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Adopt a Piece of History

Honor a loved one or commemorate a special event with a tribute through our Adopt a Piece of History program. Your gift will be acknowledged via a virtual bookplate. Digital bookplates are flexible and can bear the name of the individual being honored or remembered, as well as the name of the thoughtful donor. Your support strengthens our collections by helping with acquisitions, conservation, digitization and other priorities of the Clements Library.

Virtual Bookplates Gallery

This digital and commemorative program is a wonderful way to convey your personal commitment to the study of history and preservation of past knowledge and voices. Adoptions are an excellent way to commemorate an occasion, celebrate a milestone, or honor a great achievement.

Please explore the available tributes highlighted below!

Do you have something in particular in mind? We are always happy to help identify more historical materials needing support that are meaningful to yourself or a loved one.

If you’re a student interested in adopting an item for $50 or less, please reach out.

To discuss your ideas or if you have any other questions, please contact:

Anne Bennington-Helber, Associate Director of Development
[email protected] / 734-649-3370

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Blotter mats are protective pads placed beneath fragile archival materials while researchers handle or review them. These mats provide a clean, stable, and absorbent surface that helps cushion delicate items, reduce stress on aging paper, and prevent accidental damage from writing instruments, oils, or environmental moisture.

Blotter Mats

$50 | Reference

Mechanically reproduced letter from "Professor John Dix, Astrologist... Complete Astrological Life Readings. Character by Hand Writing Told Accurately." With horoscope reading for an Aquarius.

John Dix Mechanically Reproduced Letter, [ca. 1906?]; Boston, Mass[achusetts], 2 pages.

$50 | Manuscripts

These flexible string weights have multiple use. They are especially useful for holding books open during exhibits, research sessions, instructional use, or conservation work. By providing stable, non-invasive support, string weights help ensure safe handling and viewing of fragile archival items.

Snake Weights

$50 | Instruction, Reference

This work of juvenile fiction published by James French in 1846 follows the story of Edward Hartwell, a poor but virtuous young man who goes to seek his fortune. When war breaks out, he joins the American forces and serves under General George Washington. Due to his many good deeds, he triumphs over his enemies and is eventually rewarded with prosperity and the high regard of all his neighbors and friends.

The Cooper’s Son, or the Prize of Virtue: A Tale of the Revolution. Boston: James French, 1846.

$50 | Books

A collection of anecdotes that explore the impact of sacred music. It provides a brief history of the role of sacred music in Christianity and makes the case that singing is an essential part of Church services, especially praise-meetings.

Trophies of Song: Articles and Incidents on the Power of Sacred Music. Boston: D. Lothrop & Co., 1874.

$50 | Books

The primarily unused order forms are for Lexington and Glasgow cemeteries in Rockbridge County, Virginia. Each completed form details the type of granite, dimensions and placement of the stone, pricing, and delivery terms. One notable inscription request reads: "He was beloved by God and Man."

100 Gravestone Order Forms, 1918-1921

$75.00 | Manuscripts

Written on two sheets of Cleveland’s Arnold Wooden Ware Company letterhead, this 1890 correspondence to J. T. Bryant—then of Donaldson & Bryant and later proprietor of the Bryant Basket Company—laments his failure to fulfill basket orders. The shortfall left Arnold scrambling to pay other suppliers and cancel commitments. Signed only with a company stamp, the letter mixes frustration with wry humor: 'We never were so much disappointed and annoyed in any one thing as we have over these baskets.' Given that baskets topped the list of goods proudly advertised on Arnold’s letterhead, the final jab lands all the sharper: 'Everyone who gave [them] orders was mad.'"

Autograph Signed Letter, October 8, 1896 failure to deliver basket order: “we never were so much disappointed and annoyed in any one thing as we have over these baskets”

$75 | Manuscripts

An essay on "Spiritual Therapeutics" and patients' obligation to be open to divine spiritual healing in order for it to succeed. A lapsed Catholic, Rev. Murray founded the Church of the Healing Christ in New York City in 1906 and affiliated with the Divine Science movement in 1917, adding "The First Divine Science Church of New York" to the name. He was arrested in 1915 for practicing medicine without a license.

How to Get Well by W. John Murray, New York: Divine Science Publishing Co., (ca. 1919).

$75 | Books

A visual journey through the United States with several color maps and heavily illustrated chapters on each state. The subscriber blanks at rear have pre-printed names to create the illusion of popular support—a trick that may have worked. It was one of the most successfully canvassed books and remains bountiful on the market today.

King’s Hand Book of the United States. Ed. Moses King, M. F. Sweetser. [salesman samples]

$75 | Books