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

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Collection

Allaire papers, 1762-1873 (majority within 1782-1831)

0.25 linear feet

The Allaire papers contain business correspondence, legal documents, and financial documents related to New York City resident Peter Alexander Allaire and his children, Calicia Allaire Wood and George Young Allaire. The collection also includes an anonymous account book from the 1830s, possibly kept by Pennsylvania merchant Thomas Wood.

Several early items in the collection relate to the post-Revolution business and legal affairs of Peter Alexander Allaire, and include a French document authorizing the shipment of several ingredients, including alkali and soap, for the manufacture of white lead (1783). The majority of the collection consists of material related to the financial interests of Calicia Allaire (m. Thomas Wood) and George Young Allaire. Many of these items reflect ongoing financial disputes between the siblings and Calicia's husband, and involved a third party, Cornelius Bogart. In addition to correspondence, financial records, and indentures related to the Allaire family, the collection includes scattered personal items. Also part of the collection is an account book, possibly kept by Thomas Wood, in which the author recorded financial information, including several accounts for everyday goods, "Farming Concerns," and items "Arrived from Foreign Ports." Many of the book's accounts relate to wood and a few mention stock held jointly with George Young Allaire.

Collection

Allen family papers, 1814-1893

0.25 linear feet

Online
The Allen family papers contain personal correspondence of the family of Northborough, Massachusetts, preacher John Allen. Allen and his sons, Joseph Henry Allen, Thomas Prentiss Allen, and William Francis Allen, often discussed antebellum politics and other matters, including slavery and abolition.

The Allen family papers contain personal correspondence of the family of John Allen, a preacher in Northborough, Massachusetts. He and his sons, Joseph Henry Allen, Thomas Prentiss Allen, and William Francis Allen, often discussed antebellum politics and other matters of intellectual concern, including slavery and abolition.

The Correspondence series (260 items) consists primarily of personal correspondence between family members. Thomas Prentiss Allen composed many of these letters, though his brothers and their sister Elizabeth also contributed. The well-educated Allens discussed a wide range of personal and political topics, and their letters provide a vivid picture of the politically charged antebellum era. They often shared opinions on local and national politics, emphasizing the conflicts over slavery that eventually erupted into secession and Civil War. Notably, Thomas Prentiss Allen expounded at length on Daniel Webster's famous speech urging support of the Compromise of 1850 and offered his own opinions on the political issues involved, including the Wilmot Proviso (March 24, 1850). Other letters of particular interest concern the Free Soil party and the Fugitive Slave Act (December 10, 1850 and January 9, 1851). Elizabeth Allen wrote a majority of the later items in the collection to Joseph Allen, her father, communicating a view of her life on the home front during the Civil War and occasionally mentioning the war and domestic politics.

The Pamphlets series (2 items) contains the following two items:
  • Fathers and Children, containing manuscript essays based on Biblical verses (September 1842)
  • A Discourse on Occasion of the Death of Hon. John Quincy Adams..., by Joseph Henry Allen (1848)

The Photographs series (2 items) contains two 19th-century portraits printed on thick cards.

The Miscellaneous series (5 items) contains a newspaper clipping regarding the death of William Francis Allen, as well as four manuscripts about various topics.

Collection

Allen family photograph album, [ca. 1875]-1894

1 volume

The Allen family photograph album contains carte-de-visite and tintype portraits of various individuals, including members of the Allen family of Mayville, Michigan.

The Allen family photograph album (13cm x 10cm) contains 22 cartes-de-visite, 13 tintypes, one lithograph, and one printed card. The cartes-de-visite and tintypes are studio portraits of men, women, and children. Most items show a single person, though some, such as a woman and a young baby, were photographed in pairs. The lithograph depicts a young girl holding a dog. An educational card, one of a series of "Little People Lesson Pictures" issued by the American Sunday-School Union (volume IV, number 1, part 5), is laid into the volume. The card has a colored print of a Biblical scene entitled "Beginning of the Hebrew Nation," and the reverse side has questions and answers about Abraham's journey to Canaan. The cartes-de-visite were made by photographers in locations such as Imlay City, Michigan; Owosso, Michigan; and Peterborough, Ontario. The volume's covers are leather, with a Maltese gold-embossed cross stamped in relief on each side.

