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The Abrams Aerial Survey Corporation was an aerial surveying and research company based out of Lansing, Mich. The company served a variety of customers, including governmental units and businesses. Aerial views over the University of Michigan Stadium as well as other views of campus.

The collection consists of photographic negatives of aerial views over the University of Michigan Stadium during the Michigan-Michigan State University football game on October 5, 1940. Also includes other views of the University of Michigan campus on that same date.

The Pictorial Record of the United States Army Air Forces 90th Bombardment Group consists of two volumes containing 1 manuscript item and approximately 412 photographs documenting the activities of the USAAF 90th Bombardment Group during the New Guinea campaign of War World II.

Materials are housed in plastic sleeves contained in two green-colored 3-ring binders (30 x 33 cm). All photographs are gelatin silver developing-out prints and for the most part measure between 10 x 12 cm and 26 x 20 cm in size. Numerous images bear stamps that state “Passed by U.S. Army Examiners.” Most images do not have captions, though a small number do have typescript captions on their versos.

Volume A:

Volume A contains approximately 186 photographs as well as 1 manuscript item. The volume begins with a one-page typescript document issued ca. 1944 that is addressed to the 400th Bomb Squadron 90th Bomb Group, stating the photographs are intended to be “the Pictorial Record of Our Unit.” The letter is signed by Maj. C. Vernon Ekstrand of the U.S. Army Air Corps. Photographs include a composite portrait of the 90th Bomb Group members, individual and group portraits of 90th Bomb Group members, a group portrait of Japanese military personnel, images of Allied military facilities, Japanese warships being bombed, military aircraft shown both midair as well as on the ground, what appears to be an abandoned Japanese tank, and numerous landscape views. Also present are several images showing aircraft nose art. Of particular interest are various pictures documenting interactions with native Papuan people including individual and group portraits as well as photographs of Papuan settlements and structures (including churches).

Volume B:

Volume B contains approximately 226 photographs. This volume includes a substantial number of pictures of indigenous Papuan individuals, children, and families, including several portraits of nude women (including mothers breastfeeding), as well as images showing traditional Papuan body modifications and tattoos. Of particular note are images that appear to document a Papuan ceremony that showcases elements of traditional Papuan clothing, music, and ritual dance, as well as a photograph of a Papuan trumpet player. Other items of interest include numerous images documenting USO performers (including Bob Hope and Patty Thomas) and a series of aircraft nose art photographs that include several works signed by Cpl. Al G. Merkling. Images of airborne planes and landscape views also feature prominently in this volume.

The Wilbur Wright Airfield photograph album contains 250 images taken by Corporal J. O. McDonnell that mainly document military activities at Wilbur Wright Airfield in Ohio during World War I.

The album (18 x 28.5 cm) is string-bound and has black leather covers with "Photographs" stamped in gold on the front and black paper pages. Images are sequentially numbered in white pencil. Contents primarily cover a range of aviation training activities and other operational aspects of Wilbur Wright Airfield. Various training aircraft are documented in detail; the majority were Curtiss JN-4s, known as “Jennys,” but the base also had some DeHaviland DH-4s. Numerous views of planes are included, showing them on the ground, in the air, and operating in all seasonal conditions. Several crash landings are also documented, with most of the wrecks appearing to be “nose-overs” (planes flipping forward upon landing) rather than high-speed crashes into the ground.

In addition to pilot training, Cpl. McDonnell also documented aspects of daily life at the base including hangars, mechanics shops, fabrication areas, and barracks. Photographs include shots of military personnel working on planes, lounging in barracks, and searching for wreckage. Also present are photographs of visitors to the base (including actress Pearl White and possibly other cast members of Pearl of the Army), the New York Times airplane, experimental plane designs (such as a dual engine biplane and innovative wing shapes), and two images showcasing the newly developed Brock Automatic Aeroplane Camera designed for aerial surveillance. Cpl. McDonnell himself may possibly appear in photograph no. 69 posing with a young woman in front of an airplane.

Other locations besides Wilbur Wright Airfield are represented in the album, including storefront views and street scenes in Mineola, New York, which may possibly have been McDonnell’s hometown. Also present are four portraits of Theodore Roosevelt giving a speech in 1917 at a racetrack in Mineola, seven images of Washington, D.C., landmarks (including four directional views taken from the top of the Washington Monument), a view of the Tijuana Fair, the Horton Plaza fountain at the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego, and six aerial photographs showing an unidentified coastal city (likely San Diego) and several ships.

