Collections : [University of Michigan Special Collections Research Center]

Documents and correspondence detailing Martha Vicinus' involvement in the New University Conference (NUC).

The Martha J. Vicinus papers date from 1968 to 1976 (primarily 1969 to 1972) and measure 1.25 linear feet (4 Hollinger boxes). The papers detail only Vicinus' involvement in the New University Conference, its programs, publications and meetings. Arranged alphabetically into one series, the collection includes incoming and outgoing correspondence, position papers, reports, minutes of the organization, pamphlets and related newspaper clippings.

Some of the file folders concern the organizational workings of NUC. These include National Office, National Committee, and Executive Committee. Others consist of reports and papers on subjects of interest to NUC, notably Child Care, the Peoples' Peace Treaty (Vietnam), and the reform of course grading. Of note are the folders for the Modern Language Association relating to the efforts of Vicinus and other NUC members to organize radical caucuses and thereby affect the decision-making process in this and other professional organizations.

In the late 1950s, as a reaction to Cold War era politics, the University of Michigan Press embarked on a program to publish Russian language materials. Their first undertaking was Boris Pasternak's Dr. Zhivago.The material retained by the Press, related to the publication of Dr. Zhivago, as well as Pasternak's Poems, and Collected Works, comprises correspondence between the books’ editors and the directors of the Press. Other items, such as a first edition with marginalia, photographs of letters from Pasternak to Eugene Kayden, and assorted newspaper clippings, help document the history of this unusual endeavor. The 1.5 linear feet of material span the years 1958 to 1988, with the bulk of the papers dating between 1959 and 1962.

The material retained by the University of Michigan Press, related to the publication of Dr. Zhivago , Poems, and Collected Works , comprises correspondence between the books’ editors and the directors of the Press. Other items, such as a first edition with marginalia, photographs of letters from Pasternak to Eugene Kayden, and assorted newspaper clippings, help document the history of this unusual endeavor. The 1.5 linear feet of material span the years 1958 to 1988, with the bulk of the papers dating between 1959 and 1962. The Pasternak records of the University of Michigan Press have been divided into three series: Dr. Zhivago (0.5 linear feet), Eugene Kayden Translation -- Poems (1959) (0.5 linear feet), Sochineniia [Collected Works] (1961) (0.5 linear feet), and Media (3 items).

The Dr. Zhivago series consists of two subseries: Pre-publication and Publication. Pre-publication includes newspaper clippings related to the Nobel Prize awarded to Pasternak in 1958, correspondence pertaining to the copyright negotiations with Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore, and promotional materials for the book's release. Most of the correspondence to Feltrinelli is carbon copies. Permissions Granted is correspondence between the Press and other authors regarding use of the novel in other publications. These letters date between 1960 and 1988. Additional material includes a limited amount of University of Michigan Press business records, galleys of the text, and other miscellaneous documents.

In the Eugene Kayden Translation -- Poems (1959) series much of the material is correspondence from Press directors Glenn Gosling, Ed Watkins, and Robert Erwin. Photographs of letters written to Eugene Kayden from Pasternak are included as well. The photographs are quite legible, and the text is in Russian. Related material, particularly the agreement signed between the Press and Eugene Kayden, is also in this series. Some of the folder dates will overlap in an attempt to maintain the original order of the materials.

Sochineniia [Collected Works] (1961), the Russian publication of Pasternak's poetry by scholars Gleb Struve and Boris Filippov, is the final series in the collection. Correspondence in this series, dated between 1959 and 1984, is arranged chronologically. A smaller amount of topical correspondence is arranged alphabetically by topic. As is the case with the previous series, some of the folder dates will overlap in an attempt to maintain the collections' original order.

The Media series contains two microfilms of the Collected Works , and an audiotape copy of the 45rpm vinyl recording of Pasternak Speaks . The tape documents a reading at Pasternak's home in 1958. Included are the poems "Night," "At the Hospital," "Literature Today," "To a French Musician," and an excerpt from "An Essay in Autobiography."

