Collection processed and finding aid created by Leslie High, Clayton Lewis, Jorge Lopez-McKnight, Megan Marion, May Oyler, 2008-2013
Graphics Division, William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan
The David V. Tinder Collection of Michigan Photography, Cabinet Photograph Collection includes the work of approximately 1,800 professional photographers from across the state of Michigan. Series I includes mostly anonymous individual portraits taken by known photographers (see Additional Descriptive Data for a complete list). Series II is sorted subject as listed below. For all but the broadest categories (such as children, men, or women), the subject groupings include all photos in the cabinet collection on that subject.
African Americans (102 photographs) Individual and family portraits, including a photo of Lewis Clark, the inspiration for George Harris in Uncle Tom's Cabin.
American Indians/Native Americans (15 photographs) Individual and group portraits featuring contemporary and traditional dress, including photos of legendary chief Sitting Bull and "Indian Jake" Ta-pa-sah, the first mail carrier to Traverse City.
Asians/Asian Americans (11 photographs) Japanese, Chinese and Burmese subjects, most in traditional dress. Includes portraits of Michitaro Tsuda, a member of the Japanese emperor's privy council and graduate of Michigan Agricultural College (MAC), and Koli S. Thabue, Burmese politician and reformer, also a graduate of MAC.
Athletes (30 photographs) Individual and team portraits representing bicycle racing, crew, baseball, football, boxing, basketball, tennis, dog-sled racing, track and field, and gymnastics.
Bicyclists (158 photographs) Individuals and groups posed in studio settings with bicycles; also children posing with tricycles.
Chiefs of Police and Sheriff's Association of Michigan Portrait Set (60 photographs) Studio portraits both in uniform and in civilain clothes.
Children (605 photographs) Studio portraits of children, mostly individuals, often with props such as wooden horses, musical instruments, toy wagons, books, tricycles, etc. Several children are costumed as adults or historical figures. Approximately 50 photographs are taken outdoors.
Children - Baby Carriages (85 photographs)
Children - Dolls (139 photographs) Girls with dolls, large and small. A number of photos show dolls in carriages. One photo features a dog doll.
Clergy (65 photographs) Includes pastors and priests, monks and nuns. Numerous images of John Samuel Foley, the first American Bishop of Detroit.
Color Cabinets (16 photographs) Studio portraits that have been hand-tinted. Includes photo of porcelain serving set.
Comic Drawings with Photos (8 photographs) Photographed heads superimposed on drawings.
Darkroom Manipulations/Montages (44 photographs) Multiple images, decorative framing, double exposures, comic vignettes, assemblages and collages.
Disasters (8 photographs) Five views of a river logjam, two of ruined buildings and one of firemen fighting a fire.
Early Cabinets (2 photographs) Two early portraits by Cadwallader Brothers of Detroit, circa 1867-1868.
Family (358 photographs) Family groupings, including children, parents, grandparents. Several show multiple generations of women. Two group portraits include memorial photos of a family member, and several include pets, bicycles, carriages, dolls and musical instruments. Ten photographs are family groupings photographed outdoors in either farm or residential settings.
Family - Weddings (36 photographs)
Female Impersonators (5 photographs) "Character artists" in costume, two of Frank Carroll and two of Burt Parker.
Graduation (24 photographs) Young men and women, usually holding a rolled diploma, posing next to tables displaying flowers and other gifts.
Groups - Children (12 photographs) Various groupings of children, two of which appear to be in school settings.
Groups - General (59 photographs) Includes groups at workplaces, churches, family reunions, fraternal organizations. One damaged card shows a group of men in an outdoor setting near a railroad siding holding a meeting, perhaps a court hearing.
Groups - Men (85 photographs) Formal and informal groupings, including men in uniforms. One group of fishermen is photographed outside.
Groups - Themed/Role Play (56 photographs) Groups of varying sizes posing in tableaux, often on the theme of food and drink or card playing.
Groups - Women (65 photographs) Several feature costumes or uniforms. One presents a group of girls posing around a Maypole.
Illustration Reproductions (20 photographs) Photo reproductions of graphic illustrations. Includes religious scenes, Ulysses S. Grant, horses and buildings, bird's-eye view maps of Hancock, Marquette (2) and Houghton.
Interior Views (16 photographs) Interiors of a department store, church, mess hall, greenhouse and several parlors, with and without people.
Leisure (26 photographs) Mixed groups in outdoor settings in yards, campgrounds, picnic areas or scenic locations. Also includes fishing and hunting scenes.
Livestock (18 photographs)
Mackinac Island (29 photographs) Views of manmade structures and natural scenes from two series: H. J. Rossiter's Views of Mackinac and the Foley Brothers' Mackinac Island Views.
Medical (4 photographs) Portraits of people with physical abnormalities, including missing limbs and malignant growths.
Memorials (131 photographs) Floral arrangements dedicated to the recently deceased, sometimes with a name included in the display. One card shows a piece of broken glass from Yore's Opera House in Benton Harbor, which burned in 1896, killing twelve firemen whose names are etched on the glass. Many of the floral arrangements also include a portrait of the deceased.
Men (354 photographs) Primarily bust portraits of men in formal dress, but also numerous full-length portraits, often with props and taken outdoors in coats and hats. Several photos are less formal portraits taken in an outdoor setting.
