Cranbrook Archives: Where History Lives On
It can be truly said of Cranbrook’s campus that it is a place where history lives. Indeed, visitors to the Cranbrook community can see more than a century of history and tradition in its buildings and landscapes, all as vibrant today as they were at any time in the past. But unique within the community is a resource that is available to few schools in the nation: a resource that preserves the history of Cranbrook and connects it to the present in a remarkable way. It is the Cranbrook Archives.
It can be truly said of Cranbrook’s campus that it is a place where history lives. Indeed, visitors to the Cranbrook community can see more than a century of history and tradition in its buildings and landscapes, all as vibrant today as they were at any time in the past. But unique within the community is a resource that is available to few schools in the nation: a resource that preserves the history of Cranbrook and connects it to the present in a remarkable way. It is the Cranbrook Archives.
Cranbrook Archives is the primary research center for the documentation and study of Cranbrook's remarkable history. With its origins dating back to the 1940s, the department was deemed an “Archives” in 1966. Today it serves as the community’s official archival repository, and is responsible for “collecting, preserving, and making available community and divisional records of permanent value, the papers of members of the Booth, Scripps and Saarinen families, the records of Christ Church Cranbrook and other ancillary organizations, and the personal papers of faculty, staff, alumni and other individuals who have been associated with the community since 1904.”
To the alumni/ae wishing to discover more about the Schools and community (from their own time at the Schools or any other) it is an indispensable resource.
“Because of the size, range, and scope of the materials we hold, all Schools' alumni/ae are sure to find items in our holdings that reflect their experiences at Cranbrook. In fact, no other preparatory school in America offers as rich an archival trove for graduates to wade through,” says Mark Coir, long-time director of the Archives.
The Archive’s collection is always growing. As a means of ensuing this growth, the department is responsible for administering records management systems throughout Cranbrook. In its broader role, the Archives also serves to foster a greater public awareness of the community's history and cultural heritage.
This mission extends, naturally, to the alumni community.
“We get a great deal of enjoyment helping alums document their lives at Cranbrook through historical images, school newspapers, scrapbooks, yearbooks, audio visual recordings, and other materials. Moreover, we look to our alumni as a major gifting source to help us strengthen our collections,” says Coir.
The Archives also has the primary responsibility for the preservation, inventory, organization, storage, exhibit, display and use of the Cultural Properties Collection. Cranbrook cultural properties are objects that were designed or acquired for specific campus locations as a means of enhancing the environment and educational programs. This includes all works of art, furniture and fixtures at Cranbrook House, Thornlea, Cranbrook Institute of Science, and the four schools: Brookside Lower School, Cranbrook Kingswood Middle School (Boys’ and Girl’) and Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School.
For any alumni who wish to avail themselves of the rich research opportunities available, the Archives is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. EST. Please call ahead to schedule an appointment with the appropriate staff member. To begin exploring the Archives online, please click here.
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Cranbrook Archives is the primary research center for the documentation and study of Cranbrook's remarkable history. With its origins dating back to the 1940s, the department was deemed an “Archives” in 1966. Today it serves as the community’s official archival repository, and is responsible for “collecting, preserving, and making available community and divisional records of permanent value, the papers of members of the Booth, Scripps and Saarinen families, the records of Christ Church Cranbrook and other ancillary organizations, and the personal papers of faculty, staff, alumni and other individuals who have been associated with the community since 1904.”
To the alumni/ae wishing to discover more about the Schools and community (from their own time at the Schools or any other) it is an indispensable resource.
“Because of the size, range, and scope of the materials we hold, all Schools' alumni/ae are sure to find items in our holdings that reflect their experiences at Cranbrook. In fact, no other preparatory school in America offers as rich an archival trove for graduates to wade through,” says Mark Coir, long-time director of the Archives.
The Archive’s collection is always growing. As a means of ensuing this growth, the department is responsible for administering records management systems throughout Cranbrook. In its broader role, the Archives also serves to foster a greater public awareness of the community's history and cultural heritage.
This mission extends, naturally, to the alumni community.
“We get a great deal of enjoyment helping alums document their lives at Cranbrook through historical images, school newspapers, scrapbooks, yearbooks, audio visual recordings, and other materials. Moreover, we look to our alumni as a major gifting source to help us strengthen our collections,” says Coir.
The Archives also has the primary responsibility for the preservation, inventory, organization, storage, exhibit, display and use of the Cultural Properties Collection. Cranbrook cultural properties are objects that were designed or acquired for specific campus locations as a means of enhancing the environment and educational programs. This includes all works of art, furniture and fixtures at Cranbrook House, Thornlea, Cranbrook Institute of Science, and the four schools: Brookside Lower School, Cranbrook Kingswood Middle School (Boys’ and Girl’) and Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School.
For any alumni who wish to avail themselves of the rich research opportunities available, the Archives is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. EST. Please call ahead to schedule an appointment with the appropriate staff member. To begin exploring the Archives online, please click here.
Contact Us
PO Box 801
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303
(248) 645-3000
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303
(248) 645-3000
