Collections

The collection documents the activities of the Aladdin Company and its founding family, the Sovereigns, from 1907 until 1989. The Aladdin Company was a manufacturer of catalog "kit homes" in Bay City, MI second in sales volume only to Sears Roebuck & Company. The collection includes company records, sales records (including building projects as part of WWI and WWII war efforts), Aladdin Company advertising materials, order and construction information, and personal records of various members of the Sovereign family - including the court records of the William Sovereign v. Mary Sovereign divorce case.

Mold Alert: Virtually the entire collection suffered from mold and mildew infestations, and in some cases water and mold had damaged items beyond repair. Most, but not all, of the collection has also been fumigated. Researchers should use the collection with care.

The Aladdin Company records, approximately 350 cubic feet, were discovered in a very disorganized state in 1994 in an abandoned Bay City warehouse. V Only the films, architectural drawings and plans had remained largely intact and in their original filing order. Most of the company’s other records had become disorganized. A few records were found in file cabinets while others were in rolling vaults, the combinations for which had been lost. Boxes of material lay scattered in various locations, and much paper simply had come to rest on the floor.

Because of the condition the records were found in, most of the collection’s order has been imposed upon the records. The collection is generally organized according to record type or major functions within the company. In addition, some miscellaneous groups of material have been placed at the end of the collection.

The collection is organized into eleven series: Corporate, Financial, Advertising, Order Department, Construction, Shipping Bills, Suppliers Transit & Mill Sites, Sovereign Family, Photographs and Films, Books and Magazines, and Miscellaneous. Detailed description of each series is found below.

The collection includes incorporation papers, directors’ meeting minutes, contracts, stock records and other basic corporate information, office manuals and procedures, studies, financial statements, appraisals, inventories, payroll, catalogs, advertising material, publications, art work, floor and construction plans, orders, billing lists, invoices, mailing lists, price bills, real estate records, personal records of the Sovereign family (including court records), photographs, films, magazines, and books.

Researchers may also be interested in the Addition to the Aladdin Collection and separately cataloged publications by and about Aladdin kit homes in the Clarke Historical Library.

How to prove that your house is an Aladdin kit home:

Researchers trying to prove that they own an Aladdin kit home, should begin their research in the Aladdin Small Order Log Books, 1914-1981. If you know which year your house was built, begin with the volume/s for that year and search for the last name of the first owner. If you cannot find the owner’s name, that means a carpenter or a man who owned a construction company ordered the house for the owner. You will need to review each entry in that volume searching for any entries ordered in the same style and in the same town or city as your house. To determine the style, look at an Aladdin catalog for the year when your house was purchased. Many styles remained the same in the catalogs over decades. Once you locate your home in the Order Log Book, note the Customer Order Number. This important number will take you to a specific Customer Order Form somewhere in another subseries, Customer Order Forms, 1914-1918, Boxes 93-154. Each Customer Order Form provides detailed information about the home ordered including style, cost, options selected and any custom changes, name of person who ordered it, to whom it will be shipped, and date.

If you are uncertain as to which year your house was built, there are two possible ways to proceed. One is to take an estimated guess, based on style and family lore, and review some Aladdin catalogs from that period and hope you find a house that looks like yours. Then search in the Log Books within that time period for homes in the style and location that matches yours. Another approach is to check the chain of title from when you bought or inherited your house. That should list the earliest owner, verifying the date of construction, unless your house was not the first built on the property

Aladdin Small Order Log Books, 1914-1981, 3 cubic feet (in 3 boxes, #90-92):

Aladdin Small Order Log Books, 1914-1981, function as indexes of those who ordered Aladdin buildings, mostly houses, and direct researchers to specific Customer Order Forms, pages which describe each building in detail as ordered. The Small Order Books is a subseries of records in Series #4 Order Department. Immediately after the Log Books in Series 4 are the Customer Order Forms, 1914-1981, 62 cubic feet (in 62 boxes, #93-154).

Aladdin Small Order Log Books: Description:

The Log Books are both volumes and loose pages. The majority are volumes with information written by hand, in penmanship. Typed information is only found in loose pages which could be fed through a typewriter.

Log Books may have information for one or more years in them. Some Log Books overlap with other Log Books. From the 1950s forward there are always more than one volume/year.

