Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Blueprints, renderings, and blue-line prints of original University structures, and additions to, and alterations of existing structures. Architects and architectural firms represented include: Albert Kahn, Alexander J. Davis, Pond and Pond, C. William Palmer, and William LeBaron Jenney.

This collection of University of Michigan architectural blueprints, renderings, and blueline prints has been drawn together from different sources. The provenance is not always clear, though most of the sheets probably originated with the Buildings and Grounds Department of the University. The collection is selective and does not include all campus buildings. Significant buildings are included, however, as are important architects and architectural firms. Represented in the collection are the works of Albert Kahn, Alexander J. Davis, Pond and Pond, the Chicago architectural firm, C. William Palmer, William L. Jenney, and York and Sawyer of New York.

University of Michigan staff photographer, 1913-1947 and commercial photographer in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Collection includes some manuscript material but is primarily photographic prints and negatives made by Swain. Photo subjects include university buildings, faculty, and student activities, archeological expeditions to the Near East and, Ann Arbor scenes and landscapes form his travels in the western United States and Canada.

The papers and photographs of George R. Swain mainly document Swain's accomplishments as university photographer at the University of Michigan from 1913 to 1947. Researchers should note, however, that this is only a sampling of the photographer's work during these years. The Kelsey Museum of Archaeology at the University of Michigan has an extensive collection of Swain's archaeological negatives and prints, and researchers interested in his full career will want to also look at the Kelsey collection. The Bentley Library material, while including several folders of fine photographs Swain made on his travels with Professor Frances Kelsey, for the most part documents Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan.

The collection at the Bentley Library consists of three series: Miscellaneous Papers; Photographers Log; and Photographs (prints; negatives; and lantern slides. Since the bulk of the collection is comprised of early twentieth century images of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan, the materials will be of most interest to researchers searching for visual documentation of this part of the state in that time period. There are very few materials beyond the visual, although the lengthy captions attached to many overseas images and the essays, diaries, and letters, are extremely interesting and offer insight into how Swain approached his craft, both as a professional photographer and in his personal work.

University of Michigan Class of 1917 graduate, member of the Druids, the University of Michigan honorary society, and of the Alpha Phi Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta. Scrapbook containing photographs, dance cards, and event programs.

Scrapbook contains photographs of the Alpha Phi chapter house exterior and of its interiors, group portraits and photographs taken during social and sporting events, and chapter activities; also select chapter publications, dance cards, event programs, and other ephemera. The scrapbook also contains Smith's portrait and his U.S. Army Signal Corps enlistment papers.

Professor of architecture at the University of Michigan; includes correspondence, professional organizational activities files, documentation, photographs, and architectural drawings accumulated during his work with the Michigan Historic Buildings Survey

The Emil Lorch papers are valuable for their documentation of the career of this important architectural educator and for that material about Michigan architecture and historic structures that Lorch accumulated in the course of his professional study and organizational involvement. The collection includes extensive correspondence with many of the country's leading architects, most notably members of the "Chicago School," and architectural educators, and manuscript and photographic documentation resulting from Lorch's involvement with the Michigan Historic Buildings Survey and various restoration projects, including Mackinac Island.

Graduate of the University of Michigan College of Engineering, Class of 1895. Glass negatives and prints of scenes at the University of Michigan, including Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, the Engineering summer camp, football and baseball games, the track team, University buildings and campus scenes, and views of the Huron River; also views of Bay City, Michigan, and portraits of members of the LeFavour, Shearer, and McMillan families.

The David LeFavour glass negatives collection documents a variety of activities, individuals, groups, and buildings in Ann Arbor and Bay City. As a member of the class of 1895, a year which was, coincidently, the first year of formal recognition for a Department of Engineering at the University of Michigan, LeFavour participated in an annual event for engineering students. A summer camp was set up outside the University to conduct field projects. The camp was periodically relocated and in 1895 a change was made from a grove on the outskirts of Leland, Michigan, at an outlet of Carp Lake (now Lake Leelanau), to a point further up the lake near the Fountain Point Hotel.

The scenes of the camp and the engineers depict several projects undertaken by the group, their campsite and equipment, and members of the entourage, including Professor Joseph B. Davis (Geodesy and Surveying) who was in charge of the operation. LeFavour also captured his peers at play, as a print of a baseball game at nearby Sutton's Bay reveals.

As a student, David LeFavour was also a member of the Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity. He photographed his fraternity house, his room, an unidentified ceremony, and several group portraits of his fraternal brothers and their dates.

Although there is no indication of any personal participation by LeFavour in university athletics, he did photograph members of the university track team and local football games. Other negatives and prints detail several university buildings and more "artistic" views of the Huron River and local Ann Arbor streets.

Those negatives and prints focusing on Bay City, Michigan, provide an insight into another facet of LeFavour's life and interests. Several exterior views are present, which detail the various Shearer homes in the city as well as those of other prominent residents. Interior views of the James Shearer home (where David grew up), reflect the style of life and living conditions of a prosperous Michigan family at the turn of the century.

Many Bay City buildings, including schools, hospitals, and government structures are identified. As was done in Ann Arbor, LeFavour also photographed street views and individuals. Two favorite subjects for LeFavour were children and women. He frequently photographed young relatives and used his photographic skills to show his sister Helen in particular. Often the young lady (or ladies) were posed with bicycles.

The LeFavour negatives were randomly described and dated. Available information has been provided when possible, however. All negatives were produced between 1894 and 1895, but no dates have been attempted for undated negatives or prints. The print collection is numbered so that one can refer back to the appropriate glass negative. There are over 155 glass negatives and a corresponding number of prints.

Photographs collected from various sources, depicting buildings, faculty, students, and other topics relating to the University of Michigan.

The University of Michigan Photographs Vertical File represents a miscellaneous assemblage of U of M-related photographs from many different sources, mainly prior to 1950. The vertical file is especially strong on the earliest photographic images of the campus, university buildings, and class activities. While the vertical file contains many images of individuals, researchers should first consult the library's on-line catalog for images of faculty, administrators, and other University personalities. Most photographs originally accumulated by a University department or other unit are kept with that unit's records.

The arrangement of the photographic images was intended to parallel the classification used with University of Michigan published materials and with manuscript materials. Both of these used a classification system using letters of the alphabet (A through N only) for groupings of published or manuscript material. This system was carried over for use with the library's photographic images though there are certain categories for which images are unlikely to be found (Category A, for example, which pertains to legislation affecting the University or Category I which is reserved for university publications of a scientific or literary nature). The classification is further broken down under each letter by a number code which refers to a more specific subdivision. The heaviest concentration of images will be found under C (for U-M schools and colleges, departments, and other units), D (for university buildings and views), and F (for class pictures, photos of student organizations, and images detailing aspects of student life and customs).

Each heading in this finding aid includes the letter classification plus a numbered subdivision. In addition, the individual envelopes are numbered sequentially. Headings for which there are oversized images (usually larger than 8x10) will be indicated by reference to medium or large size photographs. When requesting material, researchers must specify the heading and the classification and folder number.

This finding aid describes only a small portion of the Bentley Library's U-M visual images. The on-line catalog will direct the researcher to additional images.