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Records of car dealerships owned by the Dalgleish family of Detroit, Michigan. Advertising and customer service material, photographs, selected business records, and artifacts. The collection is of special interest to researchers of Detroit business community and to the U.S. automobile industry and trade historians. Collection is especially rich with material related to auto advertising, particularly, the Cadillac.

The Dalgleish Cadillac Oldsmobile collection encompasses the history of the family-owned business from the 1930s through the 2010s. Depending on the time period and particular marketing campaigns, Dalgleish dealership appeared in advertising material and customer service mailings as Charles Dalgleish Cadillac, Dalgleish Cadillac, Dalgleish Oldsmobile Cadillac, and Dalgleish Peugeot. Organization of material follows the company's history, transformations, and changes of name. The collection is organized into five series: Charles H. Dalgleish, Sr., Charlie's Nash, Inc., Charlie's Oldsmobile, Dalgleish Dealerships, and Advertising Material.

Fred E. Schwab was an influential member of the plastics community in the Detroit area. A German immigrant, he opened and ran several plastic manufacturing businesses, including Schwab & Frank and Schwab Plastics, which focused on styrofoam products and later automotive parts. He was also a founding member of the Society of Plastics Engineers. The collection includes personal materials, photographs, and professional files relating to his association with various plastics firms.

The Fred E. Schwab collection has been divided into three series: PERSONAL LIFE, PLASTICS, and PHOTOGRAPHS. The collection documents Schwab's professional endeavors in the plastic community in addition to elements from his personal life.

The Gerald T. and Charlotte B. Maxson printed ephemera collection contains over 5,000 pieces of assorted ephemera, the majority of which were commercially printed in the United States during the mid to late 19th-century.

The Gerald T. and Charlotte B. Maxson printed ephemera collection contains over 5,000 pieces of assorted ephemera, the majority of which were commercially printed in the United States during the mid to late 19th-century.

The Maxson collection provides a valuable resource for the study of 19th-century visual culture, commercial advertising, and humor in addition to the role of gender, ethnicity, and race in advertising. American businesses are the predominant focus of the collection, though many international businesses are also represented. While trade cards are by far the most prevalent type of ephemera found in this collection, an extensive array of genres are present including die cut scrapbook pieces, photographs, engravings, maps, serials, and manuscript materials.

The 23 binders that house the Maxson collection were arranged by the collectors themselves. Items are organized somewhat randomly in terms of topical arrangement. While pockets of related materials can be found here and there (for instance, the entirety of Volume 16 contains circus-related items while Volume 11 contains an extensive number of Shaker-related materials), for the most part any given subject may appear in any given volume. In some cases, items are clustered as a result of having been acquired together or due to a documented common provenance. Occasional typed annotations written by the Maxsons help provide additional context for certain items.

The Maxson Collection Subject Index serves as a volume-level subject index for materials found throughout the binders. The subjects indexed here are generally representative of both visual and commercial content. In addition to more general subjects, many names of specific people, places, buildings, events, and organizations that appear in the materials have also been listed. Researchers engaging with this collection should be aware that they will encounter numerous examples of racist caricatures, especially ones depicting African American, Native American, Irish, and Chinese people.

Topical files and writings of Michelle Krebs, a Detroit-based freelance automotive writer who served as editorial coordinator and contributing editor for various publications of the automotive industry as well as contributing journalist for newspapers and general-interest magazines.

The Michelle Krebs collection includes her writings, in the form of newspaper and magazine clippings, as well as research materials collected as part of her professional work as analyst and journalist for the automotive industry. The papers are arranged in the following series: Writings, Topical Files, and Promotional Materials, Press Releases, and Publications, and Shows and Presentations Audio Visual Materials. The 2012 accession contains additions to the Topical Files, Promotional Materials, Press Releases, and Publications series.

