Collections

Dexter, Michigan, collector of materials relating to the history of railroading in Michigan. Correspondence, subject files, printed matter and photographs; contain material concerning the Ann Arbor Railroad, the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, the Manistee and Northeastern Railway Company, the Michigan Central Railroad, the Pere Marquette Railroad, and Ephraim Shay.

The Stoner collection contains about 3,600 photographs and negatives collected by Stoner, relating primarily to Michigan railroads. The collection also contains related manuscript materials.

Stoner's major collecting interests were in the Ann Arbor, Grand Trunk Western, and Pere Marquette Railroads and their predecessors, and in logging railroads, especially Ephraim Shay's railroad and others using Shay locomotives. Along with these lines, the collection contains photos of dozens of other railroads, not all in Michigan.

The photographs most commonly depict locomotives, often with their crews posed beside. Other common subjects are railroad stations (exteriors only), train wrecks, trains in motion, logging operations, carferries, railroad bridges, the Detroit-Windsor railroad tunnel, and street railroads.

Dozens of Michigan cities and towns and a number of places in other states are represented in the collection. Places depicted most often in the photos include Ann Arbor, Cadillac, Detroit, Durand, Frankfort, Harbor Springs, and Howell, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario.

The collection is organized into seven series: Classified photos, Unclassified photos, Albums, Unclassified negatives, Papers, Classified negatives, and Duplicate material.

Appended to this finding aid are two indexes, one for railroads and company names, the other for subjects. The indexes contain references to all items in the Classified photos, Unclassified photos, Albums, and Unclassified negatives series.

The index to railroads and company names indexes logging and industrial companies that operated railroads, as well as railroad lines themselves. It does not index locomotive manufacturers, nor does it index the names of railroad museums where some of the photos were taken.

The index to subjects indexes place names and topical subjects. It does not index the term "locomotives" since the majority of the photos in the collection would be indexed under that heading. Place names are indexed if the photo includes a view of some part of the place or of some event at the place. Close-up views of locomotives that do not show any background are not indexed by place, even if the description of the photo identifies where it was taken.

Collection of photographs and other material documenting various locations, communities, and organizations in Michigan.

Collection of materials (mostly photographs) that document social, cultural, religious, and daily life in the state of Michigan and at the University of Michigan. Photographs depict locations throughout the state and groups of people. Materials are in the following categories: graduating classes, social societies and clubs, University of Michigan, views and scenes.

Research papers, 1967-1979, of students in journalism at the University of Michigan; contain essays relating to the history of Michigan newspapers and journalists, and the development of radio and television broadcasting; include papers concerning newspapers in Adrian, Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Grand Rapids, and the journalistic efforts of Father Charles Coughlin, Henry Ford, and Gerald L. K. Smith.

The Department of Journalism research papers collection measures 2 linear feet and consists solely of student research papers written between 1967 and 1979. The papers contain essays written regarding the history of various newspapers -- many in Michigan cities such as Adrian, Ann Arbor, Detroit and Grand Rapids; journalists and the journalistic efforts of individuals such as Father Charles Coughlin, Henry Ford, and Gerald L.K. Smith; and the development of radio and television broadcasting.

The surviving administrative records of the Department of Journalism were retained by its successor unit, the Department of Communication, and can be found in that department's records.

Landscape architect, professor of landscape architecture at the University of Michigan. Files relating to various Michigan projects, notably in Ann Arbor, Hartland, Hillsdale, and Highland Park; subject files on professional activities; and photographs.

The papers of Harlow O. Whittemore have been divided into the following series: Projects; Topical Files; Family Papers; and Photographs.

This collection contains correspondence, a school notebook, and other material related to Howard W. Wiltse, a native of Hannibal, New York, who graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1861.

This collection (13 items) contains correspondence, a school notebook (approximately 200 pages), and other material related to Howard W. Wiltse, a native of Hannibal, New York, who graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1861.

Howard W. Wiltse entered the University of Michigan Law School in 1859, the year it was founded, and graduated in 1861. From November 29, 1859-December 18, 1860, he composed class notes in a copy of Clayton's Quarto Diary for 1859. Wiltse's notes are based on lectures by the school's three professors (James V. Campbell, Thomas B. Cooley, and Charles I. Walker) and concern a wide range of legal topics, including civil law and criminal law, with an emphasis on economic practices; individual lectures often pertain to legal precedent. A dried fern leaf is laid into the volume.

