History and Traditions of the University Committee (University of Michigan) records, 1991-2010
6 linear feet (in 7 boxes)
6 linear feet (in 7 boxes)
The bulk of the History and Traditions Committee records consists of interviews (recordings and transcripts) with University of Michigan presidents, wives of presidents, regents, and administrators. Also included materials pertaining to the University of Michigan history, and administrative records.
6 linear feet (in 7 boxes)
1 volume
This is the third and final volume of a multi-volume work (pages 508-966) written by "I. C. Junr." between November 3, 1791, and March 4, 1793. The cover of the 460-page volume is hand-tooled in gold leaf and bears the title "Manuscript Account from Germany to Turkey in Europe with a Description of America Finishing with a Copious Explanation of the Terrestrial & Celestial Globes." The author's concluding remarks refer to it as a "History of the Four Quarters of the Globe," begun around November 1789 (p. 880). The work includes geographic, historic, and descriptive accounts of Western Europe and the Americas, a geographic index, a timeline of events in world history, a general history of astronomy, and an index. He notes that the previous volumes described Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe.
The book begins with a partial description of Germany, continued from the previous volume. Further geographically-organized sections focus on other Continental powers, islands in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, and the Americas. Each section opens with a general description of a nation's history, geography, people, cities, and (sometimes) important buildings. The author included information on soil quality, climate, and the people, often commenting separately on men and women, and on common religious beliefs. Charts, lists, or other quantitative data accompany some of the descriptions. The author treated several "American States" individually, though New England is described as a singular entity.
The appendices include a table of geographical information about cities, islands, and landmarks (pp. 882-889); a timeline of world history from the Creation of the World in 4004 BC to 1784 AD, focusing on Europe and listing Biblical events, deaths of notable people, and political developments (pp. 890-904); a history of astronomy (pp. 905-917); and additional information on land, water, tides, winds, and stars (pp. 918-965). Celestial information includes tables of zodiac signs (p. 926) and a list of constellations (pp. 927-928). The geographical information is followed by definitions, solutions, problems, and paradoxes (pp. 939-965). The mathematical, navigational, and geographical problems and solutions are presented in a question-and-answer teaching format (similar to Isaac Watts's The Knowledge of the Heavens and the Earth Made Easy or Joseph Randall's A System of Geography, for example).
2 linear feet
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.
1 volume
H. J. Carter, liquor agent, kept this tabular record of alcohol distribution for the city of Stockbridge, Massachusetts, between May 12, 1854, and April 6, 1855. Carter's entries include names, justifications for purchase, type of liquor, quantities, and costs. He distributed to men, women, and the elderly who lived in Stockbridge or who were in town from elsewhere, such as Glendale, Great Barrington, Lee, Marlborough, and Tyringham. In rare cases, Carter noted information about freight, cartage, and purchases of tin measures, jugs, corks, and tin dripping pans.
The types of alcohol recorded by Carter included gin, rum, St. Croix rum, French brandy, cider brandy, "C___r" brandy, Madiera, Port wine, plain alcohol, and others. Medical and health-related entries are the most common in the volume. The variety of ailments, injuries, and treatments is significant; please see below for a partial list of relevant entries. In many cases non-specific terms were used, such as "sick" or "sickness." The purchaser in many cases was not the afflicted party and the ultimate recipients included wife, mother, brother, friend, neighbor, widow, "in family," folks, uncle, and others.
Some persons are present multiple times in the volume. Lucinda and Ira Collier, for example, received rum, brandy, and plain alcohol around 10 times over the course of the year. Ira and Lucinda were African American laborers and had multiple children. They received brandy for bathing or rubbing a child's limbs (August 15 and September 6, 1854; October 4, 1854; March 26, 1855; et al.). They received distributions for Lucinda's ague (December 37, 1854) and Ira's health and injuries (August 3, 4, and 13, et al.). On August 13, 1854, Ira's entry states "aint well any of the time." Ira also received alcohol for his labor and for injuries of another man ("at work in Lynch is well," September 18, 1854, and "for a fellow crushed," September 22, 1854).
The town selectmen had the authority to authorize distribution of alcohol to blue collar laborers, like Ira Collier. Entries state "for workmen" or specific types of work such as "bee hunting" (August 28, 1854) or haying (July 11, 1854; July 20, 1854; July 27, 1854). Special distributions were permitted after a mid-November 1854 fire and during a bridge construction project. Please see below for a partial list of relevant entries.
H. J. Carter did not specify race, ethnicity, or nationality on individuals purchasing alcohol—with the exception of several marked as Irish (July 18, September 9, and March 22, 1855, e.g.). The surname MacCabe appears on multiple occasions, though is only marked as "Irish" a couple of times.