Collection

Almon Underwood journal, 1832-1859 (majority within 1832-1850)

1 volume

Congregationalist preacher Almon Underwood kept this journal from 1832-1850. Underwood wrote about his faith, religious work, and life in Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey. The volume also contains an autobiography entitled "My Life Work," 2 sermons, and 15 pages of financial records, some of which concern John Underwood's estate.

Congregationalist preacher Almon Underwood kept this journal (630 pages) from June 1832 to 1850. He began writing in Troy, New York, and discussed his religious life, the state of the church, sermons, Sabbath schools, and other religious institutions; one entry contains "rules for sermonizing" (p. 58). Underwood sometimes reported on his travels to towns such as Brunswick and East Nassau, New York. A few entries pertain to current events, such as riots (p. 13) and cholera epidemics (pp. 35, 38). Prompted by harsh reactions to his opposition to slavery, Underwood moved to Newark, New Jersey, in 1844, where he continued to write about religion. The volume also contains an autobiography entitled "My Life Work" (pp. 307-403), 2 sermons, and 15 pages of financial records, some of which concern John Underwood's estate.

Collection

Al Parker Collection, 1850s-1926

1 box containing 3 envelopes of photographs, sheet music, and clippings, and 1 scrapbook volume

The Al Parker collection includes three envelopes of photographs, sheet music, and newspaper clippings as well as a scrapbook relating to the professional and personal life of Philadelphia-based photographer and photographic supplies salesman Alfred Parker.

The Al Parker collection includes three envelopes of photographs, sheet music, and newspaper clippings as well as a scrapbook relating to the professional and personal life of Philadelphia-based photographer and photographic supplies salesman Alfred Parker.

Envelope A (photographs): includes unmounted oval portraits of Parker’s children Eda and Ray from the early 1900s; studio portraits of Eda and his wife Alice from the 1910s, two of them from the Philadelphia studio of Gilbert and Bacon; an mounted school class photo (ca. 1890s?)

Envelope B (sheet music): includes three examples of World War I songs from the Eagle Publishing Company of Philadelphia with "music by Geo. L. Robertson and lyrics by Al. Parker."

Envelope C (letters, clippings, etc.): includes a letter appointing Dr. Ray Parker head of plastic surgery at a hospital in Johnstown, PA; a magazine article on “Flood Free Johnstown”; letters and clippings about Dr. Ray Parker; article on World War II factory workers; newspaper article on Theodore Roosevelt urging U.S. entry into World War I; and a note from Christmas 1926 from Parker’s grandson Donald addressed to “Ganco."

Scrapbook: The volume (37 x 28) is cloth-bound and has 66 pages total. Materials are not arranged in any chronological or thematic order and so unrelated items often appear together on the same page.

The album begins with photographs of Parker’s family members while the next few pages focus on scenes from his professional life, including a magazine cover from April 1900 and documentation of his break with Willis & Clements in 1910. Portraits of Parker at every stage of his life appear throughout the scrapbook, though not in any chronological order. The earliest is a tintype from the 1850s that shows him as a young boy with his brothers. Many portraits and casual snapshots of Parker's daughter Eda and son Ray from their early childhood into adulthood are included, while a collection of clippings reflects Parker’s pride in Ray's success as a doctor. His delight in playing the doting grandfather is clear from the drawings Parker made for Eda’s son Donald and in the notes that Donald wrote to Parker using the nickname “Ganco.”

A handful of portraits that were taken by Parker show that he was a capable studio photographer in addition to being a successful promoter of platinum photography products while working for Willis & Clements. Requests for his opinions from Eastman Kodak Company, Photo Era magazine, and the Photographers’ Association of New England testify to his recognized expertise. Numerous portraits of Parker in the company of other well-regarded photographers of the day confirm his acceptance in that professional circle.

Many ephemeral items also help illuminate the arc of Parker's career including programs from his minstrel show days; an advertisement for his Australian window blind company; the initial offer of employment from Willis and Clements; business cards from various stages of his career; and an ad for a new camera shutter he invented. Interspersed amongst these items are letters and photographs from various colleagues and employers along with miscellaneous poems, cartoons, programs, drawings, song lyrics, newspaper clippings, and so on.