Most log books simply have dates on the cover, others have titles written on, taped on, or printed on the covers such as Order Book, Orders, Record, Order Number Book, etc. Sometimes other forms of volumes were used by Aladdin agents, for example phone number and address books. In order to distinguish one volume from another when the Log Books have no title and there is more than one volume for the year, information such as color of cover or size is noted in the folder label, or Volume I or II was added to the folder label and on the log book’s first page in pencil by Archivist Marian Matyn in 2022 prior to their being digitized.

Aladdin Small Order Log Books: Organization:

Log Books are organized chronologically by year in the boxes. Information within each Log Book is organized chronologically by year ordered and then alphabetically only by first letter of the surname of the person who ordered an Aladdin building. The list of names is in the chronological order in which people purchased homes, so the order numbers are in numerical, although not consecutive, order within each alphabetical run.

Aladdin Small Order Log Books: Information Within them:

Each Log Book contains the following information for each order: date of order, name of a person who ordered the building or house, and Order Number. Additional information often includes house style, for example Pilgrim #2, and address of purchaser at the time of purchase. The address is usually the address to which the house kit was shipped by rail, which might be closer to the carpenter or construction company than the house site. Sometimes the mailing address of the owner is included. Miscellaneous notes may be included for such things order changes or cancellations. These notes were added after the order was recorded and are always handwritten, even on typed pages.

Aladdin Small Order Log Books: Physical Condition:

Like the rest of the collection, the series pages all suffer from some degree of mold and were fumigated. Researchers should use the original materials with care. The log books are in overall fair physical condition. Many volumes have damaged or loose spines, pages, and covers. The pages also suffer from acidification and dirtiness. Some pages have edge damage.

Series Description:

The first series of records has been labeled Corporate and Administrative (boxes 1-12). The Corporate records form the core legal records of the company. They include incorporation papers, directors’ meeting minutes, contracts, stock records and other basic corporate information.

Within the Administrative records are found material relating to the firm drawn together from various locations in the warehouse. It is almost certain that the material placed in this series was originally located in several distinct files. Office manuals and procedures found in this series do much to reveal how Aladdin’s records may have originally looked and various aspects concerning the structure of the company. Detailed folders exist for a number of government and industrial projects (see related plans in Construction series). Various self-studies, particularly the 1961 problem report, are helpful in giving an idea of how the firm viewed its challenges during its final years. Also of interest are the “Co-operator” files of 1913-1922. Sovereign family lore claims that the firm’s founders placed great emphasis on the comments of this Massachusetts customer and often gave much credit to her for helping them “think through” the business.

The information contained in the Financial series (boxes 13-34) provides a fairly complete picture, both in summary and detail, of the financial condition of the company. The Financial series records cover the year 1910-1984, thus they present a very complete chronological picture of the firm’s finances. The annual financial statements summarize the detailed information contained in the much more specific general journal and other financial books. These are followed by appraisals and inventories. Also included in this series is payroll and other employee-related information, although non-financial employee information is found in the Corporate and Administrative series.

For many researchers, the Advertising series (boxes 35-63) will prove particularly important. It has been divided into three sub series: Material re. Advertising and Its Effectiveness, Direct Mail, and Art Work and Floor Plans. Material re. Advertising and Its Effectiveness represented ads placed in magazines across the country that invariably invited readers to send in their name and address to receive a catalog. Aladdin was very proud of the fact that it relied exclusively on this device to develop its catalog mailing list. Much of the series is composed of “source reports,” which analyze the effectiveness of advertisements placed in various publications.

The heart of the company’s advertising was its annual catalog, which is found in the Direct Mail sub-series. Follow-up advertising material, which has been filed with the catalogs, was sent out according to a pre-determined schedule. Although the amount of the follow-up, and in some cases pre-catalog mailings, varied year by year, Aladdin was generally very aggressive in both announcing that the annual catalog was coming and in following up with notes telling customers about the “lost opportunities” and higher prices they would face unless they ordered their new home “immediately.”

Early in the company’s history, Aladdin published several periodicals extolling their products and relating stories about the “Aladdin family” (composed of anyone who purchased an Aladdin home). Incomplete runs of these publications, including the Wedge (1913-1916), the Aladdin Magazine (1916-1918), and Aladdin’s Weekly (1919-1920), are placed at the end of the Direct Mail sub-series.

Also found under the Direct Mail sub-series are the Industrial Catalogs published by Aladdin the 1920s and aimed at corporations interested in group purchases. Housed with these catalogs are also some additional sales material aimed at corporate purchases, price lists, and a few floor plans and other miscellaneous related material.

