The Tinder carte de visite photograph collection includes the work of approximately 1270 professional photographers from across the state of Michigan. Series I includes mostly anonymous individual portraits taken by known photographers (see the Additional Descriptive Data section of the finding aid for a complete list of photographers represented in the collection). Series II is sorted by subject as listed below.
For all but the broadest categories (such as children, men, or women), the subject groupings include almost all of the photos in the collection on that subject.
African Americans (25 photographs) Individual portraits, including a photo of a man wearing a graduation cap.
Artwork (53 photographs) Reproductions of artworks, including three photographs of Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii (Slave Girl) by Randolph Rogers, a photographed lithograph of Abraham Lincoln, and Raphael’s Alba Madonna.
Asian Americans (12 photographs) Four portraits are of a Burmese man identified as Myatt Kyau.
Athletes (11 photographs) Of note are three images of a woman holding dumbbells.
Backstamps (73 photographs) Individual examples representing the diversity of backstamps used by photographers.
Bicycles and Tricycles (5 photographs)
Bird’s-eye Views (10 photographs)
Buildings (48 photographs)
Celebrities (15 photographs) Includes images of Sojourner Truth and Abraham Lincoln along with abolitionist Laura Haviland.
Children (13 photographs)
Children - Boys (80 photographs)
Children - Carriages & Coaches (38 photographs)
Children - Dolls and Toys (65 photographs)
Children - Girls (84 photographs)
Children - Infants (36 photographs)
Churches (11 photographs)
Clergy (26 photographs) Includes an image of Bishop Peter P. Lefevre, Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Detroit.
Comedy and Humor (14 photographs)
Confirmation (13 photographs)
Couples (64 photographs) Of note is the hand colored image of a man with a gun handing a rabbit to a woman.
Employment (59 photographs) Occupational portraits, mostly adults, with several children included. Occupations represented include fireman, butcher, cook, waiter, hunter, painter and others.
Ethnic Dress (11 photographs)
Family (98 photographs)
Group Portraits - Adult (35 photographs) Includes an image of a group of men standing behind a dog pulled cart.
Groups - Children (9 photographs) Includes an image of two young children dressed as a bride and groom.
Groups - School (13 photographs) Includes one interior view of a classroom during instruction.
Houses (14 photographs)
Industry (6 photographs) Includes images of lumber camps and one image of a mine.
Interiors (3 photographs)
Lake Superior (40 photographs) Includes images of Lake Superior from the stereographs of by Brainard F. Child and C. B. Brubaker.
Leisure (12 photographs) Includes images of hunting, roller skating and playing croquet.
Men (215 photographs) Of note is a photograph of a man with a beard long enough to reach the floor, and an image of a man with a gun, feather headdress and roller skates.
Men - Disabilities (12 photographs)
Men - Hats (54 photographs) Of note is a portrait of C.E. Wheeler, captain of a boat club in Saginaw, Michigan, wearing a sweater with large stars on it.
Men - Medals (3 photographs)
Military Uniforms (81 photographs) Studio portraits of men in uniform. Some are identified, including Ira C. Baxter of Company I, 21st Michigan Infantry.
Musicians (56 photographs)
Native Americans (8 photographs) Studio portraits of Native Americans, including one of Nock chic ga me, who lived in Saginaw Bay along with a photo negative and biographical note.
Objects (26 photographs) Promotional and advertising photos for various products, including farm machinery, wooden furniture, pipe organs, small statuary, and floral arrangements.
Performing Arts - Portraits (46 photographs)
Pets (52 photographs)
Photography (26 photographs) Studio portraits, either as copies of cased images or those including photography materials like albums or stereoscope viewers. Includes a business card for an East Lansing Camera shop.
Politicians (21 photographs) Includes judges, senators and a secretary of state.
Post Mortem (27 photographs) Of note is an image of two children together.
Schools (10 photographs)
Spirit Photographs and Spiritualism (2 photographs)
Transportation (11 photographs) Outdoor views of mostly Great Lake vessels and a few of trains. Two images of carriages and one fare card for a Hary Burstein in Detroit.
Uniforms - Fraternal Organizations (26 photographs) Primarily Masons, Elks, and Odd Fellows.
Universities & Colleges - Hillsdale College (46 photographs) Portraits of male and female members of the class of 1867 and some college buildings.
Universities & Colleges - Michigan Agricultural College (8 photographs) Portraits of students during the 1880s.
Universities & Colleges - Michigan State Normal College (42 photographs)
Universities & Colleges - Olivet College (4 photographs)
Universities & Colleges - University of Michigan (149 photographs) Portraits largely of the classes of 1863 and 1865. Also includes images of buildings including the hospital and law building.
Weddings (8 photographs)
Women (189 photographs)
Women - Clothing and Dress (39 photographs) Women in elaborate dresses or unusual patterns. Includes an image of three women dressed in kimonos.
Women - Hairstyles (52 photographs)
