James Fairbairn Smith papers, 1924, 1945-1975
2 linear feet
The James Fairbairn Smith collection include correspondence, research files, and manuscripts of his writings.
2 linear feet
The James Fairbairn Smith collection include correspondence, research files, and manuscripts of his writings.
4 linear feet (in 6 boxes) — 7 oversize volumes — 1 phonograph record
Only a few papers survived Millard. Correspondence, most interesting for his letters written in France during 1917, and a small body of papers from his committee chairmanship at the 1961 state constitutional convention, highlight the collection. A large number of newspaper clippings about his career, and many awards and citations he received, are also available. A few items regarding his military career, his political activities and his membership in the Masons can also be found.
A large number of photographs and albums are also found in the collection. Included are five scrapbooks, 1955-1961, covering the period when Frank Millard was general counsel in the Department of the Army. These scrapbooks are 70-80 percent photographic, and the remainder consist of clippings, programs, correspondence, schedules and itineraries. Another scrapbook covers the years 1912-1914 when Millard was a student at the University of Michigan. It also contains three pages of earlier material dated 1901-1910. This scrapbook is more than half photographic in content with the rest consisting of programs, clippings, and memorabilia.
1 folder
This collection consists of individual portraits of the John A. Preston class, Michigan Sovereign Consistory, Valley of Detroit.
416 pages (2 volumes)
Corydon Fuller's intriguing journals (marked "Vol. 6th" and "Vol. 7") follow the path of the young itinerant bookseller in a fascinating series of situations and places. A college graduate, Fuller wrote both well and copiously, recording the events and his impressions with impressive clarity and depth.
As a man prone to some reflection on the political and social issues of his day, Fuller's journals are a valuable resource for study of the hardening sectional lines in the Trans-Mississippi South. By 1857, Fuller believed that an impasse had been reached, reflected both in his reporting of adamant Southern views on slavery and states' rights, and in his own hot-tempered opinions on moral right versus wrong.
6 linear feet — 2 oversize volumes
The Louis Fead collection includes correspondence, scrapbooks, biographical information and other materials relating to his political and judicial career. Some of the files relate to the view from Michigan of the proposed reorganization of the US Supreme Court in 1937. There are also materials concerning the Newberry State Bank of which Fead was an officer. Also of interest are those materials relating to his service with the American Red Cross in France during World War I.
1 volume
Charles H. F. Daigneault, a teenager in Hudson, New Hampshire, filled this pre-printed account ledger with pencil, pen, and ink drawings between 1904 and 1905 (mostly dated February 1904). The volume had been used sparsely by Ren W. Philbrick as early as 1901; between 1903 and 1905, Ren and possibly other Philbricks contributed a small number of drawings.
Daigneault's drawings feature the Philbricks' "Deer Field Farm," the Hudson schoolhouse, vehicles and transportation, caricatures and anthropomorphic animals, decorative patterns, clothing (uniforms, stockings, garters, shoes, hats, etc.), people and faces, Masonic symbolism and imagery, astrological and horoscope content, mystical and occult symbolism, sideshow performers, museum objects and oddities, American Civil War scenes, historical and mythological torture devices, the use of torture by religious groups, and much else.
Charles Dagneault drew pictures of vehicles and transportation, including a view of an electric railroad car full of passengers (page 57), a train engine and part of a coal car with a man shoveling coal (page 69), a rough drawing of a ship looking vaguely like the Merrimack (page 67), a whaling ship beside a whale (page 130), and a U.S. Navy ship (page 66). Daigneault also contributed drawings of horse drawn fire engines, which he labeled "Philbrick Fire Dep. 1904"/"Boston Fire Engine No. 4" (page 49), "Philbrick Fire Dep."/"Chemical No. 1" (page 53), and "Philbrick Fire Dep." (with a row of firefighter helmets and buckets, page 55). In addition to the fire engines, Daigneault made a drawing of fire company hats/helmets, titled "Styles Fire Dept U.S.A." and labeled by years 1811-1850; 1850-1860; 1860; and "First in America Penna"/"Hibernia Philla" (page 88).
Caricatures, full length portraits, busts, faces, limbs, feet, hands, and profiles of humans and anthropomorphic animals are found throughout the volume. Among the caricatures are an "American Schoolteacher" (page 64), "Jewish Junk dealer" (page 58), a cricket player (page 46), and military and police figures. Daigneault drew a number of women's legs in stockings, heeled shoes, and garters. He drew a buttocks in the shape of an upside-down heart with an eye in the middle (page 52) as well as a group of seven overlapping profiles of faces, marked "The Know-alls" (page 59).