The Art Work and Floor Plans contains the art work, a few photographic images, and catalog floor plans that were prepared primarily for the annual sales catalog, although some art prepared for other advertising is also found here. Many additional photographs used in the annual catalog are found in the Photographic series.

The Order Department series (boxes 64-153) consists largely of three sub-series: Mailing Lists, Price Bills, and Orders.

Mailing Lists is an extensive group of three by five cards giving the addresses of catalog recipients. Found only for the final few years of the company’s existence, they nevertheless give some idea of the scope of the firm’s mailings.

Price Bills were assembled to calculate the actual cost of each product to the company. Pricing was obviously critical to the company’s success. To monitor costs, each house model received a price bill, which detailed the cost of all materials therein. These records were arranged in alphabetical order by model name. Several alphabets were created, some covering one year while others covered a more extended period of time. Also in this sub-series is pricing information about “specifications” and “options and allowances.” “Specifications” were colored sheets that listed the standard features in a particular house model. “Options,” better or additional items on an order, added to the price of the house. “Allowances” were omissions of standard features which lowered the price of the house.

Most price bills, specifications, options and allowances date from 1940 or later. Price lists are fairly complete beginning in 1934, with a few earlier ones. Unit price lists are generic lists of materials, apparently for use in pricing the various house models.

Orders are a voluminous sub-series that records information regarding each home purchased from the firm. Orders are accessible in two ways. Alphabetical indexes arranged by customer name give access to order forms taken from 1914 until the company’s closing. Beginning in 1949, there are also some indexes by order number.

The order forms themselves are arranged numerically by order number. For practical purposes, however, this represents a chronological arrangement, since orders were given the next available number as they were received. Order forms are the heart of the company’s sales records. They contain information regarding the name and mailing address of the purchases, the model purchases, specifications such as color of interior paint, stain, or roofing shingles, options or allowances the customer requested, and any special instructions or orders.

Researchers seeking information about specific houses should be aware that order forms do not usually include information about where the house was erected. For most of its history, Aladdin shipped houses to a railroad station specified by the purchaser. The purchaser was responsible for moving the material from the railroad station to the construction site. Thus the order form usually includes only the railroad station to which the house was shipped. The mailing address given is that of the purchaser at the time of purchase. Obviously, most individuals would not erect a new house at the same mailing address as where they were living prior to buying a new house. Thus the order forms, by themselves, cannot be used to confirm that a specific structure is, in fact, an Aladdin home.

Sample order forms and instructional notes are contained in the folders in the first order form box. Most order forms received with the collection were in bound, water damaged volumes, necessitating copying order forms and disposing of the originals. A few forms (probably no more than six) could not be separated from the covers and were lost. Even in these cases, it is likely that a record of each order survives in the order indexes.

The Construction series (boxes 154-235) is, like the Administrative series, an artificial gathering of architectural drawings and other construction-related items that likely once made up several files. Although it is composed of many sub-series, the three most significant components of Construction are the Plans for Catalog Models, Plans for Special Orders and Plans for Government and Industrial Projects.

Plans for Catalog Models were organized alphabetically by house model name. Most date from 1947 or later and the series is nearly comprehensive for the post-World War II period of the company. The sub-series consists largely of pencil and ink drawing on mylar (which could be copied onto diazo prints or blueprints and a few sepia prints). All print types are housed together. A full set of plans might include ten sheets or more. Often, numerous plans were done for a house model. Sometimes these changes represented updating of the model to meet changing consumer tastes while in other cases the alternates reflected modifications needed to accommodate various options such as brick veneer, “reverse” plan, or panelized construction. “Filing plans” were usually three plan sheets submitted to the local building inspector for approval. Filing plans are often included with other plans but sometimes are not well identified.

Plans for Special Orders represent orders from individuals sufficiently different from the company’s basic existing house models to require a unique set of drawings rather than an “options” list. Special plans seem to have begun ca. 1940, but most of those which survive date form the 1960s to 1982. The content of the Special Plans sub-series is essentially identical to that found in the Plans.

