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

The Lamb-Sykes family papers contain correspondence, financial and legal documents, daguerreotypes, and other materials related to the Philadelphia families' daily lives and business endeavors. The collection reflects their legal and mercantile affairs, investments, real estate, and involvement with the Mechanics Bank of Philadelphia.

The Lamb-Sykes family papers date from 1683 to 1947, with the bulk of the materials concentrated between 1819 and 1911. They form a record of the lives of the Lamb and Sykes families of Philadelphia, especially their financial, legal, and business activities. The collection includes approximately 300 letters; 9 linear feet of accounts, receipts, tax records, promissory notes, and legal documents; 60 account and expense books; 6 daguerreotypes; and 0.5 linear feet of school papers, family history, printed and ephemeral items, and other materials.

The Correspondence series is made up of approximately 300 letters to and from members of the Lamb, Sykes, and Norris families, between 1819 and 1907. Few writers sent more than a small number of letters to their family and friends. The correspondence reflects a variety of different activities and experiences, and many different geographical locations. Selected examples include:

• Six letters between the Carswells and the Jacksons. Andrew Jackson and his wife Rachel sent four letters to Margaret and Margaretta Carswell between 1819 and 1822; Margaretta and Andrew Jackson each wrote 1 letter in 1843. These letters refer to historical events, such as the Treaty of Doak's Stand (Rachel Jackson's letter of October 20, 1820). In 1843, Margaretta wrote to Andrew Jackson about her intention to create a school for girls. The former U.S. President commended her for her proposal, and promised to spread the word amongst his female relations.
• Five letters by Margaret Carswell, cousins, and siblings to Margaretta Lamb, from West Ely, Missouri, in the winter of 1837-1838
• Approximately 10 letters between Margaretta and her husband, written when Lemuel traveled to London in the late 1830s. In these letters they discussed business and domestic life in Philadelphia.
• Four letters written by Margaretta's daughter Margaret, during her travels to France and Germany in 1846
• Six letters to Margaretta Lamb from her (former) pupils in 1851
• Five letters by Margaretta's son Samuel, written from Panama, then San Francisco, in 1854. By the following year, he moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he wrote approximately 15 letters. In his letters from San Francisco, he described the quality of life in the West difficulties finding work, and the influx of people to the area.
• Approximately 21 letters by Lemuel Lamb, Jr., in the mid-late 1850s from Detroit, Michigan; Superior, Wisconsin; St. Louis, Missouri; Chattanooga, Tennessee; New Orleans; Dubuque, Iowa; Pittsburgh; Marshall, Texas; and others. In letters to his mother and father, he remarked on his journey west, a cholera outbreak, his own good health, and his business affairs.
• Twenty letters to Isaac Norris, Jr., from Jennie Carlile Boyd in Newport, Rhode Island, between April and July 1890. She wrote 15 of them on mourning stationery.
• Approximately 27 letters from Harriet Lamb, Charles [Grugan?], and [Anne Grugan?] about their stay in Paris in 1851 and detailing the final illness and death of Margaret Lamb.

The Documents and Financial Records series consists of approximately 9 linear feet of financial, legal, and land documents of the Lamb and Sykes family. The series includes documents related to court cases; estate administration records for Margaretta Lamb, Franklin Wharton, Sarah Moore, and others; documents related to land holdings in Philadelphia, New Jersey, Delaware, and Rhode Island; and papers related to trade, investment, and banking.

The Photographs series includes 6 cased daguerreotypes. One postmortem portrait of Harriet Lamb in her coffin is accompanied by Philadelphia photographer Marcus Root's receipt of sale and the undertaker's bill for funeral expenses (1853). The other daguerreotypes are undated portraits of unidentified individuals and groups.

The Poetry, Recipes, Lists, and Fragments series contains 9 poems and writing fragments, 1 medicinal recipe, 1 recipe for cream pie, 1 book of lists, and 1 blank book. One poem, dated 1850 and titled "Fools and Their Money Parted," laments a decision to provide money to family members for the purposes of investment. The medicinal recipe is a "Cure for Cancer, Erysypelas, Humours, Diseases of the Liver, & Coughs" (undated). The book of lists is a volume of approximately 80 pages, which contains lists of books, Christmas gifts, prints, the contents of trunks, and other household objects (ca. 1880s).

