Student Scrapbooks: The Michigan Experience
Browse by Subject
From these student scrapbooks, certain popular subjects emerged that were common to many. These subjects are indexed here by topic, along with a short description of the types of materials likely found in each category.
- Athletics -- Focus on men's sports; includes football, track and field, baseball, basketball, rowing, intramural, boxing, swimming, and materials related to Ferry Field.
- Campus Buildings -- Focus on campus buildings, including libraries, residence halls, and other structures.
- Class Reunions -- The specific year of the reunions is usually included in the scrapbook description.
- Class Rivalries -- Class wars, bonfires, rushing, rivalry posters, Spring Games (pushball, tug of war), capture wars, and initiations.
- Commencement -- Programs, photographs of students in caps and gowns, and photographs of students on stage.
- Correspondence -- Handwritten and typed letters.
- Cross-Dressing -- Musicals and comedic operas of men dressed as women, and both male and female students dressed as the opposite sex.
- Dance Cards -- Includes decorative cards that list popular dances and names of dance partners.
- Ephemera -- Posters, transportation and event tickets, stickers, cards, invitations, pins, ribbons, pressed flowers, cigarettes and cigars, telegrams, scraps of clothing, sports memorabilia, and party decorations.
- Fraternity Life -- Specific fraternities include Phi Delta Theta, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Psi Upsilon, Kappa Sigma, Alpha Chi Sigma, Tau Beta Pi, Phi Kappa Psi, Theta Delta Chi, Sigma Phi Epsilon, and Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Programs, invitations, house logs, hazing activities, photographs of the houses and members, and social activities specific to the fraternity.
- High School -- Tappan, Ann Arbor, and Detroit High Schools. Signs and posters, report cards, credit slips, and athletic photographs.
- Holidays -- Major holiday celebrations, including Christmas, Halloween, and Valentine's Day. Includes party decorations, invitations, name cards, advertising, and photographs.
- Marching Band (UM) -- Photographs of the band at Ferry Field and at practices.
- Music -- Music programs from the Choral Union Series and Musical Society, comedic operas, photographs of musical performances, and sheet music.
- News Clippings -- Newspaper clippings of university and world events.
- Outdoor Activities -- Students with friends and family doing activities such as fishing, swimming, canoeing, rowing, hanging out by the water, and camping.
- Photographs -- Incorporates almost all subjects listed. Includes professional and amateur photography of students with friends and family, social and campus events, and at athletic events.
- Postcards -- Scenes of campus buildings and Michigan landscapes.
- Religion -- Materials related to the activities of the Baptist Church and church programs.
- Secret Societies -- Specific societies include: Druids, Michigamua, Sphinx societies. Includes programs, initiation photographs, and short histories.
- Social Events -- Dances, parties, balls, banquets, and costume parties.
- Sorority Life -- Specific sororities include: Omega Upsilon, Alpha Chi Omega, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Pi Beta Phi, , Alpha Sigma Tau, Westminster House, and Kappa Delta. Categories include social events, photographs of houses and members, programs, invitations, name cards, house reports, and publicity.
- Student Records -- Diplomas, report cards, physical test charts, measurement cards, notices from the university, and identification and membership cards.
- Theater -- Programs from theater events, Comedy Club, theater production team photographs, photographs of dramatic presentations, Junior Girls Play, and playbills from productions outside Ann Arbor.
- Transportation -- Early modes of transportation (train, cars, early airplanes and ticket stubs from traveling.)
- Vacation -- Day trips with friends and family to nearby areas, beach scenes, camping trips, and travels abroad.