Collections

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.

This collection consists of photographic prints and negatives, dating ca. 1860 to 1950. The photographs cover a wide variety of topics pertaining to the Battle Creek area, including street scenes and buildings of various types around town, social activities, people and lake scenes. Also included are images of some of the more famous institutions and businesses in the area: the Battle Creek Sanitarium, the Kellogg Company and the Postum Company.

This collection consists of photographic prints and negatives, dating ca. 1860 to 1950. The collection of photographs was gathered together for a publication on the history of Battle Creek in photographs, produced as part of a series sponsored by Great Lakes Federal Savings. The photographs cover a wide variety of topics pertaining to the Battle Creek area. These topics include street scenes and buildings of various types around town, social activities, people and lake scenes. Also included are images of some of the more famous institutions and businesses in the area: the Battle Creek Sanitarium, the Kellogg Company and the Postum Company. The collection is arranged alphabetically by subject.

Hunchakian Party activist, member of the Central Executive, orator and field worker in Persia, Tsarist Russia, London, various American cities (Boston, Worcester, New York, Waukegan, East St. Louis, Detroit, etc.) and Brantford, Canada. The collection includes family documents and official papers and photographs, correspondence with family, party founders, members of the Central Executive, chapters and members in Persia, Russia, Europe, the US; party circulars, reports and communiqués registry of fighters and groups, minutes and agendas, poems, notes, print material, poster.

The first part of the Hamparzoum Arzoumanian Collection consists of family documents and official papers, birth, marriage, naturalization and death certificates, in memoriam notices, visas/passports, photographs, correspondence between Hamparzoum Arzoumanian, his wife Sona Arzoumanian and family members and other personal correspondence of Hamparzoum and Sona Arzoumanian with friends, students. These provide a sequence of events and dramatic circumstances in Hamparzoum Arzoumanian's personal life that begin in historic Armenia in 1866, through Persia, Russia, and Europe, and end in America in 1909.

The emphasis in the collection is in the Hunchakian Party Activities and Materials in the latter part of the collection. These emphasize the scope and content of Arzoumanian's involvement in the Hunchakian Party, his commitment to its socialist ideology and determination to help the cause of the liberation of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire. Correspondence with party members, party circulars, reports and communiqués refer to the organization of party chapters from the Caucasus to the US; the rift in the party between those dedicated to Socialism as part of the party ideology and those who insisted on eliminating the socialist ideology of the founders as irrelevant, even harmful, to the struggle of Ottoman Armenians; tensions between the party Center in London and the Regional Executive Committee in the US; party publications and content of official party organs in Geneva, Switzerland and Boston, Massachusetts; fund raising for party operations, and the organization of volunteer detachments of fighters. This section also provides information about the life of Armenian immigrants in the US, their efforts to organize communities and their commitment to help liberate Armenians in Turkey.

A series of envelopes in the collection reflect the wide geographical area to which Arzoumanian was connected, including: Tabriz (Persia), Bucharest (Romania), London, Paris, New York, Boston, Rustchuk and Varna (Bulgaria), Montreal (England), Tbilisi (Republic of Georgia), Khazakh, Odessa and Novorossirsk (Tsarist Russia), Alexandria (Egypt), Malta and Berlin.

The collection consists of 474 items, spanning the years between 1896 and 1910; items vary from one page to 11 pages. All but the few newspaper clippings, printed matter and fragments are in manuscript form, in a variety of Armenian dialects.

J. Louis Engdahl (1884-1932), editor and journalist, was an advocate for labor, socialist, and communist causes. The collection includes letters Engdahl wrote to his wife and daughter, trial transcripts, photographs; Engdahl's original writings; and published works in various formats. Also included are memorabilia, clippings, pamphlets, and other printed material, and artwork.

The J. Louis Engdahl Papers (6.5 linear feet) are divided into seven series: Correspondence, Writings, Chicago Socialist Trial, Scottsboro Trial, Photographs and Artwork, Personal and Memorabilia, and Printed Material.