Letters (10 items), a financial document (1 item), and a newspaper (1 item), once laid into the volume, also relate to Howard W. Wiltse's experiences in New York and Michigan. He wrote 2 letters to an unidentified brother in March 1852 and April 1855 about his experiences teaching school in a town called Burns, and he wrote 7 letters to other family members between May 1859 and April 1862. Wiltse discussed his studies at the University of Michigan Law School, the cost of his schoolbooks, and his legal career in Big Rapids, Michigan. In one letter, written on stationery depicting five of the university's buildings, he mentioned the turbulent political situation just before the Civil War (February 19, 1861). Later items include a financial document (April 3, 1874) and a letter from a man named Charles to a woman named Nettie (September 3, 1886). Howard W. Wiltse also sent his family the first issue of the Mecosta County Pioneer (April 17, 1862).

The John H. Griffith collection contains letters and documents pertaining to Griffith's time as a surgical technician in the United States Army during World War II and to his life in Bologna, Italy, as a Rotary Fellow from 1951-1952. Much of the collection consists of Griffith's wartime correspondence with his parents.

The John H. Griffith collection contains letters and documents pertaining to Griffith's time as a surgical technician in the United States Army during World War II and to his life in Bologna, Italy, as a Rotary Fellow from 1951-1952. Much of the collection consists of Griffith's wartime correspondence with his parents.

The Correspondence series (344 items) relates to Griffith's life in Ann Arbor before the war, his service in the United States Army Medical Department, and his experiences in Europe as a research fellow in Bologna, Italy. Griffith addressed the majority of his correspondence to his parents, Leon and Amelia Griffith of Vicksburg, Michigan; Griffith also wrote to his younger siblings, Richard ("Dick") and Helen. His earliest letters document his life as a freshman at the University of Michigan. One letter contains newspaper clippings pertaining to a convoy trip taken by a University of Michigan student (December 6, 1942); several letters to Griffith's father from the university offer congratulations on Griffith's academic record.

After he was drafted in 1944, Griffith wrote to his parents about army life, documenting his service at Camp Bowie in Texas; Lawson General Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia; and Moore General Hospital in Swannanoa, North Carolina. Enclosures include newsletters from Camp Bowie (April 29, 1944; May 6, 1944) and an "Organization Day" flyer from Lawson General Hospital (July 2, 1944); one letter contains a diagram of a battlefield (June 8, 1944).

Griffith remained in the United States with the 86th Evacuation Hospital and the 134th Evacuation Hospital until the latter was deployed overseas in January 1945. His later letters, some of which have been censored, pertain to army life during the closing stages of combat in the European Theater. Griffith described postwar Germany and "the constant dribble of slave laborers leaving the Reich" (April 20, 1945). He wrote 1 letter to his grandfather in German, remarking on the beauty of the German countryside (April 28, 1945).

After the war, Griffith returned to the United States; he resumed his correspondence in August 1951, when he related his experiences traveling throughout Europe and living in Bologna, Italy. The collection also contains 2 letters in German to Leon and Amelia Griffith from a relative, "Uncle Chris," in Genkingen, Germany, whom Griffith visited during his travels abroad (December 27, 1951; January 14, 1952).

The Documents series (18 items) contains items related to Griffith's education and World War II service, including a notebook and a certificate for successful course completion at the United States Army Surgical Technician School, Griffith's curriculum vitae, report cards from his elementary and high school studies, and a war ration booklet.

The Photographs series (100 items) contains portraits and landscapes shot in Europe during the war and during the early 1950s. Most items are labeled, and include scenes from postwar Germany.

The Printed Materials series (24 items) contains clippings of Ernie Pyle columns from a Michigan newspaper as well as clippings mentioning Griffith's university scholarship; a copy of The Daily American (November 27, 1951); 2 books for American soldiers, including an "overseas edition" of James Thurber's My World--And Welcome To It; and a program from graduation exercises for the Army's School for Medical Department Technicians.

The Artifacts series contains 2 World War II Army patches, 1 WWII blue star service flag, and a flashlight.

The Lantern slides and glass plate negatives collection consists of approximately 1,260 magic lantern slides, glass plate negatives, and glass plate transparencies from commercial and non-commercial sources documenting a wide range of subjects.

The Lantern slides and glass plate negatives collection consists of approximately 1,260 magic lantern slides, glass plate negatives, and glass plate transparencies from commercial and non-commercial sources documenting a wide range of subjects.

The collection contains a total of 33 boxes and is loosely organized by topical groupings. The following list references individual boxes and the general nature of their contents.