Other photographs produced by Cpl. McDonnell for official U.S. Army purposes differ from those found in this album in terms of their size, content, quality of composition, and attention to staging. It is likely that he took photographs for official (and sometimes classified) purposes in his role as base photographer while also taking his own personal snapshots, the latter of which are what appears to be compiled in this album.

The Lantern slides and glass plate negatives collection consists of approximately 1,260 magic lantern slides, glass plate negatives, and glass plate transparencies from commercial and non-commercial sources documenting a wide range of subjects.

The Lantern slides and glass plate negatives collection consists of approximately 1,260 magic lantern slides, glass plate negatives, and glass plate transparencies from commercial and non-commercial sources documenting a wide range of subjects.

The collection contains a total of 33 boxes and is loosely organized by topical groupings. The following list references individual boxes and the general nature of their contents.

• 10 x 12.5 cm glass negatives of views of Ann Arbor, Michigan, ca. early 1900s taken by an unidentified photographer. Includes views of several University of Michigan buildings, hospitals, fraternity houses, and private residences.

• Sixteen 8 x 10 cm cardboard-mounted slides showing posters for upcoming films and local product advertisements intended for use in movie theater intermissions. Producers include Excelsior Illustrating Co., Inc. and Photo Repro Co., Inc. Identified films include High Steppers (1926); The Blind Goddess (1926); Without Mercy (1926); Chickie (1925); Stop, Look and Listen (1926); West Point (1927); Pals First (1926); Ella Cinders (1926); Paying the Price (1927); The Avalanche (1919); and Turn to the Right (1922).
• Ten 7.5 x 7.5 cm slides documenting damage caused by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake (two of the slides are broken).

• 10 x 12.5 cm glass negatives including scenic views of fields, woods and towns, Canterbury Cathedral, ships in harbor, New York City streets, Coney Island beaches, street merchants, and children interacting with dogs (often humorously). All or some the images were produced by photographer William S. Pearsall in 1906 or earlier.

• Twenty-two 8 x 10 cm cardboard-mounted slides (some damaged) showing motion picture posters intended for display during movie theater intermissions with play dates handwritten in space at bottom. Dates listed range from 1918 to 1929. Identified films include The Devils Circus (1926); The Love of Sunya (1927); The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1929); Mademoiselle Modiste (1926); Classified (1925); Chang (1927); The Demi-Bride (1927); The Swell-Head (1927); Steele of the Royal Mounted (1925); The Voice of the City (1929); His Supreme Moment (1925); Monte Carlo (1926); An Old Fashioned Boy (1920); Lovers in Quarantine (1925); Riders of the Dawn (1920); Paid Back (1922); The Breaking Point (1921); and Gypsy Blood (also named Carmen - 1918 in Germany, 1921 in U.S.A.)
• Seven 8 x 10 cm hand-colored slides showing scenes from the popular book The Bad Boy and His Pa by George W. Peck produced by the Chicago Projecting Co. in 1904. Tableaux are carefully staged and elaborately tinted.

• Includes 8 x 10 cm slides showing scenes from The Bad Boy and His Pa by the Chicago Projecting Co. Other identified films include Babe Comes Home (1927); Figures Don't Lie (1927); and The Danger Girl (1916).

• Twenty-six 8 x 10 cm cardboard-mounted movie theater slides related to coming attractions or local products. One item of particular note includes a notice to female patrons that they do not need to remove their hats if they are seated in the women’s section. Identified films include The Taxi Dancer (1927); Square Crooks (1928); The City Gone Wild (1927); Too Much Money (1926); The First Night (1927); Broadway Nights (1927); Rainbow Riley (1926); The Wizard (1927); Vamping Venus (1928); The People vs. Nancy Preston (1925); Lovely Mary (1926); Rookies (1927); The Swan (1925); The Cohens and Kellys (1926); His People (1925); and My Official Wife (1926).

