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University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library

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Address:

1150 Beal Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2113, USA
bentley.ref@umich.edu

Ed Beach photographs, 1931-1948

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Summary

Creator:
Beach, William Edward.
Abstract:
Ed Beach was an amateur photographer whose photographs document his hometown of Howell, Michigan and historical sites in other Michigan communities. His collection consists of photographic negatives (with some prints) and albums with prints of historic plaques and markers, statues of famous statesmen and their gravesites, early school buildings, historic houses, gristmills, sawmills, and county courthouses.
Extent:
2.5 linear feet (in 5 boxes)
Language:
English
Call Number:
92745 Ua 2
Authors:
Finding aid created by Michigan Historical Collections staff

Background

Scope and Content:

The Ed Beach collection consists of photographic negatives (with some prints) and albums with prints of historic plaques and markers, statues of famous statesmen and their gravesites, early school buildings, historic houses, gristmills, sawmills, and county courthouses. Other subjects include tourist sites in Michigan (such as Greenfield Village or Mackinac Island) and state parks, especially those in the Upper Peninsula. His hometown of Howell, Michigan is also heavily documented.

The Beach collection is arranged into three series. In the Kodak series the negatives measure 2 3/4 by 4 1/2 inches in size and cover the years 1931 to 1948. The Leica series consists of 35-millimeter strips and were taken between the years 1936 and 1938. The third series consists of seven albums of carefully identified photographs.

An item-level listing of the contents of the Kodak and Leica series is available at the library. To aid researchers a geographic and subject index has been created and is attached to this finding aid. These indices provide the best introduction to the collection.

Beach created the photograph albums around broad topics, and each has a title. The albums include: "Michigan Historic Places," "Around Lake Erie in Ontario. Trip to Chicago Century of Progress," "Michigan Courthouses," "Michigan Ships, Monuments, Historic Places, Buildings, Creek Scenes," "Indian and Trail Markers," "Around Michigan: Historic Places, Buildings, Mills, Dams, Bridges, Masonic Buildings," and "Michigan Governors' Homes, Michigan Trees, Old Buildings of Michigan." The photos in the albums include Beach's negative number.

Biographical / Historical:

William E. Beach, known to all as Ed Beach, was an insurance salesman and an avid amateur photographer, interested in historic sites in Michigan and the eastern U.S. Beach covered the entire state of Michigan and photographed many small towns and villages.

He also documented the daily life of his hometown, Howell, Michigan, and photographed street scenes, delivery trucks, new buildings and roads under construction, gas stations, parades, storm and fire damage and prized possessions such as a car or a cow. Beach was also an active Mason and photographed many Masonic events and temples throughout the state. His photographs serve as candid documents of life in a small town in Michigan in the 1930's and 1940's.

Acquisition Information:
The negatives (boxes 1-4) were donated by Barbara Stoner (donor no. 6201 ) in October 1982. The albums (box 5) were donated by the Howell Area Archives, Howell Carnegie District Library (donor no. 1284 ) in February 1999.
Processing information:

In September 2023, the title of the collection was changed from "William E. Beach photographs" to "Ed Beach photographs, to reflect on the most frequently used form of name of the creator.

Accruals:

No further additions to the records are expected.

Rules or Conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Subjects

Click on terms below to find any related finding aids on this site.

