Grand Rapids Century Exhibit collection
Scope and Contents
The Grand Rapids Century Exhibit includes select images representing specific people, organizations or events which marked the passage of the 20th century in Grand Rapids, Michigan, by decade. The handlist for the exhibit is included in this collection, but is also reproduced within this finding aid, to act as an access tool inventory to the materials.
There is also a computer print out of the Internet version of the exhibit, which provides the illustration with the caption. Some of the items used in the wall exhibit are not included in the online exhibit, due to the lack of copyright permissions for some non-library owned images representing more recent decades.
Dates
- 1900-2000
Biographical / Historical
The photographs for the exhibit were selected by the staff from the Local History Department, Grand Rapids Public Library, with different staff members taking one or two decades. The final selection was made by department head and City Historian, Gordon Olson. The design and mounting of the inhouse exhibit was done by freelance artist Anna Fraser. The design and mounting of the online exhibit was done by GRPL Reference Staff member Pam Lucas.
Some items, mostly from the 1980s and 1990s, were newly obtained for the exhibit from the parent organization. The larger percentage of the images are in black and white, with more color images toward the end of the century.
This exhibit was the last one displayed in the old Ryerson Gallery, Ryerson Library Building, in the year 2000, before the Library moved to temporary quarters for building renovation. The online version has continued to be displayed on the department's web page. Some images exist in this archival collection for the exhibit that are not displayed in the online exhibit.
Extent
6.6 Linear Feet (Seven boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection inludes the photocopies of images and displays used in the wall exhibit “A Grand Rapids Century : 100 Years of Photographs from 20th Century Grand Rapids.” The exhibit consisted of images selected by Grand Rapids Public Library local history department staff to represent the various decades of the last century, as Grand Rapids moved into the 21st Century. The photographic images capture the events, buildings and people of Grand Rapids and Kent County, Michigan.
Arrangement
The arrangement of the panels for the in-house exhibit is chronological by decade. One item was also selected from each decade and placed in a museum case to represent “The Changing Face of Downtown Grand Rapids.” An image from the title page has been included here, but the title panel itself is no longer available. Images are mounted on crescent board, with a different color board to distinguish each decade.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Grand Rapids Public Library staff and other miscellaneous.
- Title
- Finding aid for the Grand Rapids Century exhibit collection
- Subtitle
- "A Grand Rapids Century: 100 Years of Photographs from 20th Century Grand Rapids"
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- R. Mayne
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Grand Rapids History Center Repository
Grand Rapids Public Library
111 Library Street NE
Grand Rapids Michigan 49503 USA
616-988-5497
localhis@grpl.org