Collection

Alvan Boyden papers, 1806-1828

19 items

This collection contains official U.S. Army documents and correspondence received or written by Alvan Boyden from his time in the United States Army's 45th Regiment of Infantry.

This collection contains official U.S. army documents and correspondence received or written by Boyden. These include regimental inventories, letters reporting inventories, and recruiting accounts. Post-war documents include two professional certificates: one for teaching and one for serving as a justice of the peace.

The donor has collected, arranged, transcribed, and annotated each document and has written a well-researched collection description.

Collection

Alvin Hoffa letters, 1918-1919

5 items

This collection is made up of letters that Jewish Sergeant Alvin Hoffa wrote to his uncle, Isaac Heidenheimer, and his cousin, Howard Heid, while stationed in France with the United States Army's 325th Infantry Regiment immediately after World War I.

This collection (5 items) is made up of letters that Jewish Sergeant Alvin Hoffa wrote to his uncle, Isaac Heidenheimer (4 items), and to his cousin, Howard Heid (1 item), between December 3, 1918, and March 5, 1919. At the time, Hoffa was stationed in Chambéry and Cerons, France, with the United States Army's 325th Infantry Regiment, Company A. Hoffa described his postwar time in France, where he and other American soldiers were "leading the life of Riley" (March 5, 1919). He mentioned activities such as YMCA-sponsored sightseeing trips, a vaudeville show, daily band concerts, and bike riding. He reported that the army provided soldiers with hotel rooms, free haircuts, and new, clean clothing for the journey home. Though he was "so use to hearing shells & bullets, that I am lost in this quiet little village" (January 18, 1919), Hoffa was content to remain in France while other troops embarked for home. Some of the letters are written on stationery of the Red Cross and the YMCA.

Collection

Amanda Easterday diary, 1869-1876 (majority within 1869)

1 volume

This diary chronicles the daily experiences and personal reflections of Amanda C. Easterday, a young woman who lived near Middletown, Maryland, in 1869. Easterday reflected on her loneliness and discussed her activities, which included prayer meetings and apple picking.

This diary (109 pages) chronicles the daily experiences and personal reflections of Amanda C. Easterday, a young woman who lived near Middletown, Maryland, in 1869. Easterday reflected on her loneliness and discussed her activities, which included prayer meetings and apple picking.

Daily entries cover April 25, 1869-November 15, 1869, and two later entries document Easterday's wedding on April 25, 1876. Easterday frequently opened entries with a weather report, which sometimes affected her outlook on the day. She attended prayer meetings and other social events in Frederick, Maryland, and mentioned the "little fellow" who often accompanied her on her way home. Though she had visits from friends, she often mentioned her loneliness and other melancholy emotions. Other experiences included seeing "the red men turn out" (p. 17), reading "The Red Knife; or, Kit Carson's Last Trail" (p. 26), and apple picking during the fall harvest (p. 66). Two later notes, dated April 25, 1876, and April 26, 1876, concern Easterday's wedding, including a list of guests in attendance (p. 109).

Collection

Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society constitution and minute book, 1878-1879

1 volume

This volume contains the constitution and meeting minutes of the Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society (A.M.D. Society) of East Providence, Rhode Island, as well as apparently unrelated financial accounts.

This volume contains the constitution and meeting minutes of the Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society (A.M.D. Society) of East Providence, Rhode Island, as well as apparently unrelated financial accounts.

The volume begins with the miscellaneous financial accounting before the content switches to that of the Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society. The A.M.D. Society was created to raise funds to purchase books for the Union Grammar School; additional content includes a copy of the Society's constitution, by-laws, and meeting minutes, as well as the names of the elected President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Society.

Also present within the volume is a blank manuscript form for a last will and testament.

Collection

Ambrose Huber cypher books, 1866-1868

2 volumes

This collection is made up of two cypher books kept by Ambrose H. Huber of Hereford, Pennsylvania, between 1866 and 1868. The books include problems and solutions in multiplication, fractions and decimals, arithmetical progression, roots, weights and measures. One volume has a yellow paper cover and the other a blue paper cover. The printed covers depict George Washington beside an American flag, with ships in the distance. On the backs of the volumes are printed advertisements for J. Washington Miller, Stationer and Publisher, No. 204 North Third Street.
Collection

Amelia Lippincott and Esek Hartshorne Williams letters, 1833-1848 (majority within 1838-1841)

23 items

This collection is made up of the incoming and outgoing correspondence of Amelia Lippincott Williams of New York City and her husband, Esek Hartshorne Williams of Red Bank, New Jersey. The bulk of the collection is comprised of 15 letters that Esek wrote to Amelia during their courtship and while traveling for business reasons during the first few years of their marriage. Amelia and Esek received the remaining 7 letters from friends and family members in New York and New Jersey.