• Twenty-three 8 x 10 cm cardboard-mounted movie theater slides related to coming attractions or local products. Identified films include The Phantom Police (1926); The Testing Block (1920); The Brute Master (1920); The Cowboy Ace (1921); The Song and Dance Man (1926); His Brother's Keeper (1921); Private Izzy Murphy (1926); The Wanderer (1925); Eve's Leaves (1926); Good and Naughty (1926); It's The Old Army Game (1926); Vanishing Trails (serial, 1920); Don't Shoot (1922); The Whirlwhind of Youth (1927); The Shield of Honor (1927); Across to Singapore (1928); Naughty But Nice (1927); The Barrier (1926); For The Love of Mike (1927); The Dark Angel (1925); Keeping Up With Lizzie (1921); and Top O' The Morning (1922).
• Seven 8 x 10 cm slides (mostly duplicates) related to the Yale “Pageant of America” series showing damage in the aftermath of World War I.
• One 8 x 10 cm slide showing an ancient Egyptian tablet depicting battle.

• Twenty 8 x 10 cm slides documenting various activities in the town of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, around the turn of the 20th-century, including a hot-air balloon excursion and a fire engine race, along with other local scenes.
• Thirty-nine 8 x 10 cm slides showing scenic views (some hand-colored) in New Jersey and New York between 1896 and 1907. Most are attributed to Dr. J. T. Morehouse, but other noted contributors include the Charles Beseler Co., Dr. Ferdinand G. Kneer, William Archibald, and George W. Lamoreux. Items of particular interest include an aerial view of lower Manhattan; a map of New Jersey showing holdings of Esso; and a hand-colored view of a high railroad bridge in Portage, New York.

• Twenty 8 x 10 cm slides by Ann Arbor photographer George R. Swain documenting select manuscripts and maps from the William L. Clements Library.
• One 10 x 12.5 cm glass negative view of the Clements Library exterior.
• Seven 8 x 10 cm slides of outdoor scenes in Alaska and California from around 1900.
• Two 8 x 10 cm copy negatives of elaborate unidentified interiors.

• Six 8 x 10 cm slides of scenes in California and British Columbia. Includes view of a redwood logging train.
• Ten 8 x 10 cm glass negatives of scenes in British Columbia, mountain views, and photos of maps.
• Four 8 x 10 cm slides by Ann Arbor photographer George R. Swain of items from the William L. Clements Library.
• Nine 8 x 10 cm slides showing people and places (notably Firle Place) in the United Kingdom during the 1920s.

• Six 8 x 10 cm slides by Ann Arbor photographer George R. Swain showing exterior and interior views of the William L. Clements Library in the 1940s.
• Twenty-four 8 x 10 cm slides by Ann Arbor photographer George R. Swain of items from the William L. Clements Library. Includes an image of materials from the Thomas Gage papers stored in one their original document chests.

• Five 8 x 10 cm slides showing unidentified locations (possibly in Alaska) produced by the Seattle, Washington studio of Asahel Curtis.
• Four 8 x 10 cm slide reproductions of paintings.
• Three 8 x 10 cm slides of miscellaneous content.

• 8 x 10 cm glass negatives documenting a 1728 French translation of an earlier memoir by Jerome Lobo regarding attempts to convert Ethiopians to Christianity. An enclosed note says slides were for “a Prestor [sic] John talk.”

• 8 x 10 cm slides from an extensive educational series on lumbering processes and techniques produced ca. 1910. Images detail the production of railroad ties, including loggers’ methods of shaping each piece with their axes, and the proper method of stacking ties. Most of these views appear to be from Michigan’s lower peninsula, but one slide is from Wyoming in 1910.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing various stages in logging operations and mill processes in states from Maine to California. Includes one hand-colored view of a mill pond in Virginia and a map of the U.S. that renders the size of each state relative to its timber resources.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing production stages for treenails and stulls. Also includes images of various types of mill saws in marketing photos as well as working mills.

• 8 x 10 cm slides primarily related to pulp production with views showing logging sites, stages of the milling process, and specific machinery used. Includes images showing both ox-drawn and wooden-wheeled logging wagons.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing portable mills set up near logging sites and log flumes in various stages of construction and operation. Several images of elaborate flume constructions are present.

• 8 x 10 cm slides related to fir logging, possibly in Sitka, Alaska. Also present are a couple views showing treenail production.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing locust logging, log loaders, and lumber yards.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing different types of log loaders as well as maps of the U.S. highlighting population and timber resources.

• 8 x 10 cm slides related to the Lidgerwood (written as “Ledgerwood” on slide labels) logging system which made extensive use of winches and pulleys. The Lidgerwood Company was instrumental in building the Panama Canal and later developed machinery for the logging industry. Also present are more images of log loaders and diagrams/photos of mill machinery.