Subjects:
Airports -- Michigan.
Animals -- Michigan.
Automobiles -- Michigan.
Automobile service stations -- Michigan.
Barns -- Michigan.
Bridges -- Michigan.
Churches -- Michigan.
Courthouses -- Michigan.
Dwellings -- Michigan.
Festivals -- Michigan.
Freemasons -- Michigan.
Indians of North America -- Michigan.
Lighthouses -- Michigan.
Masonic temples -- Michigan.
Mills -- Michigan.
Monuments and memorials -- Michigan.
Photographers -- Michigan.
Railroads -- Michigan.
Railroad stations -- Michigan.
Roads -- Michigan.
Schools -- Michigan.
Transportation -- Michigan.
Formats:
Photographs.
Names:
Beach family.
Winans, Edwin B., 1826-1894.
Places:
Acme (Mich.)
Ada (Mich.)
Adrian (Mich.)
Alberta (Mich.)
Albion (Calhoun County, Mich.)
Allegan (Mich.)
Allen (Mich.)
Alma (Mich.)
Alpena (Mich.)
Ann Arbor (Mich.)
Athens (Mich.)
Atlas (Mich.)
Bad Axe (Mich.)
Baldwin (Mich.)
Battle Creek (Mich.)
Bay City (Mich.)
Belding (Mich.)
Benton Harbor (Mich.)
Bessemer (Mich.)
Beulah (Mich.)
Big Rapids (Mich.)
Birmingham (Mich.)
Blaney Park (Mich.)
Brighton (Mich.)
Burns (Mich.)
Byron (Mich.)
Cadillac (Mich.)
Calumet (Mich.)
Cambridge Junction (Mich.)
Capac (Mich.)
Cass City (Mich.)
Cassopolis (Mich.)
Centreville (Mich.)
Charlotte (Mich.)
Charlevoix (Mich.)
Cheboygan (Mich.)
Chelsea (Mich.)
Chesaning (Mich.)
Clarenceville (Farmington Hills, Mich.)
Climax (Mich.)
Clinton (Lenawee County, Mich.)
Cohoctah (Mich.)
Coldwater (Mich.)
Constantine (Mich.)
Copper Harbor (Mich.)
Corunna (Mich.)
Cross Village (Mich.)
Croton (Mich.)
Crystal Falls (Mich.)
Dearborn (Mich.)
Deer Creek (Mich.)
Delhi (Mich.)
Delta Township (Mich.)
Detroit (Mich.)
Dexter (Mich.)
Dimondale (Mich.)
Dowagiac (Mich.)
Dryden (Mich.)
Dukes (Mich.)
Dundee (Mich.)
Dunsville (Mich.)
Duplain (Mich.)
Durand (Mich.)
Eagle Harbor (Mich.)
Eagle River (Mich.)
East Lansing (Mich.)
East Tawas (Mich.)
Eaton Rapids (Mich.)
Edenville (Mich.)
Elsie (Mich.)
Escanaba (Mich.)
Esrey Park (Mich.)
Farmington (Mich.)
Flat Rock (Mich.)
Flint (Mich.)
Fort Wilkins (Mich.)
Fowlerville (Mich.)
Frankfort (Mich.)
Fruitport (Mich.)
Galesburg (Mich.)
Gladwin (Mich.)
Glen Eden Park (Mich.)
Glen Lake (Leelanau County, Mich.)
Goodrich (Mich.)
Grand Haven (Mich.)
Grand Ledge (Mich.)
Grand Rapids (Mich.)
Grayling (Mich.)
Green Oak (Mich.)
Greenville (Mich.)
Grindstone City (Mich.)
Grosse Ile (Mich.)
Hamburg (Mich.)
Harbor Beach (Mich.)
Harrison (Mich.)
Harrisville (Mich.)
Hart (Mich.)
Hartland (Mich.)
Hartwick Pines State Park (Mich.)
Hastings (Mich.)
Hell (Mich.)
Hersey (Mich.)
Hillsdale (Mich.)
Holland (Mich.)
Homer (Mich.)
Horton (Mich.)
Houghton (Mich.)
Howell (Mich.)
Hubbell (Mich.)
Hudson (Mich.)
Hudson Mills (Mich.)
Huron City (Mich.)
Ionia (Mich.)
Iosco (Mich. : Township)
Irish Hills (Mich.)
Iron County (Mich.)
Iron Mountain (Mich.)
Ironwood (Mich.)
Island Lake (Livingston County, Mich.)
Ithaca (Mich.)
Jackson (Mich.)
Jonesville (Mich.)
Kalamazoo (Mich.)
Kensington (Mich.)
Kewadin (Mich.)
Kingsford (Mich.)
L'Anse (Mich.)
