Archives: Sampling the Past collection, from the Grand Rapids Public Library exhibit
Scope and Contents
Contains facsimiles of daguerreotypes, tintypes, other photographs, advertisements, school yearbook covers, handwritten letters, highway maps and artwork. The items are representative of those contained in a number of much larger collections, and they highlight some of the more attractive items in the larger collections. The collection is broad in scope but limited in that it has no motion picture film or video representing the time period covered, the early twentieth century into the 1950s. A briefer version of this collection is available online through the GRPL web site. The material in this collection does not include material on the scrapbooks in the case. Item level descriptions used here are brief references and not full descriptions of the items; for better information on the items, see the original collection from which it was taken. For items still unprocessed, see the archivist.
Dates
- 2005-2006
Creator
- Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.) (Organization)
Biographical / Historical
Staff decided to do this exhibit in honor of the Michigan Archival Association annual meeting, which came to Grand Rapids in June 2005. Staff divided up the work, chose the images, prepared written information to accompany the images. Reference staff member Rebecca Near did the graphic design and the physical preparation of the exhibit. The exhibit was mounted on the long wall in the department, except for the scrapbooks, which were in the enclosed case. Items used in the exhibit were mostly color laser copies of the originals with some digital prints; facsimiles were used in order to protect the originals. It was decided to name the exhibit Archives: Sampling the Past.
The following panels were designated:
TP = Title Panel
PH = Photographs
DL = Diaries & Letters
PC = Postcards
ART= Art
M = Maps
FC = Furniture Catalogs
TC = Trade Catalogs
YB = Yearbooks
S = Serials
SM = Sheet Music
OH = Oral History
E = Ephemera
ADS= Ads
P = Programs
BB = Booklets & Brochures
Extent
2.8 Linear Feet (Six boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Archives: Sampling the Past collection was created from the facsimiles used in the exhibit held at the Grand Rapids Public Library from June 2005 to December 2006; part of this exhibit remained on display with another exhibit. The exhibit illustrated a variety of material types, such as photographs, maps, serials/magazines, postcards, furniture catalogs, etc. Items selected represent only a portion of the 350-plus collections in the archives. One photo panel focused on the Robinson Studio collection, the largest photo collection in the archives which contains over 950,000 images.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Various donors and accession numbers, including Grand Rapids Public Library.
- Title
- Finding aid for the Archives: Sampling the Past collection, from the Grand Rapids Public Library exhibit
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Grace
- 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