This collection is made up of the incoming and outgoing letters of Amelia Lippincott Williams and her husband, Esek Hartshorne Williams. Esek wrote 16 love letters to Amelia during their courtship and early married life. Amelia also received 2 letters from friends and 1 from a niece named Mary. Esek received 1 letter from Amelia, 2 from his brother George, and 1 from a friend.

Amelia Lippincott was living in New York City when she received 7 letters from Esek H. Williams of Red Bank, New Jersey, between April 22, 1833, and November 10, 1834 (including 1 undated). His letters are affectionate and flirtatious, and often refer indirectly to the couple's romantic relationship. Esek Williams shared news from Red Bank, occasionally mentioned his work in a local store, and, on November 4, 1834, joked about Amelia's political awareness and her support of the Whigs.

After their marriage, Esek wrote 9 letters to his wife while he traveled west for business reasons; he sent 6 of these letters from Michigan in the winter of 1840-1841. He described his experiences near Fredonia, New York (December 13, 1840); Cleveland, Ohio (December 19, 1840); and Kankakee, Illinois (February 14, 1841). He mentioned his lodgings and modes of travel, and often remarked about his love for his wife and children, who remained in New York City. He spent much of his journey in southeast Michigan, where he had financial interests, and provided Amelia with news of his arrival and activities in Detroit (January 1, 1841, and January 10, 1841) and Ann Arbor (March 7, 1841). He discussed financial matters, including his difficulties with state-issued currency, "Michigan money," which he referred to as the only currency in regular circulation in Ann Arbor (March 7, 1841). On a later trip to Michigan, he noted the economic conditions in Detroit (January 1, 1843). On July 2, 1848, he composed his final letter, written from Marshall, Michigan; he expressed his intent to sell his farm in Ann Arbor. Two of his letters have pencil sketches of horses.

Amelia Lippincott Williams received dated personal letters from R. Montgomery, who shared her thoughts on fashionable hats (May 26, 1835), and a woman named Catherine Lent, who hoped Amelia could soon visit (October 1, 1835). Undated letters include 3 from friends and acquaintances, including one in which Amelia's niece Mary mentioned an outbreak of measles and a large social gathering in Shrewsbury, New Jersey. Esek H. Williams received two brief personal letters from his brother George.

Collection

American Bible Society papers, 1819-1855 (majority within 1828-1855)

100 items

This collection consists of American Bible Society reports from agents, often located in rural or frontier areas, and Bible distribution orders from affiliate Bible societies. These letters provide evidence of American Bible Society activity in Georgia, Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, and Maine, and several letters provide the names and officers of local Bible societies.

The bulk of this accession consists of orders from subsidiary or affiliate Bible societies, often located in rural or frontier areas, for Bibles for distribution and sale. These orders came from societies ranging in location from Farmington, Maine, in the east to Bainbridge, Georgia, in the south, to societies in the western states and territories. The great number of local societies represented as correspondents and the quantity, quality, and cost of Bibles they ordered can be used to reconstruct patterns of evangelical activity and success on the fringes of the country during the 1840's and '50's. This correspondence provides evidence of American Bible Society activity in Georgia, Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, and Maine, and several letters provide the names and officers of local Bible societies.

Included in the correspondence are a few informal reports from local societies of their situation vis-à-vis the needs of the evangelist, their finances, and the success of their efforts to date. Some of these societies served ethnic communities (Welsh, French, German, Native American) or frontier areas where contact was difficult. "You would find that lonely rides with your own conveyance over extensive Prairies and through forrests, is somewhat different from visiting important points by public Conveyances" (April 26, 1842).

A series of correspondence from the Wisconsin Territory to John Brigham in the late 1830's and early 40's is particularly detailed in describing plans for evangelizing in Wisconsin and reveals something of the mentality of the evangelists. The reports, orders, and letters from this quarter are detailed in terms of the numbers and types of Bibles distributed, the means used to distribute them, the finances of the local society, and the clientele served. The correspondents paint a fairly thorough picture of evangelical activity in Wisconsin and their personal experiences as evangelists.

