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Collection

Alaska Gold Rush photograph album, 1898-1902

1 volume

The Alaska Gold Rush photograph album contains approximately 300 photographic prints. Most photographs show scenery, people, and settlements in Alaska around the turn of the 20th century, as well as a small group of scenes from San Francisco, California.

The Alaska Gold Rush photograph album (25cm x 30cm, 92 pages) contains approximately 300 photographic prints. Around 280 prints, including around 270 mounted onto the album's pages and around 10 loose items laid into the volume, show settlements, natural scenery, and people in Alaska from 1898-1902. Settlements such as St. Michael, Dutch Harbor, and Dawson are shown, as are native settlements, tents, and log cabins; a few interior shots are present. Some of the buildings and people pictured were associated with the North American Transportation & Trading Company. Subjects include: United States military personnel, indigenous Alaskans, men and women (sometimes in heavy winter dress), landscape views, glaciers, native animals and other natural scenery, and military and civilian boats.

Most of the photographs are black-and-white prints, though the album also includes a small number of cyanotypes. Items of note include a small panorama (p. 14), a photograph taken at the "dawn of the century" (p. 7), and pictures of a totem pole (p. 77), an early telegraph pole (p. 81), and a hands-free pie-eating contest (p. 85). A partial manuscript list of captions, roughly contemporary with the photographs, is laid into the volume. The final four pages of the album contain small photographic prints of scenes from San Francisco, California, with a focus on missions and other architecture. Penciled captions accompany many of the album's prints, though many are difficult to read. The album has post binding with screw posts.

Collection

Albert Brown Hale diaries, 1894-1931 (majority within 1912-1931)

13 volumes

Albert Brown Hale, a shoemaker and factory foreman from West Newbury and Haverhill, Massachusetts, kept these 13 diaries between 1894 and 1931. He regularly recorded daily events, such as his work experiences, social life, and family news.

Albert Brown Hale, a shoemaker and factory foreman from West Newbury and Haverhill, Massachusetts, kept these 13 diaries between 1894 and 1931. He regularly recorded daily events, such as his work experiences, social life, and family news.

Each diary is a pre-printed daily diary: the 1894 volume is "The Standard Diary;" the remaining volumes (1912-1931) were published by the Pfister & Vogel Company. Hale wrote lengthy entries each day, describing the day's events, and inserted important names, places, subjects, and events in block letters for emphasis. Hale's writing details his activities, particularly his shoemaking work, routine manual tasks, and his social life. Throughout 1894, he kept a record of the number and types of shoes he made each day. Hale frequently called on friends, attended community events, and traveled around Massachusetts. Many entries reflect his involvement with Haverhill's local Masonic Lodge. In his later diaries, he reported some of his son's activities. Though Hale focused primarily on his personal experiences, he occasionally wrote brief lines about important news events, such as developments during World War I and United States presidential elections.

Collection

Albert Davis papers, 1861-1874 (majority within 1861-1864)

0.25 linear feet

The Albert Davis papers contain letters written by Civil War soldier Albert Davis, of the 15th Massachusetts Regiment, Co. G. Davis described his regiment's roles in the battles of Ball’s Bluff, White Oak Swamp, Gettysburg, Bristoe Station, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg.

The Albert Davis papers consist of 97 letters written by Civil War soldier Albert Davis of the 15th Massachusetts Regiment, Co. G, 3 letters written by his friends and family, one allotment receipt, his military discharge papers, and a photo of Albert Davis.

Albert Davis wrote letters while stationed with the Union army in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, between August 1861 and June 1864. Of the letters, Davis sent 83 to his widowed mother and 14 to his teenage sister, Angeline, both living in Upton, Massachusetts. The collection also holds one letter from Albert's mother to his sister (June 30, 1864), a letter from R. W. Ellis to Angeline Leland Davis (March 5, 1864), and a letter from W. I. Scandlin to Albert Davis (July 2, 1874).

