Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

The Robert M. Vogel collection of historic images of engineering & industry contains approximately 22,890 photographs (including 18,500 stereographs), 1220 prints, 13 photograph albums, 11 books, 117 pieces of ephemera, and 15 pieces of realia documenting a wide range of subjects primarily related to 19th-century civil engineering, industrial processes, and mechanization.

The Robert M. Vogel collection of historic images of engineering & industry contains approximately 22,890 photographs (including 18,500 stereographs), 1220 prints, 13 photograph albums, 11 books, 117 pieces of ephemera, and 15 pieces of realia documenting a wide range of subjects primarily related to 19th-century civil engineering, industrial processes, and mechanization.

Particularly well-represented topics within the Vogel collection include images of different types of civil infrastructure such as bridges, canals, roads, dams, and tunnels as well as images showing construction projects, various types of machinery, modes of transportation (such as railroads, steamboats, automobiles, etc.), agricultural pursuits, natural resource extraction (including oil drilling, quarrying, mining, and lumbering), textile operations, electrical and hydraulic power generation, manufacturing, metal working, machine shops, and various industrial factory scenes. Many images of important and iconic structures are included such as the Brooklyn Bridge, Panama Canal, Hoosac Tunnel, and SS Great Eastern. Other represented topics include general architectural views, scenes of disasters/accidents, and portraits of notable individuals (such as Thomas Edison, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and Robert Stephenson). While predominately United States-focused, the materials are international in scope overall and especially include many images of industrial sites and civil infrastructure in Great Britain. The order of the collection's original arrangement has largely been kept intact.

Examples of items of particular interest include salt prints possibly taken by civil engineer Montgomery C. Meigs documenting the construction of the U.S. Capitol and Washington Aqueduct in Washington, D.C.; a series of portraits of early Baldwin Locomotive Works locomotives; images documenting the SS Great Eastern and USS Niagara steamships; a group of 4 colored stereoviews on glass produced by Frederick Langenheim showing the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge ca. 1850s; images related to specific railroads including the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Mauch Chunk, Mount Washington Cog Railway, and New York City elevated railroad; and half-frame proof prints of stereographs produced by Underwood & Underwood as well as H. C. White & Co.

The following list represents the general subject categories found across the Vogel collection along with relevant box and folder numbers:

• Box 07.2
• Box 14.1
• Box 14.2
• Box 14.3
• Box 31.2
• Box 52
• Box 56
• Folder 2.10
• Folder 3.08

• Box 06.2
• Box 06.3
• Folder 1.08
• Folder 2.15

• Box 01.1
• Box 03.3
• Box 06.3
• Box 07.1
• Box 28.2
• Box 28.3
• Box 46.2
• Box 57
• Box 58
• Box 59
• Box 61
• Box 63.10
• Folder 1.04
• Folder 2.04
• Folder 2.09
• Folder 2.14
• Folder 2.15
• Folder 2.16
• Folder 3.08

• Box 06.1
• Box 06.2
• Folder 2.06

• Box 03.1
• Box 03.2
• Folder 2.17
• Folder 3.08

• Box 03.3
• Box 04.1
• Box 04.2
• Box 04.3
• Box 05.3
• Box 05.4
• Box 06.1
• Folder 3.08

• Box 05.1

• Box 01.1
• Box 01.2
• Box 01.3
• Box 02.1
• Box 02.2
• Box 28.3
• Box 43.2
• Folder 3.02
• Folder 3.08
• Folder 3.10

• Box 02.3
• Box 05.2
• Box 06.1
• Box 49.1
• Box 49.2

• Box 09.1
• Box 09.2
• Box 36.1
• Box 36.2
• Box 39.1

• Box 08.2
• Box 08.3
• Box 18.4
• Box 28.1
• Box 28.3
• Box 46.1
• Box 53.2
• Box 58
• Box 61
• Box 63.08
• Box 63.11
• Folder 1.03
• Folder 2.16
• Folder 2.17

• Box 06.3
• Box 17.3
• Box 20.1
• Box 24.3
• Box 25.1
• Box 28.1
• Box 41.1
• Box 54
• Box 57
• Folder 1.07
• Folder 2.16

