Blog Post
Videos of local history now online at the Bentley Historical Library
by amy
The Bentley Historical Library has recently digitized over 1,000 individual films and videotapes as part of their Video Preservation Project, some of which are available as streaming files and can be viewed online. Film subjects include student protest and teach-ins, homecoming and pep rallies, science and medicine. Among them is "Your Home Town, Ann Arbor Michigan", which includes footage of UM football team and coaches, Ann Arbor businesses and their employees, a children's pet parade, and patrons leaving the Michigan Theater. "Michigan on the March" includes scenes of war-related activities on campus during WWII, and another documents the First Vietnam Teach-In in 1965.
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.
Blog Post
University School of Music Building, 325 Maynard St.
by Wystan Stevens
"In 1893, about two hundred citizens of Ann Arbor formed a School of Music Building Association, buying shares of stock in the total amount of $25,000, to erect a building at 325 Maynard Street. In 1916, the original building was reconfigured and heavily remodeled, to appear as it does in this photograph. The west end of the Nickels Arcade then went up next door, abutting the Music School on the south. Brick on the new facade was laid in alternating courses of stringers and headers, with half-timbering above -- Tudor-style ornament that closely matched the woodwork on the the home of Albert Lockwood, at 700 Oxford Road, which was built in 1910. In 1925, ownership of the School of Music Building was transferred to the University Musical Society. This building was torn down in 1965, after the school had moved to its present location on North Campus. At left is the old Ann Arbor Press Building, which was demolished soon after, clearing the site for construction of an addition to Jacobson's department store (now Borders) and the parking structure above. The Nickels Arcade remains, but an alleyway -- "Ant Alley" -- now runs along its north wall." ~Wystan Stevens
Blog Post
A sneak peek into the future of the University Musical Society's past
by amy
Join us on Sunday, March 14, when the Ann Arbor District Library and the University Musical Society (UMS) will unveil two new collections as part of an ongoing collaboration to bring UMS archives online. We'll demonstrate how to browse and search thousands of pages of historical programs from the Society's first 100 seasons. We'll also provide a glimpse into our growing collection of over 900 photographs featuring backstage and candid shots of performers throughout UMS's rich history. Following a brief demonstration of each collection, UMS President Ken Fischer will highlight some memorable events and anecdotes from seasons past.
Sunday, March 14, 2-4 p.m. | Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room
Blog Post
Bring It Back, Take It Forward: March 12-14
by amy
What do Michigan alumni Arturo Rodriguez, Dean Baker, Bill Ayers, and Harvey Wasserman have in common? They were all campus activists in the late-1960s and early 1970s--and they're coming back to the University of Michigan March 12-14 for Bring it Back, Take it Forward (BIBTIF), a three-day conference at the Rackham Building. The conference will feature a dozen panel presentations focusing on several topics including the environment, health care, feminism, immigration rights, the underground media, TBLG issues and the progressive movement itself. Speakers will consider the future of progressive activism and reflect on previous milestones, including the 40th anniversary of the Black Action Movement (BAM) and the 45th anniversary of the first teach-in against the Vietnam War here at the University of Michigan.
A full list of presenters and programs is available here. For additional details and background on the presenters, visit the BIBTIF website.
Blog Post
Germantown: Old but in the news
by annevm
Among articles called out in the recent “Proposed Fourth and Fifth Avenues Historic District Study” is Grace Shackman’s Old West Side Story: The Germans in Ann Arbor. In this article, Grace carefully traces the longstanding German influence, back to 1825 when Mannheim baker Conrad Bissinger apparently became the first German to set foot in town. Reading this article, you can see why some people want an historic district that might include Bethlehem United Church of Christ and nearby historic homes. Click here to read a news story from AnnArbor.com. The actual report about the proposed historic district is here.
Blog Post
Winter: Good Season for Plays
by annevm
Theater has deep roots around here, as Grace Shackman chronicles in her Ann Arbor Observer article about the old Whitney Theater. Today we continue to enjoy a lively drama scene; this weekend (Feb. 27-28), at least three stage productions are running:
1) It Came from Mars! a screwball comedy about a group of radio actors terrified by Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds broadcast, playing at Performance Network. Read a review.
2) Gravity, spotlighting the secret life of Isaac Newton, at Purple Rose in Chelsea.
3) Cheaper by the Dozen, based on the book by Frank Gilbreth, at Riverside Arts Center.
Why not pick a drama, style your hat, and head out?
Blog Post
Ice Skating and Winter: A high-performance combination
by annevm
Ice skating has a long, fascinating history in this area -- and the allure continues today. Earlier this month, U-M students Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates were headed to the national figure skating competition in Spokane, the Ann Arbor Observer reported. To see a discussion with Samuelson, Bates, and other skaters, check out our DVD The Life of a Figure Skater: Local Ice Dance Medalists Discuss National and International Competition.
Blog Post
Brewed in Ann Arbor
by amy
With another brewery set to open, this seems like a good time to reflect on the history of drinking and brewing in Ann Arbor. Local historian Grace Shackman has written about the old Ann Arbor Brewing Company on 4th Street and the once-popular Court Tavern. And did you know that an old West Side bar once stood on Bach school's playground? You can feast on several other articles detailing the history of drinking and dining in Ann Arbor...and while you're at it, why not raise a toast to Ann Arbor's Lost Eateries?
Blog Post
Preserving Your Photographic Heritage
by lucroe
How can you preserve and protect precious photographs so that memories may last for future generations? Learn how to protect your personal mementos with local experts. Dianna Samuelson of the Bentley Historical Library will explain how to preserve and restore photographs, while George Borel Jr. of Huron Camera Shop will give information on what can be done digitally to repair photos. Get a head start by checking out these books on .
Join us Wednesday January 13, 2010: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm at the Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room for Preserving Your Photographic Heritage.