In a few cases, buyers returned to ask H. J. Carter to replace liquor they had already purchased. The McCabe family, for example, broke a jug of gin "& lost 1st qt & had to try again" (August 4, 1854). A few other broken bottles were reported on August 17, August 22, and October 28, 1854. In one case, Mrs. Watts obtained brandy for medicinal purposes and the next day "returned the above wine not liking it" (February 23 and 24, 1855).
H. J. Carter provided alcohol to persons for use in the treatment of injured or sick horses, oxen, a cow, and a calf. For these purposes, he supplied brandy, French brandy, rum, gin, and plain alcohol. A very small number of these approximately 15 entries specify the nature of the sickness or injury. James Kilduff, for example, secured rum because "horse got into Brook" (September 18, 1854). In two cases, the occupation of the recipient was recorded. A "Book Peddler" secured rum for his horse on November 13, 1854, and "Driver" C. Fields obtained French brandy for his sick horse on July 23, 1854. Please see below for a partial list of relevant entries.
Carter was not permitted to sell any alcohol on Sundays. And, all weekdays in the volume document at least one patron. The only exception is the entry on March 13, 1855, a few weeks before the end of his one-year position. Ecstatic, he wrote: "Wonderful! Wonderful!! Health reigns triumphant not a drop of Rum called for to day The trade is ruined, & Drs. must will go mad! O! Oh!! Mercy."
The volume is a blank book, hand lined on cream paper; once the pages were filled, Carter inserted blue lined paper into the front and back, and ultimately the volume was hand sewn together, using newspaper for covers. In at least one case, Carter skipped a couple of pages, then when he noticed, he went back and filled them in. As a result, sometimes the progression of dates do not match the progression of pages.
3 linear feet — 2 digital audio files
Nuclear engineer Henry Jacob Gomberg was a faculty member at the University of Michigan from 1946 to 1961 as well as director of the Puerto Rico Nuclear Center. He later worked for nuclear engineering business in the private sector. The Gomberg collection mainly contains materials from his numerous professional ventures in the nuclear energy field. It includes correspondence, personal notes, photographs, publications, and reports.
The Henry J. Gomberg collection, covering the period of 1941 to 1995, is divided into nine series: Central American Peace Interests; Class Notes; International Cooperation Administration (ICA); KMS Industries; Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy; Personal / Biographical; Puerto Rico; University of Michigan, and Visual Material.
3 linear feet — 2 digital audio files
1 linear foot (in 2 boxes) — 1 oversize folder
The collection includes materials related to Michigan street railroads and the Ann Arbor Train and Trolley Watchers; letter of Ernest Wilby, 1935, describing his career as an architect and his association with Albert Kahn; records of Ann Arbor Pediatric Associates, 1972-1986; and photographs.
Copy prints of photographs relating to the interurban line between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti and other Michigan street railroads; photos of the electric cars, the power plant and office, and related pictures; collection of turn-of-the-century photographs, perhaps of the Staebler family of Ann Arbor, Michigan; outdoor group activities, circus parade, and exterior views of Staebler business establishments; also collection of glass negatives including photos of potato farming and St. Clair Flats. Postcards include images of the University of Michigan Ann Arbor campus, as well as locations throughout the state.
42 photographs and 91 pieces of ephemera in 1 album
The H. Merriman European travel photograph album contains 42 views of landmarks in England, France, Germany, and Switzerland as well as six theater tickets, 18 theater programs, 39 tourist attraction or transportation tickets, 26 receipts, and two newspaper clippings.
The album (32 x 24 cm) has marbled paper covers. The majority of photographs in the album consist of commercially produced images of European tourist destinations. In order of appearance the cities represented include London, Brussels, Cologne, Mainz, Frankfort, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Baden-Baden, Zurich, Lucerne, Interlochen, Berne, St. Gotthard, Chamonix, Geneva, Lausanne, Paris, Amiens, Canterbury, and Liverpool. Also present throughout the album are theater programs and tickets for a range of performances from the Royal Lyceum's King Henry the Eighth to vaudeville at the Empire Theatre of Varieties. Of additional note are tops of hotel bills and tickets from means of transportation such as the London Underground and Berner Tramway.
42 photographs and 91 pieces of ephemera in 1 album
12 items
The HMS Braak Salvage collection contains correspondence, documents, and a log book related to the Ocean Wrecking Company's efforts to salvage the ship and its rumored treasure in 1888 and 1889.
1 volume
This volume, entitled "Log of The Proceedings of H.M.S. Glasgow" (73 pages) chronicles the ship's travels around the Bay of Biscay between February 1 and August 28, 1815. Midshipman James Williamson recorded daily information about the weather, the ship's course, and incidents onboard. The first 3 pages contain a chart of the ship's course, position, and bearings, maintained daily between February 1 and August 5, 1815; the dates April 1-May 24 are not included. Each day of the week is represented by an astrological symbol in a repeating pattern used throughout the entire volume. The longer log entries commence on February 1, 1815, and cover the ship's course, winds, and remarks about events on the ship, such as the arrival and departure of visitors, discipline of sailors, maintenance work, ships encountered, change of course, weather, and other daily occurrences. The Glasgow moored in Plymouth Sound and "Hamoau" between April 1 and May 25, at Plymouth between June 5 and June 9, and at Sheerness and Chatham, England, between August 8 and August 28. A color-coded map showing the progress of the Glasgow between southwest England and the Bay of Biscay is pasted into the volume between the pages covering May 6 through May 24.