The Government and Industrial Projects sub-series includes projects for the U.S. government or its allies in World Wars I, II, and the Korean War, or for companies doing essential war work. Most of the projects date from the Second World War but plans exist for three large World War I projects: Fort Snelling, Minnesota; Fort Myer, Virginia; and the Austin Motor Company; Birmingham, England (housing). The Government and Industrial Projects sub-series includes drawings for many, but not all, of the projects listed in the Administrative series. The discrepancy between this sub-series and the Administrative series was created because, according to a former draftsman for Aladdin (1947-1954), the firm disposed of many drawings from the World War II era. Bunk houses and huts sold to industrial concerns are listed in the order logbooks as well as in the Government and Industrial sub-series.

Also housed in the Construction series is the Local Developments, Real Estates and Rentals sub-series. This sub-series primarily documents the real estate speculation of Otto Sovereign in the Bay City area. It includes records of the Bay City Homebuilders Company (ca. 1916-1937, scattered), and the Bay City Commercial Reality Company (ca. 1923-1942), the Lenox Park subdivision (1916-1942), and other real estate firms.

Also found in the Construction series are Suppliers’ Invoices sub-series. These were sampled and include records from 1957-1958 (incomplete), 1965, 1974-1975 (1974 incomplete), and 1980-1981. Discarded were the invoices from 1966-1974, 1976-1979. No invoices dated before 1957-1958 were received.

The Shipping Bills series contains shipping bills, which were standard lists of materials in each house model. A copy was sent to the customer with the house shipment. These were continuously updated to reflect modifications in construction and are usually dated. Shipping Bills series covers the years 1939-1982. They are arranged in alphabetical order by house model name. A random sample of special order shipping bills was retained with the remainder discarded.

The Suppliers, Transit and Mill Sites series is largely concerned with sources of materials and shipping houses to customers. There is also some correspondence concerning potential mill sites and suppliers.

The Sovereign Family series consists primarily of non-Aladdin business records, correspondence, litigation and information regarding the Saginaw Bay Yacht Club. Business records found in this series primarily document the real estate speculation of Otto Sovereign in the Bay City area. It includes records of the Bay City Homebuilders Company (ca. 1916-1937, scattered), the Bay City Commercial Realty Company (ca. 1923-1942), the Lenox Park subdivision (1916-2942) and other real estate firms.

The correspondence is predominately to and from William J. Sovereign, covering the period 1944-1963. It includes personal material, business correspondence other than Aladdin, and information regarding charitable activities. Also found in the series is the court record of Sovereign family litigation in the case of William F. Sovereign vs. Mary K. Sovereign. Finally there is documentation regarding the Bay City Yacht Club (now the Saginaw Bay Yacht Club). Both William J. and Otto E. Sovereign were prominent members of the club.

The Photographs and Films series primarily includes photographs of Aladdin house models, government and industrial buildings, the Aladdin mill and related activities, as well as photographs of completed houses (and some construction series) sent in by owners. Likewise, the films document the Aladdin building method and the 1949 Wonder House. There are also photographs of Aladdin Company functions and Sovereign family members. Much of this material compliments information found in the Advertising series.

Books and Magazines series includes competitors’ catalogs: Hodgson Houses, 1918 and 1933; Bennett Homes, 1928; Sears Roebuck Millwork [c.1922]; and Gunnison [U.S. Steel] Homes, 1954. This series also includes a book and several articles about readi-cut and prefabricated housing.

There are an approximately 80 linear feet of additional Aladdin materials that are unprocessed and awaiting fumigation as of July 8, 2010.

The collection consists mostly of personal Sovereign family materials rather than Aladdin company records. Formats include paper, photographs, negatives, slides, films, oversized scrapbooks, blueprints, homework, some business records, and court and legal documents. MOLD/ALLERGY ALERT: Please note that the collection was treated in spring 2012 for mildew and mold and then deacidified. Some of the materials retain an unpleasant odor. Researchers with allergies should be careful when using the collection.

MOLD/ALLERGY ALERT: Please note that the collection was treated in spring 2012 for mildew and mold and then deacidified. Some of the materials retain an unpleasant odor. Researchers with allergies should be careful when using the collection.

Aladdin Company is organized by size and then into the following sub-series, which are organized alphabetically and chronologically:

Aladdin Advertising, 1920-1969, and undated, in 1 box, 1 Oversized folder (.25 cubic ft.). This is advertising about Aladdin products. Oversized items include a Dog and house drawing with text,“I, too own an Aladdin…”, undated, and “Good houses never grow old”, undated.

