Finding aid for the John Douglas images collection Collection 226 Finding aid prepared by R. Mayne, staff, Aaron DeKuiper This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit January 02, 2015 Describing Archives: A Content Standard Grand Rapids Public Library, Grand Rapids History and Special Collections Department July 2001 111 Library Street NE Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503 616-988-5400 localhis@grpl.org
Table of Contents Summary Information... 3 Scope and Contents note... 4 Administrative Information...4 Related Materials... 4 Controlled Access Headings...5 Collection Inventory... 6 Series I. Biographical and Miscellaneous Documents...6 Series II. Slides: Grand Rapids Views, dated...6 Series III. Negatives... 11 Series IV. 16mm Films... 14 - Page 2 -
Summary Information Repository Grand Rapids Public Library, Grand Rapids History and Special Collections Department Creator Douglas, John A Title John Douglas Images Collection Date [inclusive] 1969-1990s Extent 3.0 Linear feet Eight boxes Language English Abstract John A. Douglas is a Grand Rapids, Michigan filmmaker and film critic. This collection contains primarily slides and negatives as well as 16mm films. The images depict buildings and scenes around Grand Rapids, primarily the downtown area. The films appear to be promotional films from companies in the Grand Rapids area. - Page 3 -
Scope and Contents note The John Douglas collection is less about Douglas and more about images of Grand Rapids and other places or people of interest. The collection appears to be a sampling of things he has been involved in and found of value. The bulk of the collection are the slides with around 48 of these of Grand Rapids. The 16 different films currently documented as coming from Douglas are in 16mm format. Limited information on the films is available; most appear to be commercially produced. There is a wide role of what looks like blank film material labeled Hard Core Local TV Spots 1 & 2. This was found with Douglas unprocessed collection materials, and believed to be part of his collection. However, another accession number 1986.343, related to photographs in Coll. 054 for Hard Core, might suggest another original for this film content. Hard Core, the national movie of that title with George C. Scott, was filmed, in part, in Grand Rapids and an association of this item with John Douglas, a film reviewer, is logical but not included in the marking of the item itself. Of interest is a letter dated 1986, from then Vice President George Bush to Douglas, urging a vote for Republican candidates in the upcoming Michigan Primary. There is also a small empty check box labeled Douglas." Administrative Information Publication Information Grand Rapids Public Library, Grand Rapids History and Special Collections Department July 2001 Immediate Source of Acquisition note John Douglas, accession numbers 1999.03, 1988.043 Related Materials Related Archival Materials note - Page 4 -
Coll. 54-4-2/6 and 105, GRPL Photographs Collection, are photos given by Douglas in 198 and processed into Coll. 054 before the Douglas Collection was created. These images are from a scrapbook on the Welsh Civic Auditorium Construction. Controlled Access Headings Genre(s) moving images photographs Geographic Name(s) Grand Rapids (Mich.) -- History -- Photographs Personal Name(s) Douglas, John A - Page 5 -
Series I. Biographical and Miscellaneous Documents. Collection Inventory Series I. Biographical and Miscellaneous Documents. Box Folder Biographical on Douglas. Pending 1 1 Select Grand Rapids Press articles RE Douglas. ProQuest version. 1 2 Photo print of Heritage Hill sign, image used in Grand Rapids century exhibit 1999/2000 1 3 Letter from George Bush, Vice-President, to John Douglas, 1986 1 4 Chesapeake and Ohio, Lines Magazine. Aug. 1939, v. 24, no. 8 (serial) 1 5 Series II. Slides: Grand Rapids Views, dated Scope and Contents note Many of the slides have dates native to the material, and have been arranged in this order. Where other slide numbers are missing from the holdings received the numbers are given with the words Absent from the Collection or just Absent Box Slide Absent From Collection 1.5 1-6 Box Folder Slide - Page 6 -