The Penrod/Hiawatha Company collection is mainly comprised of postcards, although some supplemental photographic items directed toward tourists is also included. The postcards, numbering more than 5,000, primarily are of the Michigan landscape and its towns and cities, covering every region of the state. Typical postcard themes dominate, particularly natural scenery, outdoor recreation, and shopping districts. The postcards date from the 1950s through the opening decades of the twenty-first century, although very few display copyright dates. The collection is divided into the following series.

1. Non-Postcard Items (calendars, brochures, booklets): Box 1
2. Non-Penrod/Hiawatha Postcards: Box 2
3. Penrod/Hiawatha Postcards, 1970s-1990s: Boxes 2-5
4. Penrod/Hiawatha Postcards, mid- to late 1990s: Boxes 5-6
5. Penrod/Hiawatha Postcards, late 1990s-2000): Boxes 6-7
6. Penrod/Hiawatha Postcards, 2001-2004: Box 8
7. Penrod/Hiawatha Postcards, 2005-2014: Box 9
8. Oversize and miscellaneous: Box 10

As batches of postcards are received every years, it was decided to arrange the items in blocks of time according to the date of their accession. Thus for the researcher interested in a specific city, it will be necessary to examine the listing for each of the series.

The Robert M. Vogel collection of historic images of engineering & industry contains approximately 22,890 photographs (including 18,500 stereographs), 1220 prints, 13 photograph albums, 11 books, 117 pieces of ephemera, and 15 pieces of realia documenting a wide range of subjects primarily related to 19th-century civil engineering, industrial processes, and mechanization.

The Robert M. Vogel collection of historic images of engineering & industry contains approximately 22,890 photographs (including 18,500 stereographs), 1220 prints, 13 photograph albums, 11 books, 117 pieces of ephemera, and 15 pieces of realia documenting a wide range of subjects primarily related to 19th-century civil engineering, industrial processes, and mechanization.

Particularly well-represented topics within the Vogel collection include images of different types of civil infrastructure such as bridges, canals, roads, dams, and tunnels as well as images showing construction projects, various types of machinery, modes of transportation (such as railroads, steamboats, automobiles, etc.), agricultural pursuits, natural resource extraction (including oil drilling, quarrying, mining, and lumbering), textile operations, electrical and hydraulic power generation, manufacturing, metal working, machine shops, and various industrial factory scenes. Many images of important and iconic structures are included such as the Brooklyn Bridge, Panama Canal, Hoosac Tunnel, and SS Great Eastern. Other represented topics include general architectural views, scenes of disasters/accidents, and portraits of notable individuals (such as Thomas Edison, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and Robert Stephenson). While predominately United States-focused, the materials are international in scope overall and especially include many images of industrial sites and civil infrastructure in Great Britain. The order of the collection's original arrangement has largely been kept intact.

Examples of items of particular interest include salt prints possibly taken by civil engineer Montgomery C. Meigs documenting the construction of the U.S. Capitol and Washington Aqueduct in Washington, D.C.; a series of portraits of early Baldwin Locomotive Works locomotives; images documenting the SS Great Eastern and USS Niagara steamships; a group of 4 colored stereoviews on glass produced by Frederick Langenheim showing the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge ca. 1850s; images related to specific railroads including the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Mauch Chunk, Mount Washington Cog Railway, and New York City elevated railroad; and half-frame proof prints of stereographs produced by Underwood & Underwood as well as H. C. White & Co.

