The Peony Garden’s first flowers were given to U-M over 100 years ago!

Those very first peonies were donated by U-M Medical School alum Dr. W.E. Upjohn in 1922, and the garden, planted in Nichols Arboretum, was later named in his honor! A peony enthusiast, Dr. Upjohn also published a 1920s peony booklet from Brook Lodge Gardens, with his own descriptions of these flowers, like:

"It is a flower of soft shell-pink color with the sun just rising out of the center." (About the “Jeannot” peony.)

"Of the prominent growers, two call this salmon pink, two mention it as a rose white or lilac white, to me it is a pink with a rose shade. We all agree, however, that it is good." (About the “Albert Crousse” peony.)

"This is a flower having many friends." (About the “Claire Dubois” peony.)

Click through for a brief history of the W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden, with details from the archives!

Peak bloom is predicted for this weekend, so it’s a good time to plan your visit! 🌸 A FREE weekend shuttle will run every 15–20 minutes from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 24–25, May 31–June 1, and June 7-8, picking up from Mitchell Field (1900 Fuller Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48105) and dropping off at Nichols Arboretum.

Details can be found at: myumi.ch/qZA7X

📸: Upjohn Family Papers, Michigan Daily archives, Faculty and Staff portraits, ⁨Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum records

#UMich #PeonyGarden #NicholsArboretum #TheArb #History ...

Did you know that part of U-M’s art museum was built in memory of U-M soldiers and veterans?

This building, known as the Alumni Memorial Hall, was opened in 1910. Although this building was first proposed as a memorial to U-M’s Civil War soldiers, the concept was expanded to memorialize soldiers from other wars, too, and alumni worked together to raise the funds to build it.

Initially, it featured gallery spaces for art, as well as spaces for alumni to gather. The galleries looked different back then, including palm fronds and greenery alongside the artwork, but the exterior, with its tall columns, is still recognizable today.

Today, this building is part of the University of Michigan Museum of Art, @ummamuseum, and you can still find plaques dedicated to U-M’s soldiers inside, honoring the legacy they left behind.

This Memorial Day, we honor those who gave their lives to serve.

#MemorialDay #UMich #AlumniMemorialHall #UMMA #CampusHistory ...

On this day over 100 years ago, a massive Joan of Arc pageant was held on U-M’s Ferry Field!

One of the largest theatrical plays U-M students had ever produced at the time, the Michigan Daily reported that it included 400 cast members, and a live horse.

Thousands of people turned up to watch as U-M student Miriam Hubbard played the part of Joan of Arc (also known as “Jeanne D’Arc”) in a dramatized story about her life, on May 21, 1914.

“Ferry Field gridiron was the scene last night of a medieval struggle,” the Daily wrote. The lighting effects and the dance scenes won over the crowd. However, as the football gridiron was not actually a medieval city, some allowances had to be made.

“Although the audience laughed when the medieval soldiers planted their modern ladders against the wall, and some didn’t take the losses in the French army quite seriously enough, the affair was remarkably free from incongruities,” the Daily wrote.

The play itself was led by the U-M Women’s League, who used proceeds from the performance to help fund women’s athletic facilities!

📸: Alumni Association records, Margaret Henkel scrapbook, Photo Vertical File

#OTD #UMich #History #FerryField #StudentActors #Theater #1910s ...

Students from the “Michigan in the World” program are hard at work in the archives!

This annual paid internship helps U-M students gain critical research skills, while exploring different aspects of Michigan’s history. This year, they’re digging into the history of hate movements in the Great Lakes area, and what caused them, using records from the archives.

To analyze the papers these movements left behind, students ask questions like: who wrote this? What do they want you to believe? What methods are they using to try and convince you that this is true?

“I’ve enjoyed learning how and what information is accessible to people, how to search for and analyze rhetoric, and how it impacts everything else,” says Eden, one of the students in this program.

Alongside faculty and staff from the History Department, the Bentley Historical Library, and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, these students are examining topics like historical antisemitism in Detroit, while getting hands-on experience with primary sources like letters, press releases, oral histories, and more.

When asked why this work is important, the answer is simple, according to U-M student Jeanette:

“It’s important that hate is something we recognize, so we don’t repeat it.”

In the future, the students in this program will create an exhibit showcasing their work! You can find past "Michigan in the World" projects on the History Department`s "Michigan in the World" website.

📸: The Michigan in the World program at the Bentley Historical Library

#UMich #MichiganHistory #HistoryInternship #Archives #StudentResearchers #PrimarySources ...