Albert's letters document his participation as a soldier in the 15th Massachusetts Regiment from the beginning of the regiment’s formation in July 1861, until its dissolution after the battle of Petersburg (June 22, 1864), when all but eight men and one officer were killed or captured. In the early letters, Davis described his initial training near Worcester, Massachusetts. At first, he enjoyed soldiering, and sent home souvenirs: a piece of wood from the Harper's Ferry Bridge (October 6, 1861), and a piece of cotton from the breastworks at Yorktown (May 24, 1862). He wrote of snowballing a barge while on picket duty (January 4, 1862), and of picking wild blackberries during the fighting at Malvern Hills (August 2, 1862). Upon seeing the Monitor anchored among other boats at Hampton, Virginia, he wrote "it dont look as though it could take a Canal boat" (April 2, 1862). Many of his letters mentioned food, either what he was eating or what he would like to receive from home (cheese, tea, molasses, catsup, preserves, baked goods, chocolate, and checkerberry extract). On August 2, 1862, he sent a recipe for pudding made from hardtack. By December 1863, his feelings about soldiering had changed and he became determined not to reenlist. He was irritated by the "bounty men" who fought for money rather than patriotism (March 9, 1863; August 6, 1863). He witnessed several military executions (September 4, 1863; April 26, 1864). Davis also described his six months spent in hospitals and convalescent camps, and his part in the battles of Antietam, Cold Harbor, Gettysburg, and Bristoe Station.

His letters describing the Battle of Gettysburg are of particular interest not just for their accounts of the battle (July 4, 17, and 27, 1863), but also for his corrections of inaccuracies in the newspaper coverage of the battle (August 13 and 21, 1863). On May 14, 1864, Davis wrote from "mud hole near Spotsylvania Court House" and stated that the battle was "the hardest fight of the War." A few weeks later, on June 6, 1864, he wrote from the battlefield at Cold Harbor that "we are about sick of making Charges [--] we are not successful in one half of them and the loss on the retreat is great...there is some wounded men that are a lying between the lines that have laid there for three days and have not had a bit of care perhaps not a drop of water."

Davis occasionally used Union stationery that included printed color images:
  • October 22, 1861
  • October 29, 1861
  • November 6, 1861
  • November 16, 1861
  • November 17, 1861
  • November 26, 1861
  • May 6, 1862
  • November 2, [1862]
Collection

Albert D. Noble, Jr., Glass Negatives Collection, 1885-1910

92 glass plate negatives, 33 photographic prints, 1 CD-R, 2 clippings

The Albert D. Noble, Jr., glass negatives collection consist of 92 glass plate negatives made by photographer Albert D. Noble, Jr. as well as 33 photographic prints, 2 newspaper clippings, and a computer disk with 180 digital images (including additional photographs by Noble, Jr. and copies of older family portraits).

The glass plate negatives are contained in two boxes and include images of Noble, Jr.'s childhood home in Grand Rapids and other private residences and public buildings in the area as well as views taken in Detroit of Noble, Jr.'s family's Christmas decorations, community ice skating, bicycling in the countryside, rural buildings, and regional parks including Belle Isle Park. The majority of images depict people, activities, and scenes from summer vacations to places like Orchard Lake and Upper Straights Lake; a group visit to the French Lick Springs Hotel in Indiana in 1902; views from the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York in 1901 (misidentified in Bayard C. Schoettle's publication Glass Negatives: Albert Dewitt Noble, Jr. as an event based in Grand Rapids); and numerous studio portraits of family members, acquaintances, and the noted elocution teacher Edna Chaffee Noble (no relation to Noble, Jr.). The glass plates are in a variety of sizes (16.5 x 21.5, 12.5 x 20.5, 11.5 x 16.5, and 10 x 12.5 cm) and each is stored in individual paper slipcases. Some but not all of the splipcases provide information regarding an image's subject matter. Most of the plates are in good condition, with only a few displaying cracks and none being broken. 33 photographic prints (31 unmounted and 2 mounted) are also present and include an image of several cows near a body of water, two mounted albumen prints of "Orchard Lake Cottage," two silver platinum prints showing an unidentified house and a sailboat, 16 unmounted gelatin silver prints showing various domestic, industrial, social and architectural scenes (most of which are represented in the glass negatives), and a series of 11 unmounted snapshots and 1 negative transparency showing scenes from Roseland Park Cemetery and the gravesite of Edna Chaffee Noble. Two newspaper clippings from the July 16 1899 Detroit Free Press Art Supplement related to Noble, Jr.'s second place finish in a photo competition are also included.

The CD-R accompanying the collection contains about 180 scanned images including all 92 of the glass plates present in the collection, approximately 75 additional photographs produced by Noble, Jr., and several photographs of trophies awarded to Noble, Jr., by the Grand Rapids camera club. The CD-R also includes images of early Noble family portraits that were scanned and retouched by Schoettle during his preparation for Glass Negatives: Albert Dewitt Noble, Jr.

