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

The Sewing designs sample book contains 47 hand-stitched design samples made of thread on paper.

The Sewing designs sample book contains 47 hand-stitched design samples made of thread on paper. Designs range from simple to complicated shapes and patterns to fruit, a circular shell, and Native American-inspired objects such as a bow and arrow, a moccasin, a snowshoe, and a canoe. Multiple colors of thread are utilized. The sample book (24 x 28.5 cm) is closed with a string tie.

This collection comprises of two volumes of original graphite pencil on paper illustrations by Edward H. Suydam for Arthur Pound's Detroit: Dynamic City. The 35 illustrations (37 x 29.5 cm) detail various monuments, parks, streets, and squares throughout Detroit circa 1940.

This collection comprises of two volumes of original graphite pencil on paper illustrations by Edward H. Suydam for Arthur Pound's Detroit: Dynamic City. The 35 illustrations (37 x 29.5 cm) detail various monuments, parks, streets, and squares throughout Detroit circa 1940.

This collection not only contains all the original illustrations for Detroit: Dynamic City, but two additional illustrations never published. The headpiece illustrations are not included in this collection, only the plate illustrations.

All illustrations are in pencil. The frontispiece, "Cadillac Square," also has colored pencil. The first volume contains 17 illustrations and two reproductions found with the originals. The illustrations as titled in Detroit: Dynamic City or on the illustration itself include "Grand Circus Park" (not included in published book), "The Eastern Market," "The Grosse Point Yacht Club," "Capitol Square," "Detroit Skyscrapers," "River Rouge Ford Plant," "The Court House," "The New Library," "Harmonie Square," "Cadillac Square," "Times Square," "The Financial Center-Down Fort Street," "Washington Boulevard," "The Detroit River: The Boat Racecourse," " Detroit Athletic Club," "Industry on the Detroit River: Ambassador Bridge," and "The Casino on Belle Isle."

The second volume contains 18 illustrations and three small copies of illustrations housed at the back. The illustrations as titled in Detroit: Dynamic City or on the illustration itself include "The Detroit Club," "St. Mary's Church," "Fox Creek," "Hulbert Memorial Gate, Old City Waterworks and Park" (correct spelling is Hurlbut), "Down Jefferson Ave," "Cadillac Square" (not included in published book), "The University of Detroit," "Fort Street Church and Union Station," "Automobile Factories on Jefferson Ave," "Grand Boulevard and the General Motors and Fisher Buildings," "Library Square," "The City Hall," "The New Art Museum," "Negro Tenements and Trees of Heaven," "St. Joseph's Church," "Griswold Street and Alley," "The Ambassador Bridge," and "Looking Down Woodward Avenue from Grand Circus Park."

Detroit: Dynamic City was just one of many volumes in a series by D. Appleton-Century Company, titled "Century City Series," covering major U.S. cities. Most, if not all, were illustrated by Edward H. Suydam.

The Agent’s sample book from Crown Card Co., Columbus, Ohio, contains 34 samples of visiting cards accompanied by prices, design names, and instructions for ordering.

The Agent’s sample book from Crown Card Co., Columbus, Ohio, contains 34 samples of visiting cards accompanied by prices, design names, and instructions for ordering. The volume (12.5 x 18 cm) is bound with blue paper and staples. Sample styles range from simple to intricate, with some including beveling, embossing, or silk borders. Most feature chromolithographic color, floral imagery, and animals. Different type settings available to a customer are also advertised.

Our National Ball Game is a foldable game board with two dice, eight counters, and instructions on how to play this board game version of baseball.

Our National Ball Game is a foldable game board with two dice, eight counters, and instructions on how to play this board game version of baseball. Printed on the board is a colored sketch of two teams playing baseball in a stadium and an advertisement that the game is "a delightful entertainment for Old & Young." Two teams take turns rolling the dice, and the numbers on the dice correspond with various baseball plays. Like the game of baseball, after nine rounds, the team with the most runs wins the game.

The Celebrity portraits scrapbook contains numerous clipped engraved portraits of actors, actresses, singers, musicians, entertainers, politicians, writers, and other famous individuals that were compiled by an aunt of Florence C. Everett (wife of Norwood, Massachusetts-based journalist William Winthrop Everett) during the 1880s.

The Celebrity portraits scrapbook contains numerous clipped engraved portraits of actors, actresses, singers, musicians, entertainers, politicians, writers, and other famous individuals that were compiled by an aunt of Florence C. Everett (wife of Norwood, Massachusetts-based journalist William Winthrop Everett) during the 1880s.

