The collection consists mainly of family and business correspondence covering the period between 1861 and 1907,, together with notes and drawings concerning Lowth's inventions. James Lowth's Civil War letters are very descriptive of his army experiences. Most were written from Louisiana during 1864. Letters of Lowth's numerous sisters dominate the correspondence from the 1870's and early 1880's; these primarily concern family matters and are illustrative of life in nineteenth-century Wisconsin. Most of the letters from the late 1880's and the 1890's relate to Lowth's inventions and business ventures, including one letter, 1897 January 11, reporting Bell's alleged offer of stock and cash, and a letter from George Westinghouse, Jr., 1888 July 31, citing a payment of one thousand dollars “for all services and claims on account of the telephone transaction.”
The rest of the collection consists primarily of notes and drawings in Lowth's hand relating to his inventions; some of these may have been intended as drafts for magazine or newspaper articles about his inventions and about various scientific phenomena. Most are undated and unsorted.
The collection also contains a store's day book kept by Edward Lowth, James' father. It covers the period 1841-1850, before the family moved to Wisconsin from Pittsford, Vermont. The ledger is quite complete and useful for the contemporary value of various items.
