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Collection

Thomas Gage papers, 1738-1807 (majority within 1745-1775)

70 linear feet

Online
The Thomas Gage papers consist of the military and governmental correspondence and headquarter papers of General Thomas Gage, officer in the British Army in America (1754-1763) and commander-in-chief of the British forces in North America between 1763 and 1775. The papers include incoming correspondence and retained copies of letters written by Gage, together with a large quantity of documents related to military administration and manuscript maps of North America. The collection is particularly strong in documenting British administration of North America after the French and Indian War, interactions with Native Americans, and the years preceding the American Revolution. The Thomas Gage Papers include seven groups of materials: English series, American series, Warrants series, Letter and Account Books series, Jeffrey Amherst papers, Peter Warren papers, and William Skinner papers. The Thomas Gage Warrants, Jeffery Amherst Papers, Peter Warren Papers, and William Skinner Papers are described more fully in separate finding aids. In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created three other research aids: a Correspondence Inventory , a partial Subject Index , and individual Volume Descriptions .

The Thomas Gage papers consist of the military and government correspondence of General Thomas Gage, officer in the British Army in America (1754-1763), commander-in-chief of the British forces in North America (1763-1775), and Governor of Massachusetts (1774-1775). The papers include incoming correspondence and retained copies of letters written by Gage, together with a large quantity of headquarters documents related to military administration. The collection is particularly strong in documenting British colonial administration after the French and Indian War, interactions with Native Americans, and the years preceding the American Revolution.

The collection is divided into five series:
  1. The English Series (30 volumes) contains Gage's correspondence with military officers and politicians in England, including the Secretaries of State, the Secretaries at War, the Treasury, the Board of Trade, the Board of Ordnance, the paymaster general, the commanders-in-chief, and other officials.
  2. The American Series (139 volumes) consists of Gage's correspondence with military officers and civil authorities in North America, including colonial governors, generals, commanders and subordinate officers, Indian superintendents and deputies, admirals of the British Navy in North America, engineers, army contractors, and various prominent civilians.
  3. The Letter Books, Account Books, and Additional Material series (17 items) contains copy books of communications with military outposts in North America and accounts for military expenses.
  4. The Warrants series (40 boxes) is made up of financial documents authorizing payment for the British military forces in North America. The Thomas Gage warrants series is described in a separate finding aid.
  5. The Maps series (87 maps) includes maps and fort plans created for British military leaders in North America in the years before the American Revolution.

The English series and the American series comprise the bulk of the collection. In addition to the many letters, these series contain the following: addresses, speeches, and proclamations; official petitions and memorials for troop promotions and transfers; proceedings and depositions from courts martial and courts of inquiry; intelligence on enemy activities; reports on the condition of the army and the state of the colonies; orders, instructions, memoranda, and meeting minutes; stores and provision inventories, receipts, and accounts of expenses; newspaper clippings and broadsides; and other miscellaneous items. Memorials typically describe the military career and professional history of a soldier or officer; these frequently contain information on both his regiment's activities and his personal life. The courts martial document desertion, embezzlement and fraud, violence, murder, rape, and other crimes committed by service members. Some of these cases, such as the trials of John Wilkins and Robert Rogers, are extensively recorded, involving many levels of the military and government. Returns typically list the numbers of troops, by rank, stationed at a fort, city, or region. These occasionally include names and other personal information. Stores and artillery lists account for the food, supplies, and ammunition maintained at forts, cities, and regions.

The English Series (30 volumes) contains Gage's incoming and outgoing letters from the Secretaries of State, Secretaries of War, Secretaries of the Treasury, Board of Ordnance, Judge Advocate General, Paymaster General of the military, Board of Trade, and the Admiralty. The bulk of these items were created during Gage's tenure as military governor of Montréal, commander-in-chief of North America, and governor of Massachusetts. Gage's years as an officer during the French and Indian War and his time in Britain from 1773-1774, however, are not well represented.

Gage communicated extensively with the British Secretaries of State. In many of these letters, he discussed, at length, the state of the colonies, with particular focus on civil unrest. He also reported on Indian relations and boundary lines, conditions of forts and the British military presence on the western and southern frontiers, hostilities toward the Stamp Act and other parliamentary acts, and civil unrest in Boston, New York, Charleston, and other colonial cities. Secretaries include: George Montagu-Dunk, Lord Halifax (Montagu Dunk); Sir Henry Seymour Conway; Charles Lennox, the Duke of Richmond; William Petty, Lord Shelburne; Wills Hill, Lord Hillsborough; William Legge, Lord Dartmouth; William Henry Nassau, Earl of Rochford; and Lord George Germain.

Items of note include:
  • A report from Lord Hillsborough concerning relations with Indians and advising Gage to cut military spending by abandoning forts on the frontier (English Series [hereafter ES]): April 15, 1768)
  • A report, with treaty extracts, describing the boundary lines for colonial and Indian territories in Georgia, East and West Florida, North and South Carolina, and the northern territories (ES: April 15, 1768)
  • Narratives on the Boston Massacre written on and just after March 5, 1770
  • A narrative and discussion of the Boston Tea Party (ES: April 9, 1774)

In communications with Secretaries of War Lord William Barrington and Welbore Ellis, Gage discussed troop movements and logistics; regiment conditions, supplies and expenses; colonial troop quartering and recruitment; requests for regimental needs, such as surgeons, hospitals, and barrack repairs; and officer transfers and promotions. The secretaries frequently petitioned Gage to allow officers to return to England for personal reasons, such as health and estate issues. These letters also provide general updates on the state of the colonies and contain information on Indian affairs.

Items of note include:
  • Barrington's opinions on whether or not the British should designate the western lands for Indian nations (ES: October 10, 1765).
  • A warning from Gage that "the colonists are taking large strides towards Independency, and that it concerns Great Britain by a speedy and spirited conduct to show them that these provinces are British Colonies dependent on her, and that they are not Independent States" (ES: January 17, 1767).

The Secretaries of the Treasury letters offer detailed information on colonial expenses and the financial decisions made in London and by Gage. The treasury secretaries include Charles Jenkinson, Thomas Whatley, William Mellish, William Lowndes, Grey Cooper, Thomas Bradshaw, and John Robinson.

Gage also communicated regularly with the Judge Advocate General Charles Gould, Earl of Granby John Manners, and John Boddington from the Office of Ordnance; Paymaster General of the Military Richard Rigby; and Generals Amherst, Harvey, and George Williamson. Gage received many letters from army officers stationed in England and Ireland. Most of these officers served under Gage and wrote him regarding business or legal issues. Notable officers include Lieutenant Colonel John Wilkins of the 18th Regiment and Major Robert Rogers stationed at Michilimackinac. Also of note in this series are printed versions of speeches made by King George III to parliament and the official responses from the Houses of Lords and Commons.

The American Series (139 volumes) comprises the bulk of the Thomas Gage papers. The Correspondence and Enclosures subseries (volumes 1-136) contains the communications between Gage and various civil and military personnel from North America and the West Indies. Represented are documents from Gage's tenures as an officer in the British Army during the French and Indian War under Braddock and Abercromby, as military governor of Montréal, as commander-in-chief of North America, and as governor of Massachusetts. The items from 1754-1760 all relate to the military, and include communications from various forts, often containing troop returns and stores inventories. As governor of Montréal, much of his administrative duties pertained to coordinating sloops, bateaux, and other ships that moved troops and provisions around Canada. The breadth of his responsibilities and the variety of decisions he had to make expanded considerably during his service as commander-in-chief and governor.

Writers (contributors) in the American Series include: colonial governors and lieutenant governors, private merchants and suppliers, generals and headquarters staff (barrack master general, quarter master general, commissary of stores and provisions), subordinate staff (barrack masters, paymasters, and engineers), superintendents and deputies from Departments of Indian Affairs, surveyor generals, commissioner of customs, and admirals and other naval officers.

