Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

This pocket diary contains daily entries that Edmund Davis wrote while attending Edge Hill School in Princeton, New Jersey, in the spring of 1865. David noted daily occurrences at the institution, such as religious services and baseball games, and also recorded major political events, including the capture of Richmond, Virginia, and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

This pocket diary contains 54 pages of daily entries that Edmund Davis wrote while attending Edge Hill School in Princeton, New Jersey, from March 6, 1865, to June 12, 1865. He noted daily events at the school, such as classes, sporting matches, illnesses, and religious services, and also reported local responses to recent news, including a "horn spree" celebrating the capture of Richmond, Virginia (April 3 and April 4) and the reaction to Lincoln's assassination. He correctly identified John Wilkes Booth as the assassin who leapt from the presidential box shouting "sic semper tyrannis," but incorrectly stated that Booth had been "torn to pieces by the mob" and that William Henry Seward had been stabbed to death (April 15). On April 19, Edge Hill was draped in black to mourn the president, and on April 28, the students were informed of Booth's capture.

Davis mentioned many aspects of school life, such as expulsions (March 20 and May 24), April Fool's tricks (April 1), and the prevalence of "the itch" in early May. On May 12, he mentioned his decision to wait an additional year before attending college. He and his classmates enjoyed sports, and Davis took note of rugby matches (April 25) and baseball games (May 13, May 23, June 3, June 5, and June 7); Davis participated in his first game on June 5. A picture of Edmund Davis is pasted onto the diary's first page. The volume also contains 3 newspaper clippings: a copy of "Auld Lang Syne," a remedy for bruises, and an article detailing the "Fates of the Apostles."

The John W. Christie Princeton University photograph albums pertain to college life in the early 20th century. Events depicted include academic processions, costumed parades, bonfire preparations, and sporting events. The albums also contain numerous views of campus architecture and an image of the Liberty Bell on tour.

These three albums, compiled by Princeton University student John Watson Christie around 1904, contain 219 photographs of college buildings, events, and student life in the early 20th century. Volumes 1 and 2, each 15cm x 18cm, have green cloth covers with the word "Photographs" printed on the front in gold. Volume 3 (18cm x 28cm) has a deteriorating brown leather cover. Each album contains prints of various sizes, usually no larger than 8.5cm x 12cm, and the first two volumes include inscriptions by John W. Christie. A number of photos have come loose from the pages, and a few loose captions are laid into the first volume. An envelope that once housed a letter to Christie, postmarked in 1907, is laid into the second album.

Many of the photographs, including all but a few items in the third volume, are exterior shots of Princeton University buildings, grounds, and unidentified private or university residences. Interior views feature animal skeletons, religious ornamentation, and athletic banners and memorabilia. Most of the remaining items depict social events such as preparations for a bonfire, processions, and graduation ceremonies. Students are often shown in costumes, masks, or women's clothing, and the first two albums contain a few informal portraits of unidentified men and women. Also included are pictures taken during baseball and football games and during a parade that featured Native American costume. Christie also collected pictures of an ornate ship's bell that Princeton alumni presented to the United States Gunboat Princeton and of the Liberty Bell surrounded by a crowd. One photograph of a campus building in the third album is hand-colored.