Laura Lorenson photographs
Scope and Contents
The collection contains: 464 photographs, 8 postcards, 380 negatives matched to the photographic prints, 33 negatives of known locations, and 8 negatives of unknown locations. These depict various houses, churches, businesses and public buildings in Grand Rapids, Mich. The images were taken in the late 1950s, but most of the houses date to the period 1850-1920 and represent examples of various styles current during that period. Architectural styles evident are: Gothic, Greek Revival, Victorian Gothic, Italianate, Late Victorian (Queen Anne), Shingle, Prairie, Period Revival and Bungalow. Also included are the two Frank Lloyd Wright inspired houses in the city (they are the Meyer May House designed by Wright and Amberg, designed by Wright’s student Mary Mahoney).
In addition to houses, Lorenson also photographed businesses and public buildings in the city. Her views of the Union Station are among the best in the Library's collections to date, particularly the views of the building's details. Lorenson also took a number of photos of Ramona Park during the winter of 1955-56, just prior to the park's demolition.
The reverse of the photos contains information on the structure's history as well as the residents in 1912. Of the 464 photos, 380 have matched negatives on safety film. An additional 33 negatives are identified by location, but have no positive prints. Eight negatives are not identified as to location. All the matched negatives are numbered sequentially and the number is preceded with an "L" for Lorenson to distinguish these negatives from those in other collections. The photo's arrangement remains as it was when the accession was received. The negatives were sleeved by street name and have been re-sleeved into individual envelopes.
The house photos (which is the bulk of the collection) are arranged alphabetically by street, and numerically within each folder. Negatives matched to prints are filed in numeric order, negatives without prints are filed alphabetically by street name and numerically within the street divisions.
Dates
- 1955-1961
Creator
- Lorenson, Laura (Photographer, Person)
Biographical / Historical
Laura Lorenson (1889-1971), a Lakeview, Michigan native, came to Grand Rapids in 1943 following a successful career in glass and pottery and ceramics. At different times in her life, she was associated with the Wedgewood Pottery Works and the Spode China Company, both in England. In 1943 she came to Grand Rapids to help build a pottery display for the Grand Rapids Public Museum. She remained with the Museum for eleven years, creating displays on a variety of topics, and retired in 1954. During the five years after her retirement she took, and collected, photographs of some of the architecturally more notable houses in the city.
Extent
2.2 Linear Feet (Five boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Laura Lorenson photographs contains images which primarily document architecture and buildings in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Included are 464 photographs and 8 photo postcards depicting views of various houses, churches, businesses and public buildings. Most of the images are black and white snapshots, but occasional color images are found. The images were taken in the late 1950s, but most of the houses date to the construction period of 1850-1920 and represent examples of various styles current during that period.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Laura Lorenson, March 1968, accession number 1987.020
Index
Ada Covered Bridge - f.59
All Souls Universalist Church - f.61
Amberg House - f.14
Anderson House - f.22
Avery House - f.45
Barns - f.66
Belknap House - f.39,51
Berkey House - f.21
Bissell Carpet Sweeper Company - f.60
Bissell House - f.14
Bleake Store - f.60
Blodgett House - f.10,45
Bostwick Street elm trees - f.64
Bradfield Covered Bridge - f.59
