Search Results
47 items
This John Egan Rapp collection is made up of a diary; 18 letters and a telegram; a group of receipts, a recipe, three newspaper clippings, two short lists of genealogical material, three empty envelopes, an advertising flyer, three blank voter oath forms; and a published history of the Battle of Chickamauga. These materials pertain to Rapp's life during and after his service in Swett's Battery of the Mississippi Light Artillery. His diary spans just over year of his service in the Confederate Army and the bulk of the remainder of the collection pertains to his postwar life in Conyers and Atlanta, Georgia.
Diary. John Egan Rapp kept his 96-page pocket diary between October 2, 1862, and November 23, 1863, during his service in Swett's Battery, Mississippi Light Artillery. He wrote in pencil, which has since become smudged and is at times so faded that it is difficult to read. At least one page of the diary has been torn out. Rapp routinely recorded where his unit camped each night, the number of miles they marched each day, rations issued, and enemy locations. He wrote some of his longest entries when his artillery unit was engaged in the battles of Murfreesboro (December 1862 and January 1863) and Chickamauga (September 19-25, 1863). He described harsh living conditions near Tazewell, Tennessee in October 1862, "we have had but half rations for the last week and tonight none is to be had." A week later, they camped in the woods near Knoxville in cold weather with no tents, with some men lacking shoes or adequate clothing. This contrasts with Christmas of 1862 when they were at College Grove, Tennessee, "General Liddell has prepared a barbecue for the Brigade--is expected to be a brilliant affair--number of ladies are expected and every preparations are made to receive them." Wet and weary after five days and nights "on the field" at the battle of Mufreesboro, he wrote, "our horses have not had anything to eat in thirty-six hours and have traveled 26 miles since midnight" (January 4, 1863). He mentioned seeing Gen. Joe E. Johnson reviewing the troops (December 10, 1862), and Jefferson Davis riding along the line (October 11, 1863). Although "elected" to become Lieutenant after the death of the serving officer, he wrote, "But declined." (October 11, 1863). On page 44 of the diary (December 22, 1863), Rapp wrote a farewell letter to one of his sisters (probably Elizabeth, Mrs. Thomas Postlewait) saying that if he died he hoped his diary would make its way to her, and that he owed the "onley few moments of happiness I ever new" to her. Much of the second half of the diary notebook consists of notes, addresses, accounts, etc. -- some refer to amts. of ammunition (Round Shot, Canister, Shell)--under the heading "List--Gun Napolean" are records of type of ammunition used, weight of ammo, distance in yards, and remarks about gun performance.
The collection's Correspondence (18 letters, a telegram, and three loose envelopes) spans April 13, 1864-October 30, 1891. John E. Rapp wrote four of the letters; his sister Elizabeth C. [Rapp] Postlewait (1833-1922) wrote two; his brother-in-law Thomas H. Postlewait (1826/28-1903) wrote two; his sister Emily [Rapp] Hair (1844-1915) wrote one; his cousin Dr. William E. Rapp (1819-1880) sent one; his cousin Enoch Thompson (1808-1898) wrote one; and P. K. Montgomery sent one. Most of the remaining letters are business related.
John E. Rapp wrote the two earliest letters in this collection during the Civil War. On April 13, 1864, he informed his wife that he was awaiting the arrival of his second "Certificate of Disability." About three weeks later, P. K. Montgomery advised Rapp how he could safely cross the Mississippi River at St. Joseph, Louisiana, despite Yankee gunboats, "Crossing is done in Canoes and mostly by Night. The horses have to Swim the River . . . The charges are pretty high as the Boats have to be kept some distance in the Country and hauled in when needed." (May 8, 1864). Dr. William E. Rapp's Reconstruction Era letters from Franklin Parish, Louisiana, described difficulties resulting from the disruption of mail and railroad service. "We have not mails here yet & consequently, scarcely ever get a letter except by the boats in the winter by way of New Orleans. No Rail Road in operation from here to Miss. River & no navigation now, so that we are cut off from the world." (Oct. 11, 1867). He also commented several times on the use of freedmen as a labor force, "We have been trying the planting with the Freed men, but not to any great success . . . Labour is much wanting in this country as not more than half of the Freedmen are of any account & none very valuable." (October 11, 1867). "I am striving as usual to make a fortune with free Negroes, which is rather a slow business . . . I am working, or feeding about 35 hands & their families & sometimes they pay for it, and sometimes they don't." (March 30, 1879).