• 8 x 10 cm slides related to the Lidgerwood system as well as views of logging and mill operations in several states.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing pull boats towing log rafts and various logging and milling operations.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing finished lumber products being shipped by boat, rail, and wagon as well as images related to shingle production.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing steps in the production of shingles, stulls, and poles as well as steps in paper production, including micro views of linen and cotton paper fibers.

• Twenty-eight 8 x 10 cm slides showing stages in paper production as well as views of portable mills and flumes, especially flume dumps.
• Ten 10 x 12.5 cm glass negatives by unidentified photographer ca. 1902 related to estate in Berlin, Maryland nicknamed “Anchuha.” Includes snapshots of house and family members.

• Despite the separate accession number, these lumbering slides appear to be from the same educational series contained in other boxes. The topics covered by the 8 x 10 cm slides in this box include agricultural use of logged spaces, large mill operations, redwood logging, steam tractors, splash dams and charcoal kilns.

• 8 x 10 cm slides covering log jams, barrel staves and cooperage, flumes, big tree logging, and maps of national forests. Non-Michigan locations also represented. Includes color slide by Asahel Curtis showing Douglas fir timbers on railroad car.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing pole roads, agricultural use of logged land, large mills, machinery used in distillation and cooperage, logging of wide range of individual tree species. Non-Michigan locations also represented.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing tramways, pull boats, portable mills, geared locomotives, and skidways as well as a graph comparing regional production. Nine shattered slides are present.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing gasoline and steam skidders, lumber yards, motor trucks, and Arizona tree species. One image of particular interest shows an early Kelly truck with a full load of logs and an African American driver.

• Eight 8 x 10 cm glass negative copies of photos showing scenes in Alaska, including the Muir Glacier.
• Four 8 x 10 cm slide views of British Columbia, possibly from a Canadian Pacific Railroad car.
• Three 12.5 x 18 cm glass negative self-portraits by Charles P. Steinmetz, ca. 1904/5.
• One 12.5 x 18 cm glass negative titled “Girl on Bicycle”

Lecturer, writer, and consultant on energy and environmental subjects, most notably the uses and hazards of nuclear energy. Correspondence; her statements, articles, and letters to newspaper editors; reference files; conference and consultation materials; and photographs.

The Mary Sinclair collection provides detailed documentation of one woman's grassroots battle against nuclear power plants in Michigan. The collection, which was received in multiple accessions, has been arranged into the following series: Biographical and honors; Correspondence; Writings and speeches; People file; Early files; Citizen groups; Great Lakes Energy Alliance; University of Michigan; Government agencies; Midland Plant; Palisades Plant; Industries; Radiation; Alternatives to nuclear fission; Mass media; Topical files; Other cases; and Audio-visual material. The files contain both original and collected materials on topics related to her anti-nuclear activities.

Jeffrey R. Parsons was Curator of Latin American Archaeology and Director of the Museum of Anthropology at the University of Michigan. He was a professor at the same institution for over forty years starting in 1966 and carried out extensive research on settlement patterns in the basin of Mexico, in Peru, and in many other countries. Parsons is known for his role in the development of systematic settlement survey methods in archaeology, a methodology which has become common in archaeological work around the world. Material includes papers, maps, site surveys, photo negatives, aerial photographs and digital scans of the negatives.

The Jeffrey R. Parsons papers document the archaeologist's research in the Basin of Mexico, his work at the University of Michigan as professor, Curator of Latin American Archaeology, and Director of the Museum of Anthropology, and his work with colleagues and institutions around the world. Materials date from 1960 to 2009 while the bulk of it is from 1966 to 1973. The majority is related to his fieldwork in the Valley of Mexico and includes paper, photographic material, maps, and documentation about materials collected as part of the surveys, such as information on ceramic sherds. The collection is arranged in nine series: Personal Files, Correspondence 1966-2005, Archaeological Sites and Projects, Topical Files, Publications, Student Years, Visual Materials Series, and Maps.

Environmental, population control, and immigration reform advocate; organization and litigation files relating to his various interests and activities; includes correspondence, legal documents, memos, topical files, and miscellaneous photographs.