These communications reveal information on a vast array of administrative responsibilities, such as:
  • Disseminating information from England
  • Enforcement of parliamentary acts, particularly concerning commerce
  • Managing relations between the colonies and settling inter-colonial boundary disputes
  • Quelling violence and civil unrest in the cities and policing new settlements on the western and southern frontiers
  • Managing Indian relations and enforcing treaties
  • Maintaining outposts and constructing new forts
  • Coordinating colonial defenses and troop movements, provisioning, and quartering
  • Settling disputes between military and civil leaders

Notable gaps in documentation occur between May and August 1760 and during Gage's time in England between June 1773 and May 1774, when General Haldimand served as commander-in-chief of British forces in North America. Though fairly well documented, the year 1769 also seems incomplete.

Colonial Governors. As commander-in-chief, Gage maintained communications with the governors of every colony in North America and several West Indian islands. He received administrative information on civil government and was particularly involved in legal matters concerning civil/military relations and in quelling violence and unrest in the cities and on the frontier. The governors were partially responsible for implementing parliamentary acts regarding trade and raising troops for the British army. The letters also contain vast amounts of information on relations with Native Americans, local political movements, militias, and the provincial governments that emerged during the years preceding the Revolutionary War. (See Additional Descriptive Data for a list of the colonial governors represented in the collection.) Gage communicated with deputy paymasters general of North America including James Barbut, Jacob Blackwell, William Eddington, and Abraham Mortier. He also corresponded with the French and Spanish governors of Louisiana, including Jean-Jacques-Blaise Abbaddie, Charles Phillippe Aubrey, Alejandro O'Reilly, Antonio de Don Ulloa, and Luis de Unzaga.

Topics of Note:
  • Responses to the Stamp Act, including riots and non-importation agreements, with disturbances focused in Massachusetts and New York (1765)
  • Ongoing conflicts between Major Farmar of the 34th Regiment and George Johnstone, governor of West Florida at Pensacola, who claimed the authority to give orders to the military (1765)
  • Civil unrest in Boston that forced Governor Bernard to flee to Castle William (1768)
  • A build up of forces in West Florida in response to threats of war between England and Spain (1771)
  • Territorial disputes between New York and New Hampshire over settlements in what is now Vermont (1774-1775)
  • Governor of New Hampshire John Wentworth's reports on the raid of Fort William and Mary by revolutionaries, including Paul Revere (1775)
  • The battles and aftermath of Lexington and Concord (1775)

British Army in America. An important portion of the collection relates to Gage's administration of the far-reaching British military occupying North America. He communicated with many high-ranking officers and generals including Henry Bouquet, John Bradstreet, John Burgoyne, Ralph Burton, Henry Clinton, Frederick Haldimand, William Howe, Alex Mackay, John Pomeroy, and James Robertson. Subordinate officers, such as engineers, majors, barrack masters, paymasters, and ensigns, also corresponded with Gage. Routine topics include officer promotions and transfers; troop discipline and courts martial, particularly surrounding desertions; provisioning regiments and forts with food, supplies, and ammunition; and orders and instructions regarding troop movements and recruitment numbers.

Gage also interacted with the British Navy in North America, which was integral to provisioning and transporting troops. Ships traveled along the Atlantic seaboard from Newfoundland to the West Indies, to Québec by way of the St. Lawrence River, along the Mississippi river, and on Lakes Champlain, Erie, George, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, Superior, and at Forts Niagara and Detroit. Gage also oversaw naval stores and naval activities, such as shipbuilding and ship maintenance, and frequently received news on shipwrecks. Prominent contacts included Admiral Alexander Colville, Commodore Samuel Hood, Commodore James Gambier, Admiral Samuel Graves, Captain Joshua Loring, and Admiral John Montague.

Topics of Note:
  • Relations between the Native Americans and colonists of Québec, including intelligence about a possible alliance between the Five Nations and the French-Jesuit clergy (1762)
  • Colonel Henry Bouquet's expeditions against the Indians on the Pennsylvania and Ohio frontiers (1764)
  • The court martial of Major Robert Farmar, whom West Florida Governor Johnstone accused of embezzling funds (1765)
  • Problems with the "Black Boys Gang" of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania (1765)
  • Mining efforts in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia for coal, and around Lake Superior for copper and other metals (1764-1775)
  • The court martial of Robert Rogers, infamous superintendent of Michilimackinac (1767-1769)
  • Eyewitness accounts of the Boston Massacre, including reports and depositions from all of the troops who took part in event, and news from the ongoing trial of the troops involved (1770)
  • The court martial of Colonel John Wilkins of the Illinois Country over charges of embezzlement and fraud (1771-1773)
  • Civil unrest in Massachusetts as a result of the "Intolerable Acts" and the formation of new bodies of local government (1774)
  • Twenty testimonies and oaths of Massachusetts residents, including several women, concerning the Association (Continental Association) which prohibited merchants from trading with Great Britain (February 13-17, 1775)
  • Descriptions of the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord (1775)
  • Reports of Americans taking Ticonderoga and Crown Point (1775)
  • Intelligence on troop counts and fortification descriptions for the British and the colonists at the Battle of Bunker Hill, along with many memorials from soldiers who fought in the battle (1775)
  • Reports on the American march on Québec and Montréal lead by General Philip Schuyler and Benedict Arnold (1775)
  • Attacks by the Machias "pirates" on British ships in the Bay of Fundy (1775)
  • Three letters from General George Washington to Gage (June 17, 1768, August 11 and 20, 1775)
  • A spy letter from a Mrs. Cooke who had contact with Generals George Washington and Charles Lee and who reported on the squalid conditions in the barracks in and around Boston before she was caught in Lexington (1775)

Indian Superintendants and Deputies. The Gage papers contain a large body of letters and documents relating to Indian Superintendents Sir William Johnson of the Northern District and John Stuart of the Southern District. Gage, who supervised the Indian Departments, received extensive communications documenting all aspects of Indian affairs, including negotiations and treaties, accounts for gifts, trade regulations, captives, and information on violent civil and military conflicts with the Native Americans. Letters include particularly extensive documentation on the New York and Canadian Indians, and on interactions at Detroit, Fort Stanwix, Nova Scotia, and the frontier areas of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Georgia, and East and West Florida. In addition to having direct lines of communication with Johnson and Stuart, Gage received material from subordinate officials, including Colonel Guy Johnson (who took over his father Sir William Johnson's responsibilities after his death), and Indian agents Captain Daniel Claus, Edward Cole at Illinois, Colonel George Croghan, Major Joseph Gorman, Montaut de Montereau, Benjamin Roberts at Michilimackinac, and Lieutenant John Thomas in Mississippi. Agents dealt closely with the colonial governments and often described the actions and motives of the legislature and the governor, and the Indians' responses. Throughout the collection, particularly in the late 1760s and early 1770s, Gage dealt with a constant stream of reports of murders of British frontier settlers and Native Americans. Prominent tribes included the Arkansas, Carib, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Delaware, Iroquois (Five/Six Nations: Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscarora), Kaskaskia, Kickapoo, Miami, Mingo, Ojibwa (Chippewa), Ottawa, Potawatomi, Shawnee, and Wyandots. For a comprehensive list of Native American materials search the Subject Index.

Topics of Note:
  • Congress at Niagara resulting in a treaty with Western Indians (1764)
  • Conflicts and treaties with Chief Pontiac, including Pontiac's Rebellion (1763-1769)
  • Negotiations at Fort Pitt and the Congress of Fort Chartres with the Shawnees, Delaware, Huron, and Six Nations of the Iroquois (1766)
  • Unsuccessful efforts by the British government to remove colonial settlers from the Redstone Creek and Cheat River region near Fort Pitt (1767)
  • Congress of Fort Stanwix (1768)
  • The First Carib war on St. Vincent's Island (1772)

Merchants, Contractors, and Civilians. Also important are communications with merchants and contractors. Gage relied heavily on private contractors to provision the army and to build and maintain the military's forts and ships. Additionally, Gage received letters from colonial citizens, usually concerning business matters or legal proceedings. Prominent citizens, merchants and shipping companies included George Allsopp; Baynton, Wharton, & Morgan; David Chamier; Delancy and Watts; Volkert Van Dow; Franks, Inglis, & Barclay; John Hancock, Thomas Hancock, Plumstead and Franks; Philip Schuyler, Edward Shippen, George Townshend, and Nathaniel Wheelwright. Of note is an extended legal battle over the assault of merchant Thomas Walker by citizens of Montréal (1766-1767).