Among their clientele were substantial numbers of Oneida Indians, the 'remnants' of the Iroquois, whom the correspondent, Julius Field, suggests 'are a peacible, Moral, - Industrious, and enterprizing People, - And the best of all Many of them give Satisfactory evidence of conversion & ardent piety' (May 20, 1842). Field continues at some length on the Oneidas and, in other letters, on the Oneida West Mission, 12 miles west of Green Bay. His descriptions of evangelizing among the Oneida are among the most complete in this collection, and his opinions on their life style and future prospects are particularly notable.

Collection

American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Prudential Committee minutes, 1848-1892

49 items

This collection contains handwritten minutes, many with revisions and excisions, for 49 meetings of the Prudential Committee of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions between 1848 and 1892. Written by multiple clerks, the minutes contain information on attendance, votes, resolutions, current and future missions, letters received, appointees, offers of service, reports from the field, salaries, grants, funding distribution, and other subjects.

This collection contains handwritten minutes, many with significant revisions and excisions, for 49 meetings of the Prudential Committee of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions between 1848 and 1892. Written by multiple clerks, the minutes contain information on attendance, votes, resolutions, current and future missions, letters received, appointees, offers of service, reports from the field, salaries, grants, and funding distribution. Other subjects referenced include Native American tribes, the Dakotas "in the new frontier," the need for missionaries to have wives, death or health concerns related to members, legal or domestic issues with foreign officials, and mission work in Hawaii.

Among the Mission Stations referenced are:

  • Cape Town
  • Constantinople
  • Smyrna
  • Beirut
  • Oroomiah
  • Ahmednuggur
  • Canton
  • Amoy
  • Madras
  • Fuh Chau
  • Mosul
  • Shanghai
  • Aleppo
  • Peking
  • Guadalajara
  • San Sebastian
  • Prague
  • and others
Collection

American Home Missionary Society collection, 1835-1851

10 items

This collection contains ten letters written between 1835 and 1851 to American Home Missionary Society Secretary John A. Murray and Associate Secretary Milton Badger. The primary topics are missionaries' efforts in western and central New York, their quarterly and annual reports, appointment approvals, and the requesting of funds for pastors' salaries.

This collection contains ten letters written between 1835 and 1851 to American Home Missionary Society Secretary John A. Murray and Associate Secretary Milton Badger. The primary topics are missionaries' efforts in western and central New York, their quarterly and annual reports, appointment approvals, and the requesting of funds for pastors' salaries. See the Detailed Box and Folder Listing for more information about each item.

Collection

American Presbyterian Shantung Mission photograph album, ca. 1923-1928

1 volume

This photograph album contains 57 photographs of the Jinan Station of the American Presbyterian Shantung Mission from ca. 1923 to 1928. Much of the images show the Murray High School for Girls and its students.

This photograph album 57 photographs of the Jinan Station of the American Presbyterian Shantung Mission from ca. 1923 to 1928. Many of the images show the Murray High School for Girls and its students. Young girls are shown in the school yard being led through routines and stretches, in class portraits, on a riverboat, and likely participating in May Day celebrations dancing around a maypole. The girls are shown wearing two-piece qipao uniforms with a white blouse and black skirts or trousers. In several photographs students can be seen waving the first national flag of the Republic of China. Two images include a stamp on the back that reads, "Dr. Evalena S. C. Fleming, American Presbyterian Mission, Tsinanfu North China." Dr. Fleming was an amateur photographer and likely the owner of the album. The accordion style album also contains five loose photographs in a mylar sleeve.

The album is 18.25 x 12 cm with decorative cloth covers.

Collection

American Red Cross, 91st Division death reports, 1917-1931 (majority within 1919)

41 items

Colin V. Dyment, Lt. A.R.C., 91st Div. wrote these American Red Cross, 91st Division (World War I) death reports for the benefit of bereaved family members. Written in 1919 and with varying degrees of detail, they describe the circumstances of the deaths of men in the 91st Division - almost exclusively during the Meuse-Argonne and Belgian offensives, September-November, 1918.