Calkins House - f.31
Calkins Law Office - f.28
Cartwright House - f.22
Central Seventh Day Adventist Church - f.61
Chaffee House - f.21
Church of God - f.61
Churches - f.61,65
City Hall - f.62
Cody Hotel - f.60
County Courthouse - f.62
County Jail - f.62
Covered Bridges - f.59
Creston Funeral Home - f.44
Daniels House - f.22
Davenport College - f.24
Dean Memorial Bridge (Fulton Street) - f.59
Dikeman House - f.24
Doll House - f.60
Dutch Gable House - f.14
Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church - f.61
Ebenezeer Christian Reformed Church - f.61
Eggebeen Funeral Home - f.20
Factories - f.60
Fallasburg Covered Bridge - f.59
First Christian Reformed Church - f.61
First Methodist/Episcopal Church - f.61
First Presbyterian Church - f.61
Fitzgerald House - f.45
Flour Mills - f.60
Flour Mills - f.64
Fountain Street Baptist Church - f.61
Fourth Reformed Church - f.61
Fox House - f.10
Frey House - f.12
Friant House - f.10
Fulton Street Bridge - f.59
Funeral Homes - f.20,44,51
Furniture Museum - f.24
Gallup House - f.31
Garages - f.21,34
Gay House - f.24
German School House - f.60
Gilbert House - f.31
Grand Rapids & Indiana RR Building - f.62
Grand Rapids Art Gallery - f.24
Grand Rapids City Hall - f.62
Grand Rapids Medical College - f.19
Grand Trunk Railroad Station - f.62
Greek Orthodox Church - f.61
Hanchett House - f.45
Hannah House - f.20
Hatch House - f.10
Hazeltine House - f.30
Holt House - f.31
Hospitals - f.62
Hotels - f.60
Houses - f.1-58,66
Howard House - f.24
Idema House - f.14
Immanuel Lutheran Church - f.61
Jails - f.62
Jenison Mills - f.64
Jonkman House - f.48
Kendall School of Design - f.21
Kent County Courthouse - f.62
Kent County Jail - f.62
Knox House - f.21
LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church - f.61
Ladies Literary Club - f.51
Ladies Literary Society - f.52
Ledyard House - f.10
Limbert House - f.50
Log Cabins - f.64
Lovett House - f.34
Lowe House - f.10
Lyon House - f.24
Marris House - f.17,f.60
May House - f.39
McLeod House - f.47
McPherson House - f.31
Merrill House - f.24
Michigan Veterans Hospital - f.62
Monarch Company - f.60
Morgan House - f.24
Morris House - f.10
Muir House - f.34
Museums - f.24
Noble House - f.22
Octagonal House - f.9,18,27
Otte House - f.39
Pantlind Hotel - f.60
Pantlind House - f.14
Park Congregational Church - f.61
Parkman House - f.47
Patterson House - f.51
Peaselee House - f.9
Peck House - f.57
Perkins House - f.21,31
Philbrick House - f.24
Pierce's Bookstore - f.28
Pike House - f.24
Police Headquarters - f.62
Porter House - f.39
Quimby House - f.56
Railroad stations - f.62
Ramona Park - f.63
Ramona Park Dance Pavilion - f.63
Rauschenberger Funeral Home - f.51
Ringuette House - f.17
Rogers House - f.2
Roller Coaster - f.63
Rowe House - f.47
Saloons - f.60
Sanford House - f.10
Scribner Avenue Baptist Church - f.61
Second Avenue Methodist Church - f.61
Second Church of Christ, Scientist - f.61
Second Congregational Church - f.61
Shanahan House - f.44
Sligh House - f.47
Smith House - f.50
St. Cecelia's - f.62
St. Mark's Episcopal Church - f.61
St. Mark's Parsonage - f.47
St. Paul's Episcopal Church - f.61
Stickley House - f.47
Stowe House - f.47
Studley House - f.47
Sweet House - f.24
Thompson House - f.56
Trinity Lutheran Church - f.61
Turner House - f.22
Union Station - f.62
Unity Lutheran Church - f.61
Vandenberg House - f.41
Voigt House - f.14
Voigt Mill - f.60
Waddell House - f.14
Wallace House - f.34
Waters House - f.14
Webb Academy - f.20
Wesleyan Methodist Church - f.61
West Side Ladies Literary Club - f.51
White House - f.24
White's Covered Bridge - f.59
Widdicomb House - f.21
Wilcox House - f.14
Wonderley House - f.10
Wood House - f.14,24
- Title
- Finding Aid for the Laura Lorenson photographs
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Richard H. Harms
- Date
- December 1988
- 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