Halloween Divination
A nod of the head to Robert Burns and Clara L. Walmer from the Clements Library this Halloween 2025. Over 150 years ago, in the early 1870s, the annual celebration of Halloween in the United States was fading, according to one journalist. In The True Democrat of York, Pennsylvania, they wrote that the day had once featured "extraordinary demonstrations" by young people, but that general observance was dying out, and they anticipated it would one day pass by unnoticed.1 What was Halloween to...
Photo Gallery – 2025 Haunted Histories
Last night, October 29, we hosted our third annual Haunted Histories event. Organized by student intern Sam Huck, the historic murder mystery featured a variety of activities which provided guests with clues to solve the case.
Meet the 2025 Student Interns!
As we settle into a new school year, we're excited to introduce the new (and familiar) faces of the Clements Library student interns! Hailing from multiple colleges within the University of Michigan, these students have a variety of backgrounds, but share a love history and cultural preservation. Many of our internships are funded through donations. If you'd like to support future internships, we encourage you to do so by supporting our internship fund.Theresa Azemar (she/they) Theresa works...
New Manuscripts Finding Aids, October 2025
The Clements Library Manuscripts Division has published eight new finding aids for collections ranging from scrapbooks to financial records. These handwritten materials are now available for anyone to research!
Colorful 19th-Century Board Games and Toys on View at the Clements Library
Earlier this month, the Clements Library opened our new exhibit, For All Ages, highlighting familiar and unique toys and board games throughout American history. Many were not only fun, but also taught practical skills and moral lessons.
Q&A with Joshua Sulser, New Clements Head of Reader Services
The Clements Library is thrilled to welcome our new Head of Reader Services, Joshua Sulser! In this Q&A, we got a chance to learn more about his path to the Clements, his research interests, and his personal collections.
New Manuscript Finding Aids, September 2025
The staff of the Manuscripts Division spent the summer dutifully arranging and describing new collections, which are now available for research!
Ephemera Finding Aids Available Now
The Clements Library Graphics Division is excited to share three new finding aids that have been in the works for a long time. Combined, these three collections hold over 17,000 unique items and continue to grow with new items being added regularly!
“Whiskers of National Reputation”: Recognizing the Beard of Moses Purnell Handy
By Cheney J. Schopieray for his friend David Johnson, who was a hairsbreadth away from trekking to Alaska for the 2009 World Beard and Moustache Championships. On this World Beard Day, the Clements Library would like to doff its cap in recognition of the beard of Moses P. Handy (1847-1898).Hubert Vos, [Portrait of Moses P. Handy], Chicago, 1893, oil on canvas, 48.9 cm x 38.8 cm (29.25 in x 15.25 in.), Handy Family Papers, William L. Clements Library, The University of Michigan. The Dutch...
English Piracy on the Spanish Pacific: William Hacke’s South Sea Waggoners and England’s Imperial Ambitions
Guest post by Juliet Wiersema; 2025-2026 Brian Leigh Dunnigan Fellow; [email protected] FrontispieceOrienting mapThe large manuscript atlas, A Description of all the Ports … in the South Seas of America … is tied to an infamous tale of Pacific piracy. In 168o, English buccaneers, under the leadership of captain Bartholomew Sharpe, sailed from Jamaica to the northern side of Panama. In the Caribbean, they ditched their ships and proceeded to trek across the Isthmus of Panama on foot, a...