Series II. Slides: Grand Rapids Views, dated April 195, Duke University Parking Lots/Buildings, Statue of James B. Duke 1.5 1-8 Box Slide Absent From Collection 1.5 9-11 Box Folder Slide 195, Various Downtown Grand Rapids Slides 1.5 1 12-26 196, Various Downtown Grand Rapids Slides 1.5 2 2-42 September 196 Rodeo 1.5 2 43-45 Robert Morris Keeler Ariel View 1.5 2 46-4 The New Grand Rapids, A Classy Little City / This presentation sponsored by the New Grand Rapids Committee. (18 duplicates or variants of the same title slide for a presentation) 1.5 3 48-65 Save Old City Hall View of Downtown Grand Rapids, including razed building site and rubble from the Hall, new construction, etc. ca. 1969 1.5 4 66- Select Buildings and details; Heritage Hill houses, including the Castle, St. Mark's Church,old telephone company building at Division and Fountain, Central High School. 1.5 5 8-9 Frey Building 1.5 6 98-101 - Page -
Series II. Slides: Grand Rapids Views, dated St. Cecilia Building 1.5 6 102 Kent Skills Center 1.5 6 103-10 Bowen Chaney Building Model 1.5 6 108-111 Campau Square Office Building and map, all four similar views of the same information 1.5 6 112-115 Chamber of Commerce 1.5 6 116 Interstate System Building 1.5 11-120 Furniture Company, including one interior 1.5 121-126 The Morton House entrance and yellow marquee 1.5 12 Amway Grand Plaza, including a drawing of Plaza and construction 1.5 128-132 Senior Citizens Apartment Building 1.5 133-136 Fifth Third Bank 1.5 13 Gerald R. Ford Museum 1.5 8 138-149 Grand Center/Civic Auditorium 1.5 8 161-192 - Page 8 -
Series II. Slides: Grand Rapids Views, dated Grand Center/Civic Auditorium cont. 2 1,2 161-192 Pantlind Hotel/Away Grand Hotel 2 3 193-196 Olds Manor, Former Morton Hotel 2 3 19-198 New Art Museum/Old Post Office 2 3 199-202 Unidentified Grand Rapids Businesses 2 3 203 Unidentified Grand Rapids Buildings 2 3 204-206 Prisms, Grand Rapids Business 2 4 20-211 The Waters Building Downtown Grand Rapids 2 4 212-213 College Park Plaza 2 4 214-215 Unidentified Grand Rapids Building 2 4 216-21 Chase Bank Building, before it was Chase 2 4 218-219 State of Michigan office building 2 4 220-222 Currently Unidentified 2 4 223 City-County Administration Building 2 5 224 - Page 9 -
Series II. Slides: Grand Rapids Views, dated Currently Unidentified 2 5 225-231 Calder Plaza 2 5, 6 232-252 Calder Plaza Office Building 2 6 253-269 Downtown Grand Rapids Willard Building 2 20-21 White and White Health Care Center/Liberty Mutual 2 22-25 Timeless Furniture- Carl Forslund 2 26-29 The Mole Hole 2 8 280-284 Fox's Jewelers 2 8 285-286 Steketee's Department Store 2 8 28 E.A. Roods 2 8 288-292 Various Grand Rapids businesses 2 9, 10 293-318 Davenport College 2 10 319-326 Old Pike House Grand Rapids Art Museum 2 11 32-330 Heritage Hill Stickley House 2 11 331-336 - Page 10 -
Series III. Negatives Stain Glass Windows 2 11 33-339 The Monroe Mall 2 11 340-341 Walkways and Leisure Paths in Grand Rapids 2 12, 13 342-368 Fishing in Grand Rapids 2 13 369-36 1980 Festival, among other Grand Rapids celebrations 2 14-16 3-424 Freeways, bridges, and signs 2 1 425-441 Motu Viget Art Sculpture 2 1 442-446 Grand Rapids Welsh Civic Auditorium Expansion and Performances 2 18 44-460 198 Fifth Third River Bank Run 2 18 461-462 Paintings of Grand Rapids Area and Buildings 2 19 463-466 Grand Rapids Junior College 2 19 46-4 Various Grand Rapids Slides 2 20 48-493 Series III. Negatives Box Folder - Page 11 -
Series III. Negatives Historic Grand Rapids 3 1 Old Architecture 3 2 Frey Building 3 3 St. Cecilia Building 3 4 Kent Skills Center 3 5 Chamber of Commerce 3 6 Interstate System 3 Furniture Company 3 8 Morton House 3 9 Senior Citizens Apartment 3 10 Calder Plaza Office Building 3 11 Gerald Ford Museum 3 12 Grand Center/Civic Auditorium 3 13 Amway Grand Plaza 3 14 - Page 12 -
Series III. Negatives New Art Museum 3 15 Buildings in Grand Rapids, assorted 3 16 Abstract Buildings 3 1 White and White 4 18 Timeless Furniture- Carl Forslund 4 19 The Mole Hole 4 20 E. A. Roods 4 21 Prisms 4 22 Grand Rapids businesses, assorted 4 23 Davenport College 4 24 Heritage Hill 4 25 Calder Plaza 4 26 Monroe Mall 4 2 Walkways and leisure paths in Grand Rapids 4 28 - Page 13 -
Series IV. 16mm Films Fishing in Grand Rapids 4 29 Festival 1980 4 30 Same 4 31 Freeways, bridges, and signs 4 32 Art sculpture 4 33 Welsh Auditorium performances 4 34 Various Grand Rapids shots 4 35 Same 4 36 Gas Company 4 3 Zilwaulau Bridge 4 38 Series IV. 16mm Films Box Mr. Edison s Dilemma 6 Michigan in Motion pr55 6 - Page 14 -
Series IV. 16mm Films Opening Doors to our Energy Future 6 Michigan Year pr5 6 When Michigan Was Young pr43 6 Michigan-I-A 6 The Race is Losing First National Bank Williams Magnavox Home Entertainment Center Michigan-I-A Our Poisoned World- Air Our Poisoned World- Garbage, Noise, Heat Our Poisoned World- Pesticides Our Poisoned World- Water Consumers Power Talk About Energy Consumers Power Talk About Energy- Trip to Ludington (?) - Page 15 -