The Indian Congresses and Treaties subseries (15 items) contains reports, proceedings, treaties, negotiations, and memorials related to Indian Affairs in the Southern District and on the Illinois frontier. The bulk of the treaties and Indian-related documents are ordered throughout the American Series. See the Subject Index for an itemized list of this subseries.

The Journals and Reports subseries (24 items) is a collection of volumes and documents concerning the administration of the British Army in America. Several items describe the condition of forts and waterways on the southern and western frontiers, while others are expense and provision reports. Of note are John Wilkins' "Journal of Transactions and Presents Given to Indians from 23 December 1768 to 1772," and a "Journal of Events at Fort Edward Augustus," which describes abandoning the fort during Pontiac's rebellion. See the Subject Index for an itemized list of this subseries.

The Proclamations and Documents subseries (39 items) has official proclamations, memorials, articles from treaties, extracts from parliamentary acts, official court depositions, and various financial and legal certifications. Many of the items in this series are undated. See the Subject Index for an itemized list of this subseries.

The Broadsides subseries (14 items) contains many of the collection's printed broadsides. Half of the items are related to revolutionary activities in Boston, including a broadside that recounts the Battle of Bunker Hill (June 26, 1775). See the Subject Index for an itemized list of this subseries.

The Newspapers and Clippings subseries (12 items) is comprised of fragments of newspapers from Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina from 1773 and 1774. See the Subject Index for an itemized list of this subseries.

The Pay Lists of British Army Officers subseries (31 items) consists of officer pay lists spanning 1759-1775. The lists contain officer's names, regiments, ranks, days served, and amounts owed for the pay period.

The Letter Books and Account Books Series (17 items) contains four of Gage's official letter books from 1759 to 1763, 12 account books from 1763-1773, and a list of bills spanning 1769-1773.

The letter books contain copies of official communications from Gage to other military outposts in North America and to officials in London. These volumes hold only outgoing letters. The first volume covers "Winter Quarters" in Albany, from January 20 to April 27, 1759 (69 pages), and from December 14, 1759 to May 5, 1761 (119 pages). The second volume concerns Gage's time at Fort Oswego from August 19 to November 20, 1759 (78 pages). The third and fourth letter books contain letters from his time as military governor of Montréal, and consist largely of letters written to other northern military forts and to Commander-in-Chief Jeffrey Amherst. The third volume spans August 21, 1761-December 23, 1762 (92 pages), and the fourth January 15-October 24, 1763 (61 pages).

The Account Books group consists of 12 account books documenting expenses for Transport Services, Incidental Expenses, Secretary's Office, Engineers Department, Naval Department on the Lakes, Indian Department Southern District, Indian Department Northern District, Quartermaster General's Department Albany and New York, Commissary General's Department, Deputy Paymaster General, Crown Account, Warrants, Cash and Contra, Commission of the Treasury, Secretary of War, and Contingent and Extraordinary Expenses from forts throughout North America.

Account Books:
  • Account Book 1 (14 pages) 1763-1766
  • Account Book 2 (31 pages) 1763-1766
  • Account Book 3 (21 pages) 1763-1769
  • Account Book 4 (33 pages) 1765-1766
  • Account Book 5 (24 pages) 1765-1768
  • Account Book 6 (12 pages) 1766-1767
  • Account Book 7 (36 pages) 1766-1769
  • Account Book 8 (42 pages) 1767-1770
  • Account Book 9 (28 pages) 1770-1773
  • Account Book 10 (43 pages) 1770-1773
  • Account Book 11 (39 pages) 1767-1773
  • Account Book 12 (39 pages) 1767-1773

This series also contains a loose list of bills "Drawn by General Gates" on behalf of the officers under him in North America (1769-1773). The categories are "By Whom Drawn," Number of Bills, In Whose Favor, Sums Drawn for (New York Currency), Dates of Acceptance, and Sums Paid.

The Thomas Gage Warrants Series (10 linear feet), a collection of additional administrative and financial records spanning 1763 to 1775, are described in a separate finding aid entitled Thomas Gage warrants. The warrants document payment of the army's departmental salaries and expenses, and represent a large source of information relating to hospitals, victualling, frontier expeditions, the building and repair of fortifications and barracks, transportation of troops and stores, wages for civilian workers, and disbursements to the Indians.

The Maps Series (87 manuscript maps) includes maps on the exploration, settlement, and fortification of the interior of British North America before the Revolution. They cover the years from 1755 to 1775 and were created for the British authorities. The maps portray rivers, lakes, and waterways throughout the continent, the coastlines and ports along the Atlantic, fortifications, and roads and routes between forts and cities. Of note are 12 maps of the Southern District and of the Mississippi River, created by Captain Philip Pittman. These maps are located in the Clements Library's Map Division - search the University of Michigan catalog for "Gage Maps."

In addition to this finding aid, the Clements Library has created three other research aids:
  • The Correspondence Inventory lists the bulk of the collection's contributors and inventories each item sent or received from them to Gage.
  • The Subject Index provides access to events, people, places, and topics discussed in the collection. The index also contains a list of contributors, a list of the collection's maps, and an itemized list of volumes 137-139 of the American series.
  • The Volume Descriptions provide brief overviews of the content of each volume in the collection.
Collection

Thomas Gage warrants, 1763-1775

10 linear feet

The Thomas Gage warrants are financial documents authorizing payment for the British military forces in North America from the conclusion of the French and Indian War through the beginning of the Revolutionary War. The warrants are one series within the larger Thomas Gage papers. The Gage Warrants Finding Aid and Index provides additional information on the Gage Warrants and an itemized list of volumes 6-36.

The financial records contained in this collection represent financial accounts for British forces in North America from the conclusion of the French and Indian War to the beginning of the Revolutionary War. These documents are secretarial copies retained by Thomas Gage (1720-1787) for his personal records.

Types of documents in the collection:
  • Subsistence warrants: Documents issued by Gage authorizing payment for regular salaries and rations.
  • Warrants for extraordinary expenses: Documents issued by Gage authorizing payment for irregular expenses.
  • Temporary warrants: Documents signed by Gage allowing financial advances.
  • Annexed accounts: Detailed lists or accounts affixed to warrants, often including vouchers and receipts from various middlemen and agents. These may be lists of bills of exchange and are occasionally signed.
  • Abstracts of accounts: Abstracts or explanations of complex accounts.
  • Vouchers: Receipts showing payment.
  • These may include:
    • Bills of lading: Used when dealing with hired ships.
    • Pay rolls: Listing of personnel, their occupations, and their wages.
    • Invoices: Enumerating goods received.
    • Bills of exchange: Calling for one party to pay a certain amount to a second party; may be accompanied by receipts.
The miscellaneous documents in the collection include:
  • Memorials: Signed statements certifying that a service has been performed.
  • Legal documents: Depositions, testimonies, contracts, or other witnessed and sworn statements.
  • Discharges: Documents releasing men or vessels from military service.
  • Wrappers: Papers in which documents were originally contained.

See the Gage Warrants Finding Aid and Index (pdf) for more information on the Gage Warrants and an itemized list of volumes 6-36.

See the finding aid for the Thomas Gage papers for a complete description of the collection.

Collection

Thomas M. Bridges Crow Creek and Fort Hall Reservations Collection, ca. 1850-1918 (majority within 1892-1899)

approximately 242 photographs in 5 albums, 13 loose photographs, and 2 pieces of realia

The Thomas M. Bridges Crow Creek and Fort Hall Reservations collection contains approximately 242 photographs in 5 albums, 13 loose photographs, a Catlinite pipe bowl, and a ball headed war club. These materials were associated with Dr. Thomas Miller Bridges, a physician and surgeon who was employed on Native American reservations during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Thomas M. Bridges Crow Creek and Fort Hall Reservations collection contains approximately 242 photographs in 5 albums, 13 loose photographs, a Catlinite pipe bowl, and a ball headed war club. These materials were associated with Dr. Thomas Miller Bridges, a physician and surgeon who was employed on Native American reservations during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Photographs

Volume 1: This album (18.5 x 29.5 cm) has pebbled black faux leather covers with “Photographs” stamped in gold on the front and contains 51 photographs, all of which pertain to Crow Creek Reservation and primarily date to ca. 1892-1896. Detailed printed captions have been cut and pasted beneath every image in the album. Several captions have dates that were crossed out for unknown reasons. A handful of images also have numbers inscribed next to them. It is uncertain who took the majority of these photographs, though at least one photograph included in this album (a studio portrait of “White Ghost,” Yanktonai chief) has shown up elsewhere on mounts produced by a photographer based in Chamberlain, South Dakota, named H. B. Perry. It is possible that Perry produced a substantial number of the photographs in this album. Dr. Bridges may have also contributed many photographs.