A November 18, 1881, letter from Emily (Rapp) Hair in Ohio expressed her wish to make peace with her brother, John E. Rapp. She was unaware that he had a wife and family, so the brother and sister must have been out of touch since at least 1863, and it is possible that they quarreled over his decision to fight for the Confederacy. A single letter dated October 10, 1886, written by a railroad official, described a raid that John E. Rapp was ordered to make on thieves poaching fish from railroad property. "...two men who fished the pond every day or night during the past week & that these parties had taken over 500 fish, the most of them they had put in their own private pond for future use." Also of interest is a letter from Rapp's 83-year-old cousin Enoch Thompson, who claimed to have written the first accurate description of the creation of the Universe. "Moses wrote a run and jump darklantern description of the Creation of this world . . . This historic account of the structure of the Universe I have written for your perusal is, in all probability, the first Historic description of the Universe ever written by man in any age of the world and therefore may be considered something new under the Sun, and might serve as a relic in the future." (October 30, 1891).
The Documents, Receipts, Newspaper Clippings, and Other Manuscripts include 13 receipts, a recipe for "copaiba," two short lists of genealogical material, three undated newspaper clippings, one advertising flyer, and three blank Fulton County, Georgia, voter oath forms from 1891.
The receipts include four for quarterly tuition at The Gordon School in Atlanta, Georgia, for Rapp's son Fred in 1891, and one for tuition at the Atlanta Classical School in 1892. Also among the receipts is one dated May 8, 1876, acknowledging that Station House Keeper W. A. Bonnell received "the body of one Henry Redding, alias Wm. Christopher." On the back of the receipt is a penciled note, "$4.00 Guard House fee." This is a reference to a "colored" convict who escaped from the convict camp near Marietta, Georgia, with five other prisoners, March 23-24, 1876. Despite searching an 8-mile radius with dogs, the men made a clean escape, and a $25 reward was offered for each man. Redding was recaptured about six weeks later, and for a time was confined in the Station House mentioned in the receipt of May 8, 1876. As the May 5, 1876 issue of the Atlanta Constitution wryly put it, "Henry Redding, who has been sentenced to the penitentiary for lifetime and 20 years additional, is now a guest at the Hotel de Bonnell." Henry Redding's serious problems with the law began in 1869. He and two other "negroes" were convicted of arson for starting a fire in a jail where they had been detained, in an attempt to escape. They received a sentence of hard labor for life after being convicted of arson. While serving this sentence Redding escaped from a convict camp near Marietta, Georgia, in 1876 and was recaptured six weeks later. Eleven years later, in 1887, he applied to Governor Gordon to reduce his life sentence to 20 years. Based on an earlier court decision that "an attempt to burn a jail in order to effect an escape is not arson," and in consideration of the long term Redding had already served, the Governor ordered him "forthwith discharged from confinement" (The Atlanta Constitution, Aug. 6, 1887, p. 7).
The newspaper clippings include one entitled "The Gallant Charge" about Cheatham's Division at Franklin, Tennessee, one about a reunion of Confederate veterans, and the last an obituary for John E. Rapp's son Joseph W. Rapp
The collection includes a 16-page Confederate imprint entitled GREAT BATTLE OF CHICAMAUGA: A concise History of Events from the Evacuation of Chattanooga to the Defeat of the Enemy (Mobile, 1863) by S. C. Reid of the Mobile Tribune, with John E. Rapp's penciled annotation on the margin of page six correcting the account of Swett's Battery's part in the battle.
1.5 linear feet
The John H. Griffith collection contains letters and documents pertaining to Griffith's time as a surgical technician in the United States Army during World War II and to his life in Bologna, Italy, as a Rotary Fellow from 1951-1952. Much of the collection consists of Griffith's wartime correspondence with his parents.
The Correspondence series (344 items) relates to Griffith's life in Ann Arbor before the war, his service in the United States Army Medical Department, and his experiences in Europe as a research fellow in Bologna, Italy. Griffith addressed the majority of his correspondence to his parents, Leon and Amelia Griffith of Vicksburg, Michigan; Griffith also wrote to his younger siblings, Richard ("Dick") and Helen. His earliest letters document his life as a freshman at the University of Michigan. One letter contains newspaper clippings pertaining to a convoy trip taken by a University of Michigan student (December 6, 1942); several letters to Griffith's father from the university offer congratulations on Griffith's academic record.
After he was drafted in 1944, Griffith wrote to his parents about army life, documenting his service at Camp Bowie in Texas; Lawson General Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia; and Moore General Hospital in Swannanoa, North Carolina. Enclosures include newsletters from Camp Bowie (April 29, 1944; May 6, 1944) and an "Organization Day" flyer from Lawson General Hospital (July 2, 1944); one letter contains a diagram of a battlefield (June 8, 1944).