The American Red Cross 91st Division death reports consist of 29 reports, each of which documents the deaths within a particular company or companies, battalion, or detachment within the 91st. Every page bearing an American Red Cross letterhead, the documents begin with a list of deceased soldiers' names and emergency contacts and are followed by a description of each man's death. The reports comprise 332 pages and relate the wartime deaths of 781 men.

The author of the reports, Colin V. Dyment, Lieutenant A.R.C, was a "searcher" within the 91st Division. His reports each proceed in a chronological fashion, beginning in the first phase of the Meuse-Argonne offensive and ending variously - as the final deaths suffered by each unit occurred at different times. Some of the units lost their last man in the second phase of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, and others not until their service in Belgium.

With as much detail as he was able, Dyment related the military context, troop movements, geographical surroundings, and precise events that led to the death of the soldiers. The descriptions are at times narrative, sometimes including last words, final dialogues with other men, physical descriptions of the men, and exact burial locations (when known). Where he did not bear witness, he attempted to include the contact information of officers or soldiers who had, so that bereaved family members might query them for information about their loved ones. The individual reports often read like stories, telling of the same battles with a focus on different companies, battalions, and detachments.

One report of non-combat casualties describes a train wreck near Bonnieres, France, in which a French freight train crashed into the rear of a military troop train. The 91st suffered the loss of 30 men from the Machine Gun Company and Medical Detachment of the 362nd Infantry unit.

This collection arrived at the Clements Library with twelve additional items: typescript copies of nine letters and two postal cards from Harry B. Critchlow of the 363rd Ambulance Company, 316th Sanitary Train, 91st Division and one typescript document entitled "Who Won the War," written by William H. Johnston in collaboration with General John J. Pershing. These additional materials relate directly to the 91st Division, but their relationship, if any, to the death reports is unclear.

Harry B. Critchlow of Portland, Oregon, sent these letters to his parents and to his brother Walter, mainly in August 1917, while at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, and Fort Riley, Kansas. In them, he described life in military camp and the activities of his fellow soldiers. In a letter dated June 19, 1918, from Camp Lewis, Washington, he anticipated his deployment overseas. Following the War, he sent two postal cards from France, assuring his family that he was still alive.

William Johnston's typescript copy "Who Won the War" is made up of transcripts of letters between himself and General John J. Pershing, regarding the accuracy of Pershing's portrayal of the 91st Division in his memoir of the war.

Collection

American Tour photograph album, 1893

1 volume

The American Tour photograph album contains 96 Photographs of a tour taken of the United States and Canada, featuring the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago.

The American Tour photograph album (24 x 18 cm) contains 96 Photographs of a tour taken of the United States and Canada, featuring the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago. The photographic narrative follows a trip from Southampton, England, across the Atlantic to New York City; Richmond, Virginia; Chicago, Ill.; the Niagara region; Saratoga, New York; the Hudson River valley; and finally New York City and Coney Island, New York. Images from the trans-Atlantic trip include the dock at Southampton, the Steamship SS Paris at sea; the Sandy Hook pilot boat; views of the Statue of Liberty; and steerage passengers on an ocean liner. Several images of Richmond, Va., and rural homes in Amelia County, Va. appear. One view showing a three adults and one child on a wagon "leaving Sherwood" may be of the travelers. Numerous views of the Columbian Exposition grounds in Chicago are at the center of the album. Photographs of Niagara Falls and the Niagara River include an image of Clifford Calverley crossing the river on a tightrope. Other images include barges on both the Saint Lawrence Seaway and Hudson River; boating and scenery at Lake George; and ice houses and sailboats along the Hudson River. Photographs of New York City depict Wall Street; Brighton Beach and Coney Island; the Statue of Liberty; and Jersey City Ferry Boat "Orange." The album's half-bound brown cloth cover is stamped in gilt "American Tour. 1893."

Collection

Amherst, Massachusetts photograph album, 1934

1 volume

The Amherst, Massachusetts photograph album contains 13 photoprints taken in and around North Amherst, Mass., including images of churches, the post office, and parks. Also includes an image of the Amherst College campus and a photograph of a railroad bridge.

The Amherst, Massachusetts photograph album (18 x 26 cm) contains 13 photoprints taken in and around North Amherst, Mass., including images of churches, the post office, and parks. Also includes an image of the Amherst College campus and a photograph of a railroad bridge.

