Winter 2021

This issue of Collections follows pioneering efforts—and their limits. In 1878, U‑M professor James Watson chased a solar eclipse west, sure it would reveal a new planet. A new initiative aims to archive incarcerated people’s experiences. And U‑M’s Greenland Expedition spotlights William Hobbs’s 1928 rescue mission after two pilots crashed.

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Selected Stories

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

When Every Box Is the Last Box

by Alexander Clayton, Henry Cowles, and Gregory Parker

Students and faculty from U-M’s History Department collaborated with the Bentley to find creative ways to produce a successful research project, even without physical access to archival materials.

Lifting His Voice

by Lara Zielin

Willis C. Patterson's newly donated papers at the Bentley document a tireless fight for African American music to take its rightful place in the vocal canon.

Collecting During Covid-19

by Lara Zielin

How the Bentley Historical Library is archiving the Covid-19 pandemic in real-time.

Bridge the Gap

by Robert Havey

The plan to build a bridge across the Straits of Mackinac began in earnest in the 1880s. But it wasn't until 1954 that construction began on the Mackinac Bridge. What happened in the interim?

Total Eclipse of the Sun

by Robert Havey

In the summer of 1878, U-M Professor James Watson headed west to observe a solar eclipse, confident he would find a new planet. Instead, he discovered the limitations of science in the late-1800s and the fine line separating fascination and folly.

Filling in the Silences

by Lara Zielin

Incarcerated individuals are some of the last people to have their stories and experiences archived. The Bentley is working to change that by partnering with U-M researchers on a new initiative.

An Arctic Escape

by Madeleine Bradford

With the world watching, two pilots went down over Greenland in 1928. Their rescue would hinge on William Hobbs, a professor-turned-adventurer leading U-M’s Greenland Expedition.

In the Footsteps of Hobbs

by Madeleine Bradford

A U-M research team travels to Greenland to study global warming and follow the pioneering footsteps of U-M Professor William Hobbs.

Challenging the Interpretations of the Past

by Terrence J. McDonald, Director

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.