• 10 x 12.5 cm glass negatives of views of Ann Arbor, Michigan, ca. early 1900s taken by an unidentified photographer. Includes views of several University of Michigan buildings, hospitals, fraternity houses, and private residences.

• Sixteen 8 x 10 cm cardboard-mounted slides showing posters for upcoming films and local product advertisements intended for use in movie theater intermissions. Producers include Excelsior Illustrating Co., Inc. and Photo Repro Co., Inc. Identified films include High Steppers (1926); The Blind Goddess (1926); Without Mercy (1926); Chickie (1925); Stop, Look and Listen (1926); West Point (1927); Pals First (1926); Ella Cinders (1926); Paying the Price (1927); The Avalanche (1919); and Turn to the Right (1922).
• Ten 7.5 x 7.5 cm slides documenting damage caused by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake (two of the slides are broken).

• 10 x 12.5 cm glass negatives including scenic views of fields, woods and towns, Canterbury Cathedral, ships in harbor, New York City streets, Coney Island beaches, street merchants, and children interacting with dogs (often humorously). All or some the images were produced by photographer William S. Pearsall in 1906 or earlier.

• Twenty-two 8 x 10 cm cardboard-mounted slides (some damaged) showing motion picture posters intended for display during movie theater intermissions with play dates handwritten in space at bottom. Dates listed range from 1918 to 1929. Identified films include The Devils Circus (1926); The Love of Sunya (1927); The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1929); Mademoiselle Modiste (1926); Classified (1925); Chang (1927); The Demi-Bride (1927); The Swell-Head (1927); Steele of the Royal Mounted (1925); The Voice of the City (1929); His Supreme Moment (1925); Monte Carlo (1926); An Old Fashioned Boy (1920); Lovers in Quarantine (1925); Riders of the Dawn (1920); Paid Back (1922); The Breaking Point (1921); and Gypsy Blood (also named Carmen - 1918 in Germany, 1921 in U.S.A.)
• Seven 8 x 10 cm hand-colored slides showing scenes from the popular book The Bad Boy and His Pa by George W. Peck produced by the Chicago Projecting Co. in 1904. Tableaux are carefully staged and elaborately tinted.

• Includes 8 x 10 cm slides showing scenes from The Bad Boy and His Pa by the Chicago Projecting Co. Other identified films include Babe Comes Home (1927); Figures Don't Lie (1927); and The Danger Girl (1916).

• Twenty-six 8 x 10 cm cardboard-mounted movie theater slides related to coming attractions or local products. One item of particular note includes a notice to female patrons that they do not need to remove their hats if they are seated in the women’s section. Identified films include The Taxi Dancer (1927); Square Crooks (1928); The City Gone Wild (1927); Too Much Money (1926); The First Night (1927); Broadway Nights (1927); Rainbow Riley (1926); The Wizard (1927); Vamping Venus (1928); The People vs. Nancy Preston (1925); Lovely Mary (1926); Rookies (1927); The Swan (1925); The Cohens and Kellys (1926); His People (1925); and My Official Wife (1926).

• Twenty-three 8 x 10 cm cardboard-mounted movie theater slides related to coming attractions or local products. Identified films include The Phantom Police (1926); The Testing Block (1920); The Brute Master (1920); The Cowboy Ace (1921); The Song and Dance Man (1926); His Brother's Keeper (1921); Private Izzy Murphy (1926); The Wanderer (1925); Eve's Leaves (1926); Good and Naughty (1926); It's The Old Army Game (1926); Vanishing Trails (serial, 1920); Don't Shoot (1922); The Whirlwhind of Youth (1927); The Shield of Honor (1927); Across to Singapore (1928); Naughty But Nice (1927); The Barrier (1926); For The Love of Mike (1927); The Dark Angel (1925); Keeping Up With Lizzie (1921); and Top O' The Morning (1922).
• Seven 8 x 10 cm slides (mostly duplicates) related to the Yale “Pageant of America” series showing damage in the aftermath of World War I.
• One 8 x 10 cm slide showing an ancient Egyptian tablet depicting battle.

• Twenty 8 x 10 cm slides documenting various activities in the town of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, around the turn of the 20th-century, including a hot-air balloon excursion and a fire engine race, along with other local scenes.
• Thirty-nine 8 x 10 cm slides showing scenic views (some hand-colored) in New Jersey and New York between 1896 and 1907. Most are attributed to Dr. J. T. Morehouse, but other noted contributors include the Charles Beseler Co., Dr. Ferdinand G. Kneer, William Archibald, and George W. Lamoreux. Items of particular interest include an aerial view of lower Manhattan; a map of New Jersey showing holdings of Esso; and a hand-colored view of a high railroad bridge in Portage, New York.

