Bentley Historical Library

10/14/2026

Where can you find historical squirrel photos? And does the Bentley really have collections about polar bears?

We're answering these questions and more in honor of Ask An Archivist Day. If you have questions for our archivists, feel free to share them in the comments! ❤️

"Where should I look for historical photos of squirrels?"

- Our online Image Bank is a great place to start searching for squirrel photos! 🐿️ They can also be found in student scrapbooks, a few U-M yearbooks, and even the News & Information photo collection, which is where we found the photo you see here.

"What are some of the weirdest things you've found at the Bentley Historical Library?"

- Parrot feathers in a scrapbook 🦜
- Unused sugar packets from the USSR
- Carefully woven loops of hair, glued into a newspaper
- A photo of a large lizard on a leash being walked through central campus, with zero context

"Does the Bentley really have collections about polar bears?"

- The Bentley is home to the largest collection of printed and manuscript papers related to the Polar Bear Expedition! Many soldiers from across the state of Michigan were part of this expedition, sent to fight in Russia at the end of World War I.
These soldiers were nicknamed "the Polar Bears!"

Do you have a question for our archivists? Let us know in the comments below!

10/12/2026

Halloween is coming up in just a few weeks, and we're excited to share some treats from the archives! Join us for a special tour of some of our spookiest collections on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. This tour is free and open to the public!

Learn more & register: https://myumi.ch/rwrnn

10/09/2026

Our amazing U-M student assistant Lily recently attended a sports history conference in Pittsburgh!

The International Sports Heritage Association conference gathers sports history professionals from all over the world. This year, it was hosted by the Museum Manager for the Pittsburgh Steelers!

As a student assistant who works with U-M's athletic archives, Lily loves sports history, so this professional development trip was perfect for her.

As part of this conference, Lily got a behind-the-scenes look at Acrisure Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Franco Harris Sports Museum, and PPG Paints Arena, home of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Her favorite things were the huge Super Bowl rings on display, seeing a Homestead Grays uniform in person, and getting to see hockey legend Sidney Crosby’s locker!

!

10/09/2026

After Confederate troops attacked Fort Sumter, President Lincoln called for volunteers to fight for the Union. Michigan answered the call—its soldiers were the first from the “west” to arrive in Washington, D.C., and Michigan regiments would engage in nearly every major battle of the Civil War, from Vicksburg to Gettysburg.

Join us for a free talk at the Observatory to learn more about this fascinating history on Thursday, October 15, at 6 pm! This talk is presented in conjunction with our new exhibit, “‘Fill the Ranks’: The Civil War and the University of Michigan.” Anyone is welcome to sign up to attend!

The Observatory will be open 12-7:30 pm on Thursday, so come early to explore the exhibit before the program!

Register here (in-person or virtual): https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/czmvvn9/lp/c01c7429-8cb3-49e6-b17d-7c6b38e3eb48

The Making Michigan series is co-sponsored by the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan. Additional support from the U-M U.S. at 250 initiative.

10/08/2026

What does an archivist do for fun? Well, archivist Evan Brandon spends his free time playing bluegrass music on the mandolin! 🎵 Check out this article from U-M to learn more about his love of bluegrass music:

Playing bluegrass with local jam groups is how Evan Brandon, an assistant archivist at Bentley Historical Library, keeps music history alive 🪕

Bluegrass musicians add vibrant improvisations in solo performances and group sessions, vivifying the shared language of the American roots musical tradition. For Brandon, the bluegrass community kindles another flame of his fascination with history. myumi.ch/NX9VD

10/07/2026

This is what Michigan Stadium looked like under construction in October 100 years ago. At the time this photo was taken, U-M's football team played home games at Ferry Field.

10/06/2026

Did you know that we share Michigan history stories, photos from U-M's archives, free events, and more in our monthly newsletter?

Get the latest news from the Bentley Historical Library every month by signing up here: https://myumi.ch/ErqgJ

10/02/2026

Next month, Michigan voters will be asked whether they want to hold a new convention to edit the state constitution. Whichever way they decide, this choice will shape the lives of everyone in Michigan.

But what would a constitutional convention, or Con-Con for short, actually look like?

Join us to learn about the history of Michigan's most recent Con-Con in 1961 at our free upcoming talk, "What is a Constitutional Convention?"

The Bentley is home to historical papers, photos, and more about Con-Cons from many different perspectives, including the photo you see here! During this talk, historian Lynn Liberato and Bentley archivist Michelle McClellan will share all kinds of fascinating details from the 1960s convention.

Anyone is welcome to sign up and attend this talk, happening at the Bentley Historical Library on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. This event is free, and open to the public!

Get the details and register here: https://myumi.ch/39m3k

09/29/2026

Saving a U-M scrapbook from the Civil War era!

A U-M professor filled this scrapbook with newspaper clippings during the Civil War. But when it arrived in our Conservation Lab, the scrapbook had no spine, and the book was in pieces. It really needed help.

So, our expert conservator carefully went through the scrapbook, and resewed the entire binding. Now it’s rebound with a new spine and gold stamping, ready to last another 160+ years!

You can see this scrapbook in the new exhibit at the Frankel Detroit Observatory, featuring the history of U-M and the Civil War. It's on display from now until July 2, 2027 during the Observatory's open hours, free to visit, and open to all!

Click through these photos to see the "before" and "after" photos of this scrapbook being fixed up in our Conservation Lab!

09/28/2026

Happy Birthday to U-M Dearborn, which opened for the first time in 1959! 🎉 At the time, it was known as the "Dearborn Center." Here, you can see former U-M President Harlan Hatcher with an early model of the Dearborn Center in the late 1950s.

Curious to learn more? Check out the University of Michigan-Dearborn's capsule history here: https://catalog.umd.umich.edu/university-capsule-history/