The most prevalent imagery in the volume is Masonic symbolism, decorative and sigil-like illustrations, occult and mystical content, horoscope content, and related visuals. Squares and compasses, Eyes of Providence, crosses and cross pattée, five-eight pointed stars, a Masonic owl, ornate swords, hearts, and more. Many of these are doodled onto pages, but others are the subjects of drawings. A few of the latter include:
The volume contains two sections of numbered illustrations. One is a gallery of sideshow performers and oddities/curiosity museum objects and animals (pages 110-119) and the other is a gallery of mystical, occult, historical, and mythological religious practices/symbols, many of them violent, including torture devices (pages 134-139).
Numbered gallery of illustrations (1): Sideshow performers and oddities/curiosity museum objects and animals--many of which are noted "musee," "C. H. Daigneault museum," or "Bunker Hill museum."
Numbered gallery of illustrations (2): Mystical, occult, historical, and mythological religious scenes and practices:
Other selected content includes:
5.5 linear feet (in 7 boxes) — 1 oversize folder
The collection documents the professional life of John G. Claybourn, superintendent of the Dredging Division of the Panama Canal from 1921 to 1948 and a consultant on matters of river and harbor improvement. In addition to the Panama Canal, the collection illustrates the role of the United States in infrastructure development in the Third World.
The papers include materials created and collected by Claybourn in his work on the Panama Canal, materials relating to personal business activities away from his primary work, materials relating to consulting jobs and to Claybourn's activities in professional engineering societies, and personal correspondence, much of it with some business connection.
The collection is not clearly divided by topic: papers relating to a particular topic may be divided among topical files, files arranged by correspondent or company, and the general personal correspondence file. Some of the topics of interest include the following:
Burma: The papers document Claybourn's consulting work in the early 1950s, on contract with the U.S. government, to rebuild commerce on the Irrawaddy River destroyed during World War II and to develop the Dalla Dockyards near Rangoon.
Claybourn, Elsie Greiser: A scrapbook documents her activities as a long-distance swimmer and canoeist. Her retirement years are described in detail in the personal correspondence file.
Claybourn, Leslie W.: Claybourn's correspondence with his brother, an inventor and printing industry executive, provides some documentation of the development of that industry.
Colombia: In the 1920s Claybourn was involved in the development of the Dique de Cartagena, a ship canal serving that city. The papers document his relations with the Colombian government.
Florida: Claybourn was a consultant in the early 1930s for a projected canal across Florida. The collection includes surveys and other papers relating to this project.
Panama Canal: The papers reflect both Claybourn's work on the Canal and his interest in the history of its construction. Most papers on this topic have been drawn together in processing, but many are found under the names of correspondents and in the general correspondence file. The topics documented in the greatest detail are maintenance of the canal, especially clearing of landslides, and planning for additional locks and later for a sea-level canal. Information about dredges used on the canal is also included. A collection of photographs, most of them from official sources, parallels these strengths.
The papers also document Claybourn's moonlighting on private dredging operations during the 1920s. This material is found under the names of companies and projects.
Retirement: Claybourn's retirement years were spent in Ann Arbor. The personal correspondence describes in great detail his and his wife's retirement activities.
Rumania: Correspondence with Bill Arthur includes a copy of Arthur's diary of events during a 1940 rebellion in that country.
World War II: In addition to the Rumanian material described above, the collection contains much relating to defensive activities on the Panama Canal. The Burma project described above includes information about war damage to transportation in that country.
Other consulting activities: Consulting projects in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Venezuela are documented less fully than those described above.
13 linear feet
The George Bushnell collection, except for a small series of personal and political correspondence, and some speeches, concerns Masonic organizations and activities. The series in the collection are: Personal / biographical; Correspondence; Speeches; Topical files - Masonic activities; Name Files (personal and Masonic); Visitation Files; Foreign Chapters; Records of other Masonic officers; Miscellaneous; and Scrapbooks.
26 photographs in 1 album
The Wella and Pet Anderson spirit drawings photograph album contains 26 cabinet card photographs of pencil-drawn portraits of spirits of various historical figures made by a spiritualist couple in San Francisco, California in the early 1870s.
The album (17.5 x 12 cm) has marbled paper board covers and the spine has been reinforced with library cloth. Inside of the front cover, a handwritten note has been laid in that states “The following Photographs were presented to this society by Col. J. C. Bundy. They are from full-sized drawings, made with a Faber pencil, by Mr. & Mrs. Wella Anderson of California, when in a ‘Trance’ or unconscious state. About two hours time was required in which to draw each Portrait. For further particulars see ‘Descriptive Catalogue of the Ancient Band.’ July, 1879.” John C. Bundy (1841-1892) was the chief publisher of The Religio-Philosophical Journal, a Chicago-based spiritualist periodical that Bundy inherited from his father-in-law Stevens S. Jones (1813-1877) after the latter’s murder. The society to which Bundy gifted this album has not been identified.
