George Gough Booth Papers
Collection Scope
SERIES I: Biographical (1864-1969) contains materials related to the life of George Gough Booth and includes personal legal documents, typescripts of talks by Booth and several typescripts of Cyril Players' George Gough Booth of Cranbrook. Also included is his Inspiration Book, a scrapbook of clippings he drew upon for ideas to create and shape Cranbrook.
SERIES II: Newspaper (1887-1959) contains documents relating to George G. Booth's tenure at The Detroit News, and his role, as chairman and later president of the Booth Publishing Co.
SERIES III: General Correspondence (1813-1957) contains family correspondence, personal correspondence, and correspondence documenting George G. Booth's affiliation with various cultural, charitable and arts organizations, and business interests other than newspapers.
SERIES IV: House and Property (1904-1973) includes documents relating to the designing, building and furnishing of George G. Booth's residence, Cranbrook House. It also contains materials relating to the development and maintenance of the Cranbrook Estate, the Greek Theatre and the Cranbrook Masque.
SERIES V: Cranbrook Academy of Art (1926-1948) contains materials documenting the development and early growth of the Cranbrook Academy of Art.
SERIES VI: Christ Church Cranbrook (1909-1969) contains information pertaining to the planning, construction and decoration of Christ Church Cranbrook.
SERIES VII: Cranbrook Schools (1917-1942) contains correspondence regarding the building, furnishing and staffing of Brookside School, Kingswood School and Cranbrook School.
SERIES VIII: Cranbrook Institute of Science (1932-1945) contains correspondence and news clippings about the Cranbrook Institute of Science, and information regarding purchases for exhibits.
SERIES IX: Trust Agreements consists of four volumes containing the trust agreements of George and Ellen Scripps Booth.
SERIES X: Purchases (1907-1944) contains notebooks and correspondence which documents George Booth's purchases of artifacts, in both foreign and domestic locations, for Cranbrook House and the various Cranbrook Institutions.
SERIES XI: Realia (n.d.) contains some personal possessions of George G. Booth.
SERIES XII: General Correspondence contains photocopies of correspondence with Jacques Seligmann & Co. (1925-1941) and DeHauke & Co. (1926-1928).
SERIES XIII: Images (1944, n.d.) contains a photo album, which is stored in the Photograph Special Collection, and slides, which are housed with the rest of the collection.
SERIES XIV: Architectural Drawings (1880-1949) contains preliminary sketches of buildings, building details, and interior decorative arts for Booth's projects and homes, primarily Cranbrook.
Dates
- Creation: 1864 - 1949
Creator
Access
Access to the collection is unrestricted.
Use
Permission to use collection materials must be requested in writing.
Extent
13 Linear Feet (29 MS, 5 OS, 3 OS folder, 1 OS item)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The collection documents the life and work of George Gough Booth, a renowned advocate of the arts, and a great philanthropist whose crowning achievement was the establishment of Cranbrook Educational Community. He was also one of the nation's leading newspapermen in the first half of this century. It includes biographical materials including legal documents, travel itineraries, talks and writings, and the financial and business records of the Cranbrook Press. It documents his working life and business in the newspaper industry, including his partnership with his father-in-law, James E. Scripps. There are correspondence series pertaining to general life and Cranbrook House and property. It documents the creation and early administration of various Cranbrook institutions including the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Christ Church Cranbrook, Cranbrook Schools, and the Cranbrook Institute of Science. It contains Trust Agreements relating to these institutions and purchases made for personal use and gifts to Cranbrook. There is a realia series with objects used by Booth, and an audio-visual series including a photograph album and slides.
Arrangement
Arranged in 14 Series: Biographical (boxes 1-6, Item 32); Newspapers (boxes 6-10); General Correspondence (boxes 10-14, 28); House and Property (boxes 14-18); Cranbrook Academy of Art (box 19); Christ Church Cranbrook (boxes 20-22); Cranbrook Schools (box 22); Cranbrook Institute of Science (box 22); Trust Agreements (box 23); Purchases (boxes 24-26); and Realia (box 27); General Correspondence (box 28); Images [slides] (boxes 30-31); and Architectural Drawings (Item 33, OS folders)
The folders are arranged alphabetically within each series; the documents in the folders are organized chronologically and\or alphabetically.
