Press enter after choosing selection
Graphic for events post

Blog Post

Welcome to OLD NEWS.

by eli

Welcome to the future of old newspapers at your library. This is the launch of OLD NEWS, a platform that we'll be using to bring the information contained in thousands and thousands of historic newspapers to the web. We've obtained copies and rights to many local newspapers over the years, including the Signal of Liberty, The Ann Arbor Argus, The Ann Arbor Courier, and most recently, The Ann Arbor News, whose archives AADL took possession of in 2010. OLD NEWS is the online home for all of this information, and we have put together an opening day collection of thousands of articles and images from the Ann Arbor News and other papers as a starting point for this project. Like all AADL products, we'll be continually refinining, enhancing, and expanding OLD NEWS, and one of the most exciting things about working with old newspapers is that there is always more work to be done.

And that's where you come in. Part of the plans for OLD NEWS include ways that you can help AADL to organize, filter, tag, and identify the information brought online, and part of that work starts now with the PHOTOMIC DESCRIBORATOR. We've loaded this tool up with images digitized from the negative collection of the Ann Arbor News, and you can help us to organize these images by simply typing a word to describe the image you're presented with. Anything goes. The more the merrier. And this is just the beginning! There's plenty of images to tag, and plenty of content to explore here on OLD NEWS.

So, have a look around, check out our FEATURES, where AADL staff pull together articles, images, and other materials to get deeper into a story, or see the PAPERS that are contained here; or examine our lists of the PEOPLE, PLACES, EVENTS or TOPICS contained in these articles. Or contact us if you have questions or have something you'd like to add to the collection. Thanks for your interest, and enjoy OLD NEWS!

Articles and Photos from the Ann Arbor News were Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.

Graphic for events post

Blog Post

AADL Talks To Heritage Business Owners Charles Schlanderer Jr. and Charles Schlanderer Sr.

by muffy

Schlanderer & Sons, Jewelers and Silversmiths has occupied the same prime location on Main Street for over seven decades. It is one of the few local businesses that survived and thrived continuously in the hands of the same family through cycles of boom-and-bust. Recently we sat down with Charles Schlanderer, Sr. (Charlie) and Charles Schlanderer, Jr. (Chuck) – the third and fourth generation of store owners, for a conversation about history of the family business.

In 1933 C. Henry Schlanderer and his two sons Paul and Arthur opened the store in a historic building at 208 South Main. We learned why, at the height of the Depression, Henry chose to open a store for “luxury goods”; how each successive generation came into the business and the improvements they have made; their decision to stay “downtown” against the gradual exodus of others to the malls; and more importantly, their vision of the retail landscape in the near future.

The Schlanderers also reminisced with us about their most memorable sales over the years, the friendships formed; and loyalty of their clients.

Apart from the discussion about the business, we talked about families; growing up in Ann Arbor, Hillsdale College and Michigan Hockey (Want to know why? Listen to the podcast). You can read articles about Schlanderer & Sons in Old News.

Attachment Size
AADL_Talks_To-Charles_Schlanderer_Jr_and_Sr.mp3 10.7 MB

Graphic for events post

Blog Post

Old News Launch This Friday at AADL

by andrewjmac

Old News Launch | Friday, October 21 | 7 pm | Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

Join us this Friday as AADL unveils Old News, a new, online product devoted to the digitization of newspapers from Ann Arbor's past. Old News features articles and images from Ann Arbor newspapers including selections from the clippings and photo files of the Ann Arbor News, as well as 18 years of issues of Ann Arbor's 19th century newspapers.

Old News opens with thousands of articles and images from Ann Arbor and the surrounding areas and is just a beginning to be added to as time goes by. In addition to the ever-growing collection of materials from the Ann Arbor News documenting the 20th century in Ann Arbor, Old News provides online access to decades of newspapers from the 19th century as well. Browse or search through full issues of the Ann Arbor Argus, Ann Arbor Courier, Ann Arbor Argus-Democrat, Signal of Liberty, and Michigan Liberty Press. Explore over 100,000 articles from 1880-1900 to learn about where Ann Arbor was 125 years ago.

This event includes a discussion of the importance of historic newspapers and digitization from Frank Boles, Director of the Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University; an introduction/demo to Old News by AADL staff; and post-presentation refreshments.

Graphic for events post

Blog Post

The Dexter-Ann Arbor Run: From 195 to a Cast of Thousands

by Debbie G.

They were a hale and hearty group in 1974 despite being temporarily delayed by a passing train at the first Dexter-Ann Arbor Run. We've gathered together a few articles and pictures from the Ann Arbor News Archives about the a href="http://www.dexterannarborrun.com/">Dexter-Ann Arbor Run to jog your memory and get you motivated for this year's race on Sunday, June 5th.

Check out a few items from the archives:

-Article about the first race

-Photo of runners pack in the 1979 Dexter-Ann Arbor Run

-Article about friendly rivalry

West Virginian Wins Inaugural 15-Mile Race


1979 Dexter-Ann Arbor Run


A pair of wheelers form friendly rivalry

Graphic for events post

Blog Post

Brookwater Farm Revisted: New Book, Old Articles

by Debbie G.