1 volume
This vellum-bound log book (15cm x 19cm) contains 259 pages of tabular data respecting voyages of the HMS Levant (1775-1776, 223 pages) and, beginning in the back of the volume, the HMS Arethusa (1777, 36 pages). Additional pages in the volume are either blank, or contain empty tables. The flyleaf is inscribed with the name of William Browell and with the names of the two ships and their commanders. The flyleaf also includes a pen-and-ink drawing of a man wearing a formal headdress or hairstyle, with curls above the ear and a single ponytail at the nape of the neck.
The HMS Levant and HMS Arethusa log book contains a daily record of locations, movements, sails, surroundings, weather, discipline, and out-of-the-ordinary occurrences. The log keeper recorded data in tables with columns marked "H" (the hour of the day), "K" (speed in knots), "F" (depth of the water in fathoms), "Courses," "Winds," and the date. Details about the positioning of sails, winds, and directional courses are included. Crew discipline is mentioned throughout the text, which involved floggings for reasons of insolence, drunkenness, going ashore without leave, fighting, and neglect of duty.
HMS Levant
The HMS Levantlog book spans approximately the first year and a half of the American War of Independence, beginning on Friday, June 23, 1775, and ending on Sunday November 24, 1776. In addition to regular data, the book documents navigational coordinates and landmarks from the ship's travels in the English Channel, North Atlantic Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea, and along the coasts and surrounding islands of England, Portugal, Spain, France, Algeria, and Italy. Noteworthy locations sighted or visited by the Levant include Lizard Point, the Scilly Islands, Lisbon, Cádiz, Gibraltar Bay, Majorca, Marseilles, Sardinia, the Bay of Naples, and Algiers.
From the commencement of the ship's voyage in June until late September, the ship traveled as part of the Mediterranean fleet under the command of Rear Admiral Robert Mann. The Levant log book contains references to Mann's flagship, theMedway, the Royal Oak (under Captain Peter Parker), the Enterprise, the Exeter, the Worcester, the Alarm, and the Zephyr. Early entries of the log book contain some description of pursuing and halting ships from England and America (one from Pennsylvania and one from Maryland). Other ships encountered by the Levant hailed from Amsterdam, Genoa, Martinique, Cádiz, Jamaica, and Antigua. The author also described exercising the ship's guns and practicing tactical fleet formations (forming a line of battle abreast, a line of battle ahead, and the bow and quarter).
On July 13, 1775, the ship's foremast was damaged near the Scilly lighthouse, but was repaired in Gibraltar Bay the following month.
Interactions with other ships, both friend and foe, occur regularly throughout the log. On March 7, 1776, while sailing in Algiers Bay, the sighting of a Dutch Man-of-War was reported: "Sail'd hence the Dutch man of war the garison saluted Capt. Murray with 5 guns at is going on shore, we return'd an equal number. Sent the slaves on shore." The crew of the Levant also encountered the Dey of Algiers who "sent onboard as a Present 3 live Bullocks of sheep with bread & Vegetables to the ship comp'y." (March 7, 1776).
From October 27, 1776 until November 15, 1776 the Levant traveled as part of a convoy with at least three vessels, including the sloop Neptune, theCharles, and theHope. The writer recorded the seizure of an American ship, the Argo, on November 18, 1776. After indicating that a sail was spotted to the southwest, the HMS Levant "spoke the chase and found her to be American ship from Charles Town bound to Bordeaux. Loaded with rices and indigo. Hoisted the boat out and sent it on board of her with the 2nd Lieut who immediately took command of her as a prize."
HMS Arethusa
The HMS Arethusa log book was kept between March 23, 1777 and June 3, 1777. Beginning its journey near Belém Tower in Lisbon, the Arethusa sailed through Cape Roxant and past the Isle of Portland. The volume covers the ship's travels along southern England with a convoy to Spithead Harbour, where the ship remained anchored between April 15, 1777 and May 19, 1777. During its time in harbor, the Arethusa underwent repairs, and its decks were washed in hot vinegar and smoked with charcoal, tobacco, and tar almost daily.
The Arethusa encountered other ships during this time, most of them British. They included the Romney, a ship of the line under Vice Admiral John Montagu, the privateer Terrible, the sloop Hawke, the Centaur, the Invincible, the Brilliant, the Resolution, and the Cameleon. On, April 7, the Arethusa encountered a Dutch ship, and on March 24, a Spanish battle ship.