• Twenty 8 x 10 cm slides by Ann Arbor photographer George R. Swain documenting select manuscripts and maps from the William L. Clements Library.
• One 10 x 12.5 cm glass negative view of the Clements Library exterior.
• Seven 8 x 10 cm slides of outdoor scenes in Alaska and California from around 1900.
• Two 8 x 10 cm copy negatives of elaborate unidentified interiors.

• Six 8 x 10 cm slides of scenes in California and British Columbia. Includes view of a redwood logging train.
• Ten 8 x 10 cm glass negatives of scenes in British Columbia, mountain views, and photos of maps.
• Four 8 x 10 cm slides by Ann Arbor photographer George R. Swain of items from the William L. Clements Library.
• Nine 8 x 10 cm slides showing people and places (notably Firle Place) in the United Kingdom during the 1920s.

• Six 8 x 10 cm slides by Ann Arbor photographer George R. Swain showing exterior and interior views of the William L. Clements Library in the 1940s.
• Twenty-four 8 x 10 cm slides by Ann Arbor photographer George R. Swain of items from the William L. Clements Library. Includes an image of materials from the Thomas Gage papers stored in one their original document chests.

• Five 8 x 10 cm slides showing unidentified locations (possibly in Alaska) produced by the Seattle, Washington studio of Asahel Curtis.
• Four 8 x 10 cm slide reproductions of paintings.
• Three 8 x 10 cm slides of miscellaneous content.

• 8 x 10 cm glass negatives documenting a 1728 French translation of an earlier memoir by Jerome Lobo regarding attempts to convert Ethiopians to Christianity. An enclosed note says slides were for “a Prestor [sic] John talk.”

• 8 x 10 cm slides from an extensive educational series on lumbering processes and techniques produced ca. 1910. Images detail the production of railroad ties, including loggers’ methods of shaping each piece with their axes, and the proper method of stacking ties. Most of these views appear to be from Michigan’s lower peninsula, but one slide is from Wyoming in 1910.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing various stages in logging operations and mill processes in states from Maine to California. Includes one hand-colored view of a mill pond in Virginia and a map of the U.S. that renders the size of each state relative to its timber resources.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing production stages for treenails and stulls. Also includes images of various types of mill saws in marketing photos as well as working mills.

• 8 x 10 cm slides primarily related to pulp production with views showing logging sites, stages of the milling process, and specific machinery used. Includes images showing both ox-drawn and wooden-wheeled logging wagons.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing portable mills set up near logging sites and log flumes in various stages of construction and operation. Several images of elaborate flume constructions are present.

• 8 x 10 cm slides related to fir logging, possibly in Sitka, Alaska. Also present are a couple views showing treenail production.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing locust logging, log loaders, and lumber yards.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing different types of log loaders as well as maps of the U.S. highlighting population and timber resources.

• 8 x 10 cm slides related to the Lidgerwood (written as “Ledgerwood” on slide labels) logging system which made extensive use of winches and pulleys. The Lidgerwood Company was instrumental in building the Panama Canal and later developed machinery for the logging industry. Also present are more images of log loaders and diagrams/photos of mill machinery.

• 8 x 10 cm slides related to the Lidgerwood system as well as views of logging and mill operations in several states.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing pull boats towing log rafts and various logging and milling operations.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing finished lumber products being shipped by boat, rail, and wagon as well as images related to shingle production.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing steps in the production of shingles, stulls, and poles as well as steps in paper production, including micro views of linen and cotton paper fibers.

• Twenty-eight 8 x 10 cm slides showing stages in paper production as well as views of portable mills and flumes, especially flume dumps.
• Ten 10 x 12.5 cm glass negatives by unidentified photographer ca. 1902 related to estate in Berlin, Maryland nicknamed “Anchuha.” Includes snapshots of house and family members.

• Despite the separate accession number, these lumbering slides appear to be from the same educational series contained in other boxes. The topics covered by the 8 x 10 cm slides in this box include agricultural use of logged spaces, large mill operations, redwood logging, steam tractors, splash dams and charcoal kilns.

