Collections

The collection contains five essays or speeches by Dr. O. N. Bradbury of Springfield, Maine. The essays are about the role of physicians in society, the impact of the American Civil War, and natural healing and spiritualism.

The Bradbury papers contain five manuscript addresses written by Bradbury, all probably dating from the late 1860's and early 1870's. In two very similar essays, Bradbury discusses the importance of physicians in American society and the responsibilities, including continuing education, which accompany that role. Two other speeches, a Fourth of July speech from 1869 and a Decoration Day address, probably from 1874, examined the impact of the Civil War on American society and look forward to the healing that Bradbury anticipated was reuniting the country.

The longest and most significant manuscript in the collection is an untitled, 166 page essay/speech on mesmerism, animal magnetism, spiritualism and "biologism" as used in medicine, with further commentary on clairvoyants, mediums and other practitioners of such techniques. In this essay, Bradbury documents a large number of instances of cures effected by non-traditional medicine, many of which he personally witnessed, and he recorded several accounts of parapsychological activity. Bradbury was willing to admit to the efficacy of mesmerist and spiritualist medicine, but he steadfastly attributed cures to natural causes, not supernatural, and he rejected the existence of spirits as being unnecessary and unproved.

The One United Michigan records (2005-2006) consist of materials related to a statewide campaign to preserve affirmative action and diversity programs and the fight against Proposal 2, which banned these programs. Records include press kits, conference materials, published material against Proposal 2, the digital capture of One United Michigan's web site, signs, and audio-visual materials including digital materials of informational interviews with people about the importance of maintaining affirmative actions programs.

The One United Michigan records (0.25 linear feet and one oversize folder) consist of materials related to a statewide campaign to preserve affirmative action and diversity programs and the fight against Proposal 2, which banned these programs. Records include press kits, conference materials, published material against Proposal 2, the digital capture of One United Michigan's web site, signs, and audio-visual materials including digital materials of informational interviews with people about the importance of maintaining affirmative actions programs. The records are arranged into six series: Conference Material, Press Kits, Published Materials, Website, Audio-Visual Materials, and oversized Signs.

The One University Campaign was a coalition created to increase funding and support to the University of Michigan-Flint and University of Michigan-Dearborn. Collection includes handouts, open letters, presentations, and flyers.

One University Campaign records including informational handouts, presentations, flyers, and an open letter to President Mark Schlissel and the Board of Regents demanding equal resources for all University of Michigan campuses.

The collection consists of the organizational records of Central Michigan University Clarke Historical Library.

The collection documents in text and images all aspects of the history and functions of the Clark Historical Library since its founding. Photographs are mostly in Boxes 7-8, but other images may be found in various publications and scrapbooks.

An addition to the collection in 2021, Board Meeting Minutes (Boxes 12-17), 1962-2006, undated, may include agendas, attachments, reports, and board packets, and 1 box of board member correspondence and photographs.

Another 2021 addition is the Charles H. Wright addition, 1959, 1978, 1 cubic foot (in 2 boxes) features official government documents from African countries. Most folders are official Parliamentary Debates of the Eastern House of Assembly of Nigeria. Each packet includes who attended, the information discussed, and relevant recorded dialogue. Other materials included in the collection are an Official Gazette from the Republic of Nigeria, as well as multiple Monthly Digest of Statistics from Zambia. Multiple titles were separately cataloged.

The 2021 addition, No Acc#, Boxes 20-36 (7.75 cubic feet in 17 boxes) focuses on the Clarke Historical Library, though other materials include Frank Boles' professional correspondence and materials about the Park Library, Mid-Michigan Library League, Michigan Historical Review, and Clarke Historical Library Board of Governors 1954-2019. The Mid-Michigan Library League is one of Michigan's eleven library cooperatives and as of 2021, includes 36 libraries in 15 counties located in Michigan's lower peninsula. The Michigan Historical Review is a scholarly publication about Michigan history and joint venture of the Clarke and CMU's History Department. Some materials are in Spanish. The 2021 addition was arranged to match the organization of previous accessions to the collection. Some of the addition was interfiled into Boxes 10-11.

