Finding Aids
Finding aids that detail several specific collections within the greater Detroit Historical Society collection are available here. For assistance, please contact Jeremy Dimick at jeremyd@detroithistorical.org
Detroit Anniversaries Collection
This collection includes letters, envelopes, pictures, photos, and other documents that were placed in a century box/time capsule at the Detroit City Hall on December 31, 1900. The letters were written by various citizens of the city in order to give some insights about present conditions and to offer some thoughts about the future for citizens of upcoming generations. The time capsule was opened at 11:20 pm on New Year's Eve, December 31, 2000, at Orchestra Hall by Mayor Dennis Archer as part of the 300th anniversary celebration (1701-2001) of the founding of the city.
J Lawson Miller Collection
This collection contains a large variety of architectural drawings and renderings that were done by J. Lawson Miller and/or his senior business partner, Samuel C. Falkinburg. The drawings were done in ink and pencil on both linen and vellum paper. Architectural renderings were done in ink and watercolor. Typical projects included architectural designs for residential houses, garages, factory buildings, stores, flats, apartment buildings, and hotels that were located primarily in Detroit or Grosse Pointe. A small number of projects were located in downriver communities and outstate locations. Two outstate locations included a factory design project in Hillsdale, Michigan, and a house design project in Bay City, Michigan. Many of the linen and vellum drawings also have accompanying blueprints and typewritten specifications.
McLouth Steel Corporation Collection
This collection contains mostly photographs showing two major expansion projects at the McLouth Steel Corporation. The first, completed between 1953 and 1954 was the expansion of the Detroit facility to include a stainless steel production line. The section major project included removing the No. 1 pickling line and replacing it with the new No. 11 continuous annealing and pickling (CAP) line. This project was completed between 1974 and 1975. The collection also contains other miscellaneous photographs of production lines and machinery at the facility. Finally, there are several annual reports spanning the 1950s through the mid-1970s, correspondence, a marketing brochure, four oversized photos, and a J&L Specialty Products Corporation materials sample board.
Toby David Collection
This collection contains mostly photographs as well as some papers and ephemera of Toby David during his career in radio and television spanning from 1935 to 1964.