Algernon Charles Swinburne was an important Victorian poet and critic. The collection documents Swinburne's literary affairs and friendships, plus critical reactions to the poet. It consists of correspondence, writings, photographs, artworks, and printed material produced by Swinburne, his friends and associates, and present-day scholars. Over 200 pieces of holograph correspondence and manuscript material, over half of which is by Swinburne, are included. Also prominent is material by Theodore Watts-Dunton, Swinburne's friend and legal advisor.

This finding aid encompasses accessions of single manuscripts and small groups of manuscripts and other papers by or pertaining to Algernon Charles Swinburne, which the library has chosen to gather into one collection.

Much of the material in this collection forms part of the Kerr collection, formally titled the "Evelyn and Lowell Kerr Collection of Swinburne Books and Manuscripts in the Library of the University of Michigan." The Kerr collection was assembled by Lowell Kerr, a dedicated Swinburne collector. (See biographical entry.) In addition, Kerr worked for many years on the compilation of a descriptive catalog to the collection, which was, unfortunately, never completed. More information on arrangement of the Kerr collection can be found at the end of this section. All of the books from the Kerr collection, and many of the pamphlets, have been removed and cataloged separately.

The works and correspondence of Swinburne are well-represented here. Much of the selection of verse is fragmentary in nature--in some cases, leaves of a single work are spread across repositories; but Swinburne's prose pieces are notable in their completeness and number. Also showcased are the letters and works of important figures in the Pre-Raphaelite movement, as well as other literary luminaries of the day. The publishing interests of Swinburne and his circle are also detailed.

The collection is made up of six series: Works, Correspondence, The Swinburne Circle, Photographs and Art Images, Printed Material, and Swinburne Research and Collecting. Unless indicated otherwise in the contents list, items in the Works and Correspondence series are holograph works by Swinburne (or, rarely, in the hand of an amanuensis). Items in the Swinburne Circle series are letters or manuscripts in the hand of their respective authors, or their secretaries. In some cases, autograph material originally laid into books has been removed and added to the collection; in other cases, such items have been left in the books. Either way, a note to such effect has nearly always been made in the book's catalog record or in the contents list below. Moreover, for purchased material, copies of dealer descriptions often have been retained and may offer further details not included here.

A Note on the Kerr and Lang Numbers:

Since many of the pieces in this collection have already been cataloged individually, further details can often be found in the catalog records for those items. Furthermore, "Kerr numbers" have been assigned to many items. These numbers refer to entries in Lowell Kerr's catalog, in which he described the items that were originally from his collection. Along with library staff members, he continually updated and reworked the catalog up until his death. Library staff continued to revise the work through the 1980s, but it was never completed.

Although every effort has been made to respect the provenance of items from the Kerr collection, in some cases a Kerr number may have been assigned but is not noted in the finding aid. Researchers wishing for more information on items originally from the Kerr collection should consult the various drafts of the Kerr catalog, which are available in the Swinburne Research and Collecting series. The Kerr numbers in this finding aid refer to the most recent available draft of the Kerr catalog. The researcher should note that the Kerr catalog, while containing a wealth of information, is heavily anecdotal in nature, with a number of guessed-at facts and dates still in need of verification.

Cecil Lang, professor emeritus at the University of Virginia, is an eminent Swinburne scholar. Professor Lang is the author of the six-volume The Swinburne Letters (New Haven: Yale Univ. Press, 1959-1962). In this work, he assigns numbers to every item of Swinburne correspondence which he was able to locate, across repositories; thus, many items have both Kerr numbers and Lang numbers. Both numbers, where extant, are generally noted in the contents lists below.

Private Steiner, a communist and conscientious objector, was sentenced to death for refusing military orders in WWI. Sentence was commuted to 15 years hard-labor by President Harding. Consists of 66 Steiner letters written from prison to his sisters and mother.

The collection consists of 66 letters from Private Francis Steiner, a German-American, mainly to his two sisters, Anna and Aloisia. The letters were written between May 1918 and November 1920, from various prisons (Camp Funston, Fort Dix, Fort Riley, Fort Leavenworth, Fort Douglas). Although his scheduled date of release was February, 1923, the last letter, dated November 7, 1920, makes no mention of an impending release. There are two letters written to his mother. Letters from prison during that time were required to be in English. His parents apparently did not read or write in English, so his letters home were no doubt translated for them.