Griffith remained in the United States with the 86th Evacuation Hospital and the 134th Evacuation Hospital until the latter was deployed overseas in January 1945. His later letters, some of which have been censored, pertain to army life during the closing stages of combat in the European Theater. Griffith described postwar Germany and "the constant dribble of slave laborers leaving the Reich" (April 20, 1945). He wrote 1 letter to his grandfather in German, remarking on the beauty of the German countryside (April 28, 1945).
After the war, Griffith returned to the United States; he resumed his correspondence in August 1951, when he related his experiences traveling throughout Europe and living in Bologna, Italy. The collection also contains 2 letters in German to Leon and Amelia Griffith from a relative, "Uncle Chris," in Genkingen, Germany, whom Griffith visited during his travels abroad (December 27, 1951; January 14, 1952).
The Documents series (18 items) contains items related to Griffith's education and World War II service, including a notebook and a certificate for successful course completion at the United States Army Surgical Technician School, Griffith's curriculum vitae, report cards from his elementary and high school studies, and a war ration booklet.
The Photographs series (100 items) contains portraits and landscapes shot in Europe during the war and during the early 1950s. Most items are labeled, and include scenes from postwar Germany.
The Printed Materials series (24 items) contains clippings of Ernie Pyle columns from a Michigan newspaper as well as clippings mentioning Griffith's university scholarship; a copy of The Daily American (November 27, 1951); 2 books for American soldiers, including an "overseas edition" of James Thurber's My World--And Welcome To It; and a program from graduation exercises for the Army's School for Medical Department Technicians.
The Artifacts series contains 2 World War II Army patches, 1 WWII blue star service flag, and a flashlight.
1.25 linear feet
This collection is made up of correspondence, writings, a journal, a scrapbook, and published material related to George Clary Wing of Bloomfield, Ohio, and two account books kept by his father, Joseph Knowles Wing, during his military service in the Civil War.
The Correspondence series (32 items) consists of personal and professional correspondence related to George C. Wing. Most items are incoming letters that Wing received from acquaintances and politicians who discussed Wing's career in the United States Department of Justice and the United States Department of State from 1872-1884. Some items are signed by prominent politicians, including George Henry Williams, Charles Devens, Benjamin Brewster, and Frederick T. Frelinghuysen. The series also contains a small number of draft letters from Wing to various individuals, also concerning his career in Washington, D.C. George C. Wing received personal letters from his father, Joseph K. Wing, and one letter and one telegram from his brother, Francis J. Wing; both provided news from North Bloomfield, Ohio, and offered professional advice. The final item is a brief personal letter from "George" to "Julia" (July 23, 1923).
The Journal and Notebooks series contains 2 notebooks and 1 journal. George C. Wing kept two notebooks from 1872-1924 (280 pages) and 1884-1920 (150 pages, not all of which are used). These contain quotations, essays, and notes about many subjects, including lectures at Georgetown Law School, English-language literature, classical history and literature, American history, and scientific subjects. Wing also composed some poetry. The second volume includes some one-line journal entries about Wing's business trips and family news from 1884-1910. He laid newspaper clippings, loose essays, photographs, and notes into the volumes.
George C. Wing's journal includes 51 pages of daily entries describing the scenery during his railroad and steamship journey from Ohio to Valdez, Alaska, and back between June 5, 1901, and July 9, 1901. He mentioned his daily activities and sometimes noted the types of plants prevalent in different areas of the country. The later pages (around 15 pages) contain a drawing of "Jake," a sketch of the Alaska coastline along a glacier, additional trip notes, memoranda, a railroad ticket and steamship purser's ticket, and a photograph of a woman.
The Writings series consists of three items. George C. Wing compiled a group of manuscript writings and draft letters in a volume entitled "Brands- from the Burning!" from the mid-1880s to the mid-1910s. Included are stories, essays, translations, and poems about history, literature, and other topics. Wing's draft letters include an opinion piece about the country's relationship with Germany in 1915. The series also includes a manuscript draft of Wing's book, The Western Reserve Home and The Manuscript Letters of Ephraim Brown and Family, 1805-1845 (1915, later published as Early Years on the Western Reserve) and a group of correspondence and essays about a road in Bloomfield, Ohio, and a related property dispute, entitled "The Lane in Section Sixty, Bloomfield, Trumbull County, Ohio" (1925).
The Joseph K. Wing Account Books (320 total pages, fewer than half of which are used) contain financial records and supply lists related to Wing's service in the 16th Army Corps during the Civil War (1863-1864). Wing, a quartermaster, compiled records about purchases of horses, including the price of each animal; lists of supplies, including the number of items and occasional remarks about items' condition; lists of clothing items available, including remarks about whether each item was damaged or new; a list of forage vouchers cashed by Wing, including the name of the soldier who claimed each voucher; and lists of supplies held by various regiments. Notes regarding prison returns mention a few female prisoners. The volumes also contain notes about army transportation and food supplies.