In 2024 the Clarke’s official Accession Books and one Deaccession book, 1956-2022, were digitized for internal staff use only. The original paper and microfilm are in Boxes 37-38 of this collection. These boxes are closed to researchers. The collection is ongoing.

Consortium of universities created to study tropical environments focusing on Central America and field activities in tropical habitats. The University of Michigan became a founding member of OTS in April 1963. Administrative records chiefly concerning University of Michigan involvement in the Organization for Tropical Studies and related programs. Records include initial planning documents, committee files, meeting minutes, proposals, reports, topical files and curriculum material. Includes correspondence of Norman Hartweg and Stephen Spurr; also records collected by Warren H. Wagner.

The records from the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS) measure 10 linear feet, spanning the years from 1948 to 1986. It is comprised of 13 series: Committee Records; Correspondence; Education Program; Establishment Files; Financial Records; Meeting Files; Membership Records; Projects, Proposals, and Reports; Topical Files, Writings, Files from the office of Warren H. Wagner, and Organizing Committee. There is a related collection of OTS material at Duke University as well as related material located as part of the Stephen H. Spurr papers.

In 1899 an unidentified artist created 21 pages of watercolor paintings of different North American birds accompanied by manuscript descriptions detailing the birds' habitat, size, coloration, distinctions between males and females, and the scale used to render the image. An additional two pages consist of a numbered diagram of a bird identifying various physiological components, with a close-up view of the beak.

In 1899 an unidentified artist created 21 pages of watercolor paintings of different North American birds accompanied by manuscript descriptions detailing the birds' habitat, size, coloration, distinctions between males and females, and the scale used to render the image. An additional two pages consist of a numbered diagram of a bird identifying various physiological components, with a close-up view of the beak.

• Horned Grebe
• Partridges
• Screech Owls
• Bee or King Birds
• Red Bird or Bobolink
• Red-Winged Blackbird
• Baltimore Oriole or Hang-Nest
• Crimson or Purple Finch
• Goldfinch or Salad Bird
• Chipping Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Vesper Sparrow
• Yellow Winged Sparrow
• English Sparrow
• Snow Bird
• Cardinal Bird
• Rose Breasted Grosbeak
• Indigo Bunting
• Scarlet Tanager
• Cedar Bird
• American Redstart
• Common Blue Bird
• Maryland Yellow Warbler
• Blue Jay

The pages were previously bound into a volume and most contain page numbers in the top left corner, revealing the loss of a number of pages.

The Pageant of the Dunes photograph album contains 92 photographs including snapshots of scenery in and around the vicinity of Chicago, Illinois, as well as images of the “Pageant of the Dunes” event held in Port Chester, Indiana, in 1917.

The Pageant of the Dunes photograph album contains 92 photographs including snapshots of scenery in and around the vicinity of Chicago, Illinois, as well as images of the “Pageant of the Dunes” event held in Port Chester, Indiana, in 1917.

The album (19 x 29 cm) is string-bound and has black paper covers and pages. Contents begin with images of Chicago scenery including views of Navy Pier, Edgebrook, and the Chicago River while the following section features several images showing statues of World War I soldiers in the display window of Marshall Field's department store. Photographs in the section captioned “Pageant of the Dunes, 1917” consist of images of crowds as well as actors and actresses, including some dressed as Native Americans. Three photographs dated to 1918 are also present.

The Painted Bulletin Advertising Association book was assembled in 1924 by the Detroit-based Painted Bulletin Advertising Association and contains 70 photographs of a wide range of commercial and public service billboards as well as typescript text regarding strategies for increasing sales with billboard advertising.

The Painted Bulletin Advertising Association book was assembled in 1924 by the Detroit-based Painted Bulletin Advertising Association and contains 70 photographs of a wide range of commercial and public service billboards as well as typescript text regarding strategies for increasing sales with billboard advertising.

The volume (28.5 x 25 cm) has black leather covers and serves as a comprehensive primer on the advantages of using "painted bulletins" to increase sales for companies with products as diverse as building supplies, dairy products, furniture sales, and men's clothing. Likely distributed to advertising agencies across the country to bolster the Painted Bulletin Advertising Association’s efforts in increasing the use of billboards by local businesses, the volume provides case studies and testimonials as well as detailed analyses drawing on the latest census data and consumer psychology. Specific talking points and strategies are offered to convince business owners that billboard advertising will increase their sales. A brief section is also included describing how billboards can be employed for drawing attention to important community issues.

