Collections

The collection consists of photographs, mostly of school children Cornell taught in Weidman and possibly in Mecosta, Michigan, 1928, 1950, and undated.

The collection consists mainly of photographs taken by Cornell of her students and neighbors, and some of Cornell with students, including: formal and informal class photographs of kindergarteners through second graders, children playing on school swings and teeter totters, girls with their dolls, children and a family swimming, and girls posing in nice dresses and boys pulling small wagons at the Boyer’s home, 1928, 1935-1936, and 1948-1950. Some of the groups of children in classes and some individuals are identified. Also included are photographs of a terrible winter storm in Weidman, Michigan, in 1936; Grandma Hayes’ 90th birthday with flowers and a large birthday cake with candles, undated; an unidentified river, undated; Mecosta, Michigan’s one block downtown, Methodist Episcopal Church, and high school; and students posing by the Weidman Elementary School, and the building itself, 1928, and 1935-1936.

The photographs are all in good condition. Some were or still are attached to black, loose photograph album pages. The photographs vary in size from large 1948 class photographs measuring 8 inches x 10 inches, to individual portraits of students, circa 1928, measuring 1 inch x 2.5 inches. All the photographs are black and white, and some have a sepia tone.

The collection documents the organizational history and activities of the MCSA and consists of White House Conference materials, correspondence, reports, programs, syllabi, scrapbooks, newsletters, directories, histories, maps, booklets, photographs, and other materials.

The collection documents all aspects of the history and activities of MCSA, both at the state and local level, from 1920 through 2003. Correspondence, reports, programs, syllabi, scrapbooks, materials of disbanded clubs, newsletters, directories, histories, maps, booklets, and materials of conference, convention, and planning program meetings, as well as White House Conference materials, and miscellaneous items compose the collection. A few earlier items, 1913 and 1917, from MCSA’s parent organization, the Child Conservation League of America, are also included.

Materials are organized alphabetically by type or title and then chronologically within each series. Materials of the Child Conservation League and the MI Federation Child Conservation League precede that of the MCSA.

The larger series within the collection include: Correspondence; Materials of Disbanded Clubs; Executive Committee Materials; History Materials; Programs of Local MCSA Clubs, and Scrapbooks.

Various types of Correspondence, approximately.5 cubic foot, are found in the collection. General correspondence, which was distributed to members and club presidents, 1920-1938, 1952-1992, and 1997; Correspondence before and after the Nov. 1983 Spring Planning Meeting, 1983 (Examples); Correspondence with an Executive Board Members, 1964-1969 (Example); and Correspondence of MCSA Presidents, 1967-1968, 1973-1980, 1982-1989 complete this series.

Materials of Disbanded Clubs, approximately .5 cubic foot, consists mainly of initial letters of inquiry and application to join MCSA, constitutions, lists of charter members, official club charters, and correspondence noting that the club disbanded.

The materials of the Executive Committee, approximately one cubic foot, include meeting agendas, minutes, and reports by officers, including the President, 1st-4th vice presidents, treasurer, secretary, historian, program chairs, etc., 1949-1951 and 1953-1998.

History Materials, approximately .5 cubic foot, include volumes documenting the early history of the MCSA in notes and meeting minutes, with attached programs, clippings, reports, a constitution, and some newsletters, 1928-1962. Two printed anniversary histories of the MCSA, 1920-1970 and 1920-1990, are also included in this series.

The Programs of Local MCSA Clubs is the largest series in the collection, approximately 2 cubic feet, which documents the histories and activities of the local clubs, 1944-1979 and 1986-2003. Prizes were awarded for the most unique and beautiful programs. Some of the programs are quite lovely and unique.

Scrapbooks, 1970-1998, 1.25 cubic feet, include photographs, clippings, notes, publications, and miscellaneous items. Most of the scrapbooks are letter-sized, except for one oversized volume, 1990-1991.

The Syllabi, once a main component of MCSA as both as a work project and educational resource, were used to educate mothers about children and various issues involved with child rearing, education, and development. Different themes or topics were selected for each year’s new syllabus. Clubs and individuals researched and wrote different parts, or units, of each syllabus. Copies of the completed syllabus were mailed to each club. Syllabi in the collection, approximately .5 cubic foot, date from 1945 through 1998.

