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

The Conesus Lake Camping commonplace book contains poetry, drawings, and autographs compiled by a group of friends who camped near the New York lake in August 1889.

The Conesus Lake Camping commonplace book contains poetry, drawings, and autographs compiled by a group of friends who camped near the New York lake in August 1889. The loosely bound, 32-page volume opens with an inscription from William Cullen Bryant's poem "The Painted Cup," (p. 1) and also includes a copy of "Of a'the Airts the wind can blaw…," a poem by Robert Burns (p. 3). Of particular interest is a cheerful and humorous narrative poem composed by a woman staying with several female friends under the watchful eye of a chaperone, Aunt Margaret, and a male "protector," Rob. The poem, entitled "Camping Out," describes each of the six members of the camping party and includes a few of their adventures as well as a hint of nostalgia (pp. 19-25; p. 10). The book also contains a series of short cheers associated with prestigious colleges, including Princeton and Yale (p. 12), and, two ink drawings of three male friends: Newton Shepard, William S. Church, and F. B. Foster. One drawing, a tree labeled "Log Cabin" and adorned by an owl (p. 5), appears to be a detail of a larger image of a log cabin labeled "Eagle Point" (p. 32). The book also contains a number of autographs collected from camp visitors from around the country.

The Cook family photograph album contains carte-de-visite and tintype studio portraits of members of the Cook, Augusbury, and Zoller families of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Boone, Iowa; and Watertown, New York.

The Cook family photograph album (15cm x 12cm) contains 16 cartes-de-visite, 6 tintype prints, and 2 card photographs. The pictures are studio portraits of members of the Cook, Augsbury, and Zoller families taken in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Boone, Iowa; and Watertown, New York, in the late 19th century. Most photographs feature women, infants, and young children, and a list of captains identifies each person pictured. One card photograph shows a daguerreotype studio portrait of a young girl. The album's brown leather cover is stamped with decorative designs, some in gold. One of the volume's two original metal clasps is still affixed to the back cover.

The Corning-Southwick photograph album contains cartes-de-visite and tintypes of infants and young children. Several people pictured were members of the Corning and Southwick families.

The Corning-Southwick photograph album (13cm x 9cm) contains 15 cartes-de-visite and 3 tintype photographs, primarily of babies and young children. Many of the children pictured were members of the Martin, Corning, Gardner, and Southwick families. Two lithographs of a young girl putting on a boot and a young boy posing by a basket full of apples are also present. Included is a carte-de-visite showing the wedding of Charles Sherwood and Lavina Warren Stratton (Mr. and Mrs. Tom Thumb). The album has a decorative hard cover and a metal clasp.

This item is a bound collection of espionage correspondence from Paris, 1780, that describes the locations and numbers of French and Spanish ships in Gibraltar, New York, Canada, and the West Indies.

This volume is a bound collection of espionage correspondence from Paris, 1780. The 37 reports (65 pages) describe the locations and numbers of French and Spanish ships in Gibraltar, New York, Canada, and the West Indies. Many entries discuss the number of troops stationed at various ports, the conditions of the crew ("They are badly manned and sickly, especially the Spanish who also find it difficult to recruit their navy" p.40), and the outcomes of engagements ("The French had suffered greatly, most of the ship's masts being damaged...100 men have been killed and at least 1,200 wounded" (p.47). The author often provides logistical information such as lists of ships and crew sizes, as well as the names of the ships' captains.

The Crum-Ely family photograph album contains studio portrait photographs of individuals and groups living in Ohio. There are 28 cabinet photographs and 14 cartes de visite, and many pages include hand-written identifications of the subjects in the photographs.

The Crum-Ely family album (27.25 x 21.5cm) is a 34 page maroon plush velvet album containing 42 studio portrait photographs of individuals and groups living in Ohio and other Midwestern states. The people featured include members of the Crum, Ely, Folck, Matthias, Greer, Gilbert, and Riddle families. There are 28 cabinet photographs and 14 cartes de visite, and many pages include hand-written identifications of the subjects in the photographs.

The photographs were taken in West Unity, Bryan, Wauseon and Fayette, Ohio. There are also portraits from Osage Mission, Kansas and Bowman, Missouri.

Of note is the portrait of two women and a dark skinned man serving them.

There is a humorous occupational portrait of "Ed and Griffin" as tailors.

The Cuba photograph album contains 40 photographs of buildings, monuments, and other sights in Havana, Cuba, taken by an unidentified American tourist around 1901.

The Cuba photograph album contains 40 photographs of buildings, monuments, and other sights in Havana, Cuba, taken by an unidentified American tourist around 1901.

The album (14 x 18 cm) has grey cloth covers and is in fragile condition, with some early pages possibly missing. All 40 photographs are in good condition and include detailed inscribed captions. Most images are of major buildings and monuments such as the Cathedral Havana, Tacon Market, and Morro Castle.