Aladdin Business Dealing, which includes business agreements, correspondence, reports, employee records and photographs, 1918-1980, and undated, in 2 boxes, 1 Oversized folder (1 cubic ft.).

Aladdin-Founders of Aladdin, 1911-1975, undated, which consists mostly of Will J. Sovereign’s journals, 1927-1963, a few of these are Will F. Sovereign’s diaries. The series also includes photographs, legal correspondence, accounts, death information, stock certificates, and other certificates and information about the founders, in 4 boxes (3.25 cubic ft.). There is correspondence from “Nig” (Nigel) a friend in Box 6. Of special interest is “Transcript to Lewis, Edmond, and Watkins vs. United States, Filed February 1923,” a transcript to a court case regarding the theft of founder of the Aladdin Company, Will J. Sovereign’s yacht, the “Aladdin,” by rum runners from Canada during Prohibition.

Aladdin Housing, 1911-1983, undated, which documents some of the houses Aladdin sold, customer communications, and 1826 McKinley House, in a variety of formats including memorabilia (a tool belt and Aladdin lamp), various photographic materials, articles in 2 boxes (.75 cubic ft.).

Aladdin Miscellaneous, 1921-1989, undated, with manuals, articles, and reports from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Bay City, Michigan, Portland, Oregon, and Wilmington, North Carolina in 2 boxes (.75).

Aladdin Oil [business interests], 1927-1972, and undated in 2 boxes (.75 cubic ft.) including photographic materials, advertising, legal records, information on the Roscommon Well and Pere Marquette Railway Company.

The Divorce Case, 1951-1970, and undated in 3 boxes (2.25 cubic ft.). The series, documenting the very long, acrimonious divorce case between Mary and Will F. Sovereign which resulted in Michigan’s No Fault Divorce Law, is notable for the amount and types of information. This series contains a vast amount of spy and detective information in regards to the two parties involved in the case, transcripts from the detectives’ notes and from recorded phone calls, photographs, lawyer correspondence and memoirs, and court documents.

Family papers are organized by size and subdivided by names of the creator, and include:

Billy Sovereign Papers, consists of Awards and Certificates and photographic materials, 1955-1958, and undated, in 1 box (.5 cubic ft.). Of interest here is “Billy’s College Career, 1966, 1971,” which includes notes and homework from Central Michigan University. See Sovereign Youth/Academic and Divorce Case series for more information on Billy.

Jeanette Lempke Sovereign Papers, 1916-1980, and undated, in 2 boxes (.75 cubic ft.). Her papers include photographs, articles, awards and various certificates about her career, material documenting her marriage, crash, death [not from the crash], and estate.

Sally Sovereign Papers, 1928-1970, and undated, in 2 boxes (.75 cubic ft.). Her papers include correspondence to/from Sally, photographs, and miscellaneous.

Will F. Sovereign Papers, 1922-1981, and undated, in 1 box (.5 cubic ft.) include business and personal correspondence, including personal correspondence from someone named “Tiny”, 1972-1976, accounts, awards and certificates, and photographs.

Will F. Sovereign War/Military Papers, 1941-1947, and 1957, and undated, in 2 boxes (.75 cubic ft.) include a diary, correspondence, photographic material, government and military documents, propaganda, and a diary, 1942-1943. Will tried several times to enlist and eventually served in 553rd Army Air Force Base unit from July 15, 1944 to January 24, 1946.

Sovereign Youth/ Academic, 1906-1971 (scattered), and undated, in 2 boxes (.75 cubic ft.) includes homework, certificates, degrees, birthday information, childhood letters and memorabilia, awards, and information on the academic careers of Billy, Sally, and Will F.

There are seven Oversized folders, the contents of Advertising, Business Dealing, and Family papers are described in the series description above.

The last three Oversized folders include various types of architectural records. See the Box and Folder Listing for more detail. Folder #5 is Miscellaneous, 1909-1952 (scattered) and undated, and includes company charts, plans for furniture and Aladdin home parts, and various properties. Folders 6 and 7 consist mostly of blue-line prints of houses, notably Residence for Mr. and Mrs. W.F. Sovereign, Bay City, the yacht “Aladdin”, and land plots in Bay City, Midland, and Saginaw, Michigan.