Two other particularly interesting, although small, series are found in the collection. One of these series documents MCSA’s predecessor organizations. The Child Conservation League of America is documented by its constitution, 1913, two annual programs, 1922 and 1924, and two publications, 1913 and undated. The MI Federation Child Conservation League is documented by Bulletins, 1923-1924; a program, 1922; and two historical volumes of annual convention reports and lists of delegates, 1924-1929; and the Executive Council Meeting Minutes, Reports, Programs, and Clippings, 1921/1922-1928.

The other series of note consists mostly of published materials documenting MCSA’s interests and participation in the White House Conference on Children and Youth. Mrs. Lyle Price of MCSA was officially invited to attend the 1950 conference and created a scrapbook documenting her experience. Related publications, 1950-1951, 1960, and undated, are also included.

Processing Notes: During processing approximately 10 cubic feet of materials was withdrawn from the collection. The majority of these materials were duplicates, particularly of newsletters, officer and annual reports, and Executive Board or other meeting minutes, and massive amounts of generic correspondence, miscellaneous notes, cancelled checks, receipts, and FYI and reading materials from other organizations. A large number of brochures of Michigan hotels and resorts were added to the MI vertical file collection. Also, a 10 volume set of books, Foundation stones of success, was cataloged separately from the collection.

Glass-plate negatives of images of daily life, leisure, architecture, and habits of life in Flint, Michigan, in the 1890s. Images of the Great Forepaugh Show (circus) are included.

The glass-plate negatives collection of Owen P. Safford consists of 4 boxes (.5 cubic ft. each). Although the images are undated, from the style of ladies’ clothing the date(s) of the collection appear to be the late 1890s. Two pages from a daily calendar (1897) indicates some relative date range of when the images were produced. All of the images are snapshots of daily life, leisure, architecture, and habits of the late 1890s.

Box 1 contains the calendar pages of 1897 as well as a wonderful Christmas scene of a decorated table-top tree complete with candles on the branches and surrounded by children. The images of children take up the bulk of Box 1 as portraiture seems to be a favorite subject for the photographer. Most notably it is in Folder 1 that the image of two boys, both in sailor suits while holding a toy sail boat, appear quite iconic of the period.

Box 2 contains the scenes of home life of the 1890s, complete with lace covered tea tables, heavy draperies, and richly patterned wallpapers. Images of horse drawn carriages as well as views of a farm yard can be found within Box 2, as well as a late nineteenth century circus. One image of the circus captures the lettering on the train car reading “Forepaugh Circus complete with elephants, camels, and a one-man-band,” identifies the circus as the Forepaugh Circus. Like most circuses, Forepaugh operated under various titles during its existence. It was the Adam Forepaugh Circus, 1878-1894, and the Adam Forepaugh and Sells Bros. Circus, 1896-1904. Extant circus routes for the circus show that during the 1890s the circus performed in the same Michigan cities in the summers of 1893 and 1899. The circus performed in Flint on July 25 1893 and on the same day in 1899. We assume that Safford photographed the circus when it was in Flint. (Circus route information is from the Circus Historical Society website viewed, April 17, 2013.) Note: the subject heading for Forepaugh is Great Forepaugh Show.

Box 3 contains the most fascinating images of late nineteenth century mechanical equipment, labeled “Machinery.” The two folders are comprised of a single machine whose purpose remains undiscovered by the processor. One image contained within the machinery negatives is specifications in German and per the translation of the title it appears to be a generator. Also within Box 3 is the folder labeled “Military,” which upon further investigation and consultation with the Director of Museum Studies and Maritime Historian, Dr. Jay Martin, the dating of the negative as well as location and subjects were made clear. The “Military” glass plate negative is that of a military band, probably from Antwerp, Belgium, given the uniforms of the men and the background architecture pictured. Besides this image of possible European provenance, there are a number of images in the collection of large European style buildings exteriors (in Box 1) and the interiors of churches or cathedrals (in Box 1). Whether Safford himself traveled to Europe and took these images, or collected the images taken by a friend who visited Europe is unknown. There is no documentation available proving he traveled. Box 3 also contains portraits which were primarily used to date the collection of the late 1890s given the abundance of ladies with iconic leg o’mutton sleeves, mourning wear, and fabulous hats of all kinds.

Box 4 contains a large amount of glass-plate negatives where the subject is a Regatta. Many types of sail boats from many angles are pictured. Other types of boats are contained within Box 4 as well, as various rowboats and a steamship are represented among the negatives. Scenes of forests, rivers, and streams make up the rest of Box 4.

Positive prints from scans were made of two images that were hard to identify from the negatives; one of the Antwerp Band in Box 3, and another of a view of a house photographed from underneath a bridge in Box 4. These prints were added to the collection.