The papers of Dr. John Tanton consist of materials documenting his work as a political and environmental activist from 1960 through the 2000s. The portion of the collection open without restriction is divided into the following series: Personal/Biographical; Population and Immigration Organizations and Issues; Conservation Organizations and Issues; Topical Files and Activities; Correspondence; Politics and Government; and Social Issues. The portion of the collection closed to research until 2035 includes the continuation of several series: Correspondence; Personal/Biographical; Population and Immigration Organizations and Issues; Conservation Organizations and Issues; and one new series, Public Interest Organizations and Issues.

Citizen action group formed in 1964-1965 by Mrs. Virginia Denham to oppose the flooding of the Mill Creek area in Lima Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan, to improve sewage treatment for communities downstream on the Huron River. The organization also opposed creation of a Mill Creek Metropark by the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority an developed the South Lima Township Historical District plan. Correspondence, environmental impact statements, administrative files, newsletters, newspaper articles, topical files, maps, and photographs.

The Southeast Asia Art Foundation (SAAF) Archive is composed of approximately 200,000 photographs of Southeast Asia artwork compiled by John Adams Thierry during the latter half of the 20th century. The photos are drawn from approximately 30 different sources, sculptures, or monuments throughout Southeastern Asia that have since been vandalized, damaged, insensitively stored, or destroyed.

Southeast Asia Art Foundation (SAAF) Archive is composed of about 200,000 photographs drawn from at least 30 different sources, including 10,000 photos from sites in Cambodia, Java, and Thailand, 1,100 aerial photos of unexplored archaeological sites, and approximately 3,000 photos from leading art dealers. The collection is housed in a series of black binders and is broken down into 1149 binders of images of objects from various regions and object types, 114 binders with museums' holdings and dealers’ photographs, 24 binders of aerial photographs, 2 binders that contain microfiche, and 3 boxes of photographs. Many of the photos depict sculptures or monuments that have since been vandalized, damaged, insensitively stored, or destroyed. Some of the sculptures have also been sold into private collections and are no longer accessible to the public. The photographs of Yves Coffin, a former French diplomat to Cambodia, are now considered one of the best collections of Cham and Khmer architecture and sculpture. Most of the aerial photographs of Thailand in the mid-1950's came from William-Hunt. Some of the microfiche in the collection came from the National Research Centre of Archaeology on Indonesia from 1901 to 1956, while more microfiche was contributed by the Kern Institute, University of Leiden. In addition to the approximately 100,000 photographs and slides, materials also came from an expedition to Java, which sent Patrick Young to photograph the Buddhist monument of Borobudur. The Department of the History of Art at the University of Michigan organized the expedition, which was partially funded by Southeast Asia Art Foundation and its trustee, John A. Thierry.

The collection also contains vast documentation about the legacy of the artwork and the archive itself, including work from leading scholars such as Carol Stratton, Sarah M. Bekker, A.B. Griswold, and Miriam McNair Scott. John Adams Thierry's research and additional articles are incorporated in the collection.

The photo archive is part of the Southeast Asia Art Foundation Archive, which is now housed in three locations within the University of Michigan. The University of Michigan-Museum of Art houses Thierry's collection of 19 sculptures, while the University of Michigan Library houses Thierry's personal library of books on Southeast Asian Art, many of which are rare or difficult to find.

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Records of University of Michigan office (and its predecessor administrative offices) responsible for external fund raising and development activities, including subject files of development officials Arthur Brandon, Lyle Nelson, and Michael Radock; staff files; and photographs.

The records of the Vice President for Development date from 1948 to the present and measure 39.5 linear feet. They reflect the basic concerns of the office for these four decades: preserving and improving the university's public image and planning major fundraising efforts. Unfortunately, both activities are incompletely documented. In the area of public relations the records tend to discuss how immediate problems will be dealt with, rather than overall conceptions of the university's image. The thought behind the innovative fundraising devices created or employed by the office is sometimes recorded through consultant reports, but in general is not well documented.

The manuscript records have been divided into two subgroups, one representing the records of the vice president (or senior staff person, for those years in which there was no vice presidency), the other containing records created by the development office. The Vice Presidents subgroup has been divided by the name of each person who has held the office: Arthur Brandon, Lyle Nelson, and Michael Radock. Researchers should note that since Nelson and Radock used their predecessor's files for some time before inaugurating their own records, the relationship between office tenure and file dates is not an exact one. The Development Office subgroup contains records of that office and its subsidiary units. Several accessions of Development Office records received in 1989 and 1990 have been grouped together as Development Office subgroup: 1989-1990 accessions.