Collection

Albert E. St. Germain collection, 1894-1964 (majority within 1917-1919)

0.75 linear feet

The Albert E. St. Germain collection contains correspondence, military documents, and other items relating to the St. Germain family. The bulk of the collection pertains to Albert St. Germain's service in the United States Army's press service in Europe during and just after World War I.

The Albert E. St. Germain collection (over 190 items) contains correspondence, military documents, and other items relating to the St. Germain family. The bulk of the collection pertains to Albert St. Germain's service in the United States Army's press division in Europe during and just after World War I.

The Correspondence series (28 items) is made up of personal letters related to members of the St. Germain family. Sisters Clarinda (1 item) and M. Clementina (8 item) wrote French-language letters to their parents from the Convent of Mercy in Meriden, Connecticut, between 1894 and 1900. Other convent correspondents included Sister Teresa, who invited the St. Germain family to a ceremony (August 10, 1896), and Sister M. Augustine, who sent a telegram about Sister Clementina's death in November 1900. A woman named "Leontina" wrote 4 letters to Leon St. Germain from Québec in 1905.

Albert E. St. Germain wrote 6 letters to his mother and 2 letters to his brother Oscar while serving in the United States Army in France during and immediately after World War I. He described his travels in France and discussed some of his duties in the press section. In 1919, an acquaintance named J. Morgan wrote Albert St. Germain a personal letter and a letter of recommendation. Later correspondence includes a letter that one of Albert's children wrote to him in 1959, a letter about the 50 reunion of the Bulkeley High School class of 1914, and a World War II-era greeting card from the South Pacific.

The Documents series is divided into two subseries. Military Documents (97 items) are mostly comprised of news bulletins and intelligence summaries providing details about the Allied war effort in France from September 1918-November 1918, as well as 2 copies of Gerald Morgan's recollections about service as Chief Field Censor for the American Expeditionary Forces, written in February 1919. Department of Labor and Personal Documents (15 items) include intelligence tests, Albert St. Germain's employment history, a blank naturalization form, documents related to Leon St. German's estate, and documents regarding field stations during World War II.

The Photographs series (3 items) contains 2 formal card photograph portraits of an unidentified couple and of Albert E. St. Germain, as well as a photograph of Albert E. Saint Germain, in uniform, shaking hands with a French soldier. The latter photograph is enclosed with a copy of the New York newspaper that ran the photograph on August 4, 1918.

The Writings and Pencil Sketch series is comprised of 7 copies of stories that Albert E. St. Germain wrote around the World War I era. The writings include an account of his interactions with a French citizen during the war, a camping trip, and various other subjects; some of the drafts have manuscript notes. The collection has duplicate copies of 2 stories. The series includes a pencil drawing of "Le Vieux Moulin."

The Printed Items series (29 items) is divided into four subseries:
  • The Cards and Currency subseries (4 items) consists of 3 business cards of Albert E. St. Germain and a French banknote.
  • The Maps subseries (5 items) contains printed maps of the Moselle River, the Rhine River, and Bar-le-Duc, France; one of the Rhine River maps was produced for members of the army of occupation. Also included is a blueprint map of properties that Leon St. Germain owned in Waterford, Connecticut.
  • The Pamphlets subseries (6 items) has the following items: a retrospective and commencement program related to the Bulkeley School class of 1914, a cover from a copy of The Louis Allis Messenger, a page from a printed recipe book, a pamphlet about the United States flag, and a copy of the United States Constitution with additional information for use in passing the country's citizenship examination.
  • The Newspapers subseries (13 items) contains around 10 articles about World War I, the Bulkeley School, Albert E. St. Germain, and army censorship. The newspaper articles originate from papers in Connecticut and France. Three copies of The Stars and Stripes, dated 1918, are also present.

The Address Book and Fragments series (14 items) includes manuscript, typed, and printed fragments, and an address book that Albert St. Germain owned while working for the United States Department of Labor.

The Artifacts series consists of a brown leather satchel.

Collection

Albert F. Gudatt journal, 1898-1904 (majority within 1898-1902)

1 volume

This 154-page volume is Albert F. Gudatt's journal of his experiences serving with the United States Army's 2nd Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Spanish-American War, with the United States Army's 33rd Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the Philippines during the Philippine-American War, and with the Manila police between 1901 and 1902. Later entries concern his work with the Market Street Railway in San Francisco, California, between 1902 and 1904.