The collection's Scrapbook (27 pages) primarily contains newspaper clippings about many different subjects, including articles and photographs pertaining to steamship travel to and around Alaska, particularly regarding the ships Dolphin and Bertha. Other clippings concern various members of the Wing family, such as George C. Wing and Francis J. Wing, and the history of Bloomfield, Ohio. Items laid into the back of the volume include printed Personal Instructions to the Diplomatic Agents of the United States in Foreign Countries (1874), George Wing's manuscript report about "Proceedings for the Extradition of Criminals (June 14, 1883), George Wing's drawing of "The Encyclopedant" (February 1895), and a menu for the Alaska Steamship Company vessel Dolphin (July 4, 1901).
Printed Items (4 items) include a copy of George C. Wing's book Early Years on the Western Reserve with Extracts from Letters of Ephraim Brown and Family, 1805-1845 (Cleveland, 1916), inscribed to his sister Elizabeth and to a niece, and a copy of Neighborhood: A Settlement Quarterly containing several articles about pottery (July 1930). George C. Wing also collected court briefs from his time with the United States Court of Claims (1879-1882), and received a United States Senate report about the relationship between Great Britain and the United States with regard to each country's naval presence on the Great Lakes between the War of 1812 (1892).
1 volume
This scrapbook contains around 120 pages of correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, and ephemera related to the soldiers' canteen that Katharine G. Prest hosted at her home in Lancaster, Massachusetts, between June 1941 and August 1945.
Soldiers stationed throughout the United States and in both major theaters of war frequently wrote to Prest, expressing their gratitude for her hospitality and sometimes reporting on their experiences after leaving Massachusetts; soldiers' wives and mothers occasionally thanked Prest as well. Emily J. Nichols, who worked for the American Red Cross at Fort Devens, corresponded with Prest about upcoming events for wounded men. The servicemen sent manuscript letters, V-mail letters, postcards, and Christmas cards. Many of the postcards include cartoons and other illustrations, most frequently regarding military life. Snapshots and formal portraits show groups of young men and women relaxing at the Prests' home, often near the pool, and soldiers in uniform at various locations.
Prest collected newspaper clippings about her wartime activities and about the war, particularly related to soldiers' experiences in the European Theater. Some clippings include photographs of Prest. The scrapbook contains a small number of printed programs, song lyrics, insignia patches, and a pin from the 101st Cavalry Regiment. One page consists of several soldiers' drawings, including a caricature of Adolf Hitler with target values printed on various parts of his body. A colored illustration commemorating the 101st Cavalry Regiment and several portraits of unidentified individuals are drawn directly into the volume. Later items include awards and certificates of thanks that Prest received from various organizations (undated, WWII era), an award celebrating her commitment to fighting cancer (1951), and a birth announcement (written on a photograph) (January 25, 1954).
Two items pre-date United States involvement in the war: a 1930 group photograph of the "Lawyer's Club" (including William M. Preston), and a 1940 book entitled Yuletide in Many Lands.
0.5 linear feet
The Laurence Barrett family papers consist primarily of 113 letters written between Laurence Nexsen Barrett, his siblings, and his parents during World War II, while Laurence Barrett served in the United States Navy aboard the submarine chaser USS PC-1176. Barrent wrote about his work as a mail censor, family news, financial matters, fellow sailors, shipboard life, reflections on the U.S. Navy and the war, visits to French and English towns, and other subjects. The collection contains 18 editions of The Hillcote Herald, a newsletter named after the Barrett family home at Katonah, New York, contains poetry, news on local sports, family updates, and other content. Eighty five snapshot photographs and other images, along with 13 printed items complete the papers.
Correspondence: Though most of the material originated from members of the Barrett family, Laurence received mail from several acquaintances from his prewar educational endeavors. The letters of the 1930s through 1941 are largely incoming letters to Laurence N. Barrett regarding his empoyment at the Berkshire School (Sheffield, Massachusetts), his 1939 trip to Great Britain on board the SS Transylvania, family updates from their Hillcote home in Katonah, New York, the marriage of his brother Roberston to Margaret B. Sloat, and other matters. The papers contain 35 pages of largely undated courtship letters from the 1930s/1940s between Laurence Barrett and Ruth DeYoe, while the former taught at Middlebury College and the latter finished her studies at Connecticut College in New Haven. One letter from Heidi (i.e. Adelaide Barrett) dated June 29, 1939, contains drawings of a bicyclist in Ireland and a thatch-roofed house.
