Collections : [University of Michigan Special Collections Research Center]

The Papers of Joseph A. Labadie series consists of those materials retained by Laurance after the death of his father. They are arranged by genre, with the bulk of the papers being notebooks and booklets of poetry covering a wide range of subjects, including nature, labor, religion, philosophy, government, Detroit, and family and friends. Some of the booklets were printed and bound by Jo Labadie at his own print shop. The series also includes a small number of essays and correspondence, some in Jo's holograph, and some transcribed and annotated by Laurance. There are four scrapbooks containing newsclippings, essays, poetry, and photos. Two concern Jo Labadie's activities, especially in the anarchist and labor movements One is entitled "Crank Notions," and contains many of Jo's newspaper columns which were published under that title. The last is a book honoring Jo's friend Carl Schmidt, and is entitled "Walhalla & its host." Miscellaneous items include calendars which Jo printed at his shop for 1913 and materials documenting a Michigan State Supreme Court Case: Mary J. June vs. Sophie and Joseph Labadie, 1902 and 1904.