Oversized volumes. Four of these oversized volumes are acidic scrapbooks about the company and family, three are dated 1929, and one is dated 1929-1932. The two others oversized volumes include a lovely, published, undated volume entitled Industrial Housing in a velvet cover (in box), and a business volume entitled Cars Forwarded which documents the shipping of Aladdin products in railroad cars, 1937-1941.

Other formats include films and slides. There are eleven films, #1 is of Aladdin ranch homes being built, undated; #2 is of a St. Patrick's day parade in Bay City, 1959; and #3-11 are of an air show at James Clements Airport, Bay City, 1972. Also, there is a slide box of slides on Aladdin finished products, a mill building, church construction, and family, mostly Billy Sovereign (See Box Listing for more detail.)

The Rudolph papers include scripts, articles and clippings, publicity and press materials, books, photographs, artifacts/realia, audio and moving image materials, posters, awards, and branded crew garments and caps from many of Alan Rudolph's projects. Photographer Joyce Rudolph is represented by hundreds of professional and personal slides and photographs, including many candid on-set shots.

The collection consists of professional and personal correspondence, assorted clippings, film festival awards and memorabilia, and scripts and production documents related to Alan Rudolph's filmmaking career, spanning his early work in Riot (1969), through 2002's The Secret Lives of Dentists. Also included are a plethora of documents from various unproduced projects. In the Artifacts and Graphics series are a small selection of props from Rudolph's films, most notably The Moderns, along with an assortment of film cast and crew branded gear, including caps, shirts, and jackets, movie posters, and a representation of some of the numerous awards won by the Rudolphs.

A small sub-series of material devoted to friend and mentor, Robert Altman, consists of articles and reviews, assorted programs, and, most notably, photographs taken by Joyce Rudolph.

Joyce Rudolph is represented by hundreds of her professional and sought-after on-set photographs, company stills, and candid shots, all taken during the filming of projects by Alan Rudolph and a wide variety of other notable filmmakers.

A series of Audio and Moving Image material consists of several VHS tapes, several movie video disks as well as two soundtracks. The Artwork series contains an assortment of drawings and paintings, most likely created by Alan Rudolph, along with two large acrylic paintings used as props in The Moderns.

Alan B. Howes was professor of English at the University of Michigan from 1955 to 2001. He was involved in the formation of several unique programs, such as the NDEA Summer Institute for English Teachers, the New England Literature Program, and the Professional Semester. This collection includes correspondence, material from Howes' teaching career and involvement with these programs, and an assortment of Howes' writings.

The Alan B. Howes Papers document Howes' career in teaching, primarily his many years as professor of English at the University of Michigan, and his involvement in programs such as the NDEA Summer Institute for English Teachers, the Professional Semester, and the New England Literature Program (NELP). The records are arranged into nine series: Biographical, Correspondence, Course Materials The Michigan English Teacher, NDEA Summer Institute for English Teachers, New England Literature Program, Photos, Professional Semester, and Projects and Papers.

Alan Campbell , American actor and screenwriter, wrote, with his wife Dorothy Parker, screenplays for Hollywood studios during the 1930s. The collection contains the correspondence and writings of Alan Campbell and Dorothy Parker. Included is World War II correspondence, scripts, screenplays, fragments of several short stories, a play, as well as typescripts of pieces by some of Campbell and Parker's contemporaries.

The Alan Campbell and Dorothy Parker Collection consists of four series, Correspondence, Financial Papers, Writings and Miscellaneous. The Collection contains correspondence and writings of Alan Campbell and Dorothy Parker. Included is correspondence from Campbell to Parker, written during World War II; several letters from Zeppo Marx; and a few letters from Leland Hayward and Rosalie Stewart, with many references to other celebrities. Also included is a portion of the Campbell-Parker collaboration on the screenplay A Star is Born, written with Robert Carson. Campbell’s writings include the script for Told to the Children while Parker is represented by fragments of several short stories and her play The Coast of Illyria. The collection also includes typescripts of pieces written by contemporaries of Campbell and Parker, including Stephen Vincent Benét, Elliott Nugent, John O’Hara, Robert Penn Warren, and Sagittarius (aka Olga Katzin).

Alan Abrams is a Detroit-based press agent/public relations consultant in the music business; publicist for Motown Record Corporation, 1964-1966, later with Stax Records, 1967-1968. The collection consists of press releases, clippings, publicity material, scrapbooks containing press coverage of the recording artists that he represented, including the Supremes, photographs, and his writings about Motown, Otis Redding, and Florence Ballard.