Captain, later Lieutenant, Laurence "Larry" Barrett's outgoing letters to his parents and sister begin with a July 4, 1943, missive written while aboard the USS SC-1003 while patroling for Japanese submarines. By fall, he sent correspondence from the Navy Section Base near New Orleans, Louisiana. He wrote both newsy and practical letters, discussing finances and sending money to his sister, his insurance policy, U.S. Navy discipline, life in the service, and gunnery training at Shell Beach (Southeast of New Orleans). December 27, 1943, he sent his first letter from aboard the newly-commissioned USS PC 1176 and provided his thoughts on the mood of the ship's officers and crew. One of the jobs assigned to Barrett was censoring outgoing mail and he found reading through other sailors' personal matters to be educational. He told his parents that through them he learned "what remarkable insights into human beings there are to be had in the letters they write their wives and sons and creditors and the girls they are traying to seduce. It is an almost Olympian view you get of the poor hunted, hunting race, and at times it makes you feel presumptious -- would even make you feel guilty, if there were not all the sheaves of naval regulations insisting upon it to salve the conscience (January 16, 1944). He provided a couple anecdotes about fellow sailors' relationships. The ship traveled across the Atlantic and stayed in port at England. Barrett wrote home during the spring of 1944 about interactions with and perceptions of English people and their suffering on account of the war. Though the PC 1176 participated in the Normandy invasion, it is not mentioned in the Barrett's letters (except one letter of February 13, 1945, in which he explains his reasons for not writing about D-Day or other "war stuff"). As the ship entered duty around Cherbourg and LeHavre in the fall of 1944, he sent his family letters about investments, fellow sailors, courts martial, shipboard activities, the Presidential Election of 1944, his communications with a woman named Courtney, reflections on U.S. Navy service and the war, visits to French towns, speculation about when he will be able to return home, .
The collection includes 18 issues of The Hillcote Herald, a typed newsletter containing poetry, family news, local sports, and other subjects. At one point, the Herald specifies that its readership includes three persons. While generally lighthearted, the December 7, 1941, issue included a remark on the attack on Pearl Harbor, "This is, we suppose IT. IT being the thing that a great many millions of Americans have been hoping might someday be prevented from taking place. That it will affect us all, and very directly, cannot be doubted. Whether or not it could have been avoided is probably no longer worth debating or wonderfing about--or praying over, maybe." The collection includes the following issues:
- 1939 July 24, v. IV, no. ?
- 1941 September 21, v. VI, no. 1.
- 1941 September 28, v. VI, no. 2.
- 1941 October 5, v. VI, no. 3.
- 1941 October 12, v. VI, no. 4.
- 1941 October 26, v. VI, no. 5.
- 1941 November 2, v. VI, no. 7.
- 1941 November 9, v. VI, no. 9.
- 1941 November 16, v. VI, no. 11.
- 1941 November 30, v. VI, no. 11 (located in the Correspondence Series under this date).
- 1941 December 7, v. VI, no. 21.
- 1943 July 4, v. VII, no. 17 (supposedly).
- 1943 July 25, v. VII, no. 18.
- 1943 August 1, v. VII, no. 20.
- 1943 August 7, v. VII, no. 21.
- 1943 August 15, v. VII, no. 21.
- 1943 August 22, v. VII, no. 22.
- 1943 October 3, v. VII, no. 23.
The collection's Photographs include 85 snapshots taken during Laurence N. Barrett's 1937 visit to Ireland, as well as images of sporting events, skiers, buildings, an exposition of glass products, a dog, and a variety of unidentified individuals. The photographs also include two real photo postcards of unidentified exterior locations, one photograph of an unidentified woman, and a modern copy of a photograph of Laurence Barrett's ship USS PC-1176.
The Printed Items include several pamphlets regarding Welsh government and politics, two book sales pamphlets, and Great Britain travel literature. A complete list includes:
- [Copy of Laurence Nexsen Barrett's Power of Attorney, December 4, 1944].
- [Copy of Barrett Family Tree, K. Barrett Kelly, rev. February 20, 2004].
- [Newspaper Clippings, 1942 (2 items).
- Davies, David James. The Economics of Welsh Self-Government. Swyddfa'r Blaid Genedlaethol: Caernarfon, 1931.
- Everyman's Library : 955 of the World's Great Books at 90¢ Each. s.l.: s.n., n.d. [Catalog of titles specifically marketed at the Princeton University Store].
- Herbert, Will; Wilber G. Katz; et al. Religious Perspectives in American Culture. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1961.
- Jones, J. Gwilyn; Plaid Cymru. The New Wales : Synopsis of the Policy of the Welsh Nationalist Party. Swyddf'r Blaid: Caernarfon, [19--].
- Lewis, Saunders. Local Authorities and Welsh Industry. Swyddfa'r Blaid Genedlaethol: Caernarfon, [1934].