The following list represents the general subject categories found across the Vogel collection along with relevant box and folder numbers:

• Box 07.2
• Box 14.1
• Box 14.2
• Box 14.3
• Box 31.2
• Box 52
• Box 56
• Folder 2.10
• Folder 3.08

• Box 06.2
• Box 06.3
• Folder 1.08
• Folder 2.15

• Box 01.1
• Box 03.3
• Box 06.3
• Box 07.1
• Box 28.2
• Box 28.3
• Box 46.2
• Box 57
• Box 58
• Box 59
• Box 61
• Box 63.10
• Folder 1.04
• Folder 2.04
• Folder 2.09
• Folder 2.14
• Folder 2.15
• Folder 2.16
• Folder 3.08

• Box 06.1
• Box 06.2
• Folder 2.06

• Box 03.1
• Box 03.2
• Folder 2.17
• Folder 3.08

• Box 03.3
• Box 04.1
• Box 04.2
• Box 04.3
• Box 05.3
• Box 05.4
• Box 06.1
• Folder 3.08

• Box 05.1

• Box 01.1
• Box 01.2
• Box 01.3
• Box 02.1
• Box 02.2
• Box 28.3
• Box 43.2
• Folder 3.02
• Folder 3.08
• Folder 3.10

• Box 02.3
• Box 05.2
• Box 06.1
• Box 49.1
• Box 49.2

• Box 09.1
• Box 09.2
• Box 36.1
• Box 36.2
• Box 39.1

• Box 08.2
• Box 08.3
• Box 18.4
• Box 28.1
• Box 28.3
• Box 46.1
• Box 53.2
• Box 58
• Box 61
• Box 63.08
• Box 63.11
• Folder 1.03
• Folder 2.16
• Folder 2.17

• Box 06.3
• Box 17.3
• Box 20.1
• Box 24.3
• Box 25.1
• Box 28.1
• Box 41.1
• Box 54
• Box 57
• Folder 1.07
• Folder 2.16

• Box 11.2
• Box 45.2

• Box 27.1
• Box 27.2
• Box 27.3
• Box 39.2
• Box 46.1
• Box 46.2
• Box 56
• Box 57
• Box 58
• Box 59
• Box 63.02
• Box 63.03
• Box 64.1
• Folder 1.05
• Folder 1.11
• Folder 1.13
• Folder 2.04
• Folder 2.11
• Folder 2.17
• Folder 3.08

• Box 07.2
• Box 07.3
• Box 08.1
• Box 08.2
• Box 28.1
• Box 28.2
• Box 43.2
• Box 46.3
• Box 52
• Box 54
• Box 56
• Box 57
• Box 59
• Box 63.04
• Box 64.2
• Box 64.4
• Folder 1.09
• Folder 2.05
• Folder 2.10
• Folder 2.12
• Folder 2.17
• Folder 3.08

• Box 07.1
• Box 07.2
• Box 13.2
• Box 13.3
• Box 14.1
• Box 27.2
• Box 27.3
• Box 31.2
• Box 32
• Box 33.1
• Box 33.2
• Box 34
• Box 35
• Box 36.1
• Box 37
• Box 39.2
• Box 40
• Box 41.2
• Box 42
• Box 43.1
• Box 43.2
• Box 46.2
• Box 53.1
• Box 53.2
• Box 60.1
• Box 61
• Box 63.01
• Box 63.03
• Box 64.1
• Box 64.3
• Folder 1.03
• Folder 1.07
• Folder 2.05
• Folder 2.06
• Folder 2.11
• Folder 2.15
• Folder 3.03
• Folder 3.08
• Folder 3.09
• Folder 3.12

• Box 15.1
• Box 43.2
• Box 44
• Box 55.1
• Box 55.2
• Box 60.1
• Box 60.2
• Box 62
• Folder 1.01
• Folder 1.02
• Folder 1.12
• Folder 3.07

• Box 11.2
• Box 11.3
• Box 12.1
• Box 12.2
• Box 13.2
• Box 23.1
• Box 61
• Folder 2.05

• Box 11.2
• Box 12.2
• Box 14.2
• Box 63.07

• Box 12.2
• Box 12.3
• Box 12.4
• Box 13.1
• Box 13.2
• Box 37
• Box 46.2
• Box 57
• Box 58

• Box 21.3
• Box 22.1
• Box 22.2
• Box 22.3
• Box 28.1
• Box 39.2
• Box 61
• Folder 2.14
• Folder 2.15
• Folder 3.08