Items of particular interest include:
  • Portrait of Anna Lee Bridges at 18 months old
  • Group portrait captioned “With the Sioux, an Indian’s home” that shows Dr. Bridges standing outside of a home next to a Native American family
  • Group portrait of Crow Creek Agency employees including William Fuller (carpenter), R. Ryerson (blacksmith, miscaptioned as “N. Ryerson”), Joseph Wertz (miller), S. M. Childers (farmer), and Dr. Bridges
  • Multiple views of Crow Creek Agency buildings including the physician’s residence, Grace Howard Mission School, church and parsonage (William Fuller also appears in this image), hospital, aspects of the Crow Creek Indian School complex (including the girl’s and boy’s buildings, school rooms building, and dining room), and trader’s store
  • Group portrait of five men holding various tools captioned “the blacksmith and his helpers”
  • Two photographic reproductions of oil-on-canvas paintings by agency carpenter William Fuller, including a depiction of a scaffold burial overlooking Lower Brule Reservation painted ca. 1882 and a bird’s-eye view of the Crow Creek Reservation painted in 1893
  • Image captioned “A war party of Sioux Indians, So. Dak., 1893” that is possibly related to Sun Dance-Fourth of July celebrations
  • At least four images related to beef issue on Crow Creek Reservation
  • Three images documenting the transportation and assemblage of 500 wagons that were granted for issue at Crow Creek Reservation
  • Group portrait of members of the Crow Creek Indian Police
  • Group portrait of three men identified as “Burned Prairie,” “Robt. Philbrick” (Robert Philbrick, also known as Tahcaduzahan/Swift Deer), and “Wounded Knee” who are described as “Judges of the Court of Indian Offenses, Crow Creek Indian Agency, S.D.”
  • Group portrait of Crow Creek Agency employees including Robert Smith (blacksmith), Iron Shield (policeman), Dr. Bridges, Joseph Sutton (farmer), J. F. Geigoldt (issue clerk), J. C. Fitzpatrick (chief clerk), Fred Treon (U.S. Indian agent), and Thomas Stevens (assistant clerk)
  • Studio portraits of “‘White Ghost’, Chief of the Yanktonai Sioux” and “‘Iron Nation’, Chief of the Brule Sioux,” both of whom can be seen wearing mixtures of western and traditional clothing and holding objects such as a turkey feather fan, rifle, and pipes
  • Group portrait of two women wearing dentalium shell earrings (one of whom carries a child on her back) identified as “Fire Tail” and “Visible Lightning” posing outside of a tipi next to an empty chair draped with a blanket
  • Outdoor portrait of a man identified as “Two Crow” seated outside of his log cabin home
  • Outdoor portrait of a man identified as “Talking Crow” holding a rifle and wearing a feather headdress, arm bands, and otter fur breastplate fitted with mirror discs while sitting on a horse dressed in a buffalo scalp horse mask (images of horses wearing these masks are exceedingly rare)
  • Outdoor portrait of “‘Bull Ghost’, a sub-chief of the Yanktonai Sioux” seated before a tipi on a blanketed chair wearing a mixture of western and traditional clothing including an otter fur turban, hair feather, moccasins, and wool leggings while holding a tobacco bag, tomahawk, and pipe
  • Group portrait of ten schoolgirls posing with teacher Mary A. Reason
  • Photograph taken outside the home of a medicine man named “Eagle Dog” (possibly the man standing at left wearing a grizzly bear claw necklace) showing pots, pans, chairs, and animal skins drying
  • Group portrait captioned “A dancing party of Sioux Indians” showing nine men gathered around a drum while dressed in traditional clothing including otter fur bandoliers, moccasins, leg garters affixed with dance bells, an otter fur breastplate, and a split horn war bonnet
  • Photograph showing several men on horseback captioned “A band of Sioux, at the Agency, July 4th 1895?” with the year listed in the caption crossed out.

Volume 2:This album (18 x 30 cm) has pebbled black leather covers and contains 5 photographs. While no captions or dates are provided, most of these images were likely taken ca. 1910. Four of the images are outdoor group portraits that appear to have been taken during a lakeside cottage trip to an unidentified location, possibly somewhere near Idaho Falls or Yellowstone National Park. A young girl (likely Berenice Bridges) appears in three photos wearing a white dress, while Dr. Bridges likely appears in two photos sporting a long beard. Several other unidentified individuals (likely including Maggie and Anna Lee Bridges) are also present in these images. The fifth photograph in this album is a group portrait of four unidentified individuals, including three Native American people (two older adults and one child) and a white woman, standing outside of a tipi.

Volume 3: This album (19 x 26 cm) has red string-bound cloth covers with “Photographs” stamped in gold on the front cover and contains 47 photographs, the majority of which document aspects of Fort Hall Reservation and primarily date to ca. 1896-1899. Detailed printed captions have been cut and pasted beneath most images in the album. A handful of images also have numbers inscribed next to them. While some images may have been produced by Dr. Bridges himself, many of these photographs (especially images from regions outside of Fort Hall Reservation) were likely taken by other photographers.

Items of particular interest include:
  • Group portrait of the “Conn. Indian Association Scholars and others,” with missionary, educator, and close friend of the Bridges family Amelia J. Frost identified in the lineup
  • Images of various Fort Hall Agency buildings such as the Fort Hall Indian School, the physician’s and agent’s residences, main office
  • Several pictures of Fort Hall Indian School employees and students including a group portrait of the Fort Hall Indian School brass band
  • Photograph showing a well being bored
  • Several images documenting a train wreck on the O.S.L.R.R. at Ross Fork, Idaho
  • Outdoor portrait of Cahuilla basket maker Ramona Lubo captioned “Ramona at Cahuilla”
  • Photograph of human remains inside of a coffin captioned “Sioux grave, method of bur-ial in the sixties, after the Government stopped bur-ial in trees or on scaffolds”
  • Two photographs, including one captioned “Dress Parade,” that show two unidentified Native American men wearing traditional clothing (the man wearing a bone hairpipe breastplate may possibly be Levi Levering, also known as He’-con-thin’ke or White Horn, an Omaha Indian teacher at Fort Hall Indian School)
  • Three images showing US Army 4th Cavalry Troop F performing drills
  • Group portrait of Anna Lee Bridges with friends “Eulia Churchill” and “Maggie Funkhouser”
  • Group portrait of two white girls identified as “Maggie & Bertie Funkhouser” wearing Native American costumes
  • Group portrait of Fort Hall Agency employees taken in 1899 including W. H. Reeder (carpenter), C. M. Bumgarner (farmer), Dr. Bridges, P. J. Johnson (blacksmith), M. Timsanico (interpreter), Paul Bannock (stableman), W. H. Evans (farmer), E. C. Godwin (clerk), Lieut. F. G. Irwin (acting agent), C. M. Robinson (issue clerk), and Ed. Lavatta (farmer)
  • Four images related to the Warm Springs Indian Agency in Oregon
  • Two views of the San Gabriel Mission Church, one of which was produced by Warren Bros.
  • Two views of Mt. Putnam
  • Group portrait of Native American boys of various ages wearing military-style uniforms captioned “School boys, Ft. Hall Indian School, Idaho”
  • Group portrait showing the family of Old Ocean (Bannock guide said to have aided Lewis and Clark) aged “112 yrs old.”

Volume 4: This album (23 x 26 cm) was produced by the Eastman Kodak Company and has string-bound black cloth covers with “Photographs” embossed in gold on the front cover. It contains 85 photographs, the majority of which document aspects of Fort Hall Reservation and primarily date to ca. 1896-1899. Detailed printed captions have been cut and pasted beneath many images in the album. Dr. Bridges possibly produced all or most of these images and captions himself.