- The Modern Library : 278 of the World's Greatest Books. s.l.: s.n., [1941]. [Catalog of titles specifically marketed at the Princeton University Store].
- Peers, Sir Charles. Caernarvon Castle Caernarvonshire. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1936.
- Peers, Sir Charles. Harlech Castle. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1937.
- Road Atlas and Route Guide of Northern Ireland and Eire. s.l: s.n., n.d. [Printed map and outer cover include illustrated advertisements for Joseph H. Gass, Belfast, a bicycle seller].
18 items
2 volumes
This copy of Daniel Fenning's A New System of Geography (2 volumes, London: 1771) contains tipped-in maps, as well as manuscript notes by Richard Washington, who owned the books in the late 18th century. Additional notes in the first volume indicate that the books were given to F. G. O'Reilly by T. B. Tucker in St. George's, Bermuda, on December 14, 1837. Most of the notes are written directly into the volume, with a few appearing on pages tipped into the volume; some are dated as late as the early 1790s. Washington's notes appear most frequently in sections related to North America, the Pacific Ocean, and Europe. Many provide statistics about geographical locations, including population (often divided by race), imports, and exports. His notes about North America mention Native American tribes and United States independence. Washington also provided additional information about Pacific islands, based on the voyages of James Cook.
approximately 22,890 photographs (including 18,500 stereographs), 1220 prints, 13 photograph albums, 11 books, 117 pieces of ephemera, 15 pieces of realia
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.
Robert M. Vogel Collection of Historic Images of Engineering & Industry, ca. 1850s-2004 (majority within ca. 1850s-1900)
approximately 22,890 photographs (including 18,500 stereographs), 1220 prints, 13 photograph albums, 11 books, 117 pieces of ephemera, 15 pieces of realia
12.5 linear feet
The Russell A. Alger papers contain personal and professional correspondence of Russell Alger, who served as governor of Michigan (1885-1887), United States secretary of war (1897-1899), and United States senator (1902-1907). The collection also includes military correspondence related to the Spanish-American War, materials from a distant branch of the Alger family, and letters related to United States Representative Bruce Alger's experiences in the Army Air Corps during the Second World War.
The Russell A. Alger materials series contains three subseries: Correspondence, Documents, and Scrapbooks. The Russell A. Alger Correspondence subseries is made up of 5 sub-subseries.
The Russell A. Alger incoming correspondence sub-subseries (1842-1919; bulk 1863-1865 and 1885-1907) contains 1.5 linear feet of letters, documents, and other items received by Russell Alger during his lifetime, with a particular focus on his military service in the Civil War, his political activities as a leading Republican Party member in Michigan, and his service and legacy as secretary of war under William McKinley during the Spanish-American War. The earliest letters in the collection are official correspondence from military leaders about the 5th Michigan Cavalry's service from 1862-1865. Several post-war letters concern Russell Alger's reputation, which opponents called into question during his rise to political prominence.
Items from the 1880s and early 1890s include many written by the era's leading Republicans, such as Mark Hanna, James G. Blaine, and Benjamin Harrison, who wrote a series of approximately 20 letters about Russell Alger's presidential campaigns in 1888 and 1892. Much of the later correspondence relates to Alger's service as secretary of war during the Spanish-American War, with letters from military personnel and political figures including J. Pierpont Morgan, Nelson A. Miles, William R. Shafter, Leonard Wood, Theodore Roosevelt, and William McKinley. Roosevelt wrote several letters to Alger during his own military service and during his presidency, regarding various political appointments. Two letters illustrate Roosevelt's hopes that Alger will support the reinstatement of the annual army-navy football match (August 17, 1897) and canal-building efforts in Panama (June 18, 1906). Much of William McKinley's correspondence (61 items) respects Alger's service as secretary of war, and includes the president's official acceptance of Alger's resignation from the cabinet (July 20, 1899). Much of Alger's incoming post-war correspondence pertains to efforts to secure his reputation following the Spanish-American War and to his published book on the conflict.
The Russell A. Alger outgoing correspondence sub-subseries contains items written by Russell A. Alger, including a small amount of Civil War-era correspondence and a larger number of letters written during his later political career. The bulk of the series, written from 1884-1907, represents Alger's tenure as governor of Michigan (1884-1887) and as secretary of war (1897-1899). Of interest is a letter of April 13, 1898, regarding the sinking of the Maine in Havana Harbor and the declaration of war against Spain. Other topics in Alger's letters include a shipment of reindeer from Norway (March 21, 1899), affairs in Alaska, the Panama Canal, and political endorsements for both local and national positions.