• Box 23.1
• Box 23.2
• Box 23.3
• Box 24.1
• Box 24.2
• Box 40
• Box 41.2
• Box 50.1
• Box 50.2
• Box 51
• Box 52
• Box 55.1
• Box 55.2
• Box 61
• Folder 1.03
• Folder 2.02
• Folder 2.05
• Folder 2.14
• Folder 3.02
• Folder 3.10

• Box 29.1
• Box 29.2
• Box 30
• Box 46.1
• Box 57
• Folder 1.07

• Box 24.3
• Box 25.1
• Box 25.2
• Box 25.3
• Box 26.1
• Box 26.2
• Box 26.3
• Box 27.1
• Box 27.3
• Box 37
• Box 38
• Box 39.2
• Box 40
• Box 41.1
• Box 42
• Box 46.3
• Box 64.1
• Folder 3.06

• Box 10.3
• Box 11.1
• Box 11.2
• Box 41.2
• Folder 3.05
• Folder 3.12

• Box 01.1
• Box 10.3
• Box 28.3
• Box 39.1
• Box 46.3
• Box 56
• Box 64.2
• Box 64.3
• Folder 2.15
• Folder 3.06
• Folder 3.07

• Box 08.1
• Box 28.1
• Box 46.3
• Box 64.2

• Box 09.3
• Box 10.1
• Box 10.2
• Box 10.3

• Box 39.1

• Box 34
• Box 42
• Box 56
• Box 63.07
• Folder 2.16

• Box 15.1
• Box 28.2
• Box 31.2
• Box 33.2
• Box 36.2
• Box 54
• Box 58
• Box 64.3
• Folder 2.16
• Folder 3.04

• Box 19.1
• Box 19.2
• Box 19.3
• Box 20.1
• Box 20.2
• Box 20.3
• Box 21.1
• Box 21.2
• Box 21.3
• Box 28.2
• Box 45.2
• Box 46.3
• Box 57
• Box 59
• Box 63.09
• Folder 2.08
• Folder 2.11
• Folder 2.14
• Folder 3.05
• Folder 3.07
• Folder 3.08

• Box 15.1
• Box 15.2
• Box 15.3
• Box 16.1
• Box 16.2
• Box 16.3
• Box 16.4
• Box 17.1
• Box 17.2
• Box 17.3
• Box 18.1
• Box 18.2
• Box 18.3
• Box 18.4
• Box 28.1
• Box 28.2
• Box 31.1
• Box 35
• Box 46.2
• Box 47
• Box 48.1
• Box 48.2
• Box 49.1
• Box 56
• Box 57
• Box 58
• Box 59
• Box 61
• Box 63.05
• Box 63.06
• Folder 1.06
• Folder 1.10
• Folder 2.01
• Folder 2.03
• Folder 2.04
• Folder 2.06
• Folder 2.07
• Folder 2.10
• Folder 2.13
• Folder 2.16
• Folder 3.04
• Folder 3.07
• Folder 3.10
• Folder 3.11
• Folder 3.12

• Box 28.2
• Box 43.1
• Box 43.2
• Box 45.1
• Box 45.2
• Folder 2.06

• Box 08.1
• Box 08.2
• Box 25.1
• Box 28.3
• Box 39.1
• Box 39.2
• Box 46.3
• Box 53.2
• Box 56
• Box 57
• Box 59
• Box 64.2
• Box 64.4
• Folder 1.04
• Folder 2.04
• Folder 2.15
• Folder 2.16

While the Vogel collection general subject categories are generally comprehensive there are still numerous instances of items that could feasibly belong to multiple categories other than the group they are classified under. For instance, there are disaster images found in several groupings other than "Disasters," while bridge construction images can be found in all of the various "Bridges" categories as well as within the "Construction" category. For more detailed descriptions of specific materials, see the box and folder listing in the Contents section below.