• 8 x 10 cm slides covering log jams, barrel staves and cooperage, flumes, big tree logging, and maps of national forests. Non-Michigan locations also represented. Includes color slide by Asahel Curtis showing Douglas fir timbers on railroad car.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing pole roads, agricultural use of logged land, large mills, machinery used in distillation and cooperage, logging of wide range of individual tree species. Non-Michigan locations also represented.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing tramways, pull boats, portable mills, geared locomotives, and skidways as well as a graph comparing regional production. Nine shattered slides are present.

• 8 x 10 cm slides showing gasoline and steam skidders, lumber yards, motor trucks, and Arizona tree species. One image of particular interest shows an early Kelly truck with a full load of logs and an African American driver.

• Eight 8 x 10 cm glass negative copies of photos showing scenes in Alaska, including the Muir Glacier.
• Four 8 x 10 cm slide views of British Columbia, possibly from a Canadian Pacific Railroad car.
• Three 12.5 x 18 cm glass negative self-portraits by Charles P. Steinmetz, ca. 1904/5.
• One 12.5 x 18 cm glass negative titled “Girl on Bicycle”

The Marcus Jamieson collection is made up of incoming personal letters to Jamieson from friends and his immediate family, as well as letters that he wrote to his future wife, Emma Crary of Webster City, Iowa. Jamieson received letters from Emma, his father, and numerous friends in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Iowa, and other states while living in Grinnell, Iowa, between 1877 and 1883, and he received letters from his mother and brother in Grinnell, Iowa, while living in Warren, Pennsylvania, between 1891 and 1902. The letters pertain to numerous aspects of daily life, such as education, local news, and social activities.

The Marcus Jamieson collection is made up of approximately 90 incoming personal letters to Jamieson from friends and his immediate family, as well as 12 letters that he wrote to his future wife, Emma Crary of Webster City, Iowa. Jamieson received letters from Emma, his father, and numerous friends in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Iowa, and other states while living in Grinnell, Iowa, between 1877 and 1883, and he received letters from his mother and brother in Grinnell, Iowa, while living in Warren, Pennsylvania, between 1891 and 1902. The letters pertain to numerous aspects of daily life, such as education, local news, and social activities.

T. W. Gilmore, Jr., and Marcia Gilmore frequently wrote to Jamieson from Ann Arbor, Michigan, between 1877 and 1881. They commented on their social activities, the city, and education. In one letter, T. W. Gilmore, Jr., drew a floor plan of the house in which he lived (November 3, 1878), and in others he mentioned aspects of student life at the high school and at the University of Michigan. Jamieson's father, Hugh A. Jamieson, wrote from Warren, Pennsylvania, and several friends shared news about their lives in Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, and the Dakota Territory. Some commented on baseball, and one drew a sketch of a woman (August 22, 1879).

After 1880, Jamieson corresponded with Emily Crary ("Emma") of Webster City, Iowa. The couple's early letters primarily concern everyday news, but later letters reflect their transition into a more formal courtship. One letter has Jamieson's drawing of a picture of a fireman (August 6, 1882).

After a gap between 1884 and 1890, Jamieson's incoming correspondence resumes with letters from his brother Charles and his mother Julia, both of whom lived in Grinnell, Iowa. Charles discussed his educational experiences at Iowa College, and Julia provided news of her social life and of Emma's mother. The final item is a letter from a representative of Iowa College requesting a financial donation.

Additional material includes a wedding notice, a printed program, a flier of facts about Grinnell College, a newspaper clipping, and a photograph of an unidentified infant.

Organization established to promote contact among people at the University of Michigan and in the Ann Arbor, Michigan, area who came from the Netherlands, also those who have worked or studied there, and those who share an interest in the social, cultural, and scientific life of the Netherlands. Consists of administrative records and topical files documenting the activities of the organization.

The Netherlands America University League records consists of administrative records and topical files documenting the activities of the organization. The files have been divided into two series: Administrative Records and Topical Files.

Postcard views of Michigan cities and the University of Michigan.

The Michigan Historical Collections postcard collection contains picture postcards of Michigan scenes. The collection was brought together by MHC staff. The postcards depict a large number of Michigan communities, with the largest number of cards relating to Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan, and Detroit.

The postcards are arranged by the name of the town shown in the picture. In cases where names have changed, or for rural places that might be identified with several surrounding towns, the postcards are filed according to the name used on the card. For instance, postcards of the Irish Hills region can be found under that name as well as under the nearby towns of Brooklyn and Onsted.

Outsize postcards are located in Box 12, and a few postcards too large for that box are located with the medium sized photographs in UCCm.