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

This collection is made up of 4 letters to William H. Strong of Wallingford, Connecticut; a manuscript poem addressed to his sister-in-law, Louisa Strong of Wallingford and New Haven, Connecticut; a letter addressed to "Bro. Strong"; and proverbial thoughts about friendship by James and Marcia A. Strong. William's brother, Edwin F. Strong, wrote 4 of the letters while serving in the 8th Connecticut Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. The poem, told from the point of view of a slave, also concerns the war.

This collection (7 items) is made up of 4 letters to William H. Strong of Wallingford, Connecticut; a manuscript poem addressed to his sister-in-law, Louisa Strong of Wallingford and New Haven, Connecticut; a letter addressed to "Bro. Strong;" and proverbial thoughts about friendship by James and Marcia A. Strong.

Edwin F. Strong's 4 letters his brother William regard Edwin's service in the 8th Connecticut Infantry Regiment during the Civil War, and his life in New Haven, Connecticut, after his discharge from the army. "Jennie G" sent a poem titled "Kingdom Coming" to Louisa Strong; the poem is in African-American dialect and regards a master fleeing his plantation. C. E. Piper's letter to [William?] Strong concerns Christianity. See the Detailed Box and Folder Listing for more information about each item.

The Clements Library's collection of individual friendship and autograph albums (the ones that are not part of larger bodies of family papers) dates primarily from the second half of the 19th century. The creators of these albums sought out friends, family, schoolmates, public persons, and others to write signatures, sentiments, poetry, extracts from books and serials, personal sentiments, and more. Contributions often emphasize ties of friendship, exhortations to seek love, happiness, or Christian religious salvation. Most of the volumes in this collection were compiled in the Northeast United States and areas in the Midwest, with urban and rural areas represented. The greater number of the albums were kept by young women and the bulk of the signers were also female. Contributors occasionally illustrated pages with calligraphic designs, trompe l'oeil visiting cards, animals, flowers, and themes that had particular significance to their relationship with the keeper of the album. The volumes in this collection are largely decorative blank books adorned with tooled covers, sometimes containing interspersed engravings of religious, literary, historical, and landscape themes. Some include pasted-in photographs, die-cuts, or stickers.

The Clements Library's collection of individual friendship and autograph albums (the ones that are not part of larger bodies of family papers) dates primarily from the second half of the 19th century. The creators of these albums sought out friends, family, schoolmates, public persons, and others to write signatures, sentiments, poetry, extracts from books and serials, personal sentiments, and more. Contributions often emphasize ties of friendship, exhortations to seek love, happiness, or Christian religious salvation. Most of the volumes in this collection were compiled in the Northeast United States and areas in the Midwest, with urban and rural areas represented. The greater number of the albums were kept by young women and the bulk of the signers were also female. At least one volume was kept by an African American man, Lewis G. Mosebay. Contributors occasionally illustrated pages with calligraphic designs, trompe l'oeil visiting cards, animals, flowers, and themes that had particular significance to their relationship with the keeper of the album. The volumes in this collection are largely decorative blank books adorned with tooled covers, sometimes containing interspersed engravings of religious, literary, historical, and landscape themes. Some include pasted-in photographs, die-cuts, or stickers.

Between 1850 and 1853 Maria Marsh collected over one hundred hair samples from friends and family. She affixed them to the pages of this handmade album with pieces of fabric or paper, including decorative papers with metallic finishes, some cut into the shapes of hearts. The hair samples are predominantly identified with a number, the name of the individual, and the place of their residence. While the bulk of the entries are from people living in various places in New York state, several from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Michigan are also present. Most of the hair samples are arranged in simple loops, but some are shaped in ornamental hairwork styles. Various shades of hair color are represented, include blonde, brunette, and one red. One entry is for an unnamed infant who died at four months old, and whose hair was too short to be able to loop or work. Some entries include brief lines of verse relating to remembrance.

Between 1850 and 1853 Maria Marsh collected over one hundred hair samples from friends and family. She affixed them to the pages of this handmade album with pieces of fabric or paper, including decorative papers with metallic finishes, some cut into the shapes of hearts. The hair samples are predominantly identified with a number, the name of the individual, and the place of their residence. Pages sometimes include multiple members of the same family. While the bulk of the entries are from people living in various places in New York state, several from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Michigan are also present. Most frequently named places include Otisco, Beakman, and Williamsburg. Some entries for Otisco specify it as Otisco, Michigan, but it is possible some are also from Otisco, New York.

