“Discover Series” programs treat you to an up-close view of historical materials and work at the Clements Library
Last fall the William L. Clements Library launched a new type of program, the “Discover Series,” to great response. The goal was to provide in-depth coverage of various aspects of the library’s work, in a smaller, more informal setting and with time for discussion. While our lecture series allows scholars to share their historical research, the Discover Series is inspired by the work of the library’s staff. With the success of the inaugural events, the Clements Library is now pleased to...
Printing and Painting Perry’s Victory on Lake Erie
Nestled in the Clements Library's Oliver Hazard Perry Papers are remarkable documents detailing the commodore's naval career, with some 200 pieces highlighting his service in the War of 1812. In September of 1813 he famously won the Battle of Lake Erie, a victory that secured American control of the Great Lake and ensured their claims to the surrounding region following the end of the war. Such an important naval battle garnered much recognition in the immediate aftermath, catapulting Perry to...
William L. Clements Library Research Fellowships for 2019
After visiting the Clements Library, one of our fellows had this to say about the experience: “The Clements Library not only has an amazing variety of rich collections but also an incredibly helpful, professional staff. During the approximately two and a half months I spent as a Fellow at the William L. Clements Library, I was able to make significant progress on my book manuscript. I made extensive use of the library's rich collections of manuscripts, rare books, maps, and graphic materials....
What’s in Your Attic? Treasures Big and Small
The William L. Clements Library invited members of the public to join us on Sunday, September 30, 2018, for an event we called "What's in Your Attic?" We encouraged attendees to bring their own paper treasures, such as letters, journals, photographs, prints, books, and maps, for discussion with Clements Curators and guest Americana collectors. Our intentions were to garner enthusiasm for the Clements Library, gain some knowledge of exciting materials currently stewarded by private owners,...
Announcing the Illustrated Manuscripts Project
One of the great joys about working at the William L. Clements Library is that while we preserve historical records and make them accessible for research, we also get to explore and discover the human experience across time. Stories of heartbreak and joy, historical drama and mundane family headaches fill our collections. Sometimes, if we're lucky, the writer will include a drawing to illustrate a point, making that moment all the more vivid to us centuries later. Writing home from Shiloh,...
In Celebration of Bad Poetry Day
No commemoration of Bad Poetry Day would be complete without a nod to the (in)famous poet (and native Michigander) Julia A. Moore. The Clements Library is the proud owner of several editions of her collected poems. Born in Plainfield, Michigan, in 1847, Julia Moore found her poetic voice in recounting mostly local—and usually tragic—events. Known as the Sweet Singer of Michigan (after the title of her first published volume), Moore received much praise initially, but later became an object of...
Copycats: A Closer Look at Vues d’Optique
People often say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. At first glance, the rationale behind this expression would seem to have played a critical role in the creative process of many European and American artists, etchers, engravers and lithographers of the 18th and 19th centuries. Printmakers would more often than not base their designs on contemporaneous original paintings or sketches, and sometimes they would include carbon copies of selective features from preexisting prints...
Interrupted Mothers’ Letters
Frequent use hones mothers' multitasking skills into an art. Holding a child on her hip while cooking, chatting up a toddler while trying to finish some paperwork, or folding the laundry while persuading an independent-minded youngster to put on their shoes, a mother navigates simultaneously through her own world as well as her children's. This does not always go smoothly. Letters written by mothers of young children help uncover the mingled joy and frustration that childcare yields. In 1854,...
John Louis Ligonier Letter Books, 1757-1761
Post by Meghan Brody, Clements Library Volunteer University of Michigan History Major, Class of 2019 I received my first introduction to the Clements Library during a class visit in the winter semester 2017. I immediately knew that I wanted to become a volunteer. After contacting the Library, I began working in the Manuscripts Division, where the Curator assigned me the task of updating a finding aid and creating a supplementary recipient index for the letter books of John Louis Ligonier, the...
Keep Your Powder Dry — And Your Map Too
The Clements Library map collection comprises some 30,000 examples of cartography with American subject matter drawn or printed between the years 1492 and 1900. This body of material represents a variety of plans and maps ranging from the most detailed small-scale plan (of a formal garden or a town, for example) to dramatic large-scale wall maps representing the entire Western Hemisphere. These maps have all been drawn, carved, or printed on some form of surface—paper, vellum, glass, wood,...