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Arno J. Erdman collection

 Record Group
Identifier: UA-17.231

Scope and Contents

The majority of Erdman’s photographs are images he took while on campus as an instructor. Many of the images bear the name “Kodak Shop Photo.” The Action Shots folder contains images Erdman took of activities during his time at Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University). Some examples of campus action shots are the field testing of vehicles, servicemen, and portable barracks. Other notable photos include an early tank, caterpillar vehicles, trucks carrying portable barracks, photos of a truck convoy that delivered vehicles from coast to coast, the St. Johns Portable Building Co., and shots of vehicle testing at the REO Manufacturing Company. The People group contains images where the subjects are predominately people, often posed. They contain group shots of sergeants, men in the field, as well as shots of individuals. The Campus Shots series contain images that Erdman took of buildings on campus as well as picture postcards that he bought. There also are aerial shots taken from the water tower. The collection also includes photo albums. There is a pencil mark by some photos indicating which person is Erdman. Some of the photos in the album are duplicates of the loose photos. Also included is the booklet “The Land of Our Dreams” which contains a poem and pictures of the campus.

Dates

  • Creation: 1918

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

Sergeant Arno J. Erdman (1894-1971) was an army instructor of auto mechanics for the Student Army Training Corps at Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University) in 1918. The other instructors included Ed L. Harris, E. L. Schultz, G. W. Swarts, Charles Reeves, O. C. Hammond, and F. F. Hacker.

Erdman was born in 1894 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On May 20, 1920, he married Esther Peters.

Extent

0.6 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Legal Status

Copyright: Michigan State University.

Property Rights: Michigan State University.

Title
Arno J. Erdman Collection
Status
4 Published And Cataloged
Author
S. Roberts
Date
December 2003
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the University Archives and Historical Collections Repository

Contact:
Conrad Hall
943 Conrad Road, Room 101
East Lansing MI 48824 US
517-355-2330