Archival Collections
Newspapers ➔ Archival Collection #239 - Grand Rapids Press Collection
Identifier:
2012.2.1Description:
Archival Collection #239 is the official archive of the Grand Rapids Press and as such, it is the "daily journal" of the people, events, and opinions of this community. As the journalism industry undergoes dramatic changes nationally, there is great concern that these sorts of community resources may be lost. Preservation by the Museum will ensure that it will be available for future research and exhibition here in Grand Rapids, no matter what other changes occur in local media. There are other sources for some of this information -- the Public Library makes the Press available on microfilm and has created its own partial subject files and Newsbank offers an online version. The subject files are also incredibly complete and have never before been made available for use by the general public.
The Grand Rapids Press Collection is made up of the following:
1. Newspapers, Bound Volumes, and Boxed Issues (1890 - 2012)
2. Clipping Files (c.1954 - c. 2000) - organized alphabetically by subject
3. Media (c. 1950 - c. 2000) - negatives, printed photos, microfilm, photo albums, scrapbooks
4. Institutional History & Archives - ledgers, internal documents, Newsboy-related objects, artifacts related to the newspaper-making and printing process
5.) Historical Research Files - material used by GR Press staff for research
There is a printed index of the newspaper from 1986-2005.
Newsbank has an index from 1893-1922.
The Grand Rapids Public Library has extensive subject files to help locate specific articles.
For Researchers:
The Grand Rapids Press Collection at the Grand Rapids Public Museum is available to researchers by appointment. Museum staff can make scans or photocopies of materials for a fee. The Grand Rapids Press retains the copyright to all the material in this collection. Researchers who wish to publish material from the collection must obtain the permission of the Grand Rapids Press and pay any applicable fees.
For Online Access:
The Grand Rapids Press from 1893 - present is online and full-text searchable through the Library of Michigan.
To access, sign up for a free Library of Michigan library card here.
Then go here to log in with your library card and access the archives through Newsbank.
Date:
1890 – 2012Materials:
Bound Newspaper, Microfilm, Negatives, PhotographsCurrent Location Status:
In StorageCollection Tier:
Tier 2Source:
Gift of the Grand Rapids PressExhibit/Program:
100 Years of Design (June 8 2016)Museum School students selected artifacts from the collection, researched them, and then designed what they believe they will look like 100 years from now.
Related Entities:
Grand Rapids Press (creator)Alternate names: Evening Press, Evening Press and Leader
The history of the Grand Rapids Press began in 1890 when William J. Sproat published the first issue of Morning Press. In 1892, George G. Booth purchased both the Morning Press and the Grand Rapids Evening Leader and in December of that year, the Evening Press and Leader was formed by joining the two papers. In early 1893, the name was shortened to the Evening Press and was used until 1913 when the name changed to the Grand Rapids Press. The Grand Rapids Herald merged with the Press in 1959.
The Grand Rapids Press had five locations in the West Michigan area prior to moving production to Ohio in 2020. The first was at 63 Pearl Street, Grand Rapids, Michigan on the second floor of the Metropolitan building. These offices were used by the Press from 1890 to 1892 until they moved to offices on the southeast end of the Pearl Street Bridge. This location, often referred to as the "by the bridge" location, was the first to include a printing press owned by the newspaper. After a remodel in 1893 due to a spring flood, the tanbark gymnasium, dedicated as the Newsboys Assembly Hall in 1894, was built for the newsboys after their original space became home to a second printing press. In 1906 the Evening Press moved to the corner of Fulton and Sheldon in Grand Rapids, Michigan to accommodate the growth of the business. Built specifically for the Press, the building was designed by Albert Kahn and consisted of four floors including an auditorium on the top floor and a pool in the basement. The Press stayed at this location until 1966 when they moved to a new, larger facility at 155 Michigan Street in Grand Rapids. They stayed at this facility until a move to Walker, Michigan in 2004. This was the final Michigan location of the Press prior to moving production out of state in 2020.
The Grand Rapids Press is part of Booth Newspapers, a media company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Formed in 1914 by brothers George G. Booth, Ralph H. Booth, and Edmund W. Booth, it owned The Bay City Times, The Flint Journal, The Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, The Saginaw News, and Advance Newspapers. Grand Rapids Press (donor)
Alternate names: Evening Press, Evening Press and Leader
The history of the Grand Rapids Press began in 1890 when William J. Sproat published the first issue of Morning Press. In 1892, George G. Booth purchased both the Morning Press and the Grand Rapids Evening Leader and in December of that year, the Evening Press and Leader was formed by joining the two papers. In early 1893, the name was shortened to the Evening Press and was used until 1913 when the name changed to the Grand Rapids Press. The Grand Rapids Herald merged with the Press in 1959.
The Grand Rapids Press had five locations in the West Michigan area prior to moving production to Ohio in 2020. The first was at 63 Pearl Street, Grand Rapids, Michigan on the second floor of the Metropolitan building. These offices were used by the Press from 1890 to 1892 until they moved to offices on the southeast end of the Pearl Street Bridge. This location, often referred to as the "by the bridge" location, was the first to include a printing press owned by the newspaper. After a remodel in 1893 due to a spring flood, the tanbark gymnasium, dedicated as the Newsboys Assembly Hall in 1894, was built for the newsboys after their original space became home to a second printing press. In 1906 the Evening Press moved to the corner of Fulton and Sheldon in Grand Rapids, Michigan to accommodate the growth of the business. Built specifically for the Press, the building was designed by Albert Kahn and consisted of four floors including an auditorium on the top floor and a pool in the basement. The Press stayed at this location until 1966 when they moved to a new, larger facility at 155 Michigan Street in Grand Rapids. They stayed at this facility until a move to Walker, Michigan in 2004. This was the final Michigan location of the Press prior to moving production out of state in 2020.
The Grand Rapids Press is part of Booth Newspapers, a media company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Formed in 1914 by brothers George G. Booth, Ralph H. Booth, and Edmund W. Booth, it owned The Bay City Times, The Flint Journal, The Grand Rapids Press, Jackson Citizen Patriot, Kalamazoo Gazette, Muskegon Chronicle, The Saginaw News, and Advance Newspapers.
