Edward J. Frost collection

Collection

Identifier: UA-10.3.365

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Edward J. Frost collection contains a photograph album of cyanotypes created by Edward J. Frost of Michigan Agricultural College. Frost made the cyanotype prints from negatives borrowed from M.A.C. Professor Rolla C. Carpenter. The images were taken circa 1888, and are of buildings, grounds, students, and interior shots of classrooms, greenhouses, library, museum and shops. Buildings include the Linton Hall, the Armory, the first Williams Hall, Chemical Laboratory/Physics and Electrical Engineering, greenhouses, the first Wells Hall, College Hall, Horticulture Laboratory (now known as Eustace-Cole Hall), Agriculture Hall (now known as Cook Hall), President's House, Observatory, Botanical Laboratory, Boiler House, Howard Terrace, Mechanical Laboratory, Veterinary Laboratory, and the first Abbot Hall. There are also a few images of student cadets lined up. Of note is an image of the museum interior showing a small portion of Buckskin. Buckskin was the horse Lt. Luther Baker rode when he captured John Wilkes Booth. After the horse died, it was stuffed and put in the Museum. There are also images of people outside or on the porches of houses or cottages and one shows houses by a lake. It is unknown if they are M.A.C. faculty. The houses do not appear to be the M.A.C. faculty houses on campus. Also included is negative of an angel carved out of stone. It is flat and possibly was a head stone. The negative is unlabeled and may not be related to MSU.

Dates

Creation: circa 1888, Undated

Creator

Frost, Edward Justin (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

Biographical Note

Edward Justin Frost attended Michigan Agricultural College (now known as Michigan State University) from 1886 to 1888 or 1889 studying mechanical engineering. However it does not appear that he graduated. He left M.A.C. during his senior year and worked as a draftsman until 1897. He then worked as a superintendent at Industrial Works in Bay City, Michigan. In 1900, Frost became an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at State College of Washington at Pullman. He returned to Jackson, Michigan in 1904 to work, and then formed Frost Gear and Machine Company in 1907. It later became Frost Gear and Forge Company in 1914, making axle gears and transmissions for the automobile industry. Frost was active in the Jackson Community, served on the Jackson School Board, and was one of the founders of the Jackson YMCA. He received an Honorary Mechanical Engineering degree from Michigan State College in 1929. He and his wife had a daughter and two sons. He passed away on January 20, 1944.