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Collection

Balthazar Korab photograph collection, circa 1950-1997

1 linear foot

Architectural photographer based in Troy, Mich. Photoprints and copy negatives, chiefly a portfolio entitled "Man's Presence," a study of Michigan's manmade environment.

Representing but a tiny fraction of Korab's oeuvre, the collection held at the Bentley Library will nevertheless appeal to a broad range of researchers. Especially in a collective sense, Korab photographs are not only about architecture and architectural photography, but also about art, technology, modernism, photography's history, the environment, urbanism, ruralism, and the creative process itself. They also document one individual's spirited commitment to a life's work -- work expressed both analytically and emotionally.

The essence of the collection is a Korab portfolio entitled Man's Presence, a study of Michigan's man-made environment that drew him to dozens of towns, cities and rural areas in the upper and lower peninsulas. Photographs capture the quiet magnificence of silos and barns, the elegance of 19th century mansions, the utilitarian architecture of iron foundries and grain elevators. There are also pictures depicting ways man has wasted resources (an abandoned lumber mill, a barren tract of bulldozed land. A superb example of Korab's lifelong fascination with vernacular architecture, Man's Presence is a deliberate effort to capture on film Michigan worlds that otherwise might go unnoticed or become lost to future generations.

The collection is comprised of three series: Biographical Materials; Man's Presence Contact Sheets; and Man's Presence Copy Prints and Copy Negatives.

Collection

Byron Mac Cutcheon papers, 1883-circa 1890

0.2 linear feet

Online

The collection consists of an autobiography, portraits, and a steel engraving plate. His personal recollections of his and his division's part in the war were written for his family. The chapters include: "Preliminary--Enlistment--Rendezvous"; "Going to the Front"; "Washington to Fredericksburg"; "Fredericksburg, "with a vivid description of the "bloody and lamentable" battle of Fredericksburg, and an analysis of McClellan as a general; "From Fredericksburg to Louisville, "with an explanation of the demoralization of Col. A. W. Williams; "Louisville to Horse Shoe Bend," with an account of the squabble between Colonel Doolittle and Colonel Mausar over slaves to be or not to be returned to their owners, and the issuing of the paper Union Vidette; "The Battle of Horse Shoe Bend, Ky."; "Down the Mississippi to Vicksburg" and "The Jackson Campaign"; "From Mississippi to Tennessee" and "East Tennessee Campaign" with "The Battle of Campbell Station"; "Siege of Knoxville"; "The assault on Fort Saunders"; "some Incidents of the Siege of Knoxville"; "After the Siege of Knoxville"; "East Tennessee to Virginia" and "Back to the Army of the Potomac"; "Through the Wilderness"; "To Ny River and Spottsylvania"; "Hospital Experience"; "In Front of Petersburgh" and "The Battle of the Crater"; "Incidents of the Battle of the Crater"; "After the Crater"; "Weldon Railroad and Ream's Station." "Poplar Springs Church and Beyond"; "Peebles Farm to Fort McGilvery"; and "The Winter in the Petersburg Trenches."

Collection

Campbell family papers, 1860-1865, 1879-1949

2 linear feet

Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, Michigan, area family; correspondence, diaries, and other family materials.

The Campbell family collection includes correspondence and other family materials. Items of interest include Civil War correspondence of Gabriel Campbell and John S. Farnill; correspondence, diaries, and teaching materials of William Campbell; personal correspondence of Mary and Sarah (Sadie) Campbell concerning farming, local Republican politics, and school affairs; and printed materials concerning the Free Silver question and the election of 1896. The papers of Robert C. Campbell include diaries and University of Michigan student notebooks. Of interest are the notes he took from the lectures of John Dewey in philosophy, Henry Carter Adams in political economy, Burke A. Hinsdale in pedagogy, Joseph B. Steere in zoology, and A.A. Stanley in music, among other professors. The collection also includes high school notebooks of Carrie Read and E. Mabel Read.

Collection

Carr family papers, 1861-1930

0.4 linear feet

Carr-Stearns family of Whitehall, Muskegon County, Michigan, and Ypsilanti, Washtenaw County, Michigan; family correspondence, including Civil War materials.

The collection includes letters, diaries, and a memoir of Ezra Stearns relating to his Civil War service. There are also letters and other miscellanea of Marvin S. Carr written while a student at Michigan State Normal College, Ypsilanti, and later as a cadet at the United States School of Military Aeronautics at Champaign, Ill., Dallas, Texas, and Mount Clemens, Michigan during World War I. The photographs in the collection are of the family farm, with some high school photographs made in Whitehall public schools.

Collection

Charles Tyley Newton Papers, 1907-1947

4 linear feet

Ypsilanti, Michigan automobile salesman, antique collector for Greenfield Village, and real estate agent for the Ford Motor Company. Correspondence, newspaper clippings, and pamphlet material concerning his work for Ford Motor Company, and his interest in William H. McGuffey and Stephen Foster; and photographs.

The collection has been arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Newspaper clippings; Printed Material; Greenfield Village acquisitions; Real estate acquisitions; and Photographs.