All 70 photographs included in the volume are canvas-backed, stamped "Smith Brothers, Commercial Photographers, …Detroit, Mich.," and depict billboard designs or actual billboards in situ. Several images provide detailed descriptions of the colors used in various elements of each design, and many are mounted on cloth backing.

The volume includes the following sections:

• "Building Boom" - Eight pages on successful outdoor advertising by construction companies with examples from around the country.
• 18 pages of photographs with detailed description of colors used in billboard designs for various products.
• "Promotion Literature on Furniture Accounts" – 12-page case study of advertising strategies of 15 companies with 13 photographs of billboard designs.
• Two-page October 1923 association newsletter with a case study of a department store's use of billboards.
• "Dairy Products" – 12 pages of case studies on dairy companies' use of billboards including 13 photographs.
• "How the Painted Bulletin Can Serve the Community" – Five pages (and five photographs) on how billboards can be used to highlight local issues.
• "Economy of Outdoor Advertising" – One-page testimonial letter from the head of a New York advertising firm.
• "Information and Data on Painted Bulletin Advertising Campaigns by Manufacturers of Building Materials" – 10-page comparative study of various companies plus 10 photographs.
• "Outdoor Advertising Campaigns" – Eight pages of examples of usage by department stores around the country with six photographs.

The papers consist mostly of Louise Parkhill MacGillivray's family correspondence, and family diaries, a journal of vacations at Lake Superior, legal papers, examples of necrophotography, and other materials. Also included is a scrapbook about the affair of King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, 1936. Oversized folders include Mount Pleasant High School diploma of Louise E. Parkhill, 1918, and sixteen pages from Louise E. Parkhill MacGillivray’s photograph album, 1913, 1918-1920, undated [1913-1919, 1923] with one page containing the 1960 obituary of Eleanor Parkhill, Louise’s mother.

The collection consists mostly of family correspondence to and from Louise, concerning family news and social or business matters, 1879-1979 and undated; diaries of Louise and other relatives, 1875-1960 (scattered); a journal of vacations at Lake Superior, 1971-1974; legal papers; genealogical materials; photographs, some of which document dead relatives in their coffins (necrophotography); and miscellaneous. The Letterbook of Burt L. Parkhill, 1894, was later made into a scrapbook of information about the affair between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson in 1936. Oversized folders include Oversized Folder 1 Mount Pleasant High School diploma of Louise E. Parkhill, 1918, measures 16 x 21 inches on paper, signed by George E. Ganiard, Hannah S. Vowles and C.S. Larzelere, among others. The lower left edge is damaged. Oversized folder #2 includes sixteen pages from Louise E. Parkhill MacGillivray’s photograph album, 1913, 1918-1920, undated [1913-1919, 1923] with one page containing the 1960 obituary of Eleanor Parkhill, Louise’s mother.

