Adelle Webber Gray Photograph Album, ca. 1885-1906
75 photographs, 14 photomechanical prints, 13 clippings, and 2 advertisements in 1 album
75 photographs, 14 photomechanical prints, 13 clippings, and 2 advertisements in 1 album
The album (21.5 x 26.5 cm) has read leather covers. Inside of the front cover are two of Gray's bookplates and a loose clipping from 1906 regarding the purchase of Watkins Glen. The album begins with a series of views of Watkins Glen (including some showing the stairs built around the waterfalls). Pages are mostly blank from pgs. 17 to 113 except for pg. 107 which includes 10 loose clippings about camping and traveling in the western United States mostly from Christian Life magazine. Other images of interest after pg. 113 include views of a man standing inside a tree in California's Redwood Forest; waterfalls at Yosemite; Denver, Colorado, scenes such as the train depot and Stout Street; Silver Plume, Colorado; the Loop between Manitou Springs and Georgetown; an 1884 photographic reproduction print by W. H. Bagley; a railroad going through Clear Creek canyon; Pikes Peak; Helen Hunt Jackson's grave in Colorado Springs; the Garden of the Gods; Manitou Springs; Williams Canyon; Ute Pass; and pictures of men and cows taken by W. H. Allen and William Henry Jackson. Also of note are advertisements for a print of Mount Holy Cross by Thomas Moran and for the caves at Manitou Springs, two photographic reproductions of views of Marshall Pass, and photographs of the peak of Sierra Blanca, taxidermy coyotes and a mountain lion, and a train snowplow in Ivanhoe, Colorado.
75 photographs, 14 photomechanical prints, 13 clippings, and 2 advertisements in 1 album
approximately 250 photographs in 1 album
The Admiral William Mead photograph album contains approximately 250 photographs related to the family and career of U.S. Navy Rear Admiral William Whitman Mead.
The album (35.5 x 29 cm) has pebbled covers with partial leather bindings and "Photographs" stamped on the front cover and contains around 250 photographs of various sizes and formats, including collodion, gelatin silver, platinum, silver platinum and albumen prints, cyanotypes, and snapshots. The spine and edges show considerable wear. The photographs chronicle three periods in Admiral Mead's naval career: his time as lighthouse inspector in the Great Lakes, and his assignments as commandant of the Newport, Rhode Island naval base and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. Additionally, there is at least one photograph towards the front of the album from the Lomaland School in San Diego as well as a series of others mostly located towards the back of the album that were taken in an unidentified tropical location (possibly Florida).
Some of the album’s captions, primarily in beginning and the lighthouse section, appear to have been first added when it was originally assembled and many are partially erased. The majority of captions, however, were contributed at a later date by Admiral Mead’s niece, Annie Adelia Mead Ferguson. Annie appears to have come into possession of the album at some point and added her own annotations identifying people and places she recognized in the photographs. She also added a handwritten note to the inside of the album’s front cover in 1970 indicating that the album had once “belonged to William Whitman Mead” before explaining that she captioned certain images herself and speculating on which of her children might want to inherit the album. It is unclear who originally took many of the photographs, though there are indications that Annie's mother Unadilla Gazlay Mead may have contributed some material. One photograph on pg. 32 shows Unadilla and her husband Omar C. Mead, Admiral Mead’s brother, posing together on a dock in either Portsmouth or Newport while the former can be seen holding a camera in her hands, while on pg. 44 there is a self-portrait taken in a mirror of a woman with a camera that appears to be Unadilla.
The album provides extensive documentation of lighthouses along the shores of Lakes Superior and Huron in the mid-1890s, as well as views from Great Lakes locations such as Duluth, Copper Harbor, and the locks at Sault Ste. Marie. Specific lighthouses represented include Seul Choix Light, Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, Sand Island Lighthouse, Huron Island Lighthouse, Isle Royale Light, an abandoned lighthouse on Isle Royale, a pair of unidentified lighthouses possibly located in the Keweenaw Peninsula, Windmill Point, a lighthouse in St. Clair Flats, Gull Rock, Stannard’s Rock, Rock Harbor Light, and other unidentified structures. Images related to Admiral Mead’s time at the Newport naval base include portraits of Mead both in and out of uniform, portraits of family members such as Julia Mead, a collotype postcard of Trinity Church, and various buildings and street scenes. Images related to Admiral Mead’s time at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard include views of the Commandant’s house, “The Admiral’s Yacht,” and portraits of various individuals including John W. Yerkes, Elizabeth O. Yerkes, Amelia R. Yerkes, Annie Meade Matthews, Omar C. Mead, and Annie Adelia Meade as a young child. Of particular interest are a number of candid shots of locations and participants in the Portsmouth peace talks that ended the Russo-Japanese War in 1905 (including several photographs of three unidentified Japanese men described as “servants” in one caption) that are present on pgs. 30, 36, 37, and 39. While most of the ships that appear in the album are unidentified, identified vessels include the passenger steamer North Land on pg. 16 and the lighthouse tender Marigold on pg. 23. Other individuals identified by caption include Robert A. Watts (Admiral Mead’s brother-in-law) and Margaret A. Watts (Admiral Mead’s mother-in-law). Also present are three outdoor portraits of unidentified African American men and women on pg. 21 captioned “Those good ole’ days!!” and “Same good ole days!” as well as a cyanotype of an unidentified African American girl on pg. 48.
