Collections

Collection consists mostly of Crocker's scrapbooks, photographs, newspaper clippings (including some copies), broadsides, programs, advertisements, musical scores, and tradecards about Crocker's Educated Horses, Ponies, and Mules. Also included are many souvenir photographs of European sights and two tinted glass slides of Queen Victoria.

The Collection consists mainly of photographs, newspaper clippings, programs, advertisements, musical scores, trade cards, and broadsides about Crocker's Educated Horses. There are also many souvenir photographs of European sights. There are also two British patents No. 13, 958 in 1887 and No. 23, 307 1899 both related to horse bits. A copy of his published book is not in the Clarke.

Besides a number of articles advertising and critiquing his performance in a number of Crocker’s scrapbooks in the Clarke, there are also a number of article he wrote about the training of horses. He wrote a book, The Education of the horse, illustrated about six years after he came to Europe which was advertised to be published in Scotland and England. Also in the collection of his papers is handwritten musical scores for Crocker’s horses and mules for various instruments including: cornet, trombone, e-flat alto saxophone, bass, and violin. The music notes the barrel act, the handkerchief act, acts by various horses, and entry by mules. Obviously, Crocker was a busy man and successful showman of his era.

Photographic materials collected by the Trelfas, documenting a wide range of Michigan and national people, places and events.

This collection, 6.25 cubic feet (in 14 boxes) 1849-1925, and undated, was donated over a period of time by one or both of the Trelfa brothers and is divided into six series. The series were established by accession number and topic matter. For a more detailed listing see the Box and Folder Listing. Overall the collection is in good physical condition.

Series 5 consists of 0.75 cubic ft. (in 2 boxes) Acc#2643, Spanish-American War images. Box 1 includes 52 and Box 2 contains 19 film negatives in homemade glass casings, #807-1740, #1742-1760, all undated, each measures approximately 5x4 inches. Topics include views of Washington, D.C., war camp, streets and buildings, camp, officers, soldiers, horses, tents, two unidentified African-American girls, three unidentified African American boys, an unidentified native man with a mule cart full of furniture, parade ground, railway, people, animals, etc.