Much of the subject matter in the letters describes prison life, the political views of Private Steiner (he was a communist and also a strong supporter of the IWW), the treatment he and his fellow C.O.s (Conscientious Objectors) received at the command of various officers in charge, the food they were served, etc. One amusing letter (January 30, 1920) described the visit to Fort Douglas from General Pershing. The letters also contain "brotherly advice," such as how to shoot a good photograph, (Steiner was the "house" photographer in prison and was apparently given access to dark room facilities as well) and words of encouragement regarding their jobs and social activities.

There is one letter, dated February 21, 1919, written to "Miss A. Steiner" from F.P. Keppel, Third Assistant Secretary, War Department, Washington. This letter was in response to an inquiry from either Anna or Aloisia about her brother's status in prison. Also included is a photocopy of a newspaper clipping which tells that Steiner's death sentence was commuted to 15 years by President Harding.

Steiner made several references in his letters to enclosed photographs, which were not included with the collection. No information is available about these photos.

Margaret LaFoy Rossiter (1914-1991) was an internationally recognized author. A founder of the Women's Studies Program and a professor of Modern European History at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan, she was an alumna of Bryn Mawr College and Douglass College of Rutgers University. She was the author of several articles and the book, Women in the Resistance. The bulk of the collection documents the research that went into writing Women in the Resistance. It contains approximately seven linear feet of interview transcripts and audio recordings, government documents, correspondence, articles, excerpts, photographs, ephemera, questionnaires, personal accounts and drafts of chapters as well as some research for, and reprints and drafts of, other works.

The Margaret L. Rossiter Women in the Resistance Papers were deposited with the Special Collections by her estate in 1998. The collection primarily offers insight into the strategies, challenges and day to day workings of French resistance groups, also referred to as the maquis, who were engaged in underground efforts to liberate France from German occupation during World War II and the personal experiences of the people involved. Artifacts document the lives of pilots and resisters (many of whom were women and sometimes referred to as helpers), military plans and the international world of politics during this time, particularly in France. The collection contains the research that was the basis of Rossiter's book and also offers a look at the resistance research she did not include because it may have been beyond the book's scope. The collection also offers a look into Rossiter's research and political interests outside the French resistance.

Consisting of seven linear feet of material, the Margaret L. Rossiter Women in the Resistance Papers are divided into ten series: Escape and Evasion; Name Files; Military Action and Intelligence; The Resistance; General History (France- World War II); Ephemera; Drafts; Publication and Distribution; Other Research; and Audiovisual Materials . Researchers should note that most series relate to the subject matter and research involved in Women in the Resistance , whereas the series "Other Research" pertains to research and subject matter Rossiter pursued in addition to work towards the book.

The Escape and Evasion series consists of one and a half linear feet. It contains materials pertaining to the experience of American and British Air Force pilots who became evaders and escapers (those who managed to get out of German-occupied territory or were captured and managed to get out of concentration camps) during World War II. The terms escaper and evader often seem to be used interchangeably throughout the book and collection to refer to the soldiers the resisters aided via escape lines. Escape lines, also known as escape organizations or escape networks, were manned land-routes out of German-occupied territory. The escape lines were organized by resistance groups to aid Allied soldiers. This series primarily contains information about experiences of members of the American Air Force Escape and Evasion Society (AFEES) and information on the workings of specific escape lines. Included are the research questionnaires Rossiter distributed to many AFEES members who served in World War II, and the many detailed, personal accounts she received back from them. Rossiter had substantial correspondence over the years with many of these men. The series also contains National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) documents and other materials pertaining to AFEES members and their experiences. The Escape Lines subseries contains primarily government documents along with some of Rossiter's notes, articles, excerpts and correspondence which provide general information about escape lines as well as information about specific lines. The list of specifically-named lines is not exhaustive. Information on escape by sea and pertaining particularly to members of the British Royal Air Force is also included.

The Name Files series consists of two linear feet of material organized by name. If listed in the index of Women in the Resistance, which usually employs the name a person used at the time of the French resistance, that name was used here. If the person has since changed his or her name, either first or last, that name is indicated in parentheses. This series contains information mostly about the women resisters on whom the book focuses as well as some materials about other individuals who were involved in, or particularly knowledgeable about, the resistance. It contains a collection of interview transcripts, for some of which the audio recordings can be found in the Audiovisual Materials and Descriptive Information series (Box 7). It also contains government documents, newspaper and magazine articles, excerpts of books and photographs as well as correspondence with and about the subject of the file.