The volume (32 x 19 cm) has brown leather covers (front cover detached) and contains 176 pages, all of which bear pasted-in engravings that were clipped from various newspapers, magazines, journals, advertisements, etc. Two inscriptions are present on the inside of the front cover; one states “This book is the property of W. W. Everett - 76 Winter St. Norwood, Mass.” while the other reads “The book was made by Mrs. W. W. Everett’s aunt Helen, probably in the 1880s. WWE.” The volume appears to have originally served as some type of accounting ledger before being repurposed.

Notable individuals represented within the volume include Joseph Jefferson, Sarah Bernhardt, P. T. Barnum, Lillie Langtry, Genevieve Ward, J. H. Haverly, E. A. Sothern, Sol Smith Russell, Ada Gilman, James H. Wallick, Adelaide Neilson, Buffalo Bill, Mittens Willett, Henry Clay, Susan B. Anthony, Wendell Phillips, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Louis Pasteur.

The Hubble family scrapbooks consist of two volumes containing trade cards, clipped engravings, and other scrapbook materials compiled by members of the Hubble family of Monroe, Michigan.

The Hubble family scrapbooks consist of two volumes containing trade cards, clipped engravings, and other scrapbook materials compiled by members of the Hubble family of Monroe, Michigan.

Volume 1: The first volume (35 x 25.5 cm) was originally a copy of the 1876-77 Autumn and Winter edition of Mme. Demorest’s Illustrated Portfolio of the Fashions and has red cloth covers and gilt embossing work on the front and back. “Monroe Hubble” is inscribed on the volume’s first page, while “Willie Hubble” is written on the inside of the back cover; both inscriptions appear to be written in a child’s hand. Two engravings by Kimmel & Voigt made for Demorest’s Monthly Magazine appear towards the front and were part of the original volume. Subsequent pages also reveal numerous illustrations and descriptions of various articles of clothing listed in Demorest’s fashion catalog, though much of this has been obscured by scrapbook items that were pasted in. Compiled materials mainly include various trade cards and scrapbook decorations, but also include several engravings showing scenic and rural landscapes, women’s fashions, portraits, and performance artists (including Smith’s Swiss Bell Ringers). Of particular note are Uncle Tom’s Cabin-related illustrations and cartoons involving racial caricatures of an African American regiment called “The South 5th Rangers.”

Volume 2: The second volume (25 x 20 cm) has red paper covers with “Scrapbook” and decorative designs embossed in gold on the front. A photomechanical reproduction of a portrait of N. B. Hubble as an adult appears on the inside of the front cover. Subsequent materials mostly include trade cards and scrapbook decorations, several of which also appear in the first volume. Many of the trade cards were produced by the Calvert Lithograph Co. of Detroit. Items of note include Shakespeare-related cartoons; an ad for “Mme. Fontaine’s Bosom Beautifier” that incorporates a portrait of Oscar Wilde; a photographic portrait of a baby made to look like a stamp; and scrapbook cutouts including one of a black man (likely supposed to be a Haitian soldier) wearing one boot and components of a French Army uniform as well as one of two women embracing and kissing.

This collection contains 11 pencil sketches of the Missouri and Ohio Rivers and their surrounding cities. The sketches depict cityscapes, scenic and street views.

This collection contains 11 pencil sketches of the Missouri and Ohio Rivers and their surrounding cities. Each 11.5 x 18.5 cm sketch includes a brief handwritten caption denoting location. The sketches illustrate cityscapes, scenic and street views. Cities shown include Omaha, Nebraska; Saint Joseph, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; Louisville, Kentucky; and Cincinnati, Ohio. Specific locations depicted include Lafayette Park and Shaw’s Botanical Garden (Missouri Botanical Garden) in St. Louis, Missouri, and Lane Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Disabled Hats is a humorous handwritten and illustrated booklet related to a fictional organization dedicated to the protection of various styles of hats.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Disabled Hats is a humorous handwritten and illustrated booklet related to a fictional organization dedicated to the protection of various styles of hats.

The volume (11 x 7 cm) is a small notebook with a sticker on the front cover of an American top hat. Inside of the front cover the name and originating date of the society are presented. The following pages display a declaration from the society’s “board” before delving into 60 watercolor and ink illustrations of different types of hats, each of which is provided a name. The inside of the back cover contains lists of the society's “board members” and “inspectors.” Also of note is an illustration of a firefighting wagon.

This collection consists of three miniature moving panoramas from ca. 1868 to 1878. These include two educational toy panoramas by Milton Bradley, "The Historiscope: A Panorama & History of America" and "The Myriopticon: A Historical Panorama of the Rebellion." Also included is a dual scrolling lithograph entitled "Excursion Views of Narragansett Bay and Block Island" by the Excursion View Co.

This collection consists of three miniature moving panoramas from ca. 1868 to 1878.

