Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Civil servant with Chinese Maritime Customs Service, later professor of Far Eastern art at the University of Michigan. Letters to his mother describing his experiences in China, other related papers, and photographs from his years in China.

The Plumer collection has been arranged into the following series: Letters to his mother from China; Other Materials; and Photographs. The letters to his mother are bound together in seven volumes with occasional descriptive photographs. The letters describe his experiences in Nanking, Manchuria, Shanghai, and Hankow, and his vacation trip to India in 1928. Also included are typescripts of selective letters. The Photographs series consists of people, buildings, and views in China, especially in Nanking and Manchuria. There are also photos of visits to Hong Kong, India, Japan, and the Philippines.

Soldier from LaCrosse, Wisc., captain of Co. M, 339th U.S. Infantry who served in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition." Collection includes miscellaneous citations, orders, and correspondence relating to his activities with the Polar Bear regiment; also photographs.

The papers contain primarily certificates and personal documents. The photographs include pictures of American and foreign soldiers, Russian people and scenes, and naval ships; also pictures of the 1929 memorial services for bodies returned from Russia, Polar Bear Association reunions, and personal photographs. Printed maps have been removed from the collection and cataloged separately.

Civil engineer, consultant on marine development and dredging, and superintendent of the dredging division of the Panama canal. Topical files relating to the maintenance and development of the Panama Canal and dredging problems in Burma, Colombia, and other Latin American countries; scrapbook relating to the Spanish-American War; and photographs.

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.

Photograph collection of a soldier with the 167th Co., United States Army Transportation Corps, serving near Murmansk, Russia in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1919, the "Polar Bear Expedition."

Photographs of ports, camps in England and France the Russian countryside, Murmansk soldiers on patrol and in camp, battle casualties, battle damage and construction on Russian railroads, airplanes, and other subjects. Most of these photographs are described in a printed list distributed by John E. Wilson.

Richard Schneidewind's collection of photographs, stereographs, newspaper articles and advertising materials about the Igorot peoples of the Philippines, and "Igorot Villages" traveling exhibits in the U.S., Canada and Europe that his company, the Filipino Exhibition Company, organized and managed between 1905 and 1913; also photographs of locations in the Philippines and Hawaii taken ca. 1899.

Photo albums and photographs dating from Richard Schneidewind's military service in Hawaii and the Philippines during the Philippine-American War. Images depict locations, street scenes, military camps and hospitals in the Philippines and Hawaii, and group photographs of military units. Also photographs and stereographs depicting Schneidewind's "Igorot villages": group photographs and individual portraits, scenes, dances, etc.; newspaper clippings documenting the tours, programs, advertising materials, and business contracts signed by Schneidewind and the Igorots.

Paper records include admission tickets and passes to Igorot Village exhibits at state fairs and expositions; advertising flyers and brochures for the Igorot Village exhibits; Schneidewind's contracts with Igorots Felingao and Ugaog [Ugaag?] (1905); newspaper clippings and articles reporting about Igorot Village exhibits in various locations; photographs and stereographs, with mostly staged images, of Igorot Village exhibits, as well as miscellaneous photographs, including Schneidewind's portraits; among miscellaneous items are Schneidewind's business card and 2 letters (one in French).

The Photo album contains mostly photographs of Hospital Corps officers, personnel, nurses and patients, as well as military ships, hospitals, historic buildings and street scenes in Manila, Makati, Caloocan, Corregidor Island, Honolulu, and other locations. Also includes undated photographs of scenes from the Igorot Village exhibits.

The two Scrapbooks contain newspaper articles and clippings, as well as some advertising materials. The larger scrapbook mostly contains U.S. materials, 1907-1909 and undated, and the European tour materials (some in French), dated 1913-1914. The smaller scrapbook in original binding contains materials from the European tour, 1911-1912.

The two Oversize folders contains loose materials found in the European tour scrapbook: an undated photograph of Igorot Village exhibit; undated group photograph containing portrait of Schneidewind's son Richard (his last name spelled Schneidowin); and 3 newspaper articles (1910, 1912 and undated)

Photographs taken during the Polar Bear Expedition to northern Russia, and accumulated by several veterans; include scenes of American soldiers in camp and on patrol, of life in Archangel and in Russian villages, and of battlefields, fortifications, armored trains, ships, airplanes, burial rites, and graves. Also includes a list of photographs and their captions.

About 185 photographs. The photographs include scenes of life in Archangel, armored trains, villages, port facilities, rural life, men in barracks, fortifications, prisoners, group portraits, men on patrol and in camp, the railroad, an airplane, burials, and graves. Also included is a "List of official U.S. photographs illustrative of the activities of the North Russian Expeditionary Force" which contains descriptions, including names and locations, of ca. 575 Signal Corps photos, arranged by photo number.