1.7 linear feet — 1 oversize folder — 2 oversize boxes — 3 digital audio files
The records of the Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha include correspondence, minutes, photographic material, publications, reports, and topical files.
The records—which document the activities and experiences of African Americans at the University of Michigan— provide a rich source of information about the history, activities, and administration of the Epsilon Chapter, particularly during the 1920's, 1980's, and 1990's. Specifically, the collection includes rich information from the chapter's founding in 1909 through the 1920s. The collection also contains the materials of several presidents, including Ronald Jackson (1994-1995) and Sean Franklin (1995-1996). In addition, researchers will find materials related to the chapter's centennial celebration in 2009.
1.7 linear feet — 1 oversize folder — 2 oversize boxes — 3 digital audio files
1 volume
This photograph album 57 photographs of the Jinan Station of the American Presbyterian Shantung Mission from ca. 1923 to 1928. Many of the images show the Murray High School for Girls and its students. Young girls are shown in the school yard being led through routines and stretches, in class portraits, on a riverboat, and likely participating in May Day celebrations dancing around a maypole. The girls are shown wearing two-piece qipao uniforms with a white blouse and black skirts or trousers. In several photographs students can be seen waving the first national flag of the Republic of China. Two images include a stamp on the back that reads, "Dr. Evalena S. C. Fleming, American Presbyterian Mission, Tsinanfu North China." Dr. Fleming was an amateur photographer and likely the owner of the album. The accordion style album also contains five loose photographs in a mylar sleeve.
The album is 18.25 x 12 cm with decorative cloth covers.
approximately 333 photographs in 1 album
The Amy Kelty photograph album contains approximately 333 photographs documenting the professional and personal life of Michigan woman Amy G. Kelty, including from her time spent as an instructor at the Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial School.
The album (28 x 36 cm) has black covers and is itself in poor condition while the photographs are largely undamaged. Images of interest include pictures of Kelty's children Genevieve (1888-1953), Mary (1890-1964), and John Neil (1898-1980) engaged in various activities shown mostly from teenage to adult years; views of Mount Pleasant Industrial School buildings as well as school events with pupils and staff; views of buildings at Central State Normal School, the teaching college attended by Kelty and her daughters; views of Michigan Mining College which her son attended; and scenes from Kelty's later life including trips to the Grand Canyon, Black Hills, Alaska, Colorado, and Washington State as well as her graduation from the University of California at Berkley in 1925. Also present are earlier studio portrait photographs of various relatives from the 1880s and 1890s.
approximately 446 photographs and several clippings in 3 albums
The Anglo-Mexican mining photograph albums are a three-volume set containing approximately 446 images of southern English beaches, architecture of Mexico City, mining operations in Zacatecas, Mexico, and portraits of the Pott family of England.
Volume one (24 x 16 cm) contains approximately 223 photographs replete with detailed inscriptions as well as two clippings. On the inside front cover are portraits of Cyrus Pott taken in 1906 and 1908 while an image of his son Dennis, who frequently appears throughout all three volumes, can be seen on the first page. Subsequent images of interest include pictures of a 1915 trip to Bournemouth, England; an Easter Monday picnic near Mexico City in 1912; Pott family friends Marquarita and Gorden McCloskey; an interior photograph of the Pott residence at 165 Calle de Londres in Mexico City; and a British Boating Club regatta. Also of note are photographs of the steamer Furst Bismarck; a trip to Bognor Regis, England; a couple on their honeymoon in Bournemouth, English; beachgoers; the Firth of Forth in Scotland; and pictures and clippings related to Cyrus Pott’s service in the National Motor Volunteer Corps.
Volume two (18 x 24 cm) contains approximately 103 photographs and has fewer inscriptions than volume one. Images of interest include views of a trip to Brighton, England, in the fall of 1913; a group of people standing behind a wall captioned “Fleeing from Mexican shells, Feb. 1912”; a group of cooks captioned “Chinese and Mexican cousins. / Louis-Maria-Angela”; a trip on the Furst Bismarck on April 16, 1913; a 1913 trip to Havana, Cuba; a trip aboard the Corcovado on the Viga Canal; Mrs. Pott and friends at La Fe Mine in Guadalupe, Zacatecas; the vantage point from Adolf Goerz’s Mexico City office; and various sites in A Coruña, Spain.
Volume three (18 x 24 cm) contains approximately 120 photographs and has the fewest amount of inscriptions of all three albums. Images of interest include pictures of a bull fighting ring; Villistas at La Fe Mine; more views of the house at 165 Calle de Londres; Christmas at the University Club in Mexico City; Alfred Pott in a cradle on his christening day in 1913 in Stow, England; and Cyrus Pott at La Fe Mine. On the inside back cover there are two photographs of outdoor activities.
approximately 446 photographs and several clippings in 3 albums
approximately 270 photographs in 1 album.