Items of particular interest include:
  • Several views of various Fort Hall Agency buildings
  • Several views related to travels in Teton Pass, Jackson Hole, and Snake River in Wyoming
  • View of the “Conn. Indian Association Mission School” with an additional manuscript caption stating “Miss [Amelia] Frost’s first mission"
  • Several group portraits of Native American and white cowboys
  • Outdoor portrait of an unidentified Native American man on horseback wearing a split horn bonnet
  • Two images related to Fort Hall Agency beef issue
  • Image showing several people examining an older Native American woman captioned “Granny Pokibro, on parade”
  • Multiple images that include Anna Lee Bridges
  • Several images showing members and officers (including Lieut. Holbrook and Capt. Hatfield) of US Army 4th Cavalry Troop F
  • Three photos of Omaha Indians including two portraits of an unidentified Omaha man (possibly Levi Levering) wearing a feather headdress as well as a group portrait showing Levi Levering sitting beside his wife Vena Bartlett Levering while she holds their infant child
  • Group portrait of three members of the Fort Hall Reservation Police crossing Snake River
  • Images of geysers, waterfalls, and other scenery likely taken at Yellowstone National Park
  • Two solo portraits (including a man identified as “F. M. Parsons”) of men standing at the top of the Malad Divide
  • Portrait of a young child identified as “Little Bill Mo-cats Jr.”

Volume 5: This album (18 x 29 cm) has black pebbled faux leather covers and contains 54 photographs primarily related to Fort Hall Reservation ca. 1896-1899. Detailed printed captions often including sequential numbers have been cut and pasted beneath most images in the album. Some album pages have missing photographs with captions still present. Dr. Bridges may have produced many of these images and captions himself.

Items of particular interest include:
  • Three group portraits of a Fort Hall Agency employee picnic held near the head of Ross Fork Creek in 1898
  • Image showing “Bannock and Shoshoni Indians horse racing” far in the distance
  • Image of hay being stacked at Fort Hall Agency
  • Several views of various Fort Hall Agency buildings including the carpenter’s residence, physician’s residence, and agent’s office
  • Outdoor portrait of an unidentified Bannock girl on horseback captioned “No. 67. Bannock Indian Girl, showing squaw saddle”
  • Group portrait taken in 1899 of Levi Levering (far right) and Rueben P. Wolfe (far left), both Omaha Indian teachers employed at Fort Hall Indian School, posing with their wives Vena Bartlett Levering (second from right holding infant) and Rose E. Cordier (second from left, also known as Rose Wolf Setter and Rose C. Setter)
  • Group portrait of two white girls dressed as “Imitation Indians”
  • Group portrait of several Omaha Indian men likely visiting Fort Hall Reservation dressed in “handsome native dress of buck-skin & beads”
  • Two halftone reproductions of photographs taken by Lee Moorhouse in October 1898 of infant Cayuse twins Emma and Edna Jones (also known as Tax-a-Lax and Alompum) in cradleboards (miscaptioned in album as “Umatilla Indian twins”)
  • Image of a scaffold burial captioned “a man and his wife buried in 1872, this negative was made in 1886”
  • Photos of a Chinese merchant and a Chinese grave at Fort Hall Agency
  • Eight images documenting a rabbit drive
  • Portrait of Old Ocean “age 112”
  • Three images of buildings in Salt Lake City, Utah, identified as the “Mormon temple,” the “Bee-hive,” and “Eagle Gate”
  • Portrait of an unidentified man standing inside of the dispensary at Cheyenne River Agency, South Dakota
  • View of an uncovered sweat house
  • Six images showing various buildings, issue day, and hay work scenes at San Carlos Agency, Arizona
  • Photograph showing a man and dog outside of a building captioned “Pump house, Lower Brule, S.D.”
  • Image of a building with a sign above the front entrance reading “Govt. Trading Post.”

Loose Images: Also present are 13 loose photographs. Items of interest include an unmounted photographic reproduction of a ca. 1880 lithograph depicting a group of Native Americans preparing a scaffold burial with a typed caption on the verso reading “Scaffold burial, as practiced by the Crow Indians, elevating the corpse to the scaffold. (Copied by permission, from the 1st annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology)”; an unmounted group portrait of several Mohave people including two women and seven children; an unmounted portrait of an unidentified Native American man seated outside of a dwelling made of mud and straw captioned “An old time medicine man and his hut”; an unmounted group portrait taken outside a Fort Hall Reservation building captioned “School House, teacher & pupils at Ross Fork”; an unmounted view of a building captioned “Fort Hall. Location. The old adobes”; a studio portrait of an adult Anna Lee Bridges wearing a nurses uniform taken by F. R. Lambrecht, likely ca. 1918; and a studio portrait of Berenice Bridges as a child.

Realia

The first piece of realia is a pipe bowl (7.5 x 3.5 x 3 cm) made from Catlinite that likely dates to the 1850s and is most probably of Lakota/Dakota origin.

The second piece of realia is a ball headed war club (54 x 15 x 6 cm) that likely dates to the 1860s and is most probably of Lakota/Dakota origin. The club is made entirely of carved wood. The ball head is painted black and is lacking a spike while the main body is decorated with brass upholstery tacks on one side.

Both of these items were likely acquired by Dr. Bridges as a result of his personal interest in Native American material culture.

Collection

Thomas O'Brien photograph album, ca. 1944-1945

approximately 136 photographs in 1 album

The Thomas O'Brien photograph album contains approximately 136 snapshots of people from the Marshall and Gilbert Islands, American soldiers, and U.S. military facilities taken by U.S. Army infantryman Thomas O’Brien.

The Thomas O'Brien photograph album contains approximately 136 snapshots of people from the Marshall and Gilbert Islands, American soldiers, and U.S. military facilities taken by U.S. Army infantryman Thomas O’Brien.

The album (30 x 30 cm) is a modern green three-ring binder with plastic sleeves. Images of note include pictures of women from the Marshall Islands (including numerous topless portraits of young women); performers attached to the Bob Hope show such as June Brunner, Patty Thomas, and Carol Landis; copies of Japanese photographs of causalities; Kauai and other Hawaiian locations; and a monument to the 323rd U.S. Army Infantry Regiment. Many images have handwritten captions on their versos. O’Brien is present and identified in several photographs. Also present is a copy of a card that O’Brien sent to his mother Helen O’Brien.

Collection

Tom Hayden Civil Rights Papers, (majority within 1962-1963)

.25 Linear Feet — Half of one manuscript box

Writings, publications, and clippings collected by activist and SDS founder Tom Hayden. The majority of the materials relate to the Civil Rights movement in the early 1960s, particularly the activities of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

Materials are arranged in three series: 1. Writings, 2. Organization records, and 3. Newspaper clippings.

The Writings Series consists of Hayden's essays and notes about student activism, democracy, and the civil rights movement.

The Organizational Records Series is composed of materials related to organizations Hayden participated in or associated with in the early 1960s. A good deal of the materials document SNCC's activities in Americus, Georgia.

The Newspaper Clippings Series dates from 1961 to 1963 and covers civil rights demonstrations in the South. Someone, likely Hayden, annotated some of the clippings with timelines and commentary.

Collection

Tom Van Zoeren oral history collection, 1860s-2011 (majority within 2000-2010)

1.5 linear feet — 70.1 GB (online)

Online
Tom Van Zoeren was a park ranger at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. His collection contains oral history interviews relating to the history of the Sleeping Bear Dunes region and other Michigan localities.

The Van Zoeren collection contains oral history interviews conducted between 1979 and 2010, and includes copies of scanned photos and supporting documents. The interviews are available variously on audio cassette tapes and online. Transcripts or summaries are found in the collection for many of the interviews. The Van Zoeren collection is organized in two sections by format.