The Al Abrams collection contains scrapbooks, correspondence, press releases, photographs, and memoirs detailing Abrams' work as a publicist and press agent for Detroit's Motown and for Stax Records in Memphis. The collection is valuable for its documentation of Motown in the period of the early to mid-1960s when this Detroit company was beginning its great string of record successes. Abrams was a great collector of press and other materials about the artists who worked for Motown and Stax-Volt.

The Abrams collection measures two linear feet and four oversize volumes whose contents have been foldered. The collection has been arranged into the following series: Motown Record Company, Stax Record Company, Al Abrams Associates, Miscellaneous, Visual Materials, and Scrapbooks.

Newspapers and clippings relating to historical Michigan events and motion pictures.

Alan G. Billings was a set designer and professor at the University of Michigan. The collection includes painted set renderings from productions staged at the University of Michigan during his tenure.

The Alan G. Billings collection consists of set renderings painted by Billings while he was a professor at the University of Michigan. These renderings include both depictions of the sets, and depictions of certain aspects of production staging and costume design. The renderings are organized roughly by size, and thereunder alphabetically by title. Most set renderings also include information on where the production was staged.

Professor of law at the University of Michigan. Papers include correspondence, speeches, and conference files largely concerning his interest in gift and estate tax law.

The papers of Alan Polasky divide themselves into six series: Biographical, Correspondence, Professional affiliations, Speeches, Subject files and Material relating to the University of Michigan.

This photograph album contains photographs of scenery in Alaska, Yellowstone National Park, and the Yosemite Valley in the late 19th century. Several photographs feature tourists or members of the photographer's traveling party, and others were taken onboard the steamer Queen.

This photograph album (25cm x 19cm) contains 87 photographic prints depicting scenes in Alaska, Yellowstone National Park, and the Yosemite Valley in the late 19th century. The photographs, all of which have captions, were taken during visits to four geographic areas: Muir Glacier (21 photographs); Tacoma, Washington, and Helena, Montana (8 items); Yosemite National Park (48 items); and the Yosemite Valley and Arizona (10 items). Most photographs show natural scenery such as mountains, rock formations, waterfalls, and geysers, and some are pictures of hotels. Many show tourists climbing or viewing natural formations and scenery, and some show members of the photographer's party posing for portraits.

The album has two identical prints of a group of amateur photographers holding box cameras onboard the Queen, which is shown in several other photographs. Views of buildings in Sitka, Alaska; Tacoma, Washington; Helena, Montana; and Yosemite National Park are also included. One photograph shows a woman modeling a Chilkat blanket and totem pole cane, and another shows a "Tamed Bear" standing on a raised platform. Also of note is a picture of a train, taken as the photographer's party disbanded near Chicago. The volume is a quarter-bound album with a title stamped on the cover in gold: "Photographs."

The Alaska collection consists of three letters written by an Alaskan fisherman to his brother describing life in Alaska during the late 19th century.

The Alaska collection consists of three letters written by an Alaskan fisherman to his brother describing life in Alaska during the late 19th century. The author, who signed himself "Will," wrote the three letters to his brother Sam, from Fort Wrangle, Alaska (now Wrangell). Will's letters relate to life in Alaska during the early days of its settlement, with a particular focus on employment and on local Indians. Will, who owned a boat and fished for salmon, described his work and provided a picture of his life in the sparsely settled country. He focused on several aspects of life in Alaska, including the natural terrain and his encounters with local Indians, whom he believed to be immoral: "[in] some cases when the squaws are broke they are mighty glad to put in a night with a fellow & get two bits or some beans & bacon in the morning" (February 16, 1889). Will also repeatedly discussed the salmon industry and employment, including his occupation assisting the local marshal.

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.

Administrative assistant to George Romney, governor of Michigan and U. S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. papers include correspondence, personnel reports, memoranda, and background files concerning Applegate's work as Romney's aide and speech writer.

The papers document Applegate's close working relationship with George Romney in his campaign for the presidency, as staff member in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and as one of his staff at the National Center for Voluntary Action.

The collection has been divided into six series: Chronological, 1963-1972; Background Files, 1963-1973; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Affairs, 1969-1972; National Center for Voluntary Action, 1969-1973; Voluntary Action Background Files, 1969-1973; and European Trip, 1970. The researcher should note that the great value of the Applegate papers is as a supplement to the various series in the George Romney collection. The researcher is urged to begin with the inventories to the Romney papers before turning to the Applegate papers.

