Past Stories

When the name of a building or statue is challenged, some worry that the past will be hidden, changed, or damaged, but this is not true. What is being challenged is only an interpretation of the past.

Author David Maraniss was just three years old, too young to understand what was happening when his father was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1952.

Bentley conservators have unique quarantining methods for mold. Learn how they fight its spread and keep collections safe.

A U-M class uses Bentley archival materials to give students a first-hand look -- and taste -- of what meals were like on campus 100 years ago.

A rare Civil War journal documents a Union soldier’s capture by Confederates and his struggle to survive notorious prisoner of war camps.

A class at the University of Michigan uses Bentley materials to teach students about U-M's history of female impersonators.

Michigan’s railroad history comes to life as we choo-choo-choose images from an extraordinary collection.

Writer James Tobin goes deep into the newly arrived Zingerman’s collection to understand how co-founder Ari Weinzweig’s on-paper voice helped a fledgling eatery define itself and stand out.

Michigan’s longest-serving governor was a Republican renowned for reaching across the aisle to Democratic colleagues, and for making Michigan’s environmental health a priority. His collection at the Bentley reveals a breed of politician that’s nearly extinct.

Renowned neuroanatomist Elizabeth Crosby was a brilliant researcher and a dedicated teacher who spoke of her many years at U-M with fondness. So what happened to make her attempt to resign numerous times over the course of her career? Letters in her collection may provide answers.