Index
Most architectural drawings are individually described in Cranbrook's library catalog.
Acquisition
Gift of the Booth Family. In June 2003, photocopies of correspondence with Jacques Seligmann & Co. were added to the collection.
Other Copies
Select collection content has been digitized and can be accessed in Cranbrook Archives Digital Collections:
Separated Materials
SERIES XII: Images (box 29) contains a photograph album, which is stored in the Photograph Album Collection. SERIES XIV: Architectural Drawings include oversize items stored with the Cranbrook Architectural Drawing Collection.
Processing History
Beverly Hoffman, 1981 (inventory); Mary Beth Kreiner, 1991
Index
- Air Conditioning Corp.
- 10:16
- Allen, Sanford H.
- 10:18-19
- American Academy in Rome
- 10:17
- American Federation of Arts
- 10:20-21; 11:1-5; 19:2
- American Institute of Architects
- 10:16
- American Red Cross
- 10:16
- American Workingman's Expedition
- 11:16
- Ann Arbor News
- 7:2
- Burrowes, Marcus R.
- 18:21
- Calder, Ralph R.
- 13:12, 20
- Kahn, Albert
- 16:19-22
- Architectural League of New York
- 10:17
- Ardolino, Edward
- 20:17, 21:3, 21:12, 21:14-15
- Ardmore Gardens Forge
- 19:41
- Bachstitz Gallery
- 14:19; 20:8
- De Hauke & Co
- 28:3
- Seligman, Jacques & Co.
- 18:5; 28:1-2
- Art Alliance of America
- 11:7; 12:11
- Associated Press, The
- 8:21
- Aulenbach, Rev. W. Hamilton
- 20:1
- Bach, Oscar B.
- 11:9; 14:18; 22:10-11
- Bachstitz Gallery
- 14:19; 20:8
- Bacon, Francis H. Co.
- 14:20; 22:22
- Baker, P. C.
- 10:12
- Bank of Montreal
- 11:10
- Barnum Wire & Iron Co.
- 11:11
- Bay City Times
- 7:2
- Belle Isle Bridge
- 11:9
- Bendann, David
- 13:18
- Beresford, James A.
- 11:12
- Berglund, Tor
- 19:3
- Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue Associates
- 20:13-22; 21:1-3
- Bessi and Trafeli
- 21:3
- Billington, Cecil
- 11:13-15
- Billson, C. J.
- 6:7-9; 7:12
- Bloomfield Hills, MI
- 11:16
- Bloomfield Hills School
- 11:17
- Bloomfield Seminary
- 11:17
- boat house
- 14:21; 16:16
- Bonawit, G. Owen
- 14:18; 21:3; 21:10; 21:12; 21:14-15; 21b:2; 22:17
- book dealers --Sheehan & Co.
- 18:5
- bookbinding --Swaton, Frank E. & Son
- 18:13
- Booth, Edmund Wood
- 22:16
- Booth, Clara Gagnier
- 12:3
- Booth, Clarence H.
- 7:4; 11:18
- Booth, Edmund Wood
- 6:9; 8:13;15-22; 9:1-3
- Booth, Ellen Scripps
- 11:19-20
- Booth, Ellen Scripps--trust agreements
- 23:1-4
- Booth Family
- 12:3
- Booth, Florence
- 1:16
- Booth, George
- 13:1
- Booth, George Gough
- 6:11; 8:4
- Booth, George Gough--automobiles
- 14:17
- Booth, George Gough--biographical summaries
- 1:3
- Booth, George Gough--birth
- 1:1
- Booth, George Gough--bronze collection
- 25:2
- Booth, George Gough--gratuities (donations, loans)
- 1:8
- Booth, George Gough--honors
- 1:9-11
- Booth, George Gough--legal documents
- 1:4; 1:7; 5:7-10; 6:1-2
- Booth, George Gough--life insurance
- 13:10
- Booth, George Gough--obituaries, memorials
- 1:15-16
- Booth, George Gough--purchases
- 24:1-18 25:1-12
- Booth, George Gough--purchases --arch. frags.
