Brearley-Pingree Collection, ca. 1860s-1949
approximately 166 photographs, 36 manuscript items, and 2 bound volumes
approximately 166 photographs, 36 manuscript items, and 2 bound volumes
The Brearley-Pingree collection consists of approximately 166 autographed photographs of notable individuals that were originally compiled by Detroit-based newspaperman William H. Brearley and later added to by Detroit mayor and Governor of Michigan Hazen S. Pingree. An additional 36 manuscript items and 2 bound volumes are also included in the collection.
The collection appears to have been first started by Brearley during the mid-1860s, possibly during or immediately after his Civil War service. He seems to have solicited the autographs of a variety of famous individuals (including authors, performers, musicians, scientists, spiritual leaders, politicians, foreign rulers, and military officers) primarily by mailing them photographs of themselves and requesting their signatures. Possession of the collection appears to have been transferred to Pingree at some point, and he continued to make further contributions. Pingree’s daughter Hazel retained possession of the collection after her father’s death before eventually donating it to the Clements Library. All components of the collection are stored together in one box.
While most portraits in the collection are original studio photographs taken by a variety of photographers including Mathew Brady and Napoleon Sarony, a relatively small number of photographic reproductions of non-photographic portraits are also present (including depictions of James Monroe, Stonewall Jackson, and Henry and Clara Ford).
Volume 1: Brearley collection reproduction souvenir album
This album (16.5 x 15 cm) has green leather covers with lines of poetry from Henry W. Longfellow’s A Psalm of Life stamped in gold on the front. An index included at the beginning lists the names of 96 individuals represented across the album’s 24 pages. After the index, a passage written by William H. Brearley and dated August 1st 1874 explains that he created a limited number of facsimile copies of his original autographed portrait collection at the “urgent solicitation” of many interested friends. Brearley also explains that he acquired the original photographs and autographs in his collection “by long and patient effort, & tending over a period of ten years, and involving an expense of several Hundred dollars.” Subsequent album pages each contain four individually pasted 5.5 x 4 cm albumen print photographic reproductions of original portraits found in Brearley’s collection. This item was acquired from a separate source and was not part of the original collection of materials donated to the Clements Library by Hazel Hope Pingree Mills.
Volume 2: Brearley-Pingree collection original album
This album (30 x 26 cm) has brown leather covers and the words “Portraits. Autographs” and “Brearley” stamped in gold on the spine. The original autographed portraits of the Brearley-Pingree collection were once housed in this album before Clements Library staff removed the original photographs and substituted them with photocopies in 2010 for conservation and preservation purposes. Manuscript captions were also added by Clements Library staff. The original photographs are housed separately in smaller boxes and have been arranged according to size/format and ordered alphabetically by subject surname. See below for a complete list of photographic subjects contained in each box.
Of additional interest are three manuscript items, including the clipped signature of Hyacinthe Loyson and an October 15th 1873 letter from Henry W. Longfellow containing the same lines of poetry from A Psalm of Life that appear on the cover of the Brearley collection souvenir album. Also present is a letter from Buckingham Palace sent to Brearley in 1873 by Sir Thomas Biddulph explaining that the “enclosed Photograph” of Queen Victoria is being returned but that “The Queen’s Autograph is never given away.” Three wax seals are also included in the volume including an “Imperial Chancellor’s seal” (associated with a portrait of Otto von Bismarck); “the Napoleon Seal” (associated with a portrait of Jérôme Bonaparte); and a Great Seal of the Realm attached to the 1873 letter from Buckingham Palace.
Box 1.1: Brearley-Pingree collection cartes de visite, A-E
This box contains 47 cartes de visite. Represented individuals include the following:
Box 1.2: Brearley-Pingree collection cartes de visite, F-N
This box contains 46 cartes de visite. Represented individuals include the following:
Box 1.3: Brearley-Pingree collection cartes de visite, O-Z
This box contains 36 cartes de visite. Represented individuals include the following:
Box 2: Brearley-Pingree collection cabinet cards
This box contains 27 cabinet cards. Represented individuals include the following:
Box 3: Brearley-Pingree collection large photographs and manuscript materials
This box contains 9 large format mounted photographs and 33 manuscript items. Represented individuals among the photographs include the following:
Manuscript materials of interest include a number of letters dating to the mid-1870s from various individuals (including John A. Dix, C. H. Spurgeon, H. W. Longfellow, and Lucretia R. Garfield) possibly sent to William H. Brearley in response to autograph solicitations and other requests; and numerous letters addressed to Hazen S. Pingree from various individuals (inlcuding William Thomas Stead, Ignacio Andrade, Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland, and William McKinley) dating to the 1890s. Other items of interest include a copy of "Special Order No. 166 'Extract' Head Quarters 2d Brigade 3d Div 2d A.I." dated June 15th 1865 stating that the 1st Mass Heavy Artillery had been ordered by Brig. Gen. Franklin Pierce to repost to General Hancock; calling cards for "Sixto Sanchez Director General de Coreeos - Postmaster" as well as "The Admiral of the Navy" George Dewey from "when he called on Gov. Pingree in Detroit"; a clipped signature of "Louis Botha Commandant General"; an undated note to poet Louise Chandler Moulton; a document dated August 1st 1892 detailing financial investment information related to the Michigan-Peninsular Car Company with pasted clippings of wealthy politicians and their net worths as well as annotations by Pingree; a letter dated Feb 19th 1892 from Don M. Dickinson to Pingree regarding the prospective visit of Grover Clevland to Detroit, Ann Arbor, and the University of Michigan; a letter dated March 9th 1949 from Hazel Hope Pingree Mills to Director of the William L. Clements Library Randolph G. Adams regarding progress being made on research regarding the life of William H. Brearley; and an undated typed copy of a short essay titled "Brearley - Man of Action, Started Many Important Detroit Activities" by historian George B. Catlin.