• The wall where Spanish soldiers executed eight medical students falsely accused of desecrating a cemetery in 1871.
• Hotel Inglaterra (still in operation) with the empty pedestal in front where a statue of Queen Isabella II of Spain stood until 1899.
• The remains of the USS Maine, sunk in Havana Harbor in 1898 during the Spanish-American War.
• Tourists looking through the fence at General Fitzhugh Lee’s Marianao headquarters where he served as a commander of occupation forces from January 1899 until November 1900. Gen. Lee was a popular consul general in Havana from 1895 until the Spanish-American War broke out in April 1898, and he was the last American to leave Cuba. During the war, he trained a group of volunteer soldiers in Jacksonville, Florida, but never saw combat. He was appointed commander of occupation forces in the Havana District and returned to Cuba on January 1st, 1899, the day the Spanish evacuated the island

This manuscript, titled "Toasts," includes 13 toasts along with actual or suggested musical accompaniment for each pronouncement. The speeches express strong support for the Democratic Party and regard such individuals as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, Richard M. Johnson, James Madison, and Thomas Hart Benton. One toast decries the Bank of the United States.

This manuscript, titled "Toasts," includes 13 toasts along with actual or suggested musical accompaniment for each pronouncement. The speeches express strong support for the Democratic Party and regard such individuals as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, Richard M. Johnson, James Madison, and Thomas Hart Benton. One toast decries the Bank of the United States. Musical accompaniment includes "The Rights of Man," "Hail Columbia," "Jackson's March," "Auld Lang Syne," "Roslin Castle," "Rogues March," "Yankee Doodle," "Hail to the Chief," the "Star Spangled Banner," and others.

The manuscript bears strikethroughs and revisions, suggesting that it is a working copy. Its reference to President Andrew Jackson and to Martin Van Buren ("worthy to succeed the illustrious Jackson") suggest a likely date of July 4, 1836.

This diary of a railroad and steamer trip chronicles the author's travels from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the Midwest. The diary includes descriptions of scenery and cities in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa.

This diary of a railroad and steamer trip (88 pages) chronicles the author's travels from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the Midwest. The diary includes descriptions of scenery and cities in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Iowa.

The volume opens on April 21, 1857, the author's 30th birthday, and begins with a cross-county railroad trip on the Central Railroad from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. Fom there, he traveled on the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Chicago Railroad to St. Louis, Missouri, where he arrived on April 25. In St. Louis, he noted the 55-minute time difference, went sightseeing, and met acquaintances from Delaware. His travels in the area included a trip to the Jefferson Barracks, which he recorded in detail (April 27, 1857), and several visits to nearby St. Charles, where he attended a Mormon church service (May 3, 1857). From May 6-12, he embarked on a boat trip to Leavenworth, Kansas, on the steamer Oceana, making frequent mentions of scenery in his diary. During his time in Kansas, he visited several local land offices, where he commented on inflated prices, and he discussed the recent history of the region, tainted by the violence of "Border Ruffians." From Kansas, he returned to St. Louis via Missouri River steamers and traveled up the Mississippi River to Quincy, Illinois, and Keokuk, Iowa. Throughout his journey, he recorded his incoming and outgoing correspondence, primarily to relatives in Delaware, and attended religious services of numerous Christian denominations. Additionally, he continued to meet friends and describe scenery and points of interest. He also occasionally made note of emigrants encountered along his travels, including a group of French socialist settlers in Nauvoo, Illinois (June 10, 1857) and other emigrants headed further west from Missouri and Kansas. The diary ends in Quincy, Illinois, on June 22, 1857, with the author setting out for Palmyra, Missouri, where he spent much of the last week of his travels.

This collection contains 5 official copies of letters exchanged by United States Army officers regarding African American regiments in the Carrollton District of New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1864. The writers discussed topics including courts martial, troop transfers, commemorations of the Emancipation Proclamation, and soldiers' wives and families.

This collection contains 5 official copies of letters exchanged by United States Army officers regarding African American regiments in the Carrollton District of New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1864. The writers discussed topics including courts martial, troop transfers, commemorations of the Emancipation Proclamation, and soldiers' wives and families.

The box and folder list for this finding aid includes information about the contents of the letters in the collection.

The Drew family photograph album contains 27 photographs related to a New York family including images of children, family pets, family tombstones, a man posing with a horse and gig, group rowboats, and the Canadian steamboats Hamilton and Spartan.

The Drew family photograph album contains 27 photographs related to a New York family including images of children, family pets, family tombstones, a man posing with a horse and gig, group rowboats, and the Canadian steamboats Hamilton and Spartan.

The album (16 x 20 cm) is half-bound with black leather binding and black cloth boards. Lacking spine.