This 154-page volume is Albert F. Gudatt's journal of his experiences serving with the United States Army's 2nd Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Spanish-American War, with the United States Army's 33rd Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the Philippines during the Philippine-American War, and with the Manila police between 1901 and 1902. Later entries concern his work with the Market Street Railway in San Francisco, California, between 1902 and 1904.

The Albert F. Gudatt journal dates from May 15, 1898-February 16, 1904, and consists of a combination of recollections in narrative form and discrete journal entries, which primarily reflect his experiences during the Spanish-American War and during his time in the Philippines.

Albert F. Gudatt began writing shortly after leaving his home in Victoria, Texas, to enlist in the United States Army. He described his journey to Covington, Louisiana, where he became a member of Duncan N. Hood's "Second Immunes," the 2nd Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Gudatt detailed his experiences while in training at Covington and while serving in Cuba, where he noted the prevalence of tropical diseases.

He joined the 33rd Volunteer Infantry Regiment and traveled to the Philippine Islands, where he wrote about marches, local people, military life, and engagements between United States forces, including his own unit, and insurgents. He also experienced earthquakes and commented on political and social events.

After 1900, Gudatt wrote shorter entries concerning his pay, his correspondence habits, and American military personnel. After November 1901, he worked with the police in Manila, and commented on a cholera epidemic in the spring of 1902. After returning to the United States in late 1902, Gudatt found work with San Francisco's Market Street Railway. In occasional entries dated until 1904, he discussed some of his experiences and mentioned significant events, such as a potential strike and a coworker's suicide.

The final pages contain a copied passage from the Monroe Doctrine (pp. 152-153) and a partial list of books in Manila's American library (p. 154).

Collection

Albert G. Fuller reminiscences, [1930s]

1 item

This collection consists of Clarice A. Bouton's transcriptions of the Civil War reminiscences of her grandfather, Albert G. Fuller. Fuller, a native of Reading, Michigan, served in the 78th New York Infantry Regiment, Company K, and participated in actions including the Battle of Chancellorsville, the Battle of Gettysburg, and Sherman's March to the Sea.

This collection consists of Clarice A. Bouton's transcriptions (8 pages) of the Civil War reminiscences of her grandfather, Albert G. Fuller. Fuller recounted many incidents from his time in the 78th New York Infantry Regiment, which he joined on March 20, 1862, with three friends from his hometown of Reading, Michigan: Lemuel Wisner, William Herrington, and William Green, all killed during the war. He discussed his regiment's movements and marches, his time in hospitals recuperating from bullet wounds, and his participation in battles, skirmishes, and Sherman's March to the Sea. He described wounded soldiers lying in their tents, nursed by other soldiers; the interruption of his meal immediately prior to the Battle of Peachtree Creek; the harsh treatment and execution of three deserters; and the Union Army's destructive practices while marching from Atlanta to Savannah.

Fuller noted the deaths and disappearances of his hometown friends and recalled his recuperation in hospitals in York, Pennsylvania, after the Battle of Gettysburg, and Savannah, Georgia, in 1864; while in York, he attended a political speech that was disrupted by gunfire, resulting in a panic and further injuries to his wounded leg. Fuller's account ends with his discharge on June 2, 1865, and his return to the family farm on June 20, 1865, where he resumed work immediately upon his arrival.

Collection

Albert G. Martin papers, 1863-1884

11 items

Albert Martin, a Canadian citizen, enlisted in the 16th New York Cavalry at the age of 18. His letters home during the Civil War describe skirmishes with Mosby's Rangers and the frequent desertions from his regiment, as well as his stay in Belle Island Prison.

Albert Martin's letters provide an interesting point of view on the Civil War. The anguish expressed in the first three of his letters is particularly moving, as he attempted to come to grips with the feeling that he had abandoned his mother and to console her and let her know that he intended to behave as a moral man. While in the service, Martin provides two very good, though brief, descriptions of scrapes with Mosby's Rangers, and his reactions to the desertions in his regiment and his thoughts on the war are of interest because they represent the views of a Canadian citizen, rather than a native New Yorker. Finally, the single letter written from Belle Isle stands in stark contrast to the miserable impressions of the prison found in other Union soldiers' letters: "I cant complain of the useage for we get used vary well here all is a fellow cant run about as much is if he was in his own Lines" (1863 November 6).