The Military Action and Intelligence series consists of approximately one linear foot. It contains information on American, British and Free French government-proscribed military plans, action and information-seeking during World War II. The Bombings, Planes and Losses subseries consists of government documents, pamphlets, Rossiter's calculations, book excerpts and correspondence pertaining to the number of Allied planes dispatched and lost as well as military personnel casualties. The Sabotage subseries consists primarily of book excerpts and some articles and official documents describing activities of "irregular" military organizations, such as the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Bureau Central de Renseignements et d'Action (BCRA). These organizations were formed in order to prepare secret armies, instigate revolt, gather intelligence and disrupt and destroy Nazi initiatives and equipment via less traditionally employed military means. The SOE was a British organization that was separate from intelligence organizations MI 6 and MI 9 and worked specifically with the resistance in France. The BCRA was a Free French intelligence agency based out of London. The Military Intelligence Service (MIS-X) was a United States Intelligence organization formed to assist evaders and prisoners of war. The MIS-X subseries primarily contains government documents pertaining to strategies and actions of the organization during World War II. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) subseries trace the history of those organizations and their functioning during World War II. The OSS was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. Over half of the OSS subseries consists of National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) documents, and the other half consists of articles, book excerpts, pamphlets, government documents and other research material, all pertaining to OSS actions during World War II and the transition of the OSS into the CIA. The CIA being the current manifestation of the OSS, the CIA subseries is divided between government documents provided by the CIA pertaining to OSS actions during World War II, articles about the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Rossiter's FOIA requests for information from the CIA. The Military Archives Division is part of NARA and this subseries documents Rossiter's correspondence and phone conversations with John Taylor, an archivist there. Taylor assisted Rossiter with locating documents for Women in the Resistance and also put her in contact with government people who were involved in the French resistance. The Women in the Military subseries provides readings, pamphlets and government documents relating to the roles of women in the British and United States military during World War II.

The Resistance series consists of about half a linear foot. It contains NARA documents, articles, maps, book excerpts and information about books related to the contribution of resistance groups to Allied Forces military initiatives and the women involved. It also contains specific information on the Comité d'Oeuvres Sociales de la Résistance (COSOR) which was created by the Algiers government to provide social services to resistance groups, as well as information on military decorations awarded to members of the resistance and timelines of events.

The General History (France- World War II) series consists of three folders containing government documents, Rossiter's notes, ephemera and book excerpts relating to the religious and governmental environment in France during World War II. The materials relate particularly to Protestantism, Catholicism and deportation and internment.

The Ephemera series consists of twelve folders. It contains artifacts such as brochures, newsletters and articles that pertain to organizations, events and memorials commemorating the French resistance.

The Drafts series is a little over half a linear foot and is made up of drafts of sections of Women in the Resistance and research materials, including articles and book excerpts, related to those sections. The chapter order and contents do not necessarily reflect those of the final version of the book. Because the majority of the collection consists of research materials Rossiter used in writing the book, the research materials in this series do not appear to be the only sources Rossiter used for the drafts with which they are included, but reflect the original order of the materials as they were donated.

The Publication and Distribution series consists of fifteen folders containing writing guidelines, correspondence and articles and excerpts about how to get published as well as correspondence with editors and potential publishers. The materials include some photographs, and related permissions, that were included in the book, reviews of Women in the Resistance and correspondence and documents relating specifically to Rossiter's relationship and negotiations with University of Michigan Press, Yale University Press and finally Praeger Publishers.

The Other Research series consists of roughly half a linear foot. It contains reprints and drafts of Rossiter's works other than Women in the Resistance and research materials on what appear to be additional academic, political and personal topics. Rossiter researched the history of women in Europe and the United States and the History of Women subseries contains related pamphlets, articles, book excerpts and essays as well as a selected bibliography, Rossiter's notes and newsletters from feminist organizations. She also followed the Klaus Barbie trial and the Klaus Barbie subseries contains relevant articles. Her political interests appear to have included U.S. government involvement in Iran, Libya and Nicaragua in the 1980s. The Political subseries contains articles about the government's involvement as well as Rossiter's letters protesting the government's actions in these regions to government officials and members of the media. Rossiter may have done some research towards her personal travel as this series also contains a few articles and pamphlets on travel in France, Michigan, New Zealand and Tahiti contained in the Travel subseries.