Men with Decorations (36 photographs) Portraits of men with medals, ribbons or pins on their chests, usually indicating military service, a civilian honor or rank within their organization.
Merchants Carnival (16 photographs) Women wearing costumes garnished with commercial merchandise and small objects. Often with advertising banners promoting local businesses. Several from the 1888 Merchants Carnival in Fowlerville.
Michigan Legislature (33 photographs) State legislators from the 1887-88 session photographed, with a few exceptions, by Cassey & Whitney. Each card includes biographical information with additional information at the end of the box. Also includes two ensemble collages of the 1887 and 1889 sessions.
Michigan Military Academy (47 photographs) Individual portraits of cadets in uniform, often with swords and caps. One is pictured with a drum. The majority of the cards include the name of the subject on the back. A few include biographical information. One portrait includes a cadet with his dog.
Military (71 photographs) Military men, including National Guard, photographed in either dress or field uniforms. Nine photographs are of sailors.
Musicians (182 photographs) Individual and group portraits with violins, guitars and horns, banjos, saxophones, drums, pianos, clarinets, an accordion and a harp. One card shows a small girl playing a large pump organ. Includes brass bands, and a series of 14 photographs picturing members of Gardner's Band from Flint. Three photographs present different views of the one-man band "Prof. McRae, Musical Wonder."
Objects (34 photographs) Promotional and advertising photos for various products, including farm machinery, wooden furniture, pipe organs, small statuary, objects d' art , clocks and household appliances. Also includes a photo of the Union City Civil War monument and two photos of industrial machines.
Occupations (158 photographs) Studio and outside portraits of people at work. Most portraits are of police and firemen. Includes butchers, seamstresses, train conductors, preachers, housekeepers, teachers, loggers, miners, farmers, barbers, chefs and postmen.
Outdoor Views - Homes (49 photographs)
Outdoor Views - Landscapes (21 photographs)
Outdoor Views - Mills (16 photographs) Lumber and grain rolling mills with several photos of miscellaneous structures, including an oil derrick, a water tower, a barn and two granite and marble works.
Outdoor Views - Misc. Buildings (51 photographs) Mostly public buildings, including the Lansing state house and soldier's home, numerous churches, and several hotels. Also includes a series of buildings on the Michigan Agricultural College campus.
Outdoor Views - Street Signs/Store Fronts (56 photographs)
Parades (7 photographs) Views of bands marching, crowds gathered, military in formation, and political banners across city streets.
Performers (176 photographs) Individuals, couples and ensembles in costume often striking a dramatic pose or arranged in a tableau. Includes stage actors, singers, dancers, acrobats, and comedians. Some individual portraits identified.
Pets (309 photographs) Predominantly dogs, but also including cats, birds, parrots and horses. Photographs of pets with their owners, including adults and children.
Photo Pins (4 photographs) Portraits of people wearing photo pins.
Photos Outside of Michigan (8 photographs) Seven photos from Grand Rapids photographer Warren Wykes of Salt Lake City, Washington State, Yellowstone, Sacramento, San Francisco and Pasadena. Also a view of the Wywona drive-through tree near Yosemite by Gowdy Bros.
Post Mortem (29 photographs) Photos of the deceased. Most are of children.
Prominent People (23 photographs) Portraits of state and federal legislators, mayors, governors and other noted individuals. Includes photos of Washington Gardner, former U.S. Secretary of State; Paul Boyton, inventor of the wet suit; James Angell, University of Michigan president and diplomat; and dwarf couple Count and Countess Magri. Of note is a portrait of actress Zoe Gayton, J. L. Price, W. J. Marshall, and Gayton's dog Beauty taken in 1891 after Gayton walked from San Francisco to New York to win a bet.
Schools/Students (54 photographs) Posed in the studio, classroom or in front of their school building. Of interest is a photograph (#22) that contains a hand drawn photographer's back stamp.
Transportation - Auto (1 card) Young girl in a coat and hat posing in front of early automobile.
Transportation - Horse (48 photographs) Horses pulling carts, buggies, carriages and sleighs with men, women or children aboard. A few photographs were probably marketing tools showing a buggy company's new model.
Transportation - Passenger Vessel (15 photographs) Large and small passenger vessels and freighters. Includes a passenger ship at Sault Ste. Marie locks. Two show sailing vessels, a large one foundering offshore and a small leisure boat with three men. Ships in ice.
Transportation - Railroad (15 photographs) Includes a series of views of a train wreck by Elsie photographer W. W. Woole. A few photographs show people waiting at railroad depots.
Uniforms - Fraternal Organizations (145 photographs) Primarily Masons, Elks, and Odd Fellows.
Uniforms - Miscellaneous (79 photographs) Cadet and national guard units, firemen, police, railroad employees and Salvation Army workers.
Women (274 photographs)
Women - Fancy Dress (25 photographs) Women in elaborate dresses or unusual patterns. Includes examples of folk costumes.
Women - Hats (41 photographs) Women wearing bonnets, caps and hats of various styles. Numerous examples of feathers and flowers. Includes folk costumes.
Women - Umbrellas (16 photographs) Women posing with parasols or umbrellas.
Women - White Dress (39 photographs) Includes wedding, confirmation and graduation dresses.
