This collection consists mainly of film negatives, photographs, some copy prints, and subject files collected and generated by Sam Breck, mostly of railroads, locomotives, depots, towns, historic buildings, both public and private, bridges, freighters or barges, railroad logos, and waterfront scenes in Michigan, but also including Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York (state), Ontario, Canada, and some 1942 images of the mountains and wilderness of Colorado. There are a few images of people, including members of a band, and a downtown art show. The collection is organized by format and topic as much as possible. Several folders of negatives are unidentified and undated. The collection is in good physical condition.
Published materials donated with the collection were separately cataloged.
A photograph collection of Samuel L. Breck, 1960s-1980s, is housed at the Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan.
Biography:
Samuel “Sam” L. Breck, Jr. was born in 1928, the son of Samuel L. and Margaret H. Breck. In 1930 the family lived in Detroit, Precinct 19. Sam also had a younger brother, David. For over 40 years, Sam Breck was married to his wife, Marion. Together they had two sons, Bob and Bill, and three grandchildren. Sam was a photographer, particularly of trains, locomotives, and depots. During the last years of his life he battled a number of illnesses. Sam died on March 15, 2009 in Minnesota. He was buried from St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His wife, Marion, preceded him in death. (This information is from his obituary published in the Ann Arbor News on March 29, 2009.)
