreda and a letter from Conway to his children. Also included is information pertaining to Etheldreda's death.
Entries in Conway's 1901 diary are sparse; some are in Italian. The drafts of an article on art in Milwaukee are undated although probably written in the later part of the 1890s. This article includes brief biographies of prominent figures in the art world, as well as one each for Conway and Ely. These drafts are available only on microfilm.
The material relating to the dedication of the Soldiers Monument includes newspaper clippings and lists of patrons with amounts pledged. The miscellany includes catalogues containing references to Conway paintings and information on the Conway Castle in England.
The papers also include photographs of Conway and his family, of some of his paintings and sculptures, and of a miniature portrait of him by Mrs. Ely.
Lydia Ely's general correspondence for the 1850s and 1860s predominantly concerns construction and operation of the Wisconsin Soldiers Home, its incorporation, and the collection of art work for the Soldiers Home Fair. The annual reports of the home contain yearly statistics, treasurer's reports, lists of contributors and their donations, and a constitution and by-laws. Also of note are letters of Fannie Burling Buttrick, a friend who was nursing soldiers in her husband's regiment in the South.
Mrs. Ely's later general correspondence includes letters from James McAlister, who collected art for the Milwaukee Industrial Exposition. Her letters to Conway from the 1890s concern work with the exposition, her own art work, and personal and business matters. There is some discussion of the Soldiers Monument. Letters between 1904 and 1908 are primarily concerned with her financial hardships, agricultural concerns, and illnesses.
The Grace Robinson Conway file consists of letters to and from various galleries concerning the disposition of her large collection of John Conway paintings. Included is an inventory of the collection, which she eventually sold to the Kennedy Galleries in 1972.
