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The Visual Materials series (1906-1984, 10 linear feet, 33.4 GB) has been divided into two subseries, Negatives and Photographic Prints.

The Negatives subseries (1906-1984, 9.75 linear feet) contains glass plate and film negatives as well as positive glass transparencies. These materials have been arranged further within the Negatives subseries by format, Glass Plate and Film. These materials range in size from 4 x 5 inches to 11 x 14 inches and are arranged alphabetically by folder headings, which were maintained from their original folders. Film negatives, 1922-1984 (2.75 linear feet) range in size from 4 x 5 inches to 8 x 10 inches and are comprised of both acetate and nitrate film. Content of the film negatives includes images of classroom scenes, crowds in the streets after a Joe Louis victory, a civil rights picket line outside of Woolworth's, and WWJ entertainers in costume. Glass negatives, 1906-1936 (7 linear feet) range in size from 4 x 5 inches to 11 x 14 inches. Content of the glass negatives is less varied than that of the film negatives and includes large runs of images depicting interior and exterior views of the Detroit News building and the previous News building on Shelby Street and Larned Street in downtown Detroit, as well as of the WWJ radio station building. Some of the smaller glass negatives include more editorial content such as images of the annual spelling bee and the Detroit News 50th Anniversary hosted at the Scripps family farm.