Chemung, Lake (Mich.)
Lake City (Mich.)
Lansing (Mich.)
Lapeer (Mich.)
Laurium (Mich.)
Leland (Mich.)
Leoni (Mich.)
Leslie (Mich.)
Lexington (Mich.)
Lickleys Corners (Mich.)
Linden (Mich.)
Litchfield (Mich.)
Lowell (Mich.)
Ludington (Mich.)
Lyons (Mich.)
Mackinac Island (Mich.)
Mackinaw City (Mich.)
Macon (Mich.)
Manchester (Mich.)
Manistee (Mich.)
Manistique (Mich.)
Maple Rapids (Mich.)
Marine City (Mich.)
Marion (Mich.)
Marquette (Mich.)
Marshall (Mich.)
Mason (Mich.)
Memphis (Mich.)
Michigamme (Mich.)
Midland (Mich.)
Monroe (Mich.)
Morenci (Mich.)
Moscow (Mich.)
Mount Clemens (Mich.)
Mount Pleasant (Mich.)
Muir (Mich.)
Munising (Mich.)
Muskegon (Mich.)
Narrow Lake (Eaton County, Mich.)
Negaunee (Mich.)
New Hudson (Mich.)
Newaygo (Mich.)
Newberry (Mich.)
Niles (Mich.)
North Adams (Mich.)
Northville (Mich.)
Norvell (Mich.)
Norway (Mich.)
Olivet (Mich.)
Onaway (Mich.)
Onondaga (Mich.)
Ontonagon (Mich.)
Ortonville (Mich.)
Osceola (Mich.)
Ossineke (Mich.)
Otsego (Mich.)
Owosso (Mich.)
Oxbow (Mich.)
Oxford (Mich.)
Palms Book State Park (Mich.)
Parades and processions -- Michigan.
Parma (Mich.)
Parshallville (Mich.)
Paw Paw (Mich.)
Petoskey (Mich.)
Pettyville (Mich.)
Pinckney (Mich.)
Pinconning (Mich.)
Pittsford (Mich. : Township)
Plainwell (Mich.)
Plymouth (Mich.)
Pontiac (Mich.)
Port Austin (Mich.)
Port Huron (Mich.)
Portland (Mich.)
Raisin Center (Mich.)
Rawsonville (Mich.)
Rexton (Mich.)
River Rouge (Mich.)
Rochester (Mich.)
Rogers City (Mich.)
Roscommon (Mich.)
Royal Oak (Mich.)
Rudyard (Mich.)
Saginaw (Mich.)
Saint Clair (Mich.)
Saint Ignace (Mich.)
Saint Johns (Mich.)
Saint Joseph (Mich.)
Saint Louis (Mich.)
Saline (Mich.)
Sandusky (Mich.)
Sault Sainte Marie (Mich.)
Schoolcraft (Mich.)
Sharon (Mich.)
Shepherd (Mich.)
Shiawasseetown (Mich.)
Shingleton (Mich.)
Spring Mill (Mich.)
Springport (Mich.)
Springville (Mich.)
Squawfield (Mich.)
Standish (Mich.)
Stanton (Mich.)
Sturgis (Mich.)
Tawas City (Mich.)
Tecumseh (Mich.)
Tekonsha (Mich.)
Thompson (Mich.)
Three Oaks (Mich.)
Three Rivers (Mich.)
Traverse City (Mich.)
Troy (Mich.)
Trenton (Mich.)
Unadilla (Mich.)
Utica (Mich.)
Vermontville (Mich.)
Victoria (Mich.)
Washtenaw County (Mich.)
Waterloo (Mich.)
Wayland (Mich.)
Wayne County (Mich.)
Wellston (Mich.)
West Branch (Mich.)
White Cloud (Mich.)
White Pigeon (Mich.)
White Rock (Mich.)
Woodbury (Mich.)
Wyandotte (Mich.)
Ypsilanti (Mich.)

Contents

Using These Materials

Info for Visitors

How to Request

Ordering Reproductions

Download PDF Finding Aid
RESTRICTIONS:

The collection is open to research.

USE & PERMISSIONS:

Copyright is not held by the Regents of the University of Michigan. Patrons are responsible for determining the appropriate use or reuse of materials.

PREFERRED CITATION:

[item], folder, box, Ed Beach photographs, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan

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Collection

Ed Beach photographs, 1931-1948
Call Number 92745 Ua 2
Total components 60
Last indexed 2023-12-08