Collection

Claude Thomas Stoner Photographs and Papers, 1870s-1977

9 linear feet (in 13 boxes)

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

Daughters of the American Revolution. Ypsilanti Chapter (Ypsilanti, Mich.) records, 1896-1985

1.5 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Ypsilanti chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution; organizational records.

The record group includes secretary's minutes, treasurer's books, by-laws, and annual reports. In addition, there is a minute book of the organization's Junior Committee, 1948-1952. Of genealogical value is the compilation made of the names of individuals buried in the Oakwood Cemetery, Saline, Michigan.

Collection

David Doss collection, 1899-1975 (majority within 1899-1955)

0.2 linear feet

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.

Collection

Department of History (University of Michigan) student papers, 1930-1987

7 linear feet (263 papers)

Student papers, 1930-1987 prepared for classes in history at the University of Michigan (primarily Michigan history class taught by Lewis G. VanderVelde, but also including research papers for classes taught by Sidney Fine and others); topics concern Michigan social and political history; Michigan biography and bibliography; and local community history.

The student papers are organized alphabetically by author in two series, which are similar in date range and topics covered. Topics of papers concern Michigan social and political history; Michigan biography and bibliography; local community history and University of Michigan history. A topical index to the papers is available in the first box of the collection.

Collection

Ed Beach photographs, 1931-1948

2.5 linear feet (in 5 boxes)

Ed Beach was an amateur photographer whose photographs document his hometown of Howell, Michigan and historical sites in other Michigan communities. His collection consists of photographic negatives (with some prints) and albums with prints of historic plaques and markers, statues of famous statesmen and their gravesites, early school buildings, historic houses, gristmills, sawmills, and county courthouses.

The Ed Beach collection consists of photographic negatives (with some prints) and albums with prints of historic plaques and markers, statues of famous statesmen and their gravesites, early school buildings, historic houses, gristmills, sawmills, and county courthouses. Other subjects include tourist sites in Michigan (such as Greenfield Village or Mackinac Island) and state parks, especially those in the Upper Peninsula. His hometown of Howell, Michigan is also heavily documented.

The Beach collection is arranged into three series. In the Kodak series the negatives measure 2 3/4 by 4 1/2 inches in size and cover the years 1931 to 1948. The Leica series consists of 35-millimeter strips and were taken between the years 1936 and 1938. The third series consists of seven albums of carefully identified photographs.

An item-level listing of the contents of the Kodak and Leica series is available at the library. To aid researchers a geographic and subject index has been created and is attached to this finding aid. These indices provide the best introduction to the collection.

Beach created the photograph albums around broad topics, and each has a title. The albums include: "Michigan Historic Places," "Around Lake Erie in Ontario. Trip to Chicago Century of Progress," "Michigan Courthouses," "Michigan Ships, Monuments, Historic Places, Buildings, Creek Scenes," "Indian and Trail Markers," "Around Michigan: Historic Places, Buildings, Mills, Dams, Bridges, Masonic Buildings," and "Michigan Governors' Homes, Michigan Trees, Old Buildings of Michigan." The photos in the albums include Beach's negative number.

Collection

Emil Lorch Papers, 1891-2004 (majority within 1891-1963)

18 linear feet — 14 oversize folders

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.

Collection

Episcopal Church. Diocese of Michigan records, 1830-2016

66.5 linear feet — 12 oversize volumes — 3 oversize folders

Bishops files, records of executive and administrative bodies and of diocesan organizations, staff files, parishes and mission's materials, and visual materials and sound recordings.

The records of the diocese of Michigan have been arranged into the following series: Bishops' files, Executive and administrative bodies, Diocesan organizations, Diocesan programs, Diocesan staff, Parishes and missions, Clergy, Audio and visual material, and Miscellaneous.

The record group is most valuable for its documentation of the history of the diocese and the individual churches within its administration, with a lesser amount of material pertaining to religious functions performed and to the operation of diocesan administrative groups and departments. For a number of reasons, there is scant material pertaining to the administration of the diocesan office or to the special programs that have been initiated by it over the years. Some of this material may be found in the papers of individual bishops whose papers have also come to the library and are separately cataloged. These include Samuel McCoskry, Samuel Smith Harris, Charles D. Williams, Herman Page, and Richard Emrich.

Collection

First Congregational Church (Ypsilanti, Mich.) Records, 1876-2002

4 linear feet — 1 oversize volume

Historical materials; annual reports; minutes of meetings of boards and councils of the church; records of church societies and organizations; newsletters; and miscellaneous photographs and topical files.

The records of the First Congregational Church of Ypsilanti date from 1881 to 1999, and include annual reports; minutes of meetings of boards and councils of the church; records of church societies and organizations; newsletters; and miscellaneous photographs and topical files. The records are divided into five series: History and Church Records, Reports and Meetings, Organizations and Societies, Newsletters and Miscellaneous.

Collection

First United Presbyterian Church (Ypsilanti, Mich.) records, 1829-1979

3.5 linear feet

Presbyterian church established in Ypsilanti, Michigan in 1829; Church registers, session minutes; records of woman's missionary society and ladies aid society; records, 1906-1940, of board of trustees; and records, 1830-1846, of the First Congregational Society.