The first section contains analog files and audio cassette tapes. This section is arranged in series by family interview: Basch/Lanham/Van Zoeren oral history interviews, 1993-2000; George Burfiend oral history interviews, photo collection, and farm tour, 2005-2008; DeKorne family oral history and photographs, 2006; Doan family oral history interview, 2006; Dottie (Ashmore) Lanham oral history and photograph collection, 2003-2008; Alfred and Loraine (Olsen) Mason oral history interview and photo collection, 2001-2004; Leonard Thoreson oral history interview and photos, 2005-2006; and Frederick and Margretha Werner Farm oral history interview and photo collection, 2006-2007. These series contain information related to the families and interviews in the form of text, scanned and printed images, and audio and video recordings.

Information about selected interviews:
  1. Basch, Laura (Oleson), of the Port Oneida, Michigan, area (audio cassettes and online)
  2. Burfiend, George, relating to Burfiend farm and Port Oneida (online)
  3. DeKorne, Jack relating to the family of Boudewyn and Kate DeKorne of Grand Rapids and Glen Lake, Michigan (online)
  4. Fargo, Judy Carole and Ruth Ann Doan Jones, relating to the Frank and Alma Doan family of Croswell, Michigan ( online, filed under Doan family)
  5. Lanham, Dottie, relating to her life and to Burdickville and surrounding area (online)
  6. Lanham, John, of Burdickville, Michigan (audio cassettes and online)
  7. Mason, Alfred and Lorraine [referred to as 'Loraine' in some collection materials] (Olsen), relating to their families, the family farms and the Port Oneida community (online)
  8. Miller, Charles, relating to the Frederick and Margretha Werner farm in Port Oneida (online, filed under Werner)
  9. Stuber, Mary Lou, relating to the Frederick and Margretha Werner farm in Port Oneida (online, filed under Werner)
  10. Thoresen, Leonard, relating to his family, the family farm and the Port Oneida community (online)
  11. Thoreson, Leonard, relating to the Frederick and Margretha Werner farm in Port Oneida (online, filed under Werner)
  12. Van Noord, Trudy, relating to the family of Boudewyn and Kate DeKorne of Grand Rapids and Glen Lake, Michigan (online, filed under DeKorne family)
  13. Van Zoeren, Jay, of Vriesland, Michigan, 1948 graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School (audio cassettes and online)

Additional files relating to these and other persons are available online.

The second section consists of one series of digitized material, oral histories, photos, and other historic materials from the Sleeping Bear Dunes region. The digital files were created or assembled by Van Zoeren and were received on an external hard drive. This series is further divided into subseries by type of material: Information on Farms, Families, etc.; Oral History Audio Files; Historic Images; Video Recordings; Genealogies; Census and Cemetery Records; Historic Maps; and Other Resources. Some of the content may be digitized versions of items in the analog portion of the collection.

Collection

Tony Platt Papers, 1942-2023 (majority within 1960-1985)

11 Linear Feet — 9 records center boxes and 1 oversize box

Tony Platt (1942-) is a scholar and activist focusing on criminal justice, race, inequality, and social justice. The Tony Platt papers (1942-2023, bulk dates 1960-1985) focus on his early career including his graduate education, postdoctoral activitites, and term as a professor at the now-closed School of Criminology at the University of California, Berkeley. After the completion of his dissertation later published under the name, "The Child Savers: The Invention of Juvenile Deliquency" and his postdoctoral fellowship with the University of Chicago, he returned to the University of California, Berkeley in 1968 as an Assistant Professor. Notable for his activism, professional engagement, and development of a "radical criminology", Platt was a key figure in shifting the School of Criminology from a professional program heavily connected to the police to an academic program centered on examining the issues of the field through understanding the effects of racism, colonialism and imperialism, and other factors popular with students throughout the 1960s-1970s. However, his career at the university was also shaped by a long fight for tenure and the debate over the School of Criminology's future. The Platt papers consist of 11 linear feet arranged in five series covering the early part of Platt's career. The Platt papers feature correspondence with scholars, faculty, and other individuals, research notes and drafts, course materials, files related to professional development activities such as conferences, clippings, legal files, and other collected materials reflecting Platt's research and professional ties.

Materials have been divided into 5 series.

1. Biographical: Primarily includes materials reflecting Platt's education prior to obtaining his Ph.D. in 1966, along with personal materials such as calendars, photographs, and later reflections of his work. Significant materials include those in the subseries for "The Child Savers". Materials are arranged by date.

2. Postdoc Activities: Includes materials reflecting Platt's time in Chicago where he completed a fellowship with the University of Chicago. Subseries include materials such as correspondence, research files related to his work, significant projects undertaken by Platt such as Legal Sevices to Youth and the Community Legal Defense Organization, and photographs taken by Bill Mares who worked with Platt in Chicago. Materials are arranged by date.

3. Academic Activities: Consists of the largest amount of materials in the collection and covers Platt's career at the Uniersity of California, Berkeley (1968-1976) with few materials afterwards. Subseries include Correspondence, Course Materials, Faculty files, Professional Activities, Articles and Writing, and Topical Files. Correspondence spans the entirety of Platt's time at Berkeley. Course Materials feature Platt's courses at Berkeley including lecture notes, readings, projects, and other documentation. Faculty files include communication, reports, and other materials between Platt and other faculty members at Berkeley. Professional activities include notes and materials related to conferences, speaking engagements, and other activities. Articles and Writing feature several articles written by Platt in collaboration or individually. Topical files include smaller projects, activism, and some collected materials from scholars that Platt knew. The subseries, Correspondence, is arranged by Incoming and Outgoing, and by date. The subseries for Faculty Files, Professional Activities, Articles and Writing, and Topical Files are arranged by date. The subseries, Course Materials are arranged by course number with the full title of the course included.

4. Project Files: Includes files for several large projects led by Platt between 1968-1976 that led to articles, professional engagement, research, and mobilization at the University of California, Berkeley. Subseries include the Politics of Protest, Prison Action Project, Campus Police Project, History of Criminology, and Save the Crim School campaign. Materials are arranged by date.

5. Case Files: Includes two series related to Platt's case for tenure. The subseries, Tenure and Legal files includes additional materials related to Platt's tenure case such as correspondence, memos, research, clippings, and various legal documents. Meanwhile, the subseries, FOIA, consists of records related to Platt's request for information about government surveillance and the report made about him while he was at Berkeley. Materials are arranged by date.

Collection

Towle family correspondence, 1850-1895

128 items

The Towle family correspondence is comprised of letters written by Electa Towle of Avon, Maine to her husband Daniel while he was mining in California, and later to her daughter Clarinda when Electa was living away from her.

Electa wrote most of the letters (105 out of 127), 34 of which she wrote between 1850 and 1853, and 71 between 1874 and 1895. Other members of the family wrote the rest of the letters -- her son Daniel Higgins, his wife Amanda, his second wife Mary, her daughter Clarinda, and several of Electa's grandchildren. Many letters also contain entries by Electa and her children or grandchildren.

The collection can be divided into two parts chronologically and thematically. Those which date from July 24, 1850, to February 13, 1853, were written by Electa from Avon, Maine, to Daniel in California. The letters that date from August 11, 1872 to July 21, 1895 were written primarily by Electa to Clarinda, while the former lived in Red Wing, Minnesota, with her son Daniel and his family, and the latter in Strong, Maine. The two sets of letters illustrate two distinct phases in Electa's life. From 1850 to 1853, she had a very active role as the sole manager of both her household and the farm. She was also the Postmistress for Avon, a position Daniel had held before leaving for California. Their financial situation was her main concern, but she also wrote her husband about the management of the farm, and about their children's health and activities. Concerned about their many debts, she frequently requested money, giving details of her purchases and the sale of livestock and agricultural products from their farm: "I can get along if they do not call upon me for debts...how I wish you could send me a $1000 to pay all we are a owing" (January 1, 1851). Fortunately Electa was able to procure an income for herself, as she did not receive money from Daniel on a regular basis.

The letters from 1874 to 1895 reveal a more passive side of Electa, as her responsibilities were few, especially as she got older and more fragile. Nevertheless, she managed to provide Clarinda with detailed updates on Daniel's farming business and the activities of the family and neighbors. She took great care to describe her new home and the town of Red Wing, as well as her disapproval for her son and daughter-in-law's lax and indulgent parenting style. To a lesser degree, she also described her own activities, which mainly entailed looking after her grandchildren, sewing, and making dresses. Indeed, sewing, knitting, and dressmaking were activities that consumed much of the time of many women in the family. Several letters to Clarinda were accompanied by fabric samples of the material that they had used to make dresses. Electa also mentioned a considerable number of young female relatives and friends who had learned the dressmaking trade and found jobs in shops.