The scrapbook pages are in chronological order. Each page measures approximately 12x16 inches. All pages have edge damage and some acidification. Each page has numerous black and white photographs glued on and handwritten notes. Some people, locations, and dates are identified. Undated photographs were dated from CMU publications. The 1913 photographs include identified members of the all-girl MGG Club, including Louise. Two pages of Spring-Summer 1918 photographs she titled “Up the Chippewa” are of friends, and family, including her identified sister, Vera, canoeing and enjoying the Chippewa River and each other’s company. There is one page of photographs of family and friends dated March 29, 1919. There is one page of photographs of family and friends dated April 3, 1919 titled “Down on the Farm,” meaning at home. No farm specific photographs are included. There is one page titled The [Ice] Storm of April 23, [1919] which refers to a well-documented local area ice storm. There is only one photograph of the ice, while the rest on the page are of family and friends. One photograph is titled “Mama and Bunty (the rooster), showing a woman holding a rooster. There is one page of the CNS Operetta “Little Snow White”, in which Louisa starred as Little Snow White, feature portraits of the cast in full costume, with several individual identified individual portraits, all identified. Louise was described as having “endeared herself to all with her pleasing voice and manner” (Central Normal Bulletin, May 1919). There are two pages of August 27, 1919 photographs showing Louise and friends, or family, visiting and swimming at Epworth Heights, a private Methodist summer community located near Ludington. There is one page of the Normalonians, a CSN performance group, presenting “A Night in Romany” with Louise and company in costume. This performance was announced in Central Normal Life, January 29, 1920 with Louise noted as a returning member, and it was performed on March 5, 1920 (Central Normal Life, March 9, 1920). There is one page of “a Rose” pageant with several of Louise and company in costume. “The Rose Maiden,” in which Louise had a solo role, was announced in Central Normal Life, December 8, 1920.) Based on the summery outside photographs, it was likely performed in late May 1920. There is one page that is a mix of undated photographs. There are several of Louise in mortarboard and gown. She is listed in the CNS commencement program of June 1920, thus dating those photographs. The remaining photographs are of young men and women, some in costumes, who are identified. Their names match those who performed the Music Dept.’s “Chimes of Nomrandy” opera in June 1919, thus dating those photographs (CN Bulletin, June 1919). Three pages of undated [1923] photographs show Louisa in a commencement mortarboard, gown, and academic robe in Ann Arbor. There are photographs of the Washtenaw County Court House and the University of Michigan’s Hill Auditorium and Angel Hall. There is one photograph of Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan. The obituary is for Louise’s mother, Mrs. Eleanor Parkhill who died at age 97 in Mount Pleasant in July 1960. The widow of the late Burt L. Parkhill, Eleanor was survived by her children: George B., Louise P.[arkhill] MacGillivray, and Miriam P. Affeldt.

The Paul A. Meunier photograph albums consist of three large volumes documenting the experiences of the U.S. Army 941st Engineering Aviation Topographical Battalion during World War II including basic training in the United States in 1942, assignments in Tunisia and Italy, and the journey home via the Pacific following the conclusion of the war.

The Paul A. Meunier photograph albums consist of three large volumes documenting the experiences of the U.S. Army 941st Engineering Aviation Topographical Battalion during World War II including basic training in the United States in 1942, assignments in Tunisia and Italy, and the journey home via the Pacific following the conclusion of the war.

All three albums in the collection are 46 x 57 cm in size and have black covers and black paper pages. Each album contains approximately 1,000 photographs. Being a professional artist, Meunier’s attention to detail and exactness is evidenced by the presence of faint framing lines an inch from page margins, with photos carefully arranged within the frames. Numerous captions are present in white ink and neatly printed in appropriate size. Since the three albums present in this collection are titled “Volume 3,” “Volume 4,” and “Volume 5,” it is presumed that Meunier likely produced at least five albums total. Both official photographs as well as personal snapshots taken by Meunier himself are included.

Album A ("Volume 3"): This album documents Meunier’s military service starting from June 1942 when he departed Cleveland for basic training, initial U.S. deployments, his assignment to Tunisia, and his unit’s journey across the Mediterranean Sea to Italy in December 1943. Many snapshot views of street scenes in Tunis and other places in North African Meunier explored while on leave as well as copies of official U.S. Army photographs recording visits to Tunis in 1943 by high-ranking U.S. officials (including Secretary of War Henry Stimson and Generals Eisenhower and Spaatz) are present.

Album B ("Volume 4"): This album documents the transfer of Meunier’s unit to San Severo, Italy. Images of particular interest show the unit working on the production of large-scale lithographically produced bird’s-eye view maps with designated bombing targets charted out. Visits while on leave to Naples, Capri, and Amalfi are also thoroughly represented. Also present is a hand-drawn map of the streets of San Severo and an annotated aerial view of Capri.

Album C ("Volume 5"): This album includes official photos of airborne fighter planes and bombers, aerial views of target sites, and artwork by a fellow soldier. Meunier’s snapshots show soldiers at work as well as on tourist visits to famous Italian sites such as Rome, Florence, Pisa, and Pompeii. Although materials are not arranged in strict chronological order, this volume covers a period of time from when Meunier’s company was headquartered in Bari in mid-1944 to his journey home by ship through the Panama Canal in mid-1945. Also present are a handful of views of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 1944.