The Printed Materials series consists of 2 circulars, 2 books, 16 stock reports, 23 issues of the serial Infant's Magazine, 2 pamphlets, approximately 60 newspaper clippings, and 2 engravings. See the box and folder listing below for more information about these items.

The Genealogy series consists of approximately 45 genealogical manuscripts pertaining to the Lamb, Norris, Pepper, Sykes, and Wharton families. One document regards Lemuel Lamb's immediate family, with birth and death dates for most of his siblings, and for some of his brothers-in-law. The Norris family genealogical materials include a 395-page family album with original and copied 18th- and 19th-century correspondence, photos and illustrations, newspaper clippings, and other items. A booklet printed by the "Provincial Councilors of Pennsylvania" includes a history of the Norris family. A similar booklet, prepared for an October 19, 1947, family reunion, describes the genealogy of the "Pepper Clan." The Sykes family materials are made up of copies of letters and writings documenting the early history of the family and their emigration to America. The Wharton family items include copied letters and writings, and an incomplete draft of the memoirs of Robert Wharton.

The Realia series includes 2 circular medals from the Bulldog Club of America, 1924 and 1925, and a metal nameplate from the urn of "Isacco Norris," Dr. Isaac Norris, who died in Italy.

The Robert M. Vogel collection of historic images of engineering & industry contains approximately 22,890 photographs (including 18,500 stereographs), 1220 prints, 13 photograph albums, 11 books, 117 pieces of ephemera, and 15 pieces of realia documenting a wide range of subjects primarily related to 19th-century civil engineering, industrial processes, and mechanization.

The Robert M. Vogel collection of historic images of engineering & industry contains approximately 22,890 photographs (including 18,500 stereographs), 1220 prints, 13 photograph albums, 11 books, 117 pieces of ephemera, and 15 pieces of realia documenting a wide range of subjects primarily related to 19th-century civil engineering, industrial processes, and mechanization.

Particularly well-represented topics within the Vogel collection include images of different types of civil infrastructure such as bridges, canals, roads, dams, and tunnels as well as images showing construction projects, various types of machinery, modes of transportation (such as railroads, steamboats, automobiles, etc.), agricultural pursuits, natural resource extraction (including oil drilling, quarrying, mining, and lumbering), textile operations, electrical and hydraulic power generation, manufacturing, metal working, machine shops, and various industrial factory scenes. Many images of important and iconic structures are included such as the Brooklyn Bridge, Panama Canal, Hoosac Tunnel, and SS Great Eastern. Other represented topics include general architectural views, scenes of disasters/accidents, and portraits of notable individuals (such as Thomas Edison, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and Robert Stephenson). While predominately United States-focused, the materials are international in scope overall and especially include many images of industrial sites and civil infrastructure in Great Britain. The order of the collection's original arrangement has largely been kept intact.

Examples of items of particular interest include salt prints possibly taken by civil engineer Montgomery C. Meigs documenting the construction of the U.S. Capitol and Washington Aqueduct in Washington, D.C.; a series of portraits of early Baldwin Locomotive Works locomotives; images documenting the SS Great Eastern and USS Niagara steamships; a group of 4 colored stereoviews on glass produced by Frederick Langenheim showing the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge ca. 1850s; images related to specific railroads including the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Mauch Chunk, Mount Washington Cog Railway, and New York City elevated railroad; and half-frame proof prints of stereographs produced by Underwood & Underwood as well as H. C. White & Co.

The following list represents the general subject categories found across the Vogel collection along with relevant box and folder numbers:

• Box 07.2
• Box 14.1
• Box 14.2
• Box 14.3
• Box 31.2
• Box 52
• Box 56
• Folder 2.10
• Folder 3.08

• Box 06.2
• Box 06.3
• Folder 1.08
• Folder 2.15

• Box 01.1
• Box 03.3
• Box 06.3
• Box 07.1
• Box 28.2
• Box 28.3
• Box 46.2
• Box 57
• Box 58
• Box 59
• Box 61
• Box 63.10
• Folder 1.04
• Folder 2.04
• Folder 2.09
• Folder 2.14
• Folder 2.15
• Folder 2.16
• Folder 3.08

• Box 06.1
• Box 06.2
• Folder 2.06

• Box 03.1
• Box 03.2
• Folder 2.17
• Folder 3.08

• Box 03.3
• Box 04.1
• Box 04.2
• Box 04.3
• Box 05.3
• Box 05.4
• Box 06.1
• Folder 3.08