Highlights of the collection include the letters Engdahl wrote to his wife and daughter, in which loving epithets and stories of day-to-day life mingle with accounts of his work and that of other prominent labor, socialist, and communist figures. The collection contains several pieces of Engdahl's original writings, along with numerous published works in various formats. Causes for which Engdahl fought, both on his own behalf and that of others, are documented through letters, clippings, trial transcripts, and images. Over sixty photographs, as well as various pieces of personal memorabilia, depict both family life and professional associations. Also of note is a portrait of Engdahl by the artist Mitchell Siporin.

A note on names: Throughout the collection, certain individuals are referred to by various alternate names and nicknames. Engdahl himself went by "J. Louis" or more informally, "Louis," rather than his given name of "John." Sophia Levitin Rodriguez is addressed variously as "Sophia," "Sophie," "Sonia," and even by her middle name, "Vera." As mentioned in the biographical portion of this finding aid, Pauline and Louis Engdahl's daughter is also named Pauline. To avoid confusion, within this finding aid, Engdahl's wife is referred to as "Pauline Levitin Engdahl" and their daughter as "Pauline Engdahl." Pauline Engdahl had the family nickname of "Chootch," with variants "Chootchie," "Chuche," etc.

The Mary Pennington Collection spans multiple generations of the Pennington family. They resided in Pewamo, Michigan until 1920 when they moved to East Lansing, Michigan. Most of the collection concerns John H. Pennington’s immediate family, and particularly, his daughter, Mary Pennington. The collection is divided into six series: Family Memorabilia, Correspondence, Educational Materials, “I Am” Materials, Visual Materials, and Estate Papers of John Pennington.

MS 2006-27 consists of records of the Pearl Sarno collection (covering the years 1856-2005, bulk of material dated 1870-1995). The collection is divided into three series. Series 1 consists of the Pearl Sarno personal papers (1904-2002). Series 2 consists of the Covert Congregational Church records (1870-2005), and includes a large number of records relating to the Women's Club of the First Congregational Church. Series 3 consists of the Covert Township records (1856-1921, 1953-1967.

The Philippine History Small Manuscripts Collection consists of 27 individual manuscripts--each less than 0.25 linear feet--related to the history of the Philippines. The collection includes correspondence, books, diaries, photographs, and microfilm gathered from various sources covering a wide chronological span, from the 17th century through the mid-20th century, with the bulk of the material related to the U.S. occupation of the Philippines from the Spanish-American War (1898) through World War II (1939-1945).

The Philippine History Small Manuscripts Collection consists of 27 small collections (each less than 0.25 linear feet) related to the history of the Philippines. These collections have been compiled over time from various sources. The materials cover a wide span in chronology and content, from 17th century Spanish Jesuit ethnology to mid-20th century photographs of Filipino politicians. The bulk of the material covers the period from the Spanish-American War (1898) through World War II (1939-1945), primarily representing American perspectives and stories. For instance, there are many examples of U.S. soldiers' diaries, recording their military experiences in the Philippines, especially during the Philippine-American War. Of particular note are two collections authored by Emilio Aguinaldo and Manuel Quezon, both Filipino politicians and presidents who played important roles in shaping the history and governance of the Philippines following independence from Spain.

RG 59-14 contains documents and records relating to the Michigan Military Establishment and the Adjutant General's Office.

RG 59-14 contains documents and records relating to the Michigan Military Establishment and the Adjutant General's Office. Specifically, this collection includes: service records (descriptive rolls, regimental service records, officer records, enlistment records, and health records), post-service records of former soldiers, reports, minutes of various organizations related to the Michigan Military Establishment, correspondence, general and special orders, educational material, publications, and photographs.

Albert Merritt Ewert (1886-1984), served as Chaplain of the Michigan National Guard 119th Field Artillery and as Chaplain of Michigan State Prison from 1933-1934. He held an administrative position in the Michigan Department of Corrections from 1938-1951. The collection documents these activities. It also contains examples of Ewert’s painting, writing and composing.

Description: The Albert Merritt Ewert Collection documents Ewert’s remarkable life. Materials span from the 1890’s to 1984.

