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Collection

George Robert Swain photographs and papers, circa 1870-1947 (majority within 1913-1947)

20 linear feet (in 34 boxes) — 1 oversize folder

University of Michigan staff photographer, 1913-1947 and commercial photographer in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Collection includes some manuscript material but is primarily photographic prints and negatives made by Swain. Photo subjects include university buildings, faculty, and student activities, archeological expeditions to the Near East and, Ann Arbor scenes and landscapes form his travels in the western United States and Canada.

The papers and photographs of George R. Swain mainly document Swain's accomplishments as university photographer at the University of Michigan from 1913 to 1947. Researchers should note, however, that this is only a sampling of the photographer's work during these years. The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology at the University of Michigan has an extensive collection of Swain's archaeological negatives and prints, and researchers interested in his full career will want to also look at the Kelsey collection. The Bentley Library material, while including several folders of fine photographs Swain made on his travels with Professor Frances Kelsey, for the most part documents Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan.

The collection at the Bentley Library consists of three series: Miscellaneous Papers; Photographers Log; and Photographs (prints; negatives; and lantern slides. Since the bulk of the collection is comprised of early twentieth century images of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan, the materials will be of most interest to researchers searching for visual documentation of this part of the state in that time period. There are very few materials beyond the visual, although the lengthy captions attached to many overseas images and the essays, diaries, and letters, are extremely interesting and offer insight into how Swain approached his craft, both as a professional photographer and in his personal work.

Collection

Hazel Littlefield Smith Papers, circa 1830s-1979

5.3 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Resident in China from Farwell, Michigan; papers concern her family life in Farwell, and missionary activities; include letters, diaries, and accounts of father, Josiah L. Littlefield, Farwell lumber dealer and visitor to China, 1916-1917; letters, 1918-1928, of husband, Dr. Dennis V. Smith, medical missionary to China, describing in part Chinese politics and civil war, 1918-1920; letters and other papers of Hazel Littlefield Smith, including materials concerning various European travels, and manuscripts of writings about Irish author Lord Dunsany, her father, and Farwell, Michigan; and photographs. Other correspondents of Hazel Smith include world-renowed scientists (Edwin Hubble and William Beebe), from Chinese Princess Der Ling, and from distinguished European writers and actors (Pierre LaMure, Selma Lagerlof, Brian Aherne, and Ronald Colman).

This collection was accumulated by Hazel Littlefield Smith and consists of materials concerning her career and interests and those of her family, specifically her husband, Dr. Dennis Smith, and her father, Josiah Littlefield (1845-1935), a pioneer lumberman and businessman in Farwell, Michigan.

The collection is particularly valuable for three topics: early days (late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries) in Farwell, Michigan; missionary life in China in the period ca. 1915-1928; and the travels and writings of Hazel Littlefield Smith. The materials include correspondence, compositions and business-related materials of Josiah Littlefield; correspondence and other materials of Dr. Dennis Smith, Hazel Littlefield Smith (and Josiah Littlefield) concerning conditions in early republican China; and correspondence and other materials of Hazel Littlefield Smith concerning her travels in Europe (1920s-1950s), her management of the family farm near Farwell, Michigan (1940s), and her essays, poetry and other publications, including Lord Dunsany: King of Dreams.

The three principal figures in the collection--Hazel Littlefield Smith, Dennis Smith and Josiah Littlefield--were highly perceptive observers of persons and events. Their letters are rich in detail, whether describing travel experiences or everyday life in rural northern Michigan.

The collection is arranged into six series: Littlefield Family, China-related materials, Hazel Littlefield Smith, Miscellanea, Dr. Dennis V. Smith, and Visual Materials.

Collection

Jean Worth Papers, circa 1869-1986

8 linear feet

Escanaba, Michigan, newspaperman. Subject files (including collected materials) relating to his research interest in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, notably in the area of Cedar River, Escanaba, and Menominee; include manuscript of writings, subject files, and photographs.

The papers of Jean Worth consists largely of collected material relating to his research interest in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The collection has been divided into the following series: Cedar River; Escanaba; Menominee; Upper Peninsula -General; and Michigan place names.