The Audiovisual Materials series consists of one linear foot of audio tapes and a folder of note cards. Some tapes are not labeled or are only partially labeled and the contents are yet to be determined. The labeled tapes contain interviews, lectures, conferences and talks primarily about the French resistance but contain some information relevant to Rossiter's other research on women's studies and Libya as described above. The interviews are with evaders, resistance members, professors and other people particularly knowledgeable about the French resistance. These interviews were performed by Rossiter or her assistants or recorded from television. The note cards give descriptions of the audio cassettes' contents but the numbering on the cards does not match the numbering on the cassette labels. The content of the cassettes as indicated on the cards does reflect the content as indicated on the cassette labels but in a different order.

Political group formed in Wayne, Michigan in 1920, with roots in the old Socialist Party of America. This "Michigan faction" was expelled from Communist Party shortly after its founding in 1919, in part for its "consistent adherence to majority action and repudiation of the Communist Party's minority action concept." The party moved its headquarters to Chicago in 1925 where it maintained an office until disbanding in 1968. Consists mainly of correspondence of National Secretary Al Wysocki.

The records of the Proletarian Party survive in an unusual condition, requiring an organizational scheme with some unusual features to accommodate them. Most of the records were torn up by hand when the party disbanded in 1968, usually into quarters or halves. Perhaps 75% of the records have since then been largely or wholly reconstituted by being pasted onto sheets or strips of paper or occasionally clipped or stapled together; the remainder exist only as fragments. These fragments have been variously treated depending on the series to which, if whole, they would belong. Fragments of general correspondence, if dated, are placed in separate folders of fragmentary correspondence at the end of each year's correspondence files; undated fragments are divided by medium and shape, handwritten fragments in one folder, typescript (mostly carbon copy) fragments into several, depending on whether they represent the top left, bottom left, or bottom right corners, the entire left side, or some miscellaneous portion of the original page. This should make it possible to reassemble individual letters when necessary, assuming that all the component parts still exist. Fragments of mundane official correspondence and other material is not distinguished from non-fragmentary examples of the same, fragments that have lost their date being treated as undated.

Note also that many of the records consist of carbon copies, often made on the verso of other documents of interest (flyers, bulletins, the Constitution of the Proletarian Party, etc.). With one or two exceptions, it is the later use as a carbon that is reflected in the item's organizational placement. Researchers seeking the documents accidentally preserved in this way may need to examine the whole collection personally.

The value of the collection resides chiefly in the correspondence. Taken in bulk, it provides an almost intimate acquaintance with the people and ideas that animated the Proletarian Party during its last ten to fifteen years of existence, as well as recollections of its past. The jargon and mechanisms of the party are well illustrated, as is, poignantly, the inability of either to cope with the refusal of history to cooperate with the party's program, or to accept the weariness its members. The decline of the party is well captured in passages like this (John Davis to Al Wysocki, May Day, 1963): "We are dying on the vine as it were, there isn't many more than a dozen of us left. You can't call this a political party. The bulk of our funds go to the paying of rent for the Headquarters and the Kerr store room. I ma not at all clear about what can be done." Or this, from one of the last two members of the Detroit Local (Phil Drouin to Al Wysoki, 6 May 1964): "I have been trying to get a meeting of the remaining members in local Detroit and the only one that shows up is myself and Bennie so we keep postponing it and contact the other members and they always have excuses so...it looks like local Detroit is finish." To which Wysoki can only reply vainly (9 May 1964): "The local Detroit members are asleep on their revolutionary duties."

For comments on the Sarah Lovell for Mayor (of Detroit) campaign, see general correspondence, April 1957. For Wysocki's exchanges with curious student Arthur Maglin, see general correspondence, May, 1960; with student Douglas Hainline, see May and July 1962. For comments on the correct interpretation of the assassination of J.F.Kennedy, see general correspondence of 29 November and 9 December 1963.