The record group includes registers containing record of baptisms, marriages, and membership. In addition, there are early record books of the church, including session minutes. Many of the records relate to groups within the church, especially the Woman's Missionary Society and the Ladies Aid Society. The remainder of the record group is comprised of miscellaneous early documents, history and background information, and a scattering of photographs.

Collection

Frank Thomas Newton papers, 1900-1931

1 linear foot

Michigan Republican state senator, 1909-1912. Correspondence and other materials relating to Republican Party politics.

The Newton papers consists of correspondence and other materials relating to Republican Party politics, including elections of 1906, 1910, 1912 and 1918. There is also material relating to the early development of the Jackson Automobile Company. Correspondents include: Patrick H. Kelley, William A. Smith, Charles E. Townsend, Fred M. Warner and William W. Wedemeyer. The collection also includes a small folder of photographs.

Collection

Harvey S. Day Papers, 1831-1935

1 linear foot

Dairy farmer in Willis, Michigan; personal and family correspondence and farm account books.

Personal and family correspondence, including letter 1865, of Matthew Day written from Joe Holt Hospital; letters, 1892-1935, concerning Holstein-Friesian cattle and the activities of the Holstein-Friesian Association, and Day's dairy farm; also bills, receipts, cattle transfer certificates, records of milk poundage, account books, poetry, recipe book, and other miscellaneous papers.

Collection

Highland Cemetery Association records, 1863-2004

1.5 linear feet

Owners of Highland Cemetery, Ypsilanti, Michigan. Minutes, financial reports, and register of blocks and lots; also collected historical and research materials relating to the proposed restoration of starkweather Chapel at the cemetery and to the effort to have the cemetery placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The records of Highland Cemetery includes minutes of annual meetings and of the Board of Trustees; newsletters, promotional materials; collected historical and research materials about the cemetery, Starkweather Chapel, and the effort to place the cemetery on the National Register of Historic Places.

Collection

HIV/AIDS Resource Center Records, 1986-2003

2 linear feet

Established in 1986 in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan as Wellness Networks, Inc.-Huron Valley, the organization provides HIV and AIDS related services and information. The name of the organization was changed to HIV/AIDS Resource Center in 1993. Board meeting minutes and agendas, correspondence and memoranda, activity files, newspaper articles, and related records.

The record group is split into two series: The Wellness Networks, Inc. -- Huron Valley series and the HIV/AIDS Resource Center (HARC). The first series consists of records such as meeting minutes, bylaws, press releases, and financial statements, and they document the establishment and the early period of the organization. The second series consist of board meeting minutes, outreach activity plans, speakers' schedules, and committee activities.

Collection

Horace H. Rackham and Mary A. Rackham Fund Records, 1929-1950 (majority within 1934-1940)

14 linear feet — 1 oversize volume

The last will and testament of Horace H. Rackham provided for the establishment of a trust fund to provide for the health and welfare of individuals, particularly the sick, aged, the young, the poor, and other underprivileged. Much of the trust money went to the University of Michigan to be used for a building for the graduate school and an endowment to be used for different kinds of research. The Fund also awarded grants to agencies involved in child welfare, community culture, education, health, philanthropy, and science. The Fund distributed money from 1934 until about 1941. The series in this record group consist of administrative and executive files, and project applications and grant files.

The records of the Horace H. Rackham and Mary A. Rackham Fund document the continuing generosity of Horace Rackham and Mary Rackham to numerous charitable, educational, and scientific organizations and causes. The records contain the files of the Fund's trustees and directors and provide insight and information about such topics as the administration of a philanthropic fund-giving organization during the mid-1930s, the kinds of gifts made, the relationship among the Fund's trustees and officers, and the relationship between the Fund and the grant recipients. Because of the size of the gift, most of the documentation within the record group details the close ties between the Fund and the University of Michigan. These files concern not only the establishment of the Rackham endowment to the University, but also the different scientific and educational grants made. Additionally, these files detail the construction of the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies building in Ann Arbor and the Rackham Educational Memorial building in Detroit.

The records of the Fund cover the period of 1929-1950 though they bulk largest for the period of the Fund's greatest activity, 1934-1940. The record group has been separated into two series: Combined Administrative and Executive Office Files and Project applications/grants.

Collection

Huron Valley Girl Scout Council records, circa 1940-1965

7 linear feet

Administrative files, including board and finance minutes, agendas, fund-raising and promotional materials, scrapbooks, articles of incorporation, and other miscellanea; also files of the Ypsilanti, Wayne, and Brighton, Michigan, councils of the Girl Scouts.

The Huron Valley Girl Scout Council record group documents the administration and activities of a growing Girl Scout Council in Michigan. It is comprised of such records as Board and Council minutes, by-laws, annual reports, newsletters, financial material, various committee minutes, district files, promotional material, annual agendas, membership information, and staff position descriptions. Included in the records are the files of the Ann Arbor, Plymouth and Washtenaw County Girl Scout Councils. In 1958 these agencies combined to form the Huron Valley Girl Scout Council. The records cover the years 1940 through 1965 with the bulk covering 1958-1962. Only a portion of the records have been processed. Those materials which have been processed consist of the following series: Ann Arbor Girl Scout Council, Plymouth Girl Scout Council, Girl Scout Council of Washtenaw County and Huron Valley Girl Scout Council.