Subject Files include correspondence, newsletters, artwork (paintings, sketches and artifacts), church bulletins, a scrapbook, journals, typed poems and story manuscripts, and original sheet music. Items are grouped into folders, with folder titles reflecting subject content. The folders are arranged into a general chronological order. (Ewert moved frequently for much of his life. One could often discern approximate dates for an item by identifying Ewert’s location at the time. The biographical sketch above may sometimes aid researchers in providing greater context.)

The collection begins with some biographical information. The biographical file contains correspondence regarding Ewert’s 1962 State of Wyoming delayed birth certificate application. Also present are a few general outlines of Ewert’s life and career, and notes from an oral history interview. Ewert’s granddaughter, Cathy Ewert (now Cathy Ewert Benson), conducted the interview with her grandfather in 1971.

Materials of undetermined date – mostly artwork, poems and stories by Ewert –appear toward the front of the collection. Artwork consists of pencil sketches and pastel drawings, most of which depict nature scenes. The stories are fiction and feature a naïve, well-meaning protagonist named "King Friend." King Friend encounters various individuals and attempts to befriend them, often experiencing negative consequences as a result. The stories, with their philosophical nature, provide some insight into Ewert’s worldview.

The collection contains some of Ewert’s original sheet music. Many songs are hymns, but Ewert also wrote secular-themed tunes such as "Arapahoe War Dance." Appendix I contains a complete list.

Ewert served as Michigan State Prison Chaplain in 1933-1934. Materials from that time include church bulletins, a copy of a sermon by Ewert, correspondence between Ewert and Governor William Comstock and copies of radio addresses that Ewert delivered from the prison. The manuscript of Ewert’s "Little Red Book" contains advice for inmates. A folder of correspondence documents reactions to a conference that Ewert held on April 5, 1934. Scholars, attorneys and corrections officials were invited to attend, and Ewert explained his theories on prison reform. (His plan contained some controversial elements, including the idea that judges shouldn't be allowed to set the lengths of sentences. For a description of his views, see the inmate newsletter The Spectator, which is included in this collection.)

Some items reflect inmates’ points of view. These include correspondence by inmates to Rev. Ewert (Ewert’s responses are sometimes included, as well.). The folder labeled "Progressive Club Meeting" contains inmate ideas on prison reform (Ewert talked to them at the Progressive Club Meeting and invited them to submit their views.). An issue of the inmate newsletter The Spectator features Ewert and his thoughts on the penal system.

The collection also contains inmate artwork. These include pencil sketches and a Mothers Day card created by inmates for Anna Mabel Beard Ewert. There is also a scrapbook that inmates created for Rev. Ewert. It documents much of Ewert’s life to that point. It is thus helpful for biographical information and also serves as a symbol of the inmates’ affection for their Chaplain. (NOTE: Prisoner-made artifacts can be found in Series 4.2. Photographs of Jackson Prison scenes can be found in Series 3.)

When Frank Murphy won the 1936 gubernatorial election, he formed a Study Commission on Administration of Prison and Parole. Ewert was among those appointed. The Commission was charged with planning a new corrections system for Michigan. Study Commission materials include correspondence, meeting minutes and reports. The items address issues such as administrative organization, needed personnel, needed legislation and likely expenses.

A related folder contains a report of the Subcommittee of the Committee on Prison, Parole and Probation (Ewert served on this Subcommittee.) The report provides detailed cost estimates for a state probation system. It also contains statistical data on probationers and corrections professionals, including probation officers, county welfare agents and circuit judges.

In 1937, Governor Murphy established the Michigan Department of Corrections. He appointed Ewert Deputy Assistant Director of Probation. In 1949, Ewert was promoted Director of Probation, and he held this position until his retirement in 1952. Correspondence, reports, newsletters, newspaper clippings and publications represent Ewert’s years with the Department of Corrections. "Work journals" document his daily activities, as he routinely noted appointments and travel destinations. A 1938 Department booklet provides a history of the then-new Department of Corrections and of corrections practices in Michigan. Ewert retired in 1951 and died in 1984. His post-retirement days are documented largely through correspondence and newspaper clippings. A 1958 guest register contains signatures from Albert and Mabel Ewert’s fiftieth wedding anniversary celebrations. Obituaries and condolence letters document the 1961 death of Anna Mabel Beard. A 1981 letter from Michigan Governor William Milliken congratulates Ewert on his 95th birthday. A copy of a death certificate, condolence letters, newspaper obituaries and a memoir by Ewert’s grandson, David, document Ewert’s death in 1984.