The Appalachian Mountain Club photograph album contains approximately 270 photographs showing members of the Appalachian Mountain Club, including men, women, and occasionally children, in a variety of outdoor settings and activities. The album (26 x 31 cm) has black cloth covers. Activities depicted include boating, fishing, ice skating, hiking, golfing, and swimming. One series of photographs show a large group of men snowshoeing in the mountains and eating around a large table in a log building. Also included are views of loggers with peavey hooks, horse-drawn sledges, several lodge interiors, and scenic mountain views. Five additional photographs show a wedding party, possibly from the 1916 wedding of Leverett S. Saltonstall and Alice Wesselhoeft in Jaffrey, New Hampshire.
Additional laid-in items include the following: luggage tags from the Appalachian Mountain Club marked with the name "F.M. Howe," with destinations of Gorham, N.H. Westport, N.Y., and Au Sable Chasm; newpaper clippings from the 1930s featuring the Harvard football team; newspaper article from 1917 regarding the retirement of Federal Reserve governor Alfred L. Aiken; cartoon showing the participants in the National Shawmut Bank Tournament including Florrimon Howe and Leverett Saltonstall; certificate of appreciation from the Federal Reserve Bank, inscribed to Florrimon M. Howe for assistance with the Liberty Loan of 1917.
70 photographs in 1 volume
The Arizona photograph album contains 70 images taken by an unidentified photographer showing scenes from Flagstaff, Arizona Territory, and the surrounding area. The album (21 x 31 cm) has black pebbled cloth covers and a leather spine. Images of interest include views of men visiting cliff dwellings near Flagstaff; a group visiting the Grand Canyon by carriage and horseback; past the John Hance house and trail; scenic shots of the Grand Canyon taken from the Grand View Hotel; trailside cooking; and a wagon breakdown on the return trip. Additional photographs show Timothy Riordan, president of the Arizona Lumber & Timber Company, and his family at the rustic Thomas' Hotel in Oak Creek Canyon; an excursion to the lava beds including amateur photographer Father Daniel McGillicuddy of Worcester, Massachusetts, who is shown setting up his camera among the rocks; 11 views of the 1902 Fourth of July celebrations in Flagstaff, with masked participants, horse-drawn floats, soldiers in formation, and the former homes of Michael and Timothy Riordan decked out in bunting. Also present are photographs of the home of Frederick Sisson, a manager with the Arizona Lumber & Timber Company, including views of a porch or interior decorated with Native American rugs, pottery, textiles, baskets, and animal skins.
55 photographs, 11 clippings, 6 pieces of ephemera, and 1 letter in 1 album
A Select Vacation Tour to Marble, Colorado contains 55 photographs, 11 clippings, 6 pieces of ephemera, and 1 letter documenting an inspection trip for potential investors to marble and slate quarries in Colorado organized by the Knickerbocker Syndicate.
The album (18 x 25.5 cm) is lacking a front cover, but the contents are undamaged. The first item is an illustrated brochure attached to the album's front cover that describes the upcoming journey and provides a detailed itinerary and sample menu. While aimed primarily at current investors in the Colorado-Yule Marble Company and the Colorado Slate Company, “families and friends or acquaintances” were also welcome. The cost was not specified.
The rest of the album documents the trip and promotes the quality of company products. Photographs show Yule marble in use at the Cheesman Memorial in Denver and the Youngstown, Ohio, courthouse. Pamphlets and newspaper articles also declare the marble to be of better quality than Carrara marble and the slate is in quantities that will eclipse Wales in the industry, who was the world leader at the time.
The passengers made a thorough inspection of the Yule Marble site over two days and are shown riding from the mill to the quarry site in the new electric trolley powered by electricity generated from the Crystal River, on the quarry floor watching workers extract blocks that will be shaped into columns at the mill, and visited the site of the slate quarry which was in the early stages of development. Other highlights of the trip included stopovers at Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge and Colorado Springs, excursions to tourist sites like Pikes Peak and Cripple Creek, and city tours in Kansas City, Denver, and elsewhere. Local newspapers covered many of these visits, and clippings are included in the album.
Also present is a letter of appreciation to the mine supervisors signed by 31 of the travelers and an illustrated report on the state of the mine by a mechanical engineer on the trip named Arthur M. Chidester (who also took most of the album’s photographs).
55 photographs, 11 clippings, 6 pieces of ephemera, and 1 letter in 1 album
approximately 90 photographs in 1 album.
The Atlantic City photograph album contains approximately 90 photographs related to an unidentified couple and their daughter, Jane, during a trip to Atlantic City in April and May of 1914. The album (18.5 x 27 cm) is bound in hand-painted varnished leather on paper boards with wood overlay. Images of particular interest include views of horseback riding on the beach, strolling on the boardwalk, and riding in rolling chairs and a pony-drawn cart. Atlantic City is seen largely as a backdrop to family activities. Additional photographs show the young girl sledding and with toys and friends at home. Also includes a photograph of Eleanor R. and Frederick D. Countiss and their daughter, Henrietta, in a studio portrait.