Collection

Isaac Newton Elwood papers, 1866-1885

2.5 linear feet

Methodist Episcopal clergyman; sermons.

The Elwood collection consists of sermons and outlines and notes for sermons delivered in Marquette, Fenton, Saginaw, Morenci, Ann Arbor, Port Huron, Ypsilanti, and Flint, Michigan. Also included are sermons on temperance, an essay on Charles Sumner (1866), and a brief history of Sunday School in Morenci, Michigan.

Collection

Ivory Photo photograph collection, circa 1927-1971

31 linear feet

Ann Arbor, Michigan, photography firm. Photonegatives, and some photoprints, of images largely relating to Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan, but including Ypsilanti and other Michigan cities: buildings, businesses, houses, street scenes, community activities, and organizations; also photos of automobiles, storm damage, etc. taken to support insurance claims.

The Ivory Photo collection consists of an impressive array of negatives and prints taken by Ann Arbor photographer Mel Ivory from the 1920s to the early 1970s. Most of the photographs were taken by Ivory for customers, whether the University of Michigan, local businesses, or private citizens. The collection is probably most valuable for its extensive documentation of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan, the two areas in which it bulks largest. However, because it spans a relatively long time period, the collection is also useful for illustrating changes in photography as an art and as a business, and for documenting social trends in twentieth-century America. Finally, the collection documents the career of a commercial photographer.

As a photographer for the University of Michigan in the 1920s and 1930s, Ivory took the standard pictures of campus events, buildings, and people, but the value of many photographs from this period is as much aesthetic as informational. Producing cover art for the Michigan Alumnus allowed him to experiment with unusual angles, lighting, and subject matter. (See, for example, photographs of the Clements Library and of students strolling through the Diag in the 1930s.) In stark contrast to these images is a large group of photographs of car wrecks that Ivory took for insurance companies between 1937 and 1969.

Besides providing thorough documentation of the physical plant of the University of Michigan, the Ivory collection evokes the flavor of life on campus in the 1930s and 1940s through photographs of football games and crowds, dance bands, social events, professors at work in laboratories, the Michigan Daily staff at work, and students in classrooms, libraries, and dormitories.

The Ann Arbor subseries includes numerous photographs of houses and businesses, filed by address to facilitate research into a particular building or site, as well as a rich assortment of photographs depicting life in Ann Arbor through more than four decades. There are numerous photographs of men and women at work in factories, stores, and other settings. Some show women at work in unusual settings (as cab drivers for Ace Cab Company, for example) while others depict women in stereotypically female occupations (as secretaries, store clerks, and ditto machine operators). Photographs of drug and department store display windows and of products in grocery stores illustrate trends in merchandising.

The Ivory collection is also remarkable for its documentation of social mores. Wedding photographs taken from the 1930s to the 1960s depict a variety of settings, fashions, wedding rituals, and even fads, such as a 1940 wedding at a roller rink. There is also a small group of photographs of funerals and an extensive series of portraits of children, families, and individuals.

Photographs of a depression-era hobo cooking near a railroad car, of lawn parties and country clubs, of the soap box derby and sports teams reflect diverse aspects of life in Ann Arbor. The home front during World War II is documented in views of an aluminum drive, a blitzkrieg game in a local tavern, a commuter bus with a female conductor, and the Judge Advocate General's school exercises in the Law Quad.

Although the Ypsilanti subseries is considerably smaller than the Ann Arbor and University of Michigan subseries, it contains a number of valuable photographs, such as the Cleary College photographs showing rows of students at typewriters, students relaxing on boarding house steps and in Cleary lounges and recreation rooms, and annual graduation processions. The Washtenaw County subseries contains rural scenes such as farms, country roads, and a county fair. The remaining subseries consist of businesses, street scenes, railroad stations, and a variety of other photographs representing Michigan towns and counties.

A few copy negatives made by Ivory from existing photographs are scattered throughout the collection. A late nineteenth or early twentieth-century anatomy lesson in the Medical School, for example, is filed in the "Colleges, Schools, and other Divisions" section of University of Michigan 5"x7" negatives.

The contents of the various subseries and sub-subseries are for the most part self-evident, but a few words of explanation about the Ann Arbor subseries are in order. "Buildings and Views" consists largely of exterior views of buildings. However, there are many interior scenes of people and activities in the "Churches," "Hospitals," and "Schools" sections. For example, photographs of Ann Arbor churches include views of the pastor and congregation, choirs, recreation rooms, meetings, and athletic teams in addition to interior and exterior views of the buildings. "Schools" contains photographs of sports teams, classroom scenes, social events, and buildings representing Ann Arbor public and parochial schools, but also Ann Arbor Secretarial School and Concordia College.