Collection

Albert H. Kingman diaries, 1856-1859

2 volumes

These two bound volumes chronicle the sailing voyages and agricultural exploits of Albert Henry Kingman of Keene, New Hampshire. Sailing from Boston to New Orleans and back in 1856, Kingman described shipboard life and provided observations of antebellum New Orleans. Following his return to New Hampshire, the diaries follow his life as a farmer.

These two bound volumes (marked "volume 3" and "volume 4") chronicle the sailing voyages and agricultural exploits of Albert Henry Kingman of Keene, New Hampshire. Sailing from Boston to New Orleans and back in 1856, Kingman described shipboard life and provided observations of antebellum New Orleans. Following his return to New Hampshire, the diaries follow his life as a farmer.

The first volume begins mid-November 1856 and concludes mid-November 1857. He described his efforts to secure work on a sea-going vessel. While in Boston, he attended services at Trinity Church and Tremont Temple. He eventually secured passage, with the assistance of his uncle, as a cook's mate onboard the Milton from Boston, Massachusetts, to New Orleans, Louisiana, by way of Cuba. While at sea, Kingman detailed life aboard ship including the weather, especially the chronic lack of wind, which affected the Milton a sailing vessel. He also commented on marine life, ocean geography, and sightings of other vessels. Notable events included the addition of a hammock ("dream bag") to his cabin, hunting of dolphins, and sighting St. Elmo's fire. He also recorded the date of the inauguration of James Buchanan as President of the United States.

Arriving in March 1856, Kingman discussed homes and sugar plantations along the Mississippi River, and the tugboats towing the Milton to New Orleans. During his sojourn ashore, Kingman noted the architecture of Jackson Square and focused several entries on slavery in the city, including comments on fugitive slave advertisements and witnessing a slave auction. Kingman also discussed local news, such as fires, crime, and prices of goods. After a month in New Orleans, Kingman returned with the Milton to Boston. Kingman returned home to Keene, New Hampshire, to work on the family farm.

The second volume reveals Kingman's life as a farmer from late November 1857 to early June 1859. Most entries include details regarding livestock and tending to crops; however, he also included family news and mentions of social gatherings. He sang in the Congregational Church choir and attended Sunday School. He participated in a debate society for a time, was smitten with several different young women, and discovered a talent for marksmanship. Other topics include local politics, a hot air balloon ascension, and the completion of the transatlantic telegraph cable. Throughout both diaries, Kingman provided notes on various books he read.

Collection

Albert Morrison collection, 1841-1886

50 items

This collection is made up of letters, financial records, and documents related to Albert Morrison, a physician who practiced in Windsor, Connecticut, in the mid-19th century. The collection includes letters between members of the Morrison family and letters pertaining to Morrison's medical practice.

This collection contains 50 letters, financial records, and documents related to Albert Morrison, a physician who practiced in Windsor, Connecticut, in the mid-19th century. The collection includes letters between members of the Morrison family and letters pertaining to Morrison's medical practice.

Two manuscript documents certify Morrison's completion of a chirography course at Easthampton Writing Academy (June 1, 1841) and his successful examination at a "common school" in East Hartford, Connecticut (December 1, 1843). He received a letter from J. P. Leonard regarding a fine for his delinquency from a military regiment (July 5, 1842). Several items from the 1840s concern Morrison's education and early medical practice, including a note about the cost of attending lectures at the Berkshire Medical Institution (October 3, 1846) and 2 letters from J. W. Boynton of South Coventry, Connecticut, about the possibility of Morrison establishing a medical practice there (January 15, 1847, and January 22, 1847).

Morrison's personal correspondence includes letters between his siblings Clarissa ("Clara"), Maria, Charles, and John, as well as letters to and from his wife, Harriet E. Bartholomew. In a letter to his brother John, who had moved west, Morrison shared his opinion that New York City had become corrupt (March 20, 1863). Letters from M. L. Fisse (February 13, 1860) and Charles F. Sumner (April 8, 1861) mention the Connecticut Democratic Party convention and local politics. Four late letters pertain to John Morrison's life in Eureka, Nevada, and Hillsboro, New Mexico, in 1873 and in the mid-1880s. In the final letter, I. P. Fenton described a visit to a psychic medium who claimed to receive a communication from John Morrison via "slate writing" (July 1886). Other items include receipts, an insurance document, and a photograph and facsimile signature of Robert Morrison.