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Established by students in 1896, the University of Michigan Band had its first salaried director in 1915. The William Revelli era (1935-1971) brought the Band to prominence as the marching, concert, and symphony bands toured and performed extensively, including a tour of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union by the Symphony band in 1961, the Jazz Band's 1965 tour of Latin American, and the Symphony Band 2011 tour of China. Records include scrapbooks of band activities (including photographs); bound volumes ("Blue Books"), 1936-present, containing band formations, newsletters, and announcements of band activities, also topical files relating to band tours and concerts. The Marching Band is best documented, although concert band, symphony band, and related ensembles are represented.

The University of Michigan Band records are divided into eight series: Tours and Concerts, Yearbooks, Photographs and Posters, Audio-Visual Material, Band Books ("Blue Books"), Scrapbooks, Publications, and Director's Records. The majority of the records consist of bound volumes of band formations, announcements, and publications, and oversized scrapbooks of band activities. Additional material includes topical files documenting tours and performances. The bulk of the documentation pertains to the Marching Band.

A civil engineer for the Austin Company in Cleveland, Ohio, who worked in the Soviet Union in 1929. Photographs and a journal documenting Palmer's work on an auto plant construction site near Nizhnii Novgorod. Also, an Alaska travel journal dated 1897.

The bulk of the collection documents Palmer's work and travel in the USSR. Over 100 photographs- many annotated on verso- depict projects in progress, work sites and workers, and other scenes related to the Avtostroi plant construction. Also, views of Monastyrka, Kostroma, Ples, and other towns along Volga, as well as Moscow.

A black "Record" volume includes Palmer's journal dated September-November 1929 with entries about work and work methods, as well as people, places, and local culture. In addition, the journal includes entries about Palmer's trip to the industrial cities of Sverdlovsk, Cheliabinsk, and Kharkiv; and his travels through Warsaw, Berlin, and Amsterdam on his way back home. The volume also contains Palmer's job-related drawings and notes. Topics include materials description, materials acquisition and movement, job requirements, labor, cost estimations, production procedures, equipment construction, and a report on gravel pits in Nizhnii Novgorod, dated 1930.

The collection contains materials collected by the University of Michigan Symphony Band Tour members during the Band's international tour through the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and the Near East, February through June, 1961. Also, materials created during the 2011-2012, and 2019 Band reunions. Collection materials include clippings, correspondence, photographs, video recordings, programs, and scrapbooks.

The collection is composed of four series, the content of which includes clippings, correspondence, photographs, programs, and scrapbooks. The 1961 Tour series contains materials created and collected during the tour. A small amount of material is related to the 1981 and 1984 reunions. The 50th Anniversary Reunion and Return to Russia Tour series contains materials created and collected during the 2012 reunion tour to Moscow and St. Petersburg. One folder containing obituaries. The final series documents the 58th anniversary reunion, held at the University of Michigan in 2019.