• Box 11.2
• Box 45.2

• Box 27.1
• Box 27.2
• Box 27.3
• Box 39.2
• Box 46.1
• Box 46.2
• Box 56
• Box 57
• Box 58
• Box 59
• Box 63.02
• Box 63.03
• Box 64.1
• Folder 1.05
• Folder 1.11
• Folder 1.13
• Folder 2.04
• Folder 2.11
• Folder 2.17
• Folder 3.08

• Box 07.2
• Box 07.3
• Box 08.1
• Box 08.2
• Box 28.1
• Box 28.2
• Box 43.2
• Box 46.3
• Box 52
• Box 54
• Box 56
• Box 57
• Box 59
• Box 63.04
• Box 64.2
• Box 64.4
• Folder 1.09
• Folder 2.05
• Folder 2.10
• Folder 2.12
• Folder 2.17
• Folder 3.08

• Box 07.1
• Box 07.2
• Box 13.2
• Box 13.3
• Box 14.1
• Box 27.2
• Box 27.3
• Box 31.2
• Box 32
• Box 33.1
• Box 33.2
• Box 34
• Box 35
• Box 36.1
• Box 37
• Box 39.2
• Box 40
• Box 41.2
• Box 42
• Box 43.1
• Box 43.2
• Box 46.2
• Box 53.1
• Box 53.2
• Box 60.1
• Box 61
• Box 63.01
• Box 63.03
• Box 64.1
• Box 64.3
• Folder 1.03
• Folder 1.07
• Folder 2.05
• Folder 2.06
• Folder 2.11
• Folder 2.15
• Folder 3.03
• Folder 3.08
• Folder 3.09
• Folder 3.12

• Box 15.1
• Box 43.2
• Box 44
• Box 55.1
• Box 55.2
• Box 60.1
• Box 60.2
• Box 62
• Folder 1.01
• Folder 1.02
• Folder 1.12
• Folder 3.07

• Box 11.2
• Box 11.3
• Box 12.1
• Box 12.2
• Box 13.2
• Box 23.1
• Box 61
• Folder 2.05

• Box 11.2
• Box 12.2
• Box 14.2
• Box 63.07

• Box 12.2
• Box 12.3
• Box 12.4
• Box 13.1
• Box 13.2
• Box 37
• Box 46.2
• Box 57
• Box 58

• Box 21.3
• Box 22.1
• Box 22.2
• Box 22.3
• Box 28.1
• Box 39.2
• Box 61
• Folder 2.14
• Folder 2.15
• Folder 3.08

• Box 23.1
• Box 23.2
• Box 23.3
• Box 24.1
• Box 24.2
• Box 40
• Box 41.2
• Box 50.1
• Box 50.2
• Box 51
• Box 52
• Box 55.1
• Box 55.2
• Box 61
• Folder 1.03
• Folder 2.02
• Folder 2.05
• Folder 2.14
• Folder 3.02
• Folder 3.10

• Box 29.1
• Box 29.2
• Box 30
• Box 46.1
• Box 57
• Folder 1.07

• Box 24.3
• Box 25.1
• Box 25.2
• Box 25.3
• Box 26.1
• Box 26.2
• Box 26.3
• Box 27.1
• Box 27.3
• Box 37
• Box 38
• Box 39.2
• Box 40
• Box 41.1
• Box 42
• Box 46.3
• Box 64.1
• Folder 3.06

• Box 10.3
• Box 11.1
• Box 11.2
• Box 41.2
• Folder 3.05
• Folder 3.12

• Box 01.1
• Box 10.3
• Box 28.3
• Box 39.1
• Box 46.3
• Box 56
• Box 64.2
• Box 64.3
• Folder 2.15
• Folder 3.06
• Folder 3.07

• Box 08.1
• Box 28.1
• Box 46.3
• Box 64.2

• Box 09.3
• Box 10.1
• Box 10.2
• Box 10.3

• Box 39.1

• Box 34
• Box 42
• Box 56
• Box 63.07
• Folder 2.16

• Box 15.1
• Box 28.2
• Box 31.2
• Box 33.2
• Box 36.2
• Box 54
• Box 58
• Box 64.3
• Folder 2.16
• Folder 3.04

• Box 19.1
• Box 19.2
• Box 19.3
• Box 20.1
• Box 20.2
• Box 20.3
• Box 21.1
• Box 21.2
• Box 21.3
• Box 28.2
• Box 45.2
• Box 46.3
• Box 57
• Box 59
• Box 63.09
• Folder 2.08
• Folder 2.11
• Folder 2.14
• Folder 3.05
• Folder 3.07
• Folder 3.08