A new book arrived in our Local History Collection recently, Brookwater Farm of Webster Township, and in one of those serendipitous moments we're having at the Archives lately, we came across some articles related to the history of the Brookwater Farm.

In 1948, the Ann Arbor News ran a long article, Restoration of Brookwater, complete with a description of the annual livestock auction and historic photos of the farm. The new owner, Lawrence F. Carlton, undertook an extensive restoration of the farm house. However, later articles from 1950 describe the "Corn War", a year-long legal battle with suits and countersuits over 29 acres of corn crop. There's even an article about Mr. Carlton temporarily blinding himself when a tear gas bomb went off as he was showing it to folks.

Restoration of Brookwater


Cross-Charges Filed In Cornfield Suit


Man Temporarily Blinded By 'Bomb'

Graphic for events post

Blog Post

1928 - Oldest Article Found At the Archives So Far: George J. Burke

by Debbie G.

Not only is it the oldest "name" file so far, It's a historical gold mine. The first article we unfolded in the file was on the appointment of Mr. Burke as a judge for the Nuremberg Trials. The 1928 article concerns a speech Mr. Burke gave to fellow Democrats in Port Huron. Back in the day, when newspapers were the medium of record, the full-text of the speech was included in the day's paper. Mr. Burke had a long and distinguished career of public service to Ann Arbor, Michigan and the nation.

Read more to see the oldest article, the article about George Burke's appointment to the Nurenberg Trials, and George Burke's obituary from the Ann Arbor News.

Says Democratic Party Should Provide 'Haven'

Burke Appointed Judge For Nurenberg Trials Of Nazi War Criminals

George Burke Dies Suddenly

Graphic for events post

Blog Post

Halloween in Ann Arbor, 1957

by amy

Here are a few photographs from the Ann Arbor News archive to give you a taste of what Halloween was like in Ann Arbor 50 years ago. The first photo, below, is of a girl trying on a mask in a Main Street dime store. The second photograph is of a boy looking at candy. Both were taken on October 21, 1957. Does anyone recognize the store? Could it have been Kline's? Or maybe Kresge's?

The two photographs at the bottom are from the Burns Park School Halloween Parade in 1957: children marching in the parade ; and, my favorite, the Burns Park band playing in costume.

These are from a dimestore on Main Street, October 21, 1957:

Image removed.


Image removed.

These are from the Burns Park School Halloween parade, 1957:

Image removed.


Image removed.

Graphic for events post

Blog Post

University of Michigan's First Homecoming Queen

by Debbie G.

We’ve come across many “firsts” in our work with the Ann Arbor News archives and just in time for the University of Michigan’s Homecoming on October 16th, we found an article on the U’s first Homecoming Queen, Christine Anderson. Considering that Wolverine football started in 1879, we were surprised to learn that they waited until 1966 to crown the first queen. Michigan trounced the Golden Gophers that year, 49-0. However, it was not a perfect Homecoming as vandals set fire to the parade floats.

First Homecoming Queen Receives Title


Vandals Set Fire to Parade Floats

Graphic for events post

Blog Post

The Art Fairs are Coming: Feels like the (Fifty) First Time

by andrewjmac

In case you hadn't noticed, the Ann Arbor Art Fairs are about to start. This annual event takes over much of downtown Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus in late July and covers them with arts, crafts, activities, refreshments, and music. But the art fairs weren't always the juggernaut that they are today; once upon a time even Ann Arbor's biggest event was just a small one.

With the art fairs on my mind, I started combing through the Ann Arbor News files and came up with this: a front page story about the first art fair back in 1960, published 51 years ago today. The article notes that the fair (which was simply an adjunct to the Ann Arbor merchants' Summer Bargain Days) featured work from 100 artists. This year's fairs will feature nearly 1100 artists. We can only hope to draw "large crowds" this year as well, although the last several years have seen over 500,000 attend, so that should fit the bill.

Click read more to see the full article from the Ann Arbor News. To learn more about the beginnings of the art fair and to see photos of the early fairs, take a look at our online exhibit 50 Years of Originality: A History of the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair.

Image removed.

Graphic for events post

Blog Post

"Back Page: A Super Colossal Production" from the Ann Arbor News

by amy

In 1936, the Ann Arbor News produced this 16-mm silent film titled "Back Page: A Super Colossal Production." Inspired by The Front Page (1931), this tongue-in-cheek feature chronicles a day in the life of the Display Advertising Department staff as they go about securing an ad from a local business in time for the paper's daily run. 1936 marks the year the Ann Arbor News acquired its new printing press and completed the News building at 340 E. Huron--both of which feature prominently in the film. You'll even catch a glimpse of the Bell Tower under construction and also completed that year.

You may have read that the Library received the Ann Arbor News archive after the News closed last year. Although we have a lot of work to do before this material becomes available, we couldn't resist sharing this film with you right away. You can view the film above or download it here.