Sam Sturgis photograph collection, 1860s-1970s

The Sam Sturgis collection consists of photographic prints and copy negatives of Washtenaw and Livingston County life from the 1860s through the 1970s. Collected by Ann Arbor photographer Sam Sturgis and Ypsilanti banker Hazel Proctor from a variety of known and unknown sources, the collection represents many aspects of life in Ann Arbor, Brighton, Chelsea, Dexter, Dixboro, Manchester, Saline and Ypsilanti. Main subject categories include churches, schools, businesses, buildings, University of Michigan buildings, staff, students and campus life, streets, panoramic views, rivers, recreation and family life, including residences, men, women, and children. Evolving modes of transportation, such as railroads, interurban streetcars, automobiles, and airplanes are also depicted.

Prints and negatives are divided into two parallel series, with negative use restricted to Bentley staff for preservation and security purposes. Each series is arranged alphabetically by city or town and, within each geographical grouping, in the order in which Sturgis collected the items. Sturgis began donating his collection to the Bentley in 1966, and, as items continue to be received, numbering is continued within each geographical grouping, in the original collecting and numbering order established by Sturgis. While some numbers were originally intended by Sturgis to designate the origins of the item, if known, this information has also been added to the item description under the heading "source" to facilitate patron and staff use. The Bentley does not hold a complete set of prints and negatives. Information on the current availability of both prints and negatives is included in each item listing.

Each photograph has a unique identifying number. The "Sturgis Number" consists of a one or two-letter series code, followed by a numerical number with decimal or alphanumeric number, such as AA 267.21 or AA 35A. the collection is arranged by city as follows

An item list of all photographs with description, date (if known), source and photographer, if known, follows the summary contents list on page three of the introduction.

Information on whether the photograph has been published and therefore has further information provided elsewhere is also included in each item description. Unless otherwise noted, all photographs listed as "published" have been published in a series by the Ann Arbor Federal Savings Bank (AAFSB), with editorial supervision by Sam Sturgis and Hazel Proctor. Availability of the respective print and negative concludes each item entry.

The following books, published by the AAFSB in the early 1970s, are annotated with Sturgis' photograph numbers and may be used as a partial guide to the collection. While two copies of each publication are available for consultation in the reading room, only one of each set has annotations. Descriptive captions in these publications as well as the annotated numbers may differ from actual photograph numbers and other information about the photographs. Any reference to these annotations should be verified with the item lists and vice versa to assure accuracy because of occasional inconsistencies. The AAFSB publications with Bentley call numbers are listed as follows:

1. Proctor, Hazel. Old Ann Arbor Town. 1974. Copy 1 annotated. EC 2 A216.5 P964
2. Sam Sturgis. Memories of Old Ann Arbor Town, 1967. Copies 1 and 2 annotated. EC 2 A613.5 S935
3. Proctor, Hazel. Old Brighton Village. 1974. Copy 1 annotated. EC 2 B856.3 P964
4. Proctor, Hazel. Old Chelsea Village. 1972. Copy 2 annotated. EC2 C516.5 P964
5. Proctor, Hazel. Old Dexter Village. 1973. Copy 1 annotated. EC 2 D526.5 P964
6. Proctor, Hazel. Old Manchester Village. 1974. Copy 2 annotated. EC 2 M268.5 P964
7. Proctor, Hazel. Old Saline Village. 1975. Copy 1 annotated. EC 2 S165.5 P964
8. Proctor, Hazel. Old Ypsilanti Town. 1974. Copy 2 annotated. EC 2 Y86.5 P964