Most of the hair samples are arranged in simple loops, but some are shaped in ornamental hairwork styles. Various shades of hair color are represented, include blonde, brunette, and one red. One entry is for an unnamed infant who died at four months old, and whose hair was too short to be able to loop or work. Some entries include brief lines of verse relating to remembrance.

The volume's covers were crafted out of Thomas Tillotson Superior Cutlery display boards, with small holes where the tableware was originally affixed.

The Same-sex affection and gender studies photograph collection contains approximately 150 examples of photographs that illustrate closeness between subjects of the same sex as well as aspects of non-traditional gender presentation.

The collection includes photographic examples in multiple formats with real photo postcards, tintypes, cabinet cards, cartes de visite, and small format mounted photos being the most numerous. 145 images are contained in Box 1 of the collection while an additional 5 photographs on larger format card mounts are stored in Box 2. Images mainly consist of portraits of men posing familiarly with other men, women posing familiarly with other women, and portraits of groups and individuals engaged in cross-dressing. Due to the subjective nature of assessing these images combined with historical differences in what was considered socially acceptable displays of affection and the general lack of verifiable context, many of these photographs remain open to a variety of interpretations.

Numerous photographs show same-sex duos and larger groups holding hands, placing their hands on each other, leaning on each other, or demonstrating affection in some other observable way. Most subjects are unidentified, though occasionally individuals have been identified through the presence of inscriptions. In some cases, individuals pictured together have been confirmed to be relatives.

Numerous photographs of male and female individuals and groups engaged in cross-dressing are also present. In many instances, the cross-dressing most likely occurred for humorous reasons.

• Postcard showing two men embracing with the printed caption "We're looking for girls at Lansing, Mich."
• Real photo postcard bearing a studio group portrait of two men, one of whom appears to have an unbuckled belt.
• Cabinet card studio group portrait by Beardsley of Charlotte, Michigan, showing two men, one of whom holds a guitar, whose arms appear to align behind them in a manner that suggests they may have been holding hands.
• Two different group portraits of the same female couple identified through inscriptions as "Agnes Davis" and "Anna Wickerham."
• 1940s group portrait of four men included in a souvenir packet for “Swing Rendezvous,” a New York City-based lesbian/gay bar.
• Real photo postcard bearing a portrait of an unidentified man wearing women's clothing, including a dress, flower-laden hat, and beaded necklace.
• Postcard showing a man wearing women's clothing sat on a bench with the printed caption "The Male is late!"
• Outdoor portrait of two women dressed in men's clothing captioned "A pair of Peaches."
• Real photo postcard captioned "Four of a kind" showing two cross-dressed male-female couples sitting together, with the women sat in the men's laps.
• Series of four images showing a woman posing in World War I-era soldier's uniform.

The San Francisco (Calif.) autograph album contains manuscript inscriptions, portrait photographs, photographs of western scenes, pictures of statues, and reproductions of popular paintings.

The San Francisco (Calif.) autograph album (20cm x 13cm, 180 pages) contains around 125 photographs and prints, as well as manuscript inscriptions. Some of the inscriptions, dated at San Francisco between 1860 and 1888, include brief quotations and uplifting messages, along with the contributor's signature. A few small dried plant specimens are laid into the album. The brown leather cover has a floral design, the word "Autographs," and an illustration of a quill and book inlaid in gold.

The majority of the album's photographic prints are studio portraits of women and, less frequently, men; pencil captions identify many individuals, such as John S. Hittell, an early author of Yosemite guidebooks, and Benjamin P. Avery, miner, journalist, and diplomat. Some photographs are associated with inscriptions and autographs. A number of images are missing. Images include reproductions of popular paintings, and pictures of statues, primarily busts. A number of the paintings are attributed to David Dalhoff Neal.

Of note are views of Yosemite National Park, likely commercially produced stereograph halves; a photograph of a group of men participating in "Hydraulic Washing" in Yuba County, California, published as a stereograph by Lawrence and Houseworth; a view of tourists under giant Redwood trees; the upended tree stump in Mammoth Tree Grove (Calaveras County, California). One view and one portrait carrying the blind-stamp of photographer Carleton E. Watkins and several other views are similar to known Watkins images; at least one (Crystal Lake House) compares to a stereo by Alfred A Hart.

A small number of images are from Europe, showing cathedrals, the view from Trinità dei Monti in Rome, and a view of a waterfall below a village. The majority of the inscriptions are in English, with several in German.