Today in History: Mother’s Day

Post by Jayne Ptolemy, Manuscripts Curatorial AssistantOn May 24, 1873, Kate Edgerly finally found the time to return her sister’s letter. “You want to know how I get along with four children,” she wrote, with more than a little exasperation,...

Women’s History Month: Women in Men’s Clothing

Post by Jayne Ptolemy, Manuscripts Curatorial AssistantIn mid-July 1860, travelling salesman George P. Slade wrote a letter to a female correspondent about his experiences plying his trade in the Midwest. In his attempts to sell fruit trees, he covered a great deal of...

Today in History: Miniature Hand-Cut Valentines

According to Ruth Webb Lee’s A History of Valentines (1952), the creation and distribution of valentines in America began sometime in the mid-18th century. Prior to the advent of mass-produced, printed notes and cards around 100 years later, women and men made...

From the Stacks: Christmas in the Library

Archives specialize in documenting change over time, but the holdings at the William L. Clements Library also reveal how some things remain stable through the years, including the excitement surrounding Christmas morning. On December 20th, 1840, Edward H....

Today in History: Thanksgiving

Post by Jayne Ptolemy, Manuscripts Curatorial AssistantThe William L. Clements Library sends warm Thanksgiving greetings and offers a glimpse at holidays past via our Manuscripts Division. In November 1857, William H. Ireland, Jr., sent an illustrated, lyrical letter...

Today in History: Veterans Day

Post by Jayne Ptolemy, Manuscripts Division Curatorial AssistantVeterans Day serves as a poignant reminder of the great sacrifices the men and women of the military have made for their country. In the United States, Veterans Day evolved out of the annual celebration...

Newly Cataloged: 1,661 Manuscript Collections and Photograph Albums

The Manuscripts Division at the Clements Library is proud to announce the completion of a National Historical Publications and Records Commission’s (NHPRC) processing grant, which began in 2011. Former Curator of Manuscripts Barbara DeWolfe, current Curator...

From the Stacks: Unannounced Visitor to the White House

Post by Cheney J. Schopieray, Curator of ManuscriptsGone are the days of lawful, unannounced visits to the White House. The security of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW has increased steadily since World War II and, for the protection of the First Family, will likely...

Today in History: The First Day of Fall

Post by Jayne Ptolemy, Manuscripts Division Curatorial AssistantIn Ann Arbor, the weather has started to have a chilly bite, and at the Clements Library we look to our collections to help celebrate the first day of fall.From our Schoff Civil War collection, we hear...