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Spring 2015

Bentley collections are more than paper in boxes, as the incredible digital collection of Professor Peter Sparling’s multimedia experiments reveal. Archived telegrams tell the harrowing story of a Jewish scientist on the run from Nazi persecutors, and Josephine Gomon was a behind-the-scenes force in Detroit politics.

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Selected Stories

A selection of stories of this issue. Please download PDF to read all content.

Rock and Role

by Louis Miller and Lara Zielin

An Ann Arbor memorial has been painted over for years. Bentley materials reveal what's underneath all those layers.

The Mystery Above the Pillars

by Terrence J. McDonald

What does the quote on the front of Angell Hall mean, and why is it there?

The Value of One

by Elise Reynolds

Elizabeth Bauer’s collection reveals the crucial work of a tireless advocate.

All the News That’s Fit to Preserve

by Melissa Hernandez Duran and Alexa Hagan

Approximately 400 glass plate negatives documenting the history and work of the Detroit News through the late 19th century and early 20th century recently came to the Bentley.

Science Versus the Nazis. Full Stop.

by Rob Havey

A telegram in the Bentley’s archives reveals a Jewish scientist on the run from Nazi persecutors, and a U-M dean keen to recruit a brilliant mind.

Body of Work

by Lara Zielin

Using an array of high-tech software and hardware, U-M Professor Peter Sparling creates a 3-D dance experience that challenges where and how such performances are archived.

The Gladiator Outside the Spotlight

by Katie Vloet

Josephine Gomon was whip-smart, headstrong, and a behind-the-scenes force in Detroit politics at a time when women weren’t expected to do much beyond the kitchen.