Researchers seeking images of commercial enterprises will find material in the "Buildings and Views" sub-subseries (listed under the street address in the "Houses and Businesses" section) and in the "Businesses" sub-subseries (under the name of the enterprise).

The "Houses and Businesses" negatives within the "Buildings and Views" sub-subseries are arranged alphabetically by street name and then numerically by address. Most of these photographs are exterior views, but interior scenes of businesses have been filed here in order to keep exterior and interior views of a particular business together. Photographs of products, equipment, people at work, and special events are filed in the "Businesses" sub-subseries when no building exteriors exist or when the address of the business was unknown. Researchers should look both places for photographs of businesses. Although some "see also" references have been added, they are by no means exhaustive. Researchers may also wish to examine the "Motor Vehicles" sub-subseries, which contains photographs of trucks owned by Ann Arbor businesses.

In the University of Michigan subseries, "Buildings and Views" consists of exterior and interior views of buildings, whereas "Colleges, Schools, and Other Divisions" contains photographs of professors and students in laboratories and classrooms as well as group photographs of staff and students.

Collection

Janet D. Crabtree photograph collection, circa 1910

1 folder

Resident of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The collection consists of two photographs of an African American river baptismal service. Also included are photographs of airplanes, a car on a flooded road, and the entrance to Belle Isle Park in Detroit; a photograph of the Ypsilanti, Mich. water tower; and cyanotypes of farm property.

The collection consists of two photographs of an African American river baptismal service. Also included are photographs of airplanes, a car on a flooded road, and the entrance to Belle Isle Park in Detroit; a photograph of the Ypsilanti, Mich. water tower; and cyanotypes of farm property.

Collection

J. Milton Barnes collection, 1972, 1977-1980

12 audiocassettes — 1 volume

Ypsilanti, Michigan newspaperman and local historian. Recorded reminiscences of the life and culture of Ypsilanti in period of ca. 1900-1910.

The collection consists of sound cassettes with J. Milton Barnes reminiscing about life in Ypsilanti, Michigan during the late nineteenth and twentieth century. Topics covered include working at the Ypsilanti Press, the Opera House, the interurban train, the Barnhill Marching Band, and Michigan State Normal College (now Eastern Michigan University). The collection also includes a narrative reminiscences entitled Ypsilanti's Third Half Century covering the period from 1917 to ca. 1970.

Collection

Ladies Literary Club, Ypsilanti, Michigan, Records, 1882-2008

6 linear feet (in 7 boxes)

Minutes of meetings, scrapbooks, financial records, reports, and other papers; and photographs.

The Ladies Literary Club of Ypsilanti (LLC) Records (1882-2008) documents the development and changes of the activities of the LLC for more than a century. The record group consists of Historical/foundational documents, Regular Meeting Minute Books, Board of Trustees papers, Membership and Program books, Financial Records, Presidents' Files, History of building addition, LLC Magazines, Scrapbooks, and Miscellaneous files.

Collection

Lisa Marshall Bashert Papers, 1971-2016

9.5 linear feet — 8.8 MB (online)

Online
Lisa Marshall Bashert is a lesbian feminist witch from Ypsilanti, Michigan. She was involved in various causes and local organizations, especially relating to gay-lesbian activism in Michigan. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan and a life-partner of Beth Bashert. The Bashert collection consists almost entirely of her journals which are a combination of diaries, musings and other personal reflections about such topics as her sexuality, her personal relationships, and her involvement in feminist, lesbian, and pagan organizations.

The Bashert collection consists almost entirely of her journals which are a combination of diaries, musings and other personal reflections about such topics as her sexuality, her personal relationship, and her involvement in feminist, lesbian, and pagan organizations. In many journals, Bashert discusses her relationship with her partner, Beth Bashert. Digital transcripts of her journals are also kept online.

Another series in the collection, Local Organization and Projects, contains files related to environmental sustainability, and gay and lesbian rights organizations in Ypsilanti during the 2000s. Bashert was invited by the mayor of Ypsilanti in 2007 as an active member of the community, to work on the Ypsilanti 2020 Task Force. Files from this project include reports and recommendations on improving the cities infrastructure and economic development. Bashert was also a board member for many sustainability organizations, and as such many of the meeting minutes and reports are found within the series.

Collection

Lutheran Church in America, Michigan Synod records, 1917-1987

42 linear feet (in 46 boxes) — 2 oversize volumes — 1 oversize folder

President's correspondence, executive committee minutes, and minutes of annual conventions; also files on individual churches in the Synod, including clippings, reports, church histories and programs; and photographs.

The records of the Michigan Synod of the Lutheran Church in America include president's correspondence; executive committee minutes; and minutes of annual conventions; files on individual churches in the Synod, including clippings, reports, church histories and programs; and photographs. The records have been arranged into the following series: Organizational and Administrative Records; Archivist's files; Organizational units and programs; Lutheran Church Women; Printed material; Church files; Topical files; and Visual Materials. Most of the records prior to 1962 originally came from the archives of United Lutheran Church in America.