Professor of music and director of the University Musical Society at University of Michigan. Correspondence, articles, lectures, speeches, autobiography, and photographs.

The Stanley collection consists mainly of manuscripts of his articles, lectures, and speeches on musical topics. There is, in addition, Stanley's research material, including musical notes and analyses, notes intended to accompany illustrations of musical instruments found in the Stearns Collection of Musical Instruments at the University of Michigan, and scrapbooks containing concert programs featuring Stanley and his work. Stanley's autobiography, "Echoes of a busy life or reminiscences of a professor emeritus" is a valuable source of personal information.

Detroit clergyman who took the name Jaramogi Abebe Agyeman, founder of the Shrine of the Black Madonna, and advocate of the program and philosophy of the Black Christian Nationalist movement. The collection has been divided into four series: Albert B. Cleage, Jr.: Correspondence, Sermons, and Writings, the files of the Shrine of the Black Madonna in Detroit, Michigan, Church Leaders, and the files of the Shrine of the Black Madonna National Office.

The collection contains correspondence, sermons, and writings of Albert B. Cleage, Jr. (his name would later be changed to Jaramogi Abebe Agyeman); records of the shrine of the Black Madonna; papers of individuals within the church who assisted Cleage; and records of the National Office of the Shrine.

The collection has been divided into seven series: Albert B. Cleage, Jr.: Correspondence, Sermons, and Writings, the files of the Shrine of the Black Madonna in Detroit, Michigan, Church Leaders, the files of the Shrine of the Black Madonna National Office, Sound Recordings, Photographs, and Miscellaneous.

Detroit, Michigan clergyman, pastor at St. Mark's Presbyterian Church, which later became Central Congregational Church. In the 1960s, Cleage and his congregation began restructuring the church's rituals, programs, and theology to conform to the Black Christian Nationalist philosophy. In 1970, the church was renamed the Shrine of the Black Madonna. The collection contains correspondence, sermons, and writings of Albert B. Cleage, Jr. (his name would later be changed to Jaramogi Abebe Agyeman); records of the shrine of the Black Madonna; papers of individuals within the church who assisted Cleage; and records of the National Office of the Shrine.

The collection has been divided into four series: Albert B. Cleage, Jr.: Correspondence, Sermons, and Writings, the files of the Shrine of the Black Madonna in Detroit, Michigan, Church Leaders, and the files of the Shrine of the Black Madonna National Office.

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.

College administrator; correspondence, newspaper clippings, and printed materials.

The Jacobs papers consist of correspondence, clippings, and speeches from his career as law professor and college administrator. Most of the papers are of a personal nature and provide little documentation of his activities at either Columbia, University of Denver, or Trinity College. The address series is valuable for its discussions of higher education from the 1940s to the 1960s.

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."

• October 22, 1861
• October 29, 1861
• November 6, 1861
• November 16, 1861
• November 17, 1861
• November 26, 1861
• May 6, 1862
• November 2, [1862]

Manchester Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan, farmer. Material concerning farming activities, English's work with the Southern Washtenaw Farmers' Club, local Democratic Party affairs, his work as clerk of the Iron Creek (Manchester Township) Free Will Baptist Church; correspondence; miscellaneous account books of family members, notebooks containing reference information, and reports of the overseer of highways for Manchester Township; and photographs. Correspondence includes a letter from Thomas English of West Virginia, who was formerly an enslaved person. The collection also includes a diary of Lucy English, Albert D. English's sister.

The English collection documents different phases of his life and provides the researcher with material for the study of Manchester, Michigan between 1880 and 1910. In addition to correspondence, the collection includes notebooks containing the newspaper columns on local affairs which English wrote for several county newspapers. There are also 18 "Ready Reference Books" containing lists of local, state, and national political candidates and office holders, Manchester property owners, lists of school teachers and graduates, church leaders, as well as other information gleaned from almanacs and newspapers over the years. Included are also several farm journals of Albert English and his father Benjamin English, and a personal diary and a scrapbook of Albert's sister Lucy English (in marriage, Lucy Simmons). Much of the correspondence files concerns the Free Will Baptist Church. Correspondence includes one letter from Thomas English of West Virginia, a formerly enslaved person, whom Albert English apparently contacted in regard to the family genealogy. There is no record of continued correspondence on this subject.