- 26:1-2
- Booth, George Gough--purchases --foreign
- 25:1-12; 26:1-9
- Booth, George Gough--re: Jas. E. Scripps estate
- 10:7
- Booth, George Gough--talks
- 1:18-20
- Booth, George Gough--trips
- 1:21
- Booth, George Gough--trust agreements
- 23:1-4
- Booth, George Gough--wedding
- 2:2
- Booth, George Gough--wedding anniversaries
- 2:2-3
- Booth, George Gough--writings
- 2:4-12
Subject
- Booth, Ellen Warren Scripps, 1863-1948 (Person)
- Detroit Institute of Arts (Organization)
- Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts (Organization)
- Detroit News (Firm) (Organization)
- Scripps, James E. (James Edmund), 1835-1906 (Person)
- Booth, Ralph H. (Person)
- University of Michigan (Organization)
- Lorch, Emil, 1870-1963 (Person)
- Cranbrook Press (Organization)
- Kellogg, Frederick William, 1866-1940 (Person)
- McRae, Milton A. (Milton Alexander), 1858-1930 (Person)
- Scripps, E. W. (Edward Willis), 1854-1926 (Person)
- Scripps, William E. (William Edmund), 1882-1952 (Person)
- Scripps, Ellen Browning, 1836-1932 (Person)
- Bank of Montreal (Organization)
- Booth, James Scripps, 1888-1954 (Person)
- Booth, Henry Scripps, 1897-1988 (Person)
- Edw. F. Caldwell & Co. (Organization)
- Detroit Trust Company (Organization)
- Ford, Henry, 1863-1947 (Person)
- Frayer, William Alley (Person)
- Stone, Ralph, 1868-1957 (Person)
- Connick, Charles J. (Charles Jay), 1875- (Person)
- Ehrich Galleries (Organization)
- Kirchmayer, Johannes, 1860-1930 (Person)
- Charles E. Lauriat Co. (Organization)
- Lauriat, Charles E., 1842-1920 (Person)
- Pewabic Pottery (Firm) (Organization)
- Fredericks, Marshall M., 1908-1998 (Person)
- Kirk, Arthur Nevill (Person)
- Maroti, Geza (Person)
- Milles, Carl, 1875-1955 (Person)
- Milles, Olga Granner, 1874-1967 (Person)
- Saarinen, Eliel, 1873-1950 (Person)
- Saarinen, Loja (Person)
- Herter, Albert, 1871-1950 (Person)
- Bradford, Francis Scott, 1898-1961 (Person)
- Goodhue, Bertram Grosvenor, 1869-1924 (Person)
- Marquis, Samuel S., 1866-1948 (Person)
- Morris & Co. (London, England) (Organization)
- Royal School of Needlework (London, England) (Organization)
- Cranbrook Kingswood School (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) (Organization)
- Cranbrook School (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) (Organization)
- Cranbrook Academy of Art (Organization)
- Hatt, Robert T. (Robert Torrens), 1902- (Person)
- Cranbrook Foundation (Organization)
- Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research. Cranbrook Archives (Organization)
- Strengell, Gustaf (Person)
- Ardolino, Edward (Person)
- Bach, Oscar Bruno, 1884-1957 (Person)
- Cram, Ralph Adams, 1963-1942 (Person)
- Cram and Ferguson (Organization)
- Episcopal Church. Diocese of Michigan (Organization)
- Cleveland Museum of Art (Organization)
- Manship, Paul, 1885-1966 (Person)
- Packard Motor Car Company (Organization)
- James Powell & Sons (Whitefriars) Ltd. (Organization)
- Society of Arts and Crafts (Boston, Mass.) (Organization)
- Stratton, Mary Chase Perry, 1867-1961 (Person)
- Swanson, Jons Robert Ferdinand (Person)
- Simonds, O. C. (Ossian Cole), 1855-1931 (Person)
- Cranbrook (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) (Organization)
- Cranbrook Institute of Science (Organization)
Geographic
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the George Gough Booth Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Beverly Hoffman; Mary Beth Kreiner
- Date
- 1981, 1991
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Edition statement
- Resource record created by Laura MacNewman
Revision Statements
- 2024-07-24: Series XIV added to incorporate architectural drawings, including small scale sketches from George Booth's scrapbook. Booth's Inspiration Book also added to Series I.
Repository Details
Part of the Cranbrook Archives, Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research Repository