Collection

Michigan Daily records, 1950-2006

45 linear feet — 18.3 MB (online)

Online
University of Michigan student newspaper. Records include biographical information about University of Michigan faculty, staff, and administrators, including news clippings, news releases, and curriculum vitae; and negatives and contact prints of images of University buildings, student and staff activities, athletic events, and life in Ann Arbor, Michigan; and portraits of faculty, staff, and administrators.

This record group consists primarily of visual materials created by the photographic staff of The Michigan Daily. The photographs cover the full spectrum of activities on campus -- classroom scenes, staff and faculty portraits, academic ceremonies, student protests, athletics, student life, speakers and musical performers, as well as some Ann Arbor scenes and events and occasional events of state and national significance. To date, no administrative records have been donated to the Bentley Historical Library. The records were received in several accessions. The organization of the records in part reflects these multiple accessions with several distinct runs of negatives and prints (though there may be some overlap in years.

Collection

Michigan Visiting Nurses records, 1896-2010

11.3 linear feet

Michigan Visiting Nurses was created by the integration of the Visiting Nurse Association of Huron Valley into the University of Michigan Health System beginning in 1998. The Visiting Nurse Association of Huron Valley formed in 1980 with the merger of the Ann Arbor Visiting Nurse Association (AAVNA) and the Ypsilanti Visiting Nurse Agency (YVNA). The Ann Arbor association was formed in 1896 with the establishment of the University Hospital Circle of the King's Daughters, name later changed to the Ann Arbor Public Health Nursing Association. The Ypsilanti Agency was founded in 1941. Records include: Secretary's record books and files consisting of minutes, reports, and related organizational documents; scrapbooks; financial records; and subject files.

The Michigan Visiting Nurses (MVN) records cover over 100 years of public health nursing in Washtenaw County, documenting the changing nature of this service and its associated agencies over the course of the twentieth century. The MVN records are organized into four series: Ann Arbor Visiting Nurse Association, Ypsilanti Visiting Nurse Agency, Visiting Nurse Association of Huron Valley, and Michigan Visiting Nurses.

Collection

Norris Family Papers, 1815-1960

3 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Norris family of Ypsilanti and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Papers of Mark Norris, Ypsilanti businessman and postmaster; papers of his wife, Roccena Vaill Norris, local teacher and woman's rights advocate; papers of their son, Lyman, attorney and regent of the University of Michigan, 1883-1884; papers of Lyman's son, Mark Norris, Grand Rapids attorney and Grand Master of the Knights Templar in the United States; papers of Lyman's daughter Maria Norris, Grand Rapids physician; papers of Mark's son, Abbott Norris; and related papers of other family members, notably the Whittelsey family of Connecticut.

The Norris family papers consists of three linear feet of correspondence, business papers, and scrapbooks. The bulk of the papers are letters among various family members which contain a wealth of information about 19th century daily life, social conditions, business affairs, and local and state politics. This collection is especially useful in researching: women's history; Norris family and kinship interrelationships; early area settlement and local history; university student life at the University of Michigan and elsewhere; 19th century economic conditions and political issues; and 20th century Freemasonry.

Collection

Order of Pythian Sisters. Huron-Arbor Temple no. 66 (Ypsilanti, Mich.) records, 1903-1990

2 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Women's affiliate of the Knights of Pythias. Minute books, annual reports, and other records of the Huron Temple (Ypsilanti, Mich.); also membership roster of the Arbor Temple (Ann Arbor, Mich.) which merged, ca. 1978, with the Huron Temple.

The records include temple minutes, annual reports, minutes of the past chiefs club, and miscellaneous papers and reports. Also included is a membership roster of Temple 80 of Ann Arbor. The Ann Arbor Temple merged with Temple 66 in October 1979.

Collection

Owen J. Cleary Papers, 1944-1959

10 linear feet — 2 oversize volumes — 1 oversize folder

Owen J. Cleary was an attorney, president of Cleary College in Ypsilanti (1940-1960), Michigan secretary of state (1953-1954), and chairman of the Republican State Central Committee (1949-1953). The collection includes correspondence, scrapbooks and clippings, organizational files, and Republican Party files.

The collection documents the later period of Cleary's life, mainly from 1945 to 1959. The series include Correspondence; Scrapbooks and clippings; Organizational interests; and Political files.

The great bulk of the collection consists of correspondence dated from 1945 to 1959 and documenting his work as Republican State chairman (1949-1953), his tenure as Michigan secretary of state (1953-1954), and his various other civic, political, and business involvements. There is included with this finding aid a selective index to Cleary's correspondents.

Collection

Penrod/Hiawatha Company postcard collection, 1950s-2017

7.4 linear feet (in 10 boxes; over 5000 postcards)

The Penrod/Hiawatha Company collection is mainly comprised of postcards, although some supplemental photographic items directed toward tourists is also included. The postcards, numbering more than 5,000, primarily are of the Michigan landscape and its towns and cities, covering every region of the state. Typical postcard themes dominate, particularly natural scenery, outdoor recreation, and shopping districts. The postcards date from the 1950s through the opening decades of the twenty-first century, although very few display copyright dates. The collection is divided into the following series.