The items regarding the tour of officers & soldiers in the election of 1896, & the endorsement of Russell A. Alger as a member of President McKinley's Cabinet sub-subseries contains correspondence about Russell A. Alger and William McKinley's tour throughout Michigan during the presidential campaign of 1896, and about Alger's other efforts in the campaign. Of note is a letter from Senator Jacob H. Gallinger, who wrote to William McKinley, "I express the hope that you may invite General Alger into your official family. He will make a model Secretary of War, and will be a strong and reliable man in the Cabinet" (January 23, 1896).
The Letters and Telegrams from General Miles sub-subseries contains 564 once-bound pages of chronologically ordered copies of official military correspondence exchanged during the Spanish-American War. Army generals Nelson A. Miles and William R. Shafter are the most prominent correspondents in the subseries. They provided updates on the Cuban theater of the war. The series spans the entire calendar year of 1898.
The Russell A. Alger semi-official letters, semi-official orders, and telegrams sub-subseries contains 28 bound volumes of carbon copies dating from Alger's service as secretary of war. The series contains 20 volumes of semi-official letters (March 9, 1897-July 24, 1899), 2 volumes of semi-official orders (June 4, 1898-August 1, 1899), 5 volumes of telegrams (July 9, 1897-August 1, 1899), and one volume of letters relating to the GAR (October 1, 1889-November 28, 1894).
The collection also includes 9 volumes of typed transcripts, including incoming and outgoing correspondence as well as documents and materials related to Alger's military service.
The Russell A. Alger documents subseries contains four sub-subseries.
The Russell A. Alger Civil War service documents sub-subseries includes original and manuscript copies of documents related to Alger's Civil War service record and actions during the conflict. The subseries also contains two postwar documents. One of two postwar documents is a list of Civil War battles in which Alger participated.
The Testimony of General Alger Before the War Investigation Committee is a typed copy of Russell A. Alger's testimony regarding the hygiene of American soldiers and camps during the summer of 1898, given before the Dodge Commission later that year. The testimony includes manuscript annotations.
The Gervasio Unson proclamation and affidavits sub-subseries contains the original Spanish text and a translated English copy of Provisional Secretary Gervasio Unson's proclamation and accusations regarding the treatment of guerillas in the Philippines and the general conduct of American officials in the islands. Several documents appended to the proclamation lend factual support to the various allegations.
The Correspondence and documents regarding Florida, Puerto Rico, and Cuba sub-subseries is made up of the following items: correspondence describing rail systems in Florida in the early 20th century; a report on the island of Puerto Rico made on March 14, 1898; letters related to military supplies during the Spanish-American War; several letters regarding the publication of Washington the Soldier by General Henry B. Carrington, including a printed copy of the book's preface; the typescript of an interview given by Russell A. Alger to Henry Campbell of the Milwaukee Journal, March 24, 1900; a booklet on regulations for import/export officers; and a printed copy of the Cuban census of 1900.
- Alger's campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, April-June 1888
- Alger's campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, February-April 1892
- "Presented to General Russell A. Alger by the Citizens of Detroit upon his return to his home. August Second, 1899," July-August 1899
- "Politics: Detroit Newspapers," regarding Alger's campaign for Michigan's vacant Senate seat, August 1902-May 1903
- "Politics: State Papers," pertaining to Alger's campaign for Michigan's vacant Senate seat, August 1902-May 1903
- "In Memoriam Hon. Russell A. Alger," January 1907
The Alger family materials series contains eight subseries.
The Alger family correspondence subseries is divided into the seven sub-subseries: David Bruce Alger correspondence, Bruce Alger correspondence, Clare Fleeman Alger correspondence, Oberlin college correspondence and documents, Richard Edwin ("Eddy") Alger correspondence, Albert W. Alger correspondence, and Miscellaneous Alger family correspondence.
The David Bruce Alger correspondence contains numerous letters from Alger to his parents, Richard Edward Alger and Esther D. Reynolds, about David's time at Oberlin College in the early 20th century; the birth and early childhood of his son, Bruce Reynolds Alger; and about St. Louis, Missouri, in the 1920s, including descriptions of "plucky boy" and celebrated pilot Charles Lindbergh. Incoming correspondence consists of Civil War-era receipts; documents and letters of David Baker Alger; a letter from Russell A. Alger, Jr., to a sibling; a letter from an American soldier serving in France in 1917; several letters from David Bruce Alger's father written in 1943; and a 1975 letter regarding recent physical problems.
David Bruce Alger's Oberlin College correspondence and documents consist of items associated with Oberlin College in the 1910s, including ephemera. Of interest are a program from an Oberlin Glee Club concert (1912), three copies of a pamphlet for the "Eezy Cheezers," and an 1882 promotional thermometer.
