Summer 2021

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  • M Glow Blue

    U-M sported a fully functional nuclear reactor, complete with a 55,000-gallon glowing reactor pool. Bentley collections help tell the story of why the reactor was built, and what happened to it.

    Complete Story
  • Scratching the Surface

    To write his new memoir, multimedia journalist and educator Harvey Ovshinsky had to research his own collection at the Bentley.

    Complete Story
  • From the Top

    Early aerial photos of U-M’s campus were taken by an aviation pioneer.

    Complete Story
  • It Was a Man’s World

    In the early 1970s, government pressure was mounting for U-M to give women a level playing field on campus, but the University’s all-male administration was slow to act. A group of determined women demanded accountability and action.

    Complete Story
  • The Great Debate

    In April 1920, two leading astronomers met on stage in front of a packed audience at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, defending their respective “models” of the universe.

    Complete Story
  • Black and Blue

    Willis Ward was a celebrated U-M athlete. Interviews and papers from the Bentley reveal Ward’s experiences on a campus that thought itself progressive, but in reality was highly segregated.

    Complete Story
  • Michigan’s “Black Bart”

    How a stagecoach robber and murderer was brought to justice, and how the details of the case — including a one-of-a-kind photo — made it to the Bentley.

    Complete Story