  1. Non-Postcard Items (calendars, brochures, booklets): Box 1
  2. Non-Penrod/Hiawatha Postcards: Box 2
  3. Penrod/Hiawatha Postcards, 1970s-1990s: Boxes 2-5
  4. Penrod/Hiawatha Postcards, mid- to late 1990s: Boxes 5-6
  5. Penrod/Hiawatha Postcards, late 1990s-2000): Boxes 6-7
  6. Penrod/Hiawatha Postcards, 2001-2004: Box 8
  7. Penrod/Hiawatha Postcards, 2005-2014: Box 9
  8. Oversize and miscellaneous: Box 10

As batches of postcards are received every years, it was decided to arrange the items in blocks of time according to the date of their accession. Thus for the researcher interested in a specific city, it will be necessary to examine the listing for each of the series.

Collection

Postcard Collection, 1890s-[ongoing]

14.4 linear feet (in 15 boxes) — 1 oversize folder

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.

Collection

Robert Hunter collection, 1920s-1990s (scattered)

0.2 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Collection of documents and photographs relating to Ypsilanti, Mich. African American community.

Charter of Touissant Lodge no. 21, Knights of Pythias, Ypsilanti, Michigan, 1923; charter of Eden Council no. 408, Ancient United Knights and Daughters of Africa, 1926; charter of Huron Lodge no. 695, Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World, 1926; miscellaneous and printed material relating to Ypsilanti African American chapters of fraternal and service organizations; and photographs.

Photographs, dated 1940s-1990s (scattered dates), include group photos of Ypsilanti African American chapters of American Legion and Freemasons; photos of Ypsilanti community leader John Burton; snapshots from Million Man March.

Collection

Sam Sturgis photograph collection, 1860s-1970s

10 linear feet (11 boxes including 1 oversize box)

Photographs collected by Sam Sturgis and Hazel Proctor of Ann Arbor, Michigan; including businesses, street scenes, buildings, people, and activities in Ann Arbor, Brighton, Chelsea, Dexter, Dixboro, Manchester, Saline, and Ypsilanti, Michigan. (Copy negatives and copy prints.)

The Sam Sturgis collection consists of photographic prints and copy negatives of Washtenaw and Livingston County life from the 1860s through the 1970s. Collected by Ann Arbor photographer Sam Sturgis and Ypsilanti banker Hazel Proctor from a variety of known and unknown sources, the collection represents many aspects of life in Ann Arbor, Brighton, Chelsea, Dexter, Dixboro, Manchester, Saline and Ypsilanti. Main subject categories include churches, schools, businesses, buildings, University of Michigan buildings, staff, students and campus life, streets, panoramic views, rivers, recreation and family life, including residences, men, women, and children. Evolving modes of transportation, such as railroads, interurban streetcars, automobiles, and airplanes are also depicted.

Prints and negatives are divided into two parallel series, with negative use restricted to Bentley staff for preservation and security purposes. Each series is arranged alphabetically by city or town and, within each geographical grouping, in the order in which Sturgis collected the items. Sturgis began donating his collection to the Bentley in 1966, and, as items continue to be received, numbering is continued within each geographical grouping, in the original collecting and numbering order established by Sturgis. While some numbers were originally intended by Sturgis to designate the origins of the item, if known, this information has also been added to the item description under the heading "source" to facilitate patron and staff use. The Bentley does not hold a complete set of prints and negatives. Information on the current availability of both prints and negatives is included in each item listing.

Each photograph has a unique identifying number. The "Sturgis Number" consists of a one or two-letter series code, followed by a numerical number with decimal or alphanumeric number, such as AA 267.21 or AA 35A. the collection is arranged by city as follows

City Sturgis Code Number of Images
Ann Arbor AA ca. 1500
Brighton BB 148
Chelsea C 156
Chelsea-Manchester CM 119
Dexter D 124
Dixboro DI 45
Manchester M 123
Saline S 57
Ypsilanti Y 150

An item list of all photographs with description, date (if known), source and photographer, if known, follows the summary contents list on page three of the introduction.

Information on whether the photograph has been published and therefore has further information provided elsewhere is also included in each item description. Unless otherwise noted, all photographs listed as "published" have been published in a series by the Ann Arbor Federal Savings Bank (AAFSB), with editorial supervision by Sam Sturgis and Hazel Proctor. Availability of the respective print and negative concludes each item entry.