approximately 166 photographs, 36 manuscript items, and 2 bound volumes
Approximately 113,000 photographs and 158 volumes
The subject contents of different photographic format series within the Tinder collection vary, depending in part upon how each format was historically used, and the date range of that format's popularity. For example, cartes de visite and cased images are most often formal studio portraits, while stereographs are likely to be outdoor views. Cabinet photographs are frequently portraits, but often composed with less formality than the cartes de visite and cased images. The postcards and the mounted prints contain very diverse subjects. The photographers' file contains many important and rare images of photographers, their galleries, promotional images, and the activities of photographers in the field. See individual series descriptions in the Contents List below for more specific details.
Included throughout are images by both professional and amateur photographers, although those by professionals are extant in far greater numbers.
Approximately 113,000 photographs and 158 volumes
7 volumes
The Grosvenor L. Townsend scrapbooks consist of 7 volumes containing newspaper clippings, photographs, halftone prints, correspondence, ephemera, printed materials, maps, realia, telegrams, and other miscellaneous documents and materials related to the military career of Grosvenor Lowery Townsend. Newspaper and journal clippings were mainly taken from New York-based publications. Most of the clippings are in extremely fragile condition. Many clippings are coupled with inscriptions indicating the name and date of the publication they were taken from. Numerous photographs also bear inscribed captions. Each volume measures approximately 25 x 19 cm in size and has marbled paper covers.
In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has also created the G. L. Townsend Scrapbook Inventory which serves as an itemized list of the contents of each scrapbook.
55 photographs in 1 album
The Salomon family photograph album contains 55 photographs of friends, family members, and religious and political figures compiled by the family of Haitian President Lysius Salomon.
The album (30 x 22.5 cm) has embossed brown leather covers, gilt edges, and a metal clasp; it was produced and copyrighted by English firm T. J. Smith, Son, & Co. under the product name “Album Arbora.” A gilt-print index accompanied by a quote from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on pg. 2 lists the locations of 13 decorative illustrations of various “Flowering Shrubs” found within the album.
Photographs mainly consist of carte de visite and cabinet card studio portrait photographs of various men, women, and children taken between the 1860s and 1880s. Also present is a souvenir from the funeral of a young Frenchman named Pierre Bertagne who passed away in 1925 at the age of 25 (between pgs. 2 & 3; includes a portrait of the deceased). Works of Haitian, French, English, German, Jamaican, Italian, Curaçaoan, Puerto Rican, and American photographers are represented. Black, white, and mixed subjects are included, and most individuals are unidentified. Eight portraits of President Salomon appear throughout the album; also present are photographic reproductions of illustrated portraits of Pope Pius IX (pg. 3), Italian statesman Giuseppe Garibaldi (pg. 7) and Prime Minister of Madagascar Rainilaiarivony (pg. 9) as well as a photographic portrait of Victor Emmanuel II, King of Italy (pg. 10). Numerous portraits of Catholic priests are also included.
Besides Lysius Salomon, other members of the Salomon family that may possibly be represented in the album include his second wife Florentine Salomon (pgs. 11, 15, and loose image between pgs. 40 & 41), daughter Ida Salomon Faubert (loose image between pgs. 40 & 41 and loose cabinet card between pgs. 42 & 43), and grandson Raoul Faubert (ca. 1920s real photo postcard, loose between pgs. 24 & 25).
Several photographs include inscriptions in French. Many of these inscriptions indicate that a photograph was given as a souvenir to either President Salomon himself or to Mrs. Salomon (presumably Florentine Salomon). For instance, on pg. 19 a portrait made in 1882 of a French priest of “Abbé de Aldrovandy” in Paris bears an inscription addressed to “Monsieur le General Salomon, President de la Republique D'Haiti,” indicating that the subject desired to have a fellow priest named Mathieu send this photograph to Salomon upon his death; a second inscription (presumably written by Mathieu) states the gentleman pictured has passed away and that his wish is being fulfilled by the portrait being sent to Salomon. Pg. 21 includes portraits of two women with inscriptions made out to “Mme La Presidant” and “Mde. Salomon” respectively, as well as a portrait of a young black man bearing an inscription in French that translates to: “Gratitude to our respectful and revered Father Le Duc de Saint Lous du Sud, President of the Republic of Haiti.” Also present on pg. 31 is a cabinet card portrait of the President of the Dominican Republic Fernando Arturo de Meriño with a verso inscription in Spanish that translates to: “To his Excellency General Salomon, President of the Republic of Haiti, his loyal friend Fernand A. de Merino Puerto Plata, February 5 1882.”
For conservation and preservation purposes, facsimile reproductions of each photograph have been put in place of the original photographs to replicate the arrangement of the album as it appeared when received. The original photographs are housed separately within the album container.
Current results range from 1845 to 1980