The collection includes Daniel Towle's partially printed registered letterbook that he kept from December 31, 1855 to February 29, 1874, while serving as Postmaster in Avon, Maine. It documents registered mail leaving the Avon post office, noting the date and the address on the letter.

Collection

Trade union women oral history project, 1978-1979

8 linear feet — 2.5 GB (online)

Online
Oral history project relating to women in the trade union movement; interviews and administrative records from the project.

The records of the "The Twentieth Century Trade Union Woman: Vehicle for Social Change" oral history project include transcripts of completed interviews, rough drafts and incomplete versions of other interview; administrative files of the project, and subject files. Also included are the cassette tapes of the interviews, microfiche or microfilm copies of the completed interviews which in 1979 which open to research, and a copy of the Rocking the Boat book. The Administrative Files: Interviewees series is arranged alphabetically by name of interviewee and includes correspondence, vita of the individual, notes of the interviewer, articles, and other miscellaneous background information. The Project subject files, also arranged alphabetically, includes general correspondence, records of advisory board meetings, grant proposals, and correspondence with individuals considered by not interviewed.

Collection

Traveling photographers collection, ca. 1850s-1900s

approximately 245 photographs

The Traveling photographers collection contains approximately 245 examples of photographs produced by various traveling photographers that operated in the United States primarily during the latter half of the 19th-century.

Works by approximately 145 different traveling photographers are present in this collection and include cartes de visite, cabinet cards, stereographs, tintypes, and a small number of larger format images. For many of these photographers there is only a single example of their work included in the collection. Locations of operation include a wide range of regions across the United States, with eastern states such as Pennsylvania being particularly well-represented. Most of these photographs are typical individual and group portraits of men, women, and children.

The collection has been divided into two volumes. Volume 1 contains cartes de visite and tintypes while Volume 2 contains cabinet cards, stereographs, and a few other images with larger mounts of varying sizes. Volume 1 also includes two clippings and one photocopied page from an article about traveling photographers written by Eaton S. Lothrop, Jr., for Popular Photography magazine as part of his "Time Exposure" column series.

While most of the people represented in this collection are unidentified, the following individuals are identified by accompanying inscriptions:
  • “Wm. Johnson” - taken by N. L. Stone (Vol 1)
  • “F. W. Huling” - taken by C. S. Roshon’s Mammoth Union Photograph Car (Vol 1)
  • “Jimmie McCool Taken in 1889” - taken by S. R. Miller’s Photograph Car (Vol 1)
  • “J. B. [or J. R.?] Enders” - taken by A. J. Miller, Keystone Traveling Gallery (Vol 1)
  • “Uncle John Grimes” - taken by H. F. Knoderer & Bro (Vol 1)
  • “J. P. Seip & Bro” - taken by Josiah Knecht (Vol 1)
  • “Angalina Seip” [Angelina Seip] - taken by Josiah Knecht (Vol 1)
  • “Julie Hamlin” - taken by Huested Bros. (Vol 1)
  • “Timo Moyer?” - taken by Geo. V. Knecht (Vol 1)
  • “Sam Rhenis Martin” and “Probably Sam Rhenis Martin’s Wife” - taken by Callahan’s Traveling Gallery (Vol 1)
  • “Mrs. R H Blodget 236 35th St. Denver Col. Formily Mary Neil” - taken by King & Co.’s Traveling Gallery (Vol 1)
  • “[?] Adaline Temple” - taken by F. J. Aiken (Vol 1)
  • “Presented to Mr. & Mrs. Silas Boyer” - taken by B. Breslow’s Empire Movable Photograph Gallery
  • “C. H. Holmes May 2nd 1881” - taken by J. B. Silvis (Vol 1)
  • “Lou House - Graham’s Baby” - taken by the Erik Borklund Photo Car (Vol 2)
  • “Olive Woodward” - taken by A. Couturier (Vol 2)
  • “Geo. H. Dunham” and “Fredd Harry Dunham” - taken by Currier & Parkinson (includes stamp depicting Landing of Columbus on verso) (Vol 2)
  • “Will Duning of Dresden” - taken by F. M. Foster (Vol 2)
  • “Pansy Lovewell” - taken by the Hutchings Rail-Road Photo-Car (Vol 2)
  • “Jabez Willes brother of Julia Willes Thrall” - taken by F. L. Hale (Vol 2)
  • “Charlie, Mary, & Bruce Blaney Claysville Washington Co Pa.” - taken by Gibson & Myres (Vol 2)
  • “Mrs. James J. Connelly #10 McConnellsburg PA” - taken by S. R. Miller’s Photograph Car (it is unclear if this inscription is related to the couple depicted) (Vol 2)
  • “Carrie and Mattie Ewan”- taken by the National Art Company’s Railroad Palace Photographic Studio (Vol 2)
  • “George & Sarah Kistler” - taken by Rollow’s Art Car (Vol 2)
  • “Leo Martin” and "Jim Martin" - both taken by the Pacific Photograph Car, Rockford, Washington (Vol 2)
  • “Arron Smith Children” - taken by the Pacific Photograph Car, Rockford, Washington (Vol 2)
  • “Miss. Kittie M. Newell July 22nd 1889” - taken by Abel J. Whalen’s Accommodation Photo. Car (Vol 2)
  • “Will Schnegg” - taken by H. C. Williams’ Floating Gallery (Vol 2)
  • “Jonas Heim” - taken by B. L. Wilson’s Traveling Gallery (“Christina Waltz Williamsport Pa.” likely a relative of the subject and former owner of the photograph) (Vol 2)
  • “April 1891 - Maggie Austin April 1891. A. M. Austin 43. E. G. ‘ ‘ 43 Mag ‘ ‘ 14 Edd ‘ ‘ 18 May ‘ ‘ 21.” - taken by W. H. Yant (Vol 2)
  • “Howard J. Martin about 1893” - taken by Boston and Albany R.R. Photo Car (Vol 2)
  • “Wash’s Daughter Pearl” - taken by F. M. Steele (Vol 2)
  • “The Boy Preacher, Age 14: John E. De Merritt” - taken by Winslow and Shobe (Vol 2)
  • “Maurice (Moe?) Boynton Alice Price } 2nd buggy” - taken by Carson Bros (Vol 2)
  • “Mrs. J. C. Boxley” - taken by Newton & Sprague Photo Car (Vol 2)

Other items of interest include 14 tintypes including a group portrait taken at the Algonquin Bon Ton Tent by W. H. Pearce and a miniature tintype produced by Douglass’ Travelling Car (Vol 1); several photographs with revenue stamps; and 10 cartes de visite by C. G. Blatt, including three items containing humorous poetry in their backstamps (Vol 1); a stereograph view of "the old Block House at Annapolis Royal" by the Palace R.R. Photograph Car Co. (Vol 2); a stereograph view of Bridgewater, Vermont (Vol 2); a stereograph view of the "Steam Packet 'Minnesota' at Hastings [Minnesota] (Vol 2); a portrait of a pet pug taken by Will. H. McMillan, R. R. Palace Photo Car that bears an inscribed caption reading: “For my dear ‘Missis’ from her Devoted ‘Brownie’” (Vol 2); a group portrait of a man and women taken by Keil & Matula with an inscribed caption reading “Czechlovakia Couple Fayetteville, TX” (Vol 2); several portraits of children that appear to show hidden mothers in the background; two studio portraits of unidentified individuals produced by Civil War veteran turned photographer Capt. J. B. Shane (Vol 2); a number of photographs that appear to be copies of earlier images, including a portrait of a man produced by the Hutchings Railroad Photo Car bearing an inscribed caption reading: “Copied from original” (Vol 2); and a possible self portrait of photographer Abel J. Whalen on a mount stamped "Whalen's 'Accommodation' Photo. Car."