A second subseries consists of materials of Anna Mabel Beard Ewert and her daughter, Kathleen Ewert Lourim. Anna Mabel Beard Ewert’s journals date from 1943-1946, 1953-1954, 1956 and 1960-1961. The 1943-1946 journals contain the most detailed entries, with Mabel often noting the weather conditions and commenting on daily activities. Later volumes primarily contain calendars and note appointments. Occasionally, loose correspondence was filed with the journals. This correspondence remains, in order to preserve the context. Most of it concerns rentals of the Ewert’s vacation cabins. However, there are also two 1954 letters from William Lourim, the Ewert’s son-in-law. Lourim comments on weather conditions and on recent family activities.

Items of Kathleen Ewert Lourim all pertain to Lourim’s work environment. She was employed in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources from 1943 to 1969. A scrapbook consists almost completely of photographs – all depicting scenes and individuals from the Department. Also present are a photocopy of Lourim’s 1943 Employee Information form, a 1966 article and photograph of the DNR softball team, and letters congratulating Lourim on her 1969 retirement. Finally, there is an n.d. cartoon by DNR cartoonist Ozz Warbach. The cartoon features a likeness of Lourim and depicts her working at her desk. Books Owned by the Ewert Family include Bibles, prayer books and other religious publications. A few secular works include a book of poetry, a joke book (titled Best of the World’s Good Stories) and a book entitled Choice Readings, which contains random essays and speeches selected to improve one’s skills in elocution. Some books are signed by the owner and dated. Occasionally, an additional note appears, often explaining how the owner acquired the book or how the book was used. Books are filed in individual folders and arranged chronologically by signature date, when such a date exists. When not, the publication or copyright date is used instead.

Photographs span the years 1890-1984. These are grouped into folders according to subject and arranged in roughly chronological order. Folders consisting only of n.d. photos are filed at the front of the series. There are many portraits of Albert Merritt Ewert and photos depicting Ewert family members. Researchers may wish to consult the biographical sketch above when attempting to place items in context. When viewing Ewert family photos, it is also helpful to note that Albert and Anna Mabel Ewert’s daughter, Kathleen, was born in 1912 and their son, Quentin, was born in 1915. The approximate ages of the children can sometimes aid in estimating the date of a photo.

Besides the photos of Ewert and his family, the series also contains images of Michigan prisons, inmates and Corrections officials (including prison wardens). One folder contains photos dating from 1933-1934, when Ewert served as Chaplain at Michigan State Prison in Jackson. These photos depict Ewert’s office and staff, the Prison library and a memorial service. There are also signed portraits of inmates, including a portrait of a prison musical band. Other prison photos likely date from about 1938, when the Department of Corrections was formed. Some were published in a 1938 booklet by the then-new Department (A copy of this booklet appears with the photos in Box 11, Folder 4.). Prison photos depict inmates in cells, at work in prison factories and in inmate softball teams. There are also photos of Prison administrative buildings. Finally, one folder depicts Ewert and co-workers in a Department of Corrections office at various points during Ewert’s time with the Department.

Artifacts are divided into two subseries. The first consists of personal artifacts of Albert Merritt Ewert. Most of these are not dated, although some dates can be inferred. For example, Ewert’s Army belt likely dates from the 1920’s, when he served as a chaplain with the Michigan National Guard. Ewert’s Deputy Assistant Director of Probation badge likely dates from about 1938, when he first assumed that office.

The second subseries consists of artifacts made by prison inmates. These date from 1933-1934, when Ewert served as Chaplain of Michigan State Prison. Artifacts include book ends, a wooden box, a compass and a photo frame.