Collections : [University of Michigan. Bentley Historical Library]

The Organizational Materials series includes files relating to the operation and administration of TM/TMEF. Included are files from various meetings, reports, and newsletters.

The Organizational Records series includes materials addressing the operations of the LWV of Livonia, the LWV of Northville-Plymouth-Canton-Novi, and the LWV of Northwest Wayne County. Correspondence, primarily from the Livonia presidency of Flora McRae (later president of the LWVMI), and meeting minutes constitute a substantial part of the series. Annual reports from the Livonia branch and its successor help to situate the organization's developments on a timeline. Committee notes and event-planning discussions also yield insight into the League's major activities, especially in the 1970s and 1980s. Membership lists provide a glimpse of the composition of the group.

The Papers, Correspondence, and Events series holds biographical information; email, letters, and cards; newspaper clippings; and publicity materials. A cassette recording and partial transcript of "Living on Earth," a National Public Radio broadcast with Ruth Ellis, is included, as well as materials related to the film "Living with Pride: Ruth Ellis @100."

The Performance, Audition, and Rehearsal Videos series, (1 linear foot, 1 outsized box, and 96 GB 1972-2012), documents a variety of Sparling's performances, screendances, auditions, and rehearsals from 1972 to 2013. The series is arranged alphabetically by the title of the work and includes six reels of film (ca. 1947-1972), 45 VHS videocassettes (1977-1994), 33 digital videocassettes (1981-2001; transferred from Hi-8, U-matic, S-VHS, and VHS formats), two DVDs (2004-2005), and 23 digital video files (featuring works from 1994 to 2013).

The Personal series includes material documenting Lane's education and early employment. A small number of photographs of Lane are also included.

The Photographs series contains snapshots and photo albums of Ms Ellis's family, friends, and events in the Gay community. There are several photographs of Ruth and her family members in their youth, her home in Springfield, Illinois, and her printing press.

The PHOTOGRAPHS series (one linear foot and one oversize box) includes prints, negatives, and slides. Photographs are divided into five categories: Sparling Choreography, Other Choreographers, Studio Shots, Non-Dance Photographs, and Oversize Photographs. The photographs are described by choreographer, title, type of photograph (performance, rehearsal, studio shot, head shot, or non-dance photograph), names of the performers (if applicable), location, date and photographer (if known). The numbers of prints, negatives and slides are also listed.

The Political and Cultural Activities (3.5 linear feet) series contains information about the Jabara's cultural and political activities interests. The series has been arranged alphabetically. Perhaps the most extensive portion of the series is the documentation of the 1977 National Lawyers Guild Middle East Delegation that traveled to Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and the Occupied Territories in July 1977 to observe and report on the Palestine liberation movement, the state of opposition in Israel, and the condition and treatment of Palestinians living in Israeli Occupied Territories. Jabara was influential in arranging the trip and was also a member of the delegation. Included in this collection are several folders of correspondence, clippings that express the attitude towards the visit from the popular and legal press, and copies of the minority and majority reports compiled and published by the NLG.

The final series is POSTERS, (20 linear feet, 1974-1994). Included are a number of posters from various performances by Sparling or of one of his works. They are dated from 1974 to 1994. Also included in this series are thirteen oversized drawings. The drawings are mainly artist's sketches in pastel, ink, and watercolors that were later used for program covers.

The series, Programs (.25 linear feet, 1961-2001), contains an incomplete set of performance programs for events at which Sparling performed, or performances of his works by other dancers. The programs are dated 1961 through 2001, and include programs from Sparling's early performances with the violin. Most contain program notes, and biographical information about the performers.