The Bruce Alger correspondence consists primarily of Bruce Reynolds Alger's letters to his parents, written during his time in the Army Air Corps in the Second World War. Bruce wrote about his training at Kerry Field, Texas, and in California. In a number of letters from 1945, he described the end of the war as he experienced it in the Pacific theater. The sub-subseries also includes the annotated text of a 1937 chemistry examination from Princeton University, reports of Alger's academic progress at Princeton, and a newspaper article about his football career.
The Clare Fleeman Alger correspondence is made up of correspondence and documents related to David Bruce Alger's wife, Clare Fleeman Alger. In letters to her parents and to other friends and family, Clare described her life as a newlywed and, later, as a new mother. Miscellaneous items in this series include several religious tracts, drafts of poetry and essays, and documents regarding Bruce Reynolds Alger's academic progress at Princeton.
The Richard Edwin ("Eddy") Alger correspondence contains incoming letters, 1885-1921, written by family members to "Eddy" or "Cousin Ed." The group also includes a typed collection of several of his short poems.
In the Albert W. Alger correspondence are a number of letters written to various family members by Albert W. Alger.
The Additional Alger family correspondence, documents, and printed items consists of seven Civil War-era documents by various Alger family members, items related to the St. Louis Writers' Guild, invitations to various weddings and graduation ceremonies, a marriage certificate for Melvin C. Bowman and Mary H. Parcell, and a commemorative stamp from Lundy Island. Of note are two pages of a Civil War-era letter by John H. Houghes, who described a military engagement and the burial of a fallen soldier in the surrounding mountains. The group also contains books, pamphlets, and newspapers. Books include the Student's Reference Work Question Manual and Russell A. Alger's copy of Roswell Smith'sEnglish Grammar on the Productive System . The pamphlets are promotional material for a 1904 World's Fair exhibit, issues of various periodicals belonging to Clare Fleeman Alger (many of which contain her writing), and a copy ofAn Outline History of Richfield Township, 1809-1959 . Other items are newsletters from 1916 and 1921, with contributions by Clare Fleeman Alger; a printed map of the Alger Park neighborhood in Dallas, Texas; a newspaper clipping from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; a program from a piano recital; and scripts for two radio-based language-learning programs (French and German).
The collection includes 40 volumes of Alger family diaries. Six volumes include a book kept by David Bruce Alger and five volumes belonging to Esther Reynolds Alger, written between 1878 and 1881. Among other materials are an early item likely composed by Richard Edwin Alger (1891), a "Note Book for Sunday School Teachers and Workers" probably kept by Esther Reynolds Alger in the late 19th century, and an Esther Reynolds Alger diary from 1900.
The remainder of the series contains material, spanning 1905-1973, that belonged to David Bruce Alger. His early diaries include a "Foxy Grandpa" notebook (1905) and a series of annual daily journals written from 1910 to 1919. Two five-year diaries chronicle 1920-1924 and 1926-1930, followed by single and two-year volumes kept between 1931 and 1937. An uninterrupted series of five-year volumes covers 1938-1975, although his entries taper off around 1973. David Bruce Alger kept his diaries regularly, composing a few lines about the weather and his activities on a near-daily basis.
The Clare Fleeman Alger manuscript submission records are a series of index cards. They are filed alphabetically by poem or essay title. Each record contains the name of a work, the publication to which the manuscript was submitted, and the date. The records pertain to works written in 1917 and from 1931 to 1943. Occasional rejection letters and drafts are interfiled within the subseries.
The Receipts subseries consists of 9 items dating to the 19th century.
In the Documents subseries are manuscript copies of correspondence regarding Alger's Civil War service, made and authorized by the War Department at a later date. The subseries also includes two typed copies of Lieutenant Philip H. Sheridan's "Account of the Battle of Booneville," and two copies of a "Statement of the Military History of Russell A. Alger."
The Photographs subseries contains four photographs. One is a portrait of Russell A. Alger's wife, Annette Henry Alger, labeled "Aunt Nettie."
The Newspapers and clippings subseries contains a small number of short articles, dating primarily in the 1930s. The clippings relate to various members of the Alger family; for example, one item pertains to the death of Russell A. Alger's son, Frederick Moulton Alger, in 1934. The subseries also includes three full size Kansas City, Missouri, newspapers from 1883, 1897, and [1898].
33 items
The Samuel Breck papers contain a manuscript account book, bank checks, and a published book related to the firm Swift & Breck. The Cashbook pertains to the finances of the Swift, Breck & Swift Co. and the Swift & Breck Company in 1833 and from 1837-1839. Some of the records pertain to the Farmer's Bank in Wilmington, Delaware. The collection also contains 32 Bank of Delaware Checks (June 3, 1833-August 5, 1835), signed by Swift & Breck. The Book is a copy of Recollections of Samuel Breck, edited by H. E. Scudder and published in 1877.