The Historiscope: A Panorama & History of America. Springfield, Mass.: Milton Bradley & Co., ca. 1868. Comprised of a scrolled hand-colored lithographed panorama on rollers, housed in a cardboard box with window for viewing. The viewing box measures 22 x 14 x 6 cm and the lithograph measures 11cm in height. The viewing window simulates a proscenium with a stage, footlights, and balconies. The subject of the lithograph is the history of America from Columbus through the end of the Revolutionary War. It contains 25 scenes of both iconic moments in early American history and generic images; e.g., Pocahontas saving John Smith's life, Pilgrims landing in Massachusetts, trading with Native Americans, George Washington at Valley Forge, and the surrender of Cornwallis's army at Yorktown. Many of these scenes are based on paintings, prints or photographs that were well known. An example is the scene of the landing of Columbus based off of John Vanderlyn's painting, Landing of Columbus (1846), which also appeared on a15-cent stamp in 1869. The knobs on top used to move the lithograph are not original.

The Myriopticon: A Historical Panorama of the Rebellion. Springfield, Mass.: Milton Bradley & Co., ca. 1868. Similar to the Historiscope except in terms of subject matter and artwork. The Myriopticon picks up where Historiscope left off. It contains 22 scenes representing the Civil War, many of which originate from Harper's Weekly and other magazines or newspapers. The panorama shows various battles and camp scenes; e.g., the battle of Fort Sumter, Winslow Homer's The Army of the Potomac-A Sharpshooter (1862), the battle between ironclads USS Monitor and CSS Virginia, and the burning of Richmond. The knobs on top used to move the lithograph are not original.

Both the Historiscope and Myriopticon were accompanied by a lecture booklet, promotional broadside, and admission tickets (none extant in this collection). They were marketed toward young children around the ages of 7 to 12. To create a more immersive theatrical experience it was suggested to exhibit the panorama in a dark room, backlit with a candle. Once the provided script had been exhausted, children were encouraged to create their own narrative to pair with the panoramas. Milton Bradley's intent when creating these moving panoramas was to serve not only as optical toys, but as interactive visual lessons. They fit into his larger idea of mass-producing aesthetic educational devices.

Excursion Views of Narragansett Bay and Block Island. Providence, RI: Excursion View Co., ca. 1878. Comprised of two chromolithographed panoramas on rollers housed in a wood viewing box with glass panes on two sides. On the bottom is a paper map which lists each point, in order, shown in the panorama. The viewing box measures 34 x 14.5 x 13 cm and the lithographs measure 9.5 cm in height. The first lithograph shows scenes from the eastern shore of Narragansett Bay starting at Fox Point and ending at Brenton's Reef. The second lithograph shows scenes of Block Island, Conanicut Island, and the western shore ending at Sassafras Point. The panoramas also include text marking notable locations and structures. These moving panoramas were created due to the popularity of steamboat excursion tours from Providence (Rhode Island) to Block Island and back. This miniature panorama was likely an expensive souvenir; a way to simulate or relive the experience for the viewers. The knobs on top used to move the lithograph are not original.

This collection consists of six pages of pencil and ink sketches dated from 1861 to 1863 and signed J.M.S. The sketches depict various scenes of the American Civil War from the Union perspective including barracks, soldiers, and steamships related to the blockade of the Confederacy.

This collection consists of six pages of pencil and ink sketches dated from 1861 to 1863 and signed J.M.S. The sketches depict various scenes of the American Civil War from the Union perspective including barracks, soldiers, and steamships related to the blockade of the Confederacy. Two sketches contain page numbers, suggesting they had previously been bound together. Not all sketches include the signature "J.M.S." J.M.S. has yet to be identified.

Sketch 1 includes the notation, "Page 6 Company F passing Marine Barracks Sunday morning / J.M.S. 1861."

Sketch 2 is a portrait of an unidentified young man, "The Corporal, Company F."

Sketch 3 shows "The 1st Corporal and his havelock / Page 3 / J.M.S. 1861."

Sketch 4 contains "U.S. Stmr Nansemond off Hatteras / J.M.S. 1863." This sketch could be a scene from the USS Nansemond's chase of blockade runner CSS Douro in October of 1863 near New Inlet off the coast of North Carolina. Douro was run ashore and captured, with both ship and cargo destroyed.

Sketch 5a depicts a "North Carolina Reserve" soldier armed with a rifle and bayonet.

Sketch 5b displays the demise of Revenue Cutter Caleb Cushing during the Battle of Portland Harbor on June 27, 1863, with the caption "Rev Cutter Caleb Cushing becalmed then blown up." In this sketch, Lieutenant Charles W. Read of the Confederate Navy and his men can be seen abandoning Caleb Cushing on a lifeboat and then in another scene the ship exploding. On the back of page 5 is a pencil sketch of a soldier.

Sketch 6 shows a "Blockade Runner" steamship.