• Box 05.1

• Box 01.1
• Box 01.2
• Box 01.3
• Box 02.1
• Box 02.2
• Box 28.3
• Box 43.2
• Folder 3.02
• Folder 3.08
• Folder 3.10

• Box 02.3
• Box 05.2
• Box 06.1
• Box 49.1
• Box 49.2

• Box 09.1
• Box 09.2
• Box 36.1
• Box 36.2
• Box 39.1

• Box 08.2
• Box 08.3
• Box 18.4
• Box 28.1
• Box 28.3
• Box 46.1
• Box 53.2
• Box 58
• Box 61
• Box 63.08
• Box 63.11
• Folder 1.03
• Folder 2.16
• Folder 2.17

• Box 06.3
• Box 17.3
• Box 20.1
• Box 24.3
• Box 25.1
• Box 28.1
• Box 41.1
• Box 54
• Box 57
• Folder 1.07
• Folder 2.16

• Box 11.2
• Box 45.2

• Box 27.1
• Box 27.2
• Box 27.3
• Box 39.2
• Box 46.1
• Box 46.2
• Box 56
• Box 57
• Box 58
• Box 59
• Box 63.02
• Box 63.03
• Box 64.1
• Folder 1.05
• Folder 1.11
• Folder 1.13
• Folder 2.04
• Folder 2.11
• Folder 2.17
• Folder 3.08

• Box 07.2
• Box 07.3
• Box 08.1
• Box 08.2
• Box 28.1
• Box 28.2
• Box 43.2
• Box 46.3
• Box 52
• Box 54
• Box 56
• Box 57
• Box 59
• Box 63.04
• Box 64.2
• Box 64.4
• Folder 1.09
• Folder 2.05
• Folder 2.10
• Folder 2.12
• Folder 2.17
• Folder 3.08

• Box 07.1
• Box 07.2
• Box 13.2
• Box 13.3
• Box 14.1
• Box 27.2
• Box 27.3
• Box 31.2
• Box 32
• Box 33.1
• Box 33.2
• Box 34
• Box 35
• Box 36.1
• Box 37
• Box 39.2
• Box 40
• Box 41.2
• Box 42
• Box 43.1
• Box 43.2
• Box 46.2
• Box 53.1
• Box 53.2
• Box 60.1
• Box 61
• Box 63.01
• Box 63.03
• Box 64.1
• Box 64.3
• Folder 1.03
• Folder 1.07
• Folder 2.05
• Folder 2.06
• Folder 2.11
• Folder 2.15
• Folder 3.03
• Folder 3.08
• Folder 3.09
• Folder 3.12

• Box 15.1
• Box 43.2
• Box 44
• Box 55.1
• Box 55.2
• Box 60.1
• Box 60.2
• Box 62
• Folder 1.01
• Folder 1.02
• Folder 1.12
• Folder 3.07

• Box 11.2
• Box 11.3
• Box 12.1
• Box 12.2
• Box 13.2
• Box 23.1
• Box 61
• Folder 2.05

• Box 11.2
• Box 12.2
• Box 14.2
• Box 63.07

• Box 12.2
• Box 12.3
• Box 12.4
• Box 13.1
• Box 13.2
• Box 37
• Box 46.2
• Box 57
• Box 58

• Box 21.3
• Box 22.1
• Box 22.2
• Box 22.3
• Box 28.1
• Box 39.2
• Box 61
• Folder 2.14
• Folder 2.15
• Folder 3.08

• Box 23.1
• Box 23.2
• Box 23.3
• Box 24.1
• Box 24.2
• Box 40
• Box 41.2
• Box 50.1
• Box 50.2
• Box 51
• Box 52
• Box 55.1
• Box 55.2
• Box 61
• Folder 1.03
• Folder 2.02
• Folder 2.05
• Folder 2.14
• Folder 3.02
• Folder 3.10

• Box 29.1
• Box 29.2
• Box 30
• Box 46.1
• Box 57
• Folder 1.07

• Box 24.3
• Box 25.1
• Box 25.2
• Box 25.3
• Box 26.1
• Box 26.2
• Box 26.3
• Box 27.1
• Box 27.3
• Box 37
• Box 38
• Box 39.2
• Box 40
• Box 41.1
• Box 42
• Box 46.3
• Box 64.1
• Folder 3.06