Each photograph in this album bears printed captions identifying the subject. All but two of the photographs also bear printed copyright statements stating “Photographic copy of the Original Life-size Pencil painted Portrait, executed by those celebrated Spirit Artists, Wella and Pet Anderson, when in the unconscious ‘trance’ condition. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, in the office of Librarian of Cong. Washington, D. C. by the Pacific Art Union, of San Francisco, Cal. Inc. March, 1874.” Two of the photographs (portraits of Anthony van Dyck and Peter Abelard) have copyright statements attributed to Jonas Winchester.
While many members of The Ancient Band were true historical figures, numerous fictitious or legendary individuals were also counted amongst the group, including an adult woman supposedly born in Massachusetts ca. 1774 named “Dawn” who lived for only one hour and who served as an assistant for The Ancient Band; Henri de Brianville, a supposed English knight and alchemist who lived during the reign of Charles I; Ayotte, a supposed French Huguenot artist, poet, musician, and occult alchemist from the 15th-century; Peter Korzakieff, a supposed Polish writer and scientist from the 15th-century; Mazeleel, a supposed high priest of the Magi of Nineveh, Assyria, active during the 7th-century BCE; Hiram Abiff, a pseudo-historical allegorical figure presented to candidates embarking on the third degree of Freemasonry and described as the chief architect of Solomon’s Temple; Pietro Vecchia, a supposed 5th-century ruler of a Venetian island republic called Rialto; Catullus, a supposed Roman metallurgist and descendant of poet Gaius Valerius Catullus employed during the reigns of Nero and Vespasian; Hassan al Meschid, a supposed Persian Magi who aided an insurrection against Cambyses II and declared himself King before being killed himself; Abd El Kader, a supposed Arabian chief from 1500 B.C. described as the father of Arabian chemistry and a direct descendant of Ishmael; and Adehl, a supposed Indian Hindu chief and necromancer that lived “8,000 years ago” and who utilized an Elixir of Life to live until the age of 180 before he was put to death.
Also present are depictions of supposed figures from the legendary ancient civilization of Atlantis, including Orondo (described as an eight foot tall expert in mining, a trusted advisor of head Atlantean ruler Yermah, and the progenitor of intermarriage alliances with indigenous tribes of North America following the fall of Atlantis) and Atyarrah (described as a military commander who was part of an expedition of North America and the constructor of earthwork defenses against Native American tribes, some of which yet remain in the Mississippi Valley).
Authentic historical figures represented amongst The Ancient Band include Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556); Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641); French writer Philippe Quinault (1635-1688); Italian friar Giovanni Giocondo (1433-1515); English philosopher and statesman Lord Francis Bacon (1561-1626); medieval French polymath Peter Abelard (1079-1142) and his philosopher lover Héloïse d'Argenteuil (ca. 1095-1163 or 1164); Alfred the Great, King of the Anglo-Saxons (ca. 849-899); Greek philosopher Plutarch (ca. 46-after 119); Umar ibn al-Khattab, second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate (ca. 583 or 584-644); Greek poet Pindar (ca. 518 BCE-ca. 438 BCE); Chinese philosopher and politician Confucius (ca. 551-ca. 479 BCE); and Gautama Buddha, Indian ascetic and founder of Buddhism (ca. 563 BCE or 480 BCE-ca. 483 BCE or 400 BCE).
17 linear feet — 28 oversize volumes — 1 oversize folder
The Robert D. Aldrich collection consists of materials--manuscript, printed, and photographic--documenting the history of Concord, Michigan, in western Jackson County. The collection spans the period from the arrival of the first settlers in 1831 to the 1980s. There are a few items dating back into the eighteenth century (as early as 1783) since the papers of some pioneer families predate their arrival in Concord. The bulk of the collection, though, falls in the period since the Civil War.
The collection documents every facet of life in Concord. Included are the papers of numerous Concord citizens consisting of personal correspondence, diaries, account books and newspaper clippings about them. In addition, Aldrich collected the records of various Concord businesses and organizations, as well as some church, school, and governmental records.
The collection has been divided into two series: Manuscript and Printed Materials, and Visual Materials. Both series are arranged alphabetically either by personal name or name of organization, or by general subject area, such as Circus, Underground Railroad, etc.