Collection

Michigan Historical Collections topical photograph collection, circa 1860-1959

0.5 linear feet (in 2 boxes) — 1 oversize box

The Michigan Historical Collections Topical Photograph Collection offer a broad and varied glimpse into nearly one hundred years of Michigan history, from the 1860s into the 1950s. The provenance of most of the photographs has been lost and therefore these images have been grouped together by subject into an artificial accumulation. Subjects depicted range from industry and transportation to clothing styles and social customs.

The photographs in this collection were received from various sources. Subjects include carriages, automobiles, Great Lakes shipping, railroads, and mass transit, especially street railroads. There are also images documenting activities within the mining, forestry, and lumber industries, mostly in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Also included are photographs of various ethnic groups and their societies, notably of Native Americans (1870s-1930s) of the Manistee and Ludington, Michigan, areas. Some of the images are street views and private residences in various Michigan towns and cities. Of interest are photographs of Michigan units taking part in the Spanish-American War and the "Polar Bear Expedition" of World War I. There is also a series of bookplates, [acquired from?] William H. Bicknell, many of which relate to the University of Michigan.

Collection

Michigan Photographers Society photographs, circa 1880-1925

0.3 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Organization of Michigan photographers; collected copyprints of historical images.

The collection consists of copyprints (with some negatives) of historical images collected by members of the Michigan Photographers Society. The photographs are arranged alphabetically by name of city where the collector lived. This is followed by descriptions of the images. The strength of the collection is for its visual documentation of various Michigan cities, including street scenes, businesses, private residences, views of ships, railroads, lumbering activities, and local customs.

Collection

Twichell Family papers, 1831-1975 (majority within 1844-1975)

3.5 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Hamburg, Livingston County, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, family. Correspondence, newspaper clippings and photographs of the Lohmiller, Twichell, and Hollister families.

The papers of the Twichell family document three generations of the extended Twichell families. It includes extensive correspondence files, reminiscences of life on turn-of-the-century Michigan farm and of student life the University of Michigan, files relating to the family businesses including boardinghouses in Ann Arbor, and photographs of family members, towns in Michigan, and University of Michigan students. The collection has been arranged into the following series: Correspondence, Alphabetical Files, Photographs, and Sound Recordings.

Collection

United Church of Christ. Michigan Conference records, 1840-2013

26 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

The Michigan Conference of the United Church of Christ was formed from the merger of the Michigan Conference of the Congregational Church and the Michigan-Indiana Synod of the Evangelical and Reformed Church. The record group includes retired records of individual associations, conferences, and local churches. Also included are files on churches and pastors within the Conference.

This record group is comprised primarily of records of the associations and conferences that make up the United Church of Christ Michigan Conference. The records document the mergers between smaller conferences to make the larger ones of today. These records are largely made up of correspondence, minutes, agendas, conference materials, and programming information.

Besides records of the individual associations and conferences, the collection also contains an extensive amount of records from individual churches, which can be found in the "Records from individual churches" and the "Church files" series. Because their relationship to each other is unknown, these series were not combined. The "Church files" series are records that may have been stored by the Michigan Conference rather than the individual churches. The "Records from individual churches" concerns materials that belonged to the individual churches. Whether these churches belonged to the smaller associations that make up the Michigan Conference is unknown. Therefore, they were kept separate. More information on these series can be found in the individual series' description below.

The record group has been arranged into the following series: Michigan Conference; Associations and conferences; Woman's Home Missionary Union and related; Records from individual churches; Annual Meetings of Michigan Congregational Conference and of the United Church of Christ; Evangelical and Reformed Church; Church files; Photographs; Ministerial files; and Student ministry.

Collection

William Harold Payne papers, 1853-1933

2 linear feet

Professor of pedagogy at the University of Michigan; chancellor of University of Nashville and president of Peabody Normal College. Correspondence and other papers concerning his activities in education and family matters.

The collection has been arranged into two series: Correspondence and Other papers. The correspondence dates from 1853 to 1933 and includes many letters addressed to his second wife Elizabeth Clark prior to their marriage. The Other Papers series concerns his activities as an educator and college president. Materials in this series include addresses, lectures, autobiographical and biographical volumes, personal account books, visual material, and other miscellaneous notebooks.