• Box 10.3
• Box 11.1
• Box 11.2
• Box 41.2
• Folder 3.05
• Folder 3.12

• Box 01.1
• Box 10.3
• Box 28.3
• Box 39.1
• Box 46.3
• Box 56
• Box 64.2
• Box 64.3
• Folder 2.15
• Folder 3.06
• Folder 3.07

• Box 08.1
• Box 28.1
• Box 46.3
• Box 64.2

• Box 09.3
• Box 10.1
• Box 10.2
• Box 10.3

• Box 39.1

• Box 34
• Box 42
• Box 56
• Box 63.07
• Folder 2.16

• Box 15.1
• Box 28.2
• Box 31.2
• Box 33.2
• Box 36.2
• Box 54
• Box 58
• Box 64.3
• Folder 2.16
• Folder 3.04

• Box 19.1
• Box 19.2
• Box 19.3
• Box 20.1
• Box 20.2
• Box 20.3
• Box 21.1
• Box 21.2
• Box 21.3
• Box 28.2
• Box 45.2
• Box 46.3
• Box 57
• Box 59
• Box 63.09
• Folder 2.08
• Folder 2.11
• Folder 2.14
• Folder 3.05
• Folder 3.07
• Folder 3.08

• Box 15.1
• Box 15.2
• Box 15.3
• Box 16.1
• Box 16.2
• Box 16.3
• Box 16.4
• Box 17.1
• Box 17.2
• Box 17.3
• Box 18.1
• Box 18.2
• Box 18.3
• Box 18.4
• Box 28.1
• Box 28.2
• Box 31.1
• Box 35
• Box 46.2
• Box 47
• Box 48.1
• Box 48.2
• Box 49.1
• Box 56
• Box 57
• Box 58
• Box 59
• Box 61
• Box 63.05
• Box 63.06
• Folder 1.06
• Folder 1.10
• Folder 2.01
• Folder 2.03
• Folder 2.04
• Folder 2.06
• Folder 2.07
• Folder 2.10
• Folder 2.13
• Folder 2.16
• Folder 3.04
• Folder 3.07
• Folder 3.10
• Folder 3.11
• Folder 3.12

• Box 28.2
• Box 43.1
• Box 43.2
• Box 45.1
• Box 45.2
• Folder 2.06

• Box 08.1
• Box 08.2
• Box 25.1
• Box 28.3
• Box 39.1
• Box 39.2
• Box 46.3
• Box 53.2
• Box 56
• Box 57
• Box 59
• Box 64.2
• Box 64.4
• Folder 1.04
• Folder 2.04
• Folder 2.15
• Folder 2.16

While the Vogel collection general subject categories are generally comprehensive there are still numerous instances of items that could feasibly belong to multiple categories other than the group they are classified under. For instance, there are disaster images found in several groupings other than "Disasters," while bridge construction images can be found in all of the various "Bridges" categories as well as within the "Construction" category. For more detailed descriptions of specific materials, see the box and folder listing in the Contents section below.

These two albums contain photographs of scenery and railroads in Pennsylvania in the 1860s. Workers and buildings are visible in some of the pictures.

These two photograph albums (22cm x 17cm), entitled "Scenery of the Allegheny Mountains" and "Pennsylvania Railroad", are bound in green covers with "Alleghany Mountains Photographic Journal" [sic] stamped in gold on the spines. Volume 1 contains 39 items and Volume 2 contains 47 items, each 12cm x 9cm and mounted directly onto a cardstock page. Volume 1 has a black plate on the front cover with the title "Alleghany Mountains" [sic] and a decorative gold border. A plate pasted into the second volume indicates that photographer was John Moran of 806 Coates Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Many of the photographs show scenic views, railroad right-of-way, railroad tracks, telegraph poles, canals, mills, and small settlements. Several photographs of the sky capture clouds. Several images appear to be of the "Horseshoe Curve" on the Pennsylvania Railroad. A group of pictures of a foundry complex show laborers working with mule-driven railroad carts loading rails onto train cars, and one picture shows a group of boys near a track and a town. Other images of note include a photo of a locomotive at a tunnel portal; an elephant on a rural road, a waterfall; a large gravesite or memorial; and a group of monks outside of an unidentified building, possibly a school.