Tom Pohrt is a self-taught artist who works out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is best known as a children’s book illustrator and author. The collection documents Pohrt’s work as a children’s book illustrator and author through published works, correspondence with authors and publishers, manuscripts, and artwork.

This collection spans the years 1980-2004, and is comprised of published books, correspondence between Pohrt and authors and publishers, manuscripts, and artwork. The published books have been removed from the collection and catalogued separately. It is divided into 4 main series; Correspondence, Manuscripts, Ephemera and Artwork. The collection was divided into these four series to facilitate the addition of materials to the collection. The repository also holds a box of facsimiles of items in the collection used in an exhibit at the Ann Arbor District Library Exhibit in Fall, 2003.

The Correspondence series is arranged into subseries according to the correspondent or organization (usually publishing houses) in alphabetical order. Under each correspondent the materials are further divided into folders by date span and arranged chronologically. Under the publishing houses, materials are divided under subheadings according to project (book title) and arranged chronologically.

The Manuscript series contains manuscript material by Jim Harrison, Barry Lopez, and Tom Pohrt, and is arranged alphabetically by creator and book title.

The Ephemera series consists of calendars with illustrations by Pohrt, exhibit catalogs, flyers and brochures announcing events and public appearances, and other printed ephemera.

The Artwork series contains unbound preliminary drawings, paintings and sketches created by Pohrt to illustrate some of his most well-known books. The pieces of art are of various sizes and in a variety of media (e.g., pencil, watercolor, pen and ink). Many are stored in linen-covered cardboard portfolios, while others are tipped into handmade booklets and scrapbooks.

J. Herbert Newport was a designer of automobile bodies from the 1930s through the 1970s, employed designing custom bodies for Duesenberg automobiles as well as bodies and parts for companies such as DuPont, General Motors, Studebaker, and Nash. The collection documents his design work through drawings and photographs and the Duesenberg phenomenon, which continues to the present day with car collecting and restoration, through correspondence, photographs, advertisements, and ephemera, drawings, and various research materials.

The Newport collection has been divided into eleven series: J. Herbert Newport, Correspondence, The Duesenberg, Duesenberg Models, Ephemera and Print, Photographs, Albums, Drawings, Painting, Audio Materials and Realia.

Mrachnyi, a Russian immigrant anarchist, who at various times went by the surnames Clevans, Klavansky, and Mratchny, was editor of Freie Arbeiter Stimme in the 1930s. The papers consist of correspondence relating to personal matters and editorial work, three radiograms reporting on the Spanish Civil War, some miscellaneous documents, and six circulars and one manifesto of the Association Internationale des Travailleurs. Contains letters from many leading anarchists including Emma Goldman. The papers are in English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, and Yiddish, with the Russian and Yiddish items accompanied by translations.

The collection consists primarily of personal and editorial correspondence, and also includes documents and circulars from the Association Internationale de Travailleurs (International Workingmen's Association). The correspondence mainly concerns the international anarchist movement and the anarchist, anti-Fascist role in the Spanish Civil War. Mrachnyi was known to most of the correspondents under the pseudonyms Mraschnyi or Mratchny, but he also used his original name, Klavansky, in Europe and Clevens in the United States. His wife used the name Johanna Clevens, reverting to her maiden name, Boetz, after their divorce.

The papers are in English, French, German, Russian,Spanish, and Yiddish. Translations of most of the Russian items were provided by Charles Gilbert. Articles received for publication in Fraye Arbeter Shtime (Freie Arbeiter Stimme) have been removed to the FAS collection.

Poet identified with progressive New York City literary circles of the 1930s and 1940s, teacher and translator of Yiddish poems and songs; lived most of life in New York City and Long Island. Includes correspondence files, manuscripts and notes, audio and video recordings of lectures and readings.

Aaron Kramer Papers includes biographical materials, correspondence, publications and translations, drafts, and audiovisual recordings of Kramer's works, ranging from 1930 to 1997. The papers are divided into six series: Biographical File, Correspondence, Collaborations, Works of Aaron Kramer, Works of Other Artists, and a 2017 Accretion.