The album cover has black textured paper over boards, with gold printed title "Photographs," bound with string. Housed in a pale blue cardboard box.

Collection

Amis A. Madry letters, 1918

24 items

This collection is made up of 24 letters that Amis A. Madry wrote to his brother while serving in the United States Army at Camp Pike, Arkansas, during World War I. Madry commented on African American soldiers, influenza, and aspects of military life.

This collection is made up of 24 letters that Amis A. Madry wrote to his brother while serving in the United States Army at Camp Pike, Arkansas, during World War I. Madry commented on African American soldiers, influenza, and various aspects of military life.

Madry regularly corresponded with his brother throughout his military service, beginning just after his induction and ending shortly before his discharge. He wrote about daily life at the camp and provided some of his opinions on military life. Madry encouraged his brother to attempt to avoid army service, and discussed the possibility of his brother receiving an operation for an unspecified ailment. In some of his early letters, he mentioned his distaste for other enlisted men, whom he called "Rubes," and for African American soldiers. He shared anecdotes about an encounter with a "Yankee sergeant" who treated African Americans the same as white soldiers, and about interactions between white enlisted men and African American officers. In mid-1918, Madry's duties included training African American and white soldiers in drill exercises, as Camp Pike became a replacement center for troops headed overseas. During the fall of 1918, Madry's unit was quarantined after an outbreak of influenza; he later reported that several men from his unit had died during the epidemic. Madry occasionally wrote about his siblings, the draft, and war news. By December 1918, he anticipated his upcoming discharge from the military.

Collection

A Missionary's Fate. A Prophecy illustrated poem, [1868-1870s?]

1 volume

An anonymous author dedicated this 44cm x 29cm volume, "A Missionary's Fate. A Prophecy," to Miss Minnie Jenks, in or after 1868. It includes seven pages of neatly written, rhyming, narrative poetry accompanied by five ink and watercolor illustrations. This xenophobic cautionary poem and illustrations trace a young woman's fatal transatlantic Christian missionary expedition. She departs the United States intending to convert and teach Assamese people, but she is instead transported to Africa where her solitary missionary efforts result in her murder and cannibalization. The illustrations include her seaside departure, the missionary standing on a stump and singing to (racist caricatures of) African men, cannibalism, African men trying on the woman's clothing, and a scene of grief back in the United States.

An anonymous author dedicated this 44cm x 29cm volume, "A Missionary's Fate. A Prophecy," to Miss Minnie Jenks, in or after 1868. It includes seven pages of neatly written, rhyming, narrative poetry accompanied by five ink and watercolor illustrations. This xenophobic cautionary poem and illustrations trace a young woman's fatal transatlantic Christian missionary expedition. She departs the United States intending to convert and teach Assamese people, but she is instead transported to Africa where her solitary missionary efforts result in her murder and cannibalization. The poem ends with her grief-stricken family members weeping and fainting back home, and a concluding moral.

The illustrations include a dock scene, with passengers boarding a ship, persons on the dock waving farewell, and sailors at work on deck. Another shows the missionary woman standing on a stump with a hymn book (sheet music for "In the Sweet Bye and Bye" visible) and singing to a group of African men. The artist portrayed them as racist caricatures, and the men are holding knives, testing their edges, and sharpening teeth with an iron file. The following image depicts the woman on the ground with the men eating or carrying off her bones and severed parts of her body. Next, the men are trying on the woman's clothing; a chief is wearing her bonnet and carrying her parasol and purse/bag, another man is putting on her shoes, and another wears her skirt. The concluding artwork is a parlor scene back in the United States, wherein family and friends received a postal parcel containing a piece of the missionary's dress, her hymn book, a lock of her hair, and a shoestring. The people are shown weeping into handkerchiefs, one of them fainted and one holding the lock of hair.

A transcription of the seventh, final page of the poem--and the moral of the tale--is: "Oh gentle maid, on good intent, / Who would in 'Missions' lead the van, / Take warning from this maid, who went / Afar to free from Ignorance' ban. / Do all the good that here you can / Where you may have a little ease; / 'Home Missions' try on some one man - / Or two or more, if so you please, - / But do not try the Asamese."