The following books, published by the AAFSB in the early 1970s, are annotated with Sturgis' photograph numbers and may be used as a partial guide to the collection. While two copies of each publication are available for consultation in the reading room, only one of each set has annotations. Descriptive captions in these publications as well as the annotated numbers may differ from actual photograph numbers and other information about the photographs. Any reference to these annotations should be verified with the item lists and vice versa to assure accuracy because of occasional inconsistencies. The AAFSB publications with Bentley call numbers are listed as follows:

  1. Proctor, Hazel. Old Ann Arbor Town. 1974. Copy 1 annotated. EC 2 A216.5 P964
  2. Sam Sturgis. Memories of Old Ann Arbor Town, 1967. Copies 1 and 2 annotated. EC 2 A613.5 S935
  3. Proctor, Hazel. Old Brighton Village. 1974. Copy 1 annotated. EC 2 B856.3 P964
  4. Proctor, Hazel. Old Chelsea Village. 1972. Copy 2 annotated. EC2 C516.5 P964
  5. Proctor, Hazel. Old Dexter Village. 1973. Copy 1 annotated. EC 2 D526.5 P964
  6. Proctor, Hazel. Old Manchester Village. 1974. Copy 2 annotated. EC 2 M268.5 P964
  7. Proctor, Hazel. Old Saline Village. 1975. Copy 1 annotated. EC 2 S165.5 P964
  8. Proctor, Hazel. Old Ypsilanti Town. 1974. Copy 2 annotated. EC 2 Y86.5 P964
Collection

St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Ypsilanti, Mich.) records, 1836-2000

9.4 linear feet — 4 oversize volumes

Records of vestry and congregational meetings; parish registers, records of women's guild and women's auxiliary; and treasurer's record book.

The records of St. Luke's include minutes of vestry and congregational meetings; registers of members, baptisms, marriages, etc.; registers of church services; church publications; scrapbooks detailing activities; photographs; and record books for church women's organizations.

Collection

Washtenaw County Historical Society records, 1827-2014

17.5 linear feet (in 18 boxes) — 1 oversize folder (UBPl)

Local historical society for Washtenaw County, Michigan Organizational records and collected historical materials.

The Washtenaw County Historical Society records include collected historical documents and photographs relating to the people, events, and history of the county, its cities and townships. There are also administrative records of the organization, including minutes of meetings, subjects relating to Society programs and projects, and financial miscellanea.

Collection

Woman’s Study Club of Ypsilanti records, 1897-1999

5 linear feet

Originally formed as auxiliary to Ladies Literary Club. Minutes, scrapbooks, program books, and other organizational materials.

The records of the Woman's Study Club of Ypsilanti include a history of the organization written in 1980, minute books of the organization, programs, membership materials, and scrapbooks of club activities.

Collection

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Ann Arbor - Ypsilanti Branch records, 1938-2005

1 linear foot — 1 oversize volume

Correspondence, minutes, newsletters and newspaper clippings concerning activities of the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti branch of this anti-war organization; also collected materials from the state chapter and from local branches in Detroit, Ingham County, Oakland County, Rouge Valley, and Traverse City, Michigan.

The records of the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom document the various causes espoused by the League, notably its opposition to the Vietnam conflict and to the Gulf War. Locally, the group promoted education with its Jane Addams Book Award, worked closely with UNICEF, and fought for fair housing practices. These activities are also documented within the files. The League records show the group's continuous community involvement. The records are arranged into three series, Alpha File, Michigan Branch and Other Michigan Branches.

Collection

Ypsilanti Greek Theater records, 1963-1967

0.5 linear feet — 3 oversize volumes

Organization established in Ypsilanti, Michigan for the performance of Greek theater productions. Papers of theater president, Clara Owens; administrative files including minutes, correspondence, and financial records, printed material, press releases, clippings and scrapbooks, and photographs.

The records of the Ypsilanti Greek Theater (0.5 linear feet and 3 volumes) range in dates from 1963 to 1967. The bulk of the information covers only the years 1965-1967 and provides minimal information from 1963 and 1964. Really the only materials that cover the earlier years of the organization are the scrapbooks.

The collection consists mainly of the papers of former president of the organization, Mrs. Clara Owens. Included are administrative records, photographs, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, and printed materials. The papers have been divided into five series: Personal Records, Clara Owens; Administrative; and Publicity and Other Related Materials.

Collection

Ypsilanti Kiwanis Club records, 1921-1987

1 linear foot

Ypsilanti, Michigan chapter of the Kiwanis Clubs. Historical information and club bylaws, monthly and annual reports, minutes of meetings, membership files, publications, scrapbook and clippings, and photographs.

The Ypsilanti Kiwanis Club Records are comprised of historical information and bylaws; monthly and annual reports which document the membership, activities and financial transactions of the organization; meeting minutes; membership information; Ypsilanti Kiwanis publications; scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, and photographs. The monthly reports cover the years 1957-1983, but there is a considerable gap for the early 1970s. Annual audit reports were compiled by the Club's budget committee and itemize the expenses and money raised by the Club through dues and fund raising. There are many gaps in the audit reports, which cover the period of the 1940s and 1950s. Several other annual reports are in the collection, such as the Club Achievement report, the Club report and an Activity Survey. The different titles and formats reflect the changing forms over the years. Unfortunately, these annual reports are very spotty, with only a few years' records being preserved. Club elections are recorded in the Annual Club Election file; there is again, however, a gap for the late 1960s and 1970s reports.

Minutes of the Club meetings document the weekly decisions and concerns of the organization between the founding in 1921 and 1986. The names and occupations of club members are located in the Club Roster files. Two newsletters are found in the publications series - the Kiwanis News and We are the Kiwanis of Ypsilanti. The scrapbook and photograph series reflect the community service activities of the Club.