The following lists contain names of photographers represented in the collection as well as the total number of images included for each photographer:

Volume 1: Cartes de visite
  • F. J. Aiken [2 images]
  • Aldhizer & Eutsler [2 images]
  • Atkinson’s Photographic Railroad Gallery [1 image]
  • L. K. Bair [1 image]
  • B. Billian [1 image]
  • C. G. Blatt [10 images]
  • A. F. Bonine [1 image]
  • E. A. Bonine [2 images]
  • J. K. Bottorf [1 image]
  • Bowdish's Traveling Gallery [1 image]
  • B. Breslow’s Empire Movable Photograph Gallery [2 images]
  • Brown & Huard [1 image]
  • Burchfield & Bottorf [1 image]
  • J. Bushong [1 image]
  • Callahan’s Travelling Gallery [3 images]
  • H. P. Carnes [1 image]
  • Coggeshall’s Excelsior Photographic Car (John Ingersoll Coggeshall) [2 images]
  • G. W. Dibert [1 image]
  • W. A. Dietrich [4 images]
  • Doran's Photographic Car [1 image]
  • Dougherty (Mammoth wagon) [2 images]
  • Dougherty & Cope (Mammoth wagon; J. L. Cope) [3 images]
  • J. W. Fothergill's Mammoth Photograph Car [1 image]
  • F. Z. Fritz [2 images]
  • William R. Godkin [1 image]
  • M. C. Goodell [4 images]
  • William Griffin [2 images]
  • Harry Gurlitz’s Photograph Car [1 image]
  • W. H. Heiss [2 images]
  • J. J. Hodge [2 images]
  • J. M. Horning & Co. [2 images]
  • Huested Bros. [1 image]
  • Johnson & Sullivan’s Portable Railroad Gallery [1 image]
  • King & Co.’s Traveling Gallery [1 image]
  • George V. Knecht [5 images]
  • Josiah Knecht [8 images]
  • H. F. Knoderer & Bro. [1 image]
  • C. L. Leonard [3 images]
  • J. Loveridge [1 image]
  • C. D. Luccock [1 image]
  • J. H. McGowan (U.P.R.R. Photographic Car) [1 image]
  • A. J. Miller [1 image]
  • S. R. Miller's Photograph Car [2 images]
  • William Nick [3 images]
  • Nick & Knecht [2 images]
  • E. W. Peirce (The Railroad Photograph Coach) [1 image]
  • Lewis P. Peter [7 images]
  • Peter & Kresge [1 image]
  • Peters & Brother [1 image]
  • F. B. Pine's Floating Photographic Studio, of the St. John's River, Fla. [1 image]
  • S. Place [1 image]
  • Portable Picture Palace [1 image]
  • G. M. Primrose [2 images]
  • W. H. Rector [4 images]
  • C. S. Roshon (Mammoth Union photograph car) [1 image]
  • J. B. Silvis (U.P.R.R. Photographic Car) [2 images]
  • C. H. Sisson [1 image]
  • C. M. Stark [1 image]
  • N. L. Stone [1 image]
  • A. Stoppel [1 image]
  • Tucker & Powell [1 image]
  • W. A. Vale [1 image]
  • M. C. Vance [1 image]
  • D. S. Von Nieda [1 image]
  • Horace L. Webber [1 image]
  • West & Lewis (Travelling photographers) [1 image]
  • Whalen's Portable Art Gallery (Abel J. Whalen) [1 image]
  • L. H. Whitson (Professor L. H. Whitson's Rail Road Photographic Car) [1 image]

Volume 1: Tintypes
  • Bishop's Portable Photograph Gallery [1 image]
  • J. Davidson [1 image]
  • Doolittle & Humphrey's Tintype and Ferrotype Car [1 image]
  • Dougherty & Cope (Mammoth wagon; J. L. Cope) [1 image]
  • Douglass’ Traveling Car [2 images]
  • Paul’s Mammoth Travelling Photograph and Ferro-type Car [1 image]
  • W. H. Pearce (The Algonquian Bon Ton Tent) [1 image]
  • E. B. Squier [2 images]
  • A. D. Terhune [1 image]
  • Williams & Dodge’s Photograph Cars [2 images]
  • C. C. Williams [1 image]

Volume 2: Cabinet cards
  • Antoinette Palace Railroad Photo Car (Studio Antoinette) [2 images]
  • Blocker Palace Art Studio and Traveling Cottage Gallery [1 image]
  • Erik Borklund [1 image]
  • Boston and Albany R. R. Photo Car [2 images]
  • W. A. Bradley [1 image]
  • P. L. Britain (Palace R. R. Photo Car.) [1 image]
  • Clark’s Portable Gallery [1 image]
  • J. P. Coffey, Photo. Car. (J. N. Bayles) [1 image]
  • A. Couturier [2 images]
  • James H. Crockwell [1 image]
  • Currier & Parkinson [1 image]
  • J. W. Dalrymple [1 image]
  • Drum Rail Road Photo Car (Oscar Drum) [1 image]
  • Elite R. R. Photo Co. [1 image]
  • Fallman Parlor Photo Car [3 images]
  • F. M. Foster [1 image]
  • Gibson & Myres, Traveling Photographers [1 image]
  • F. L. Hale [2 images]
  • F. J. Haynes [3 images]
  • T. E. Hays [1 image]
  • Howell (Prairie Queen Gallery - Temple, Tex.) [1 image]
  • Hutchings Bros. Railroad Photo. Car [1 image]
  • Hutchings Rail-Road Photo-Car [3 images]
  • K. C. Photo Car [1 image]
  • Keil & Matula, Traveling Photographers [1 image]
  • Keystone Portable Gallery [1 image]
  • Lyden & Bellinger [1 image]
  • Malloy (20th Ave. No. & Wash. Minneapolis) [1 image]
  • William H. McMillan [1 image]
  • J. W. Merideth [1 image]
  • S. R. Miller [3 images]
  • National Art Company’s Railroad Palace Photographic Studio [1 image]
  • Newton & Sprague Photo Car. [1 image]
  • Nowack Bros. Floating Gallery [1 image]
  • Pacific Photograph Car [4 images]
  • Palace R.R. Photograph Studio [1 image]
  • Lewis DeArcy Rollow (Rollow’s Art Car) [2 images]
  • J. B. Shane [2 images]
  • Showman & Joy’s Palace Cars [1 image]
  • Smith Brothers [1 image]
  • C. H. South [1 image]
  • F. M. Steele [1 image]
  • The K. C. Art Chariot [1 image]
  • The Stuart Queen City Photo Co's. Great Australian Route, Car No. 12 [4 images]
  • The Traveling Art Company [1 image]
  • M. F. Timmerman (East Tenn. Photo Car) [1 image]
  • Tooley & Grigsby (The Monarch Traveling Photographers) [1 image]
  • Turner & Johnson [1 image]
  • N. A. Watkins [1 image]
  • Welsh & Harlow [1 image]
  • West & Lewis (Travelling photographers)
  • Whalen's "Accommodation" Photo. Car. (Abel J. Whalen) [2 images]
  • H. C. Williams (Williams' Floating Gallery) [1 image]
  • B. L. Wilson's Traveling Gallery [1 image]
  • Wilson's Railroad Photo Car. (B. L. Wilson) [1 image]
  • Winslow and Shobe [1 image]
  • Wolfe & Peiffer (Keystone Traveling Photo Studio) [2 images]
  • W. H. Yant [1 image]
  • Young, Portrait Artist (Boston Portrait Car) [1 image]

Volume 2: Stereographs
  • T. A. Aldrich [1 image]
  • Coggeshall’s Excelsior Photographic Car (John Ingersoll Coggeshall) [2 images]
  • Mrs. Emma A. Cooke's Traveling Photo. Pavillion (Emma A. Cooke and W. A. Cooke) [1 image]
  • J. P. Doremus [1 image]
  • H. H. H. Langill [1 image]
  • Palace R. R. Photograph Car Co. [1 image]
  • F. B. Pine's Floating Photographic Studio, of the St. John's River, Fla. [1 image]
  • W. E. Warren's Portable Photograph House [2 images]

Volume 2: Larger formats
  • J. A. Bellinger [1 image]
  • Carson Bros. [1 image]
  • Newton & Sprague Photo Car. [1 image]
  • D. R. White [1 image]