The images are arranged by date, with a section at the end for items where no date is known. This order represents the manner in which the work was done, and how the negatives were originally kept, in a packet by the date taken. This arrangement consequently provides the researcher with a chronological view of Grand Rapids and Michigan history, through the images in the collection. Those images which could be identified as being related to a particular site or story, are subarranged together, under the date. Generally, there are four or more sets of images for a particular date. In some cases there are images left over for that packet date, which could not be matched to the other images. Additional research may place these with the correct set of negatives on the correct date, or they may continue to stand alone in the collection.

Negatives were originally received in non-acid free envelopes with the date and a brief note of the different photo jobs for that day. The challenge to the processor was to identify which of the negatives in the packet went with which distinct photo job or story. Some items could be matched visually. Others were identified with the additional assistance of the collection donor and photographer, John Milhaupt. In other cases, news story clippings provided the necessary information for the correct sorting of the negatives. To a large extent, the sorting is the result of the care and knowledge of volunteer processor Barbara Timmerman, long-time Grand Rapids resident and experienced negative processor. During one processing session Barbara found an image of her father playing with the orchestra, and was able to identify several of the other players. Patrons using these images may also provide us with additional identifications, which will be added to the descriptive information in the finding aid.