William L. Clements Library

06/01/2026

In 1863, Union soldier Stephen Metcalf ran a newspaper ad seeking a young lady to “relieve the dull monotony” of camp life. This call was answered by his future wife, Carrie White. Despite not meeting in person for multiple years, Carrie and Stephen developed a strong friendship culminating in Stephen’s written proposal in 1866.

After the two became engaged, White expressed several concerns about their marriage, often through indirect means. For example, she sent Metcalf a long poem entitled "A Woman's Question," by an unknown author.

“Before I trust my fate to thee,

Or place my hand in thine;

Before I let thy future give

Color and form to mine,

Before I peril all for thee;

Question thy soul to-night for me.”

Both Metcalf and White shared some reservations about the origins of their relationship, but recognized that it was the only way the friendship could have started.

💌: Stephen and Carrie White Metcalf papers, 1863-1868

05/29/2026

Here at the Clements Library, we love our colleagues! To show our appreciation for all that they do, our George Washington finger puppet travels from desk to desk as a sign of gratitude. Staff members receive Mr. Washington in recognition of their hard work, and then each recipient selects the next person to be celebrated! This month, George found his home with Head of Reader Services, Joshua Sulser!

George had a busy month with Joshua, and accompanied him on several adventures, including the opening of an Art Gallery in Cleveland, where Joshua said George “fell in love with the bold brushwork, improvisational lines, and the bold, unnatural colors,” played a pick up game of volleyball, and recharged with some local Ann Arbor coffee.

We love you, George! And we love our hard working employees at the Clements ♥️

05/28/2026

The Clements Library houses many prints and lithographs of old time New York, including these lithographs created by Sarony, Major & Knapp, a popular Lithography firm in New York City.

Swipe through to travel the streets of 1860s New York! 🗽

05/27/2026

Hang tight, Wolverines! Summer is just around the corner. Prep your sunscreen, bathing suits, and beach bags, there are only 25 more days until summer is here! 👙☀️🏖️

🏊: Bathing / A.B. Schultz.⁩ [190-?]

05/25/2026

"'The Children of the Battle Field.' This is a copy of the Ferrotype found in the hands of Sergeant Humiston of the 154th N.Y. Volunteers as he lay dead on the Battle Field of Gettysburg. The copies are sold in furtherance of the Sabbath-School effort to found and endow the National Homestead at Gettysburg for Orphans of our Soldiers and Sailors, in Memorial of our Perpetual Union."

05/25/2026

When Dr. Elizabeth Bishop informed the Clements Library that she wished to donate her ancestor William Warner’s commission, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, we envisioned one of the many ornate military officer’s commissions, partially printed on vellum (and, of course, we looked forward to seeing it).

On arrival, however, we were excited to find that the document was of a much rarer sort–an appointment for William Warner to serve on the allotment commission for the state of Michigan.

William Warner’s appointment bears the signatures of President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, and an embossed seal of the U.S. War Department. The Bishop family preserved the document in an envelope of University of Michigan Librarian William Warner Bishop, marked as the property of University of Michigan Law School Professor William W. Bishop, Jr. The envelopes still accompany the manuscript.

This year’s “What’s In Your Attic?” event will be held a week from today on Sunday, May 31, from 1-4 pm and will include a guided tour of the library at 2 pm. Register today: https://myumi.ch/5k72w

05/23/2026

We live in fear!

05/20/2026

Americans have been thinking about how to preserve our history, as well as what exactly should be preserved, for the past 250 years and beyond.

Listen to the full conversation between Clements Curator of Manuscripts Cheney Schopieray and author Derek Kane O’Leary, author of "Archival Communities: Constructing the Past in the Early United States,” here: https://myumi.ch/wwqwX

Special thanks to Doug Johnson for sponsoring this month’s episode of the Clements Bookworm!

05/19/2026

The Manuscripts Division has processed ten new collections of handwritten materials, including the 1898-99 diary of a currently unidentified soldier serving with the 31st Michigan Infantry. 📓

Everyone is welcome to conduct research at the Clements Library, what will you discover in our collections? 🔎

New Manuscript Finding Aids, May 2026 by Clements Library | May 19, 2026 | Acquisitions, Collections, Library Work, Manuscripts The Manuscripts Division has processed ten new collections of handwritten materials, including the 1898-99 diary of a currently unidentified soldier serving with the 31st M...