The Morris Photo Collection is said to have been compiled by Murch S. Morris, a photographer for the Grand Rapids Herald. Markings on the back of the photo prints suggest that these items were purchased from Morris by the Grand Rapids Public Library, for the Library’s early photo files. It is not known if these photos represent all of Morris’ work, or just a selection.

Each original photo print has a stamp on the back “Bill of M.S. Morris”, with the date & price of the photo, at that date. Each original photo print also has a stamped number, which may be from Morris, or from the Library. Subject identification notes, in a variety of later hands, are most likely from library staff members, but may also be from Morris.

Date note: The dates found recorded on these photos, either handwritten or stamped, provide ca. information, but may not be the actual date of the event or scene shown. For example, the image identified as Houdini in front of the Herald Building, has a handwritten date of 1928, which is after his death, and a stamped date of 1930, which appears to be the date of purchase of this particular print. Neither date appears to be accurate as to the event, but the 1928 date provides a closer ca. date, until further research might be able to provide us with the real date of the event. This presumes that the image is truly of Houdini, which is difficult to tell from this particular image.

The Morris Photo Collection documents various events in Grand Rapids (Mich.) primarily during the late 1920s. Of note are a series of photos of various churches, veterans meetings and parades, Veterans Parks, the 1928 gubernatorial campaign, the Grand Rapids Centennial celebration, street cars, the visit of Commander Richard E. Byrd to the city, the flood of 1926, and photos of other notable individuals who visited the city. The collection also has photos of the first telephone used in Grand Rapids and of the 1924 explosion at the post office. Images dated in the 1930’s, many of which are circa dates, include objects, but also American Legion activities. In 1931 a large number of images of churches were added.

The “bill” dates on most of the photos believed to have originated with Morris are either Aug. 26, 1930, Oct. 27, 1930 or Aug. 9, 1932. The bulk of the photos appear to have been $.30 each, while some items were $.05, $.10, or $.20, at the time of purchase. In some cases, an original photo print is no longer available, but copy photos may be available.

As the photographer, Murch S. Morris, is known to have worked to the Grand Rapids Herald, it might be assumed that these images were used in the newspaper at one time. To date this assumption has not been proved, and no project has been attempted to.

A summary of the photo numbers and locations is given first in the “Contents” sections. Following this is a numerical list of the images, including a brief description. The new expanded descriptions will develop in this next section of the finding aid over time. Finally, a subject index to the brief descriptions is given at the end of the finding aid.

Some numbers are missing, and are believed to have been missing from the inventory during 1988 processing. Items found missing in a 1998 inventory or since are indicated by a “missing” note.

The brief description given next to the photo number, provides basic subject data, but not full information on the contents of the image. Occasional expanded descriptions incorporating visual and written data from the photos, providing fuller descriptive access to the images are now being added to the “Expanded Descriptions” section. Personal names of identified people found in the collections are currently listed under “People”, plus the inverted form of the name only.

An alphabetical list of the brief subjects is located at the end of the collection.