Family Materials, 1834-1941
1.5 linear feet
Family Materials is the largest series and consists of visual materials and a chronological sequence of family correspondence. Photographs are found within the series, primarily consisting of portraits of James V. Another folder of photographs in the series is a collection of portraits of other Campbell family members. While a number of photographs have not been identified, some have notes on the back indicating names, including Cornelia Lois, and Lois Bushnell Campbell.
The earliest portion of the family correspondence includes letters of the first Henry M. Campbell and several of his children. During the 1850s and 1860s letters of James V. Campbell to his wife and children predominate. These letters concentrate on family matters but also explain to his family Campbell's reactions to his work on the Supreme Court. The bulk of the series consists of letters to Valeria Campbell and Cornelia "Nellie" Campbell, most from family members. Many letters from Charles H., Douglass H., and Edward D. Campbell describing their student life at the University of Michigan are found in the 1870s and 1880s. Later letters describe Douglass's studies in Germany, Edward's blindness, and the later lives of all three brothers. Also in the 1870s are found letters to Mary Campbell Douglass while she attended the University of Michigan (no letters from her are included). In the period 1885-1887 a number of letters are found from women active in Soldiers' Aid Societies during the Civil War, collected by Valeria Campbell for a publication of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. This series also includes newspaper clippings and other materials not easily identified with a specific family member.