• Box 15.1
• Box 15.2
• Box 15.3
• Box 16.1
• Box 16.2
• Box 16.3
• Box 16.4
• Box 17.1
• Box 17.2
• Box 17.3
• Box 18.1
• Box 18.2
• Box 18.3
• Box 18.4
• Box 28.1
• Box 28.2
• Box 31.1
• Box 35
• Box 46.2
• Box 47
• Box 48.1
• Box 48.2
• Box 49.1
• Box 56
• Box 57
• Box 58
• Box 59
• Box 61
• Box 63.05
• Box 63.06
• Folder 1.06
• Folder 1.10
• Folder 2.01
• Folder 2.03
• Folder 2.04
• Folder 2.06
• Folder 2.07
• Folder 2.10
• Folder 2.13
• Folder 2.16
• Folder 3.04
• Folder 3.07
• Folder 3.10
• Folder 3.11
• Folder 3.12

• Box 28.2
• Box 43.1
• Box 43.2
• Box 45.1
• Box 45.2
• Folder 2.06

• Box 08.1
• Box 08.2
• Box 25.1
• Box 28.3
• Box 39.1
• Box 39.2
• Box 46.3
• Box 53.2
• Box 56
• Box 57
• Box 59
• Box 64.2
• Box 64.4
• Folder 1.04
• Folder 2.04
• Folder 2.15
• Folder 2.16

While the Vogel collection general subject categories are generally comprehensive there are still numerous instances of items that could feasibly belong to multiple categories other than the group they are classified under. For instance, there are disaster images found in several groupings other than "Disasters," while bridge construction images can be found in all of the various "Bridges" categories as well as within the "Construction" category. For more detailed descriptions of specific materials, see the box and folder listing in the Contents section below.

The Suckley family papers provide documentation of family life, mercantile business, and the Methodist Church in antebellum New York City.

This Suckley collection is only a small residuum of a much larger collection, yet what remains provides important documentation of several aspects of nineteenth century life, particularly relating to commercial life in antebellum New York City and the Methodist Church.

Boxes 1 and 2 consists primarily of in-coming correspondence dated between 1791 and 1839, centering on the personal and professional life of George Suckley, with the earliest material originating in the family of his first wife, Miss Lang, in England. The letters contain some information on English Methodism (1:1-6, 16-18). Of particular interest are the letters of the Methodist missionary, Francis Asbury (1:10-11) and of the wife of Richard Reece, who began his itinerant ministry in 1787 (The Christian Advocate and Journal, May 13, 1846, contains a brief sketch of Reece's life). The letters of Catherine Rutsen Suckley and Joseph Holdich include discussions of the Methodist Church in America, and the missionary Freeborn Garretson, is discussed in several letters (1:21-23,25,26,32).

George Suckley's business correspondence includes dealings with the English firm of Holy, Newbould and Suckley (1:33-42,47) and two sets of letters from agents who Suckley retained to manage his vast land holdings, John Reed in upstate New York and John Rangeley in Maine. Among the personal correspondence are several letters from Philadelphia lawyer(?) Cornelius Comegys and letters from three of George Suckley's sons. John Lang Suckley wrote frequently to request money to pay his servants; Rutsen Suckley assisted in managing his father's properties, and Thomas Holy Suckley was a college student.

Box 3 contains family correspondence written after George's death in 1846. Among the family members represented are George's children Rusten, Mary, and Thomas Holy Suckley, and his grandson Dr. George Suckley (1830-1869). George's letters are the most intrinsically interesting, as they were written during a period in the 1850s when he was practicing in Oregon and Washington Territory and considering land investments in California. During this same period, Dr. Suckley was the recipient of several letters from David and Jack Green (apparently cousins of some sort). One item (3:39) relates to George's Civil War service. The later correspondence heavily concerns New York charities. One interesting letter (3:52) is a stableman's apology for drunkenness on Christmas.

Boxes 5 through 9 are arranged in folders by subject. Of particularly interest are materials that document the various New York City rental properties owned by Rutsen Suckley, recording rents collected and upkeep expenses between the 1840s and 1870s. The cost of living in New York can be calculated from bills and receipts for a wide range of products and services.