Calcite Collection Room

Or

Revolving Exhibit Room

            The first room in the hallway at the rear of the dining room was originally a guest bedroom.  It is presently being used to display photographs from The Calcite Collection, along with related items.

            The Calcite Collection of about 42,000 photographic images was acquired in 2006 from ON Minerals, current owners of the Calcite Plant.  The collection includes about 30,000 negatives, 10,000 photographic prints, and about 2,000 color slides.  The earliest pictures date from 1911, when construction started on the plant.  The most recent images are from the early 1980s.  Almost all of the photos were taken by Calcite employees who worked in the lab at the plant.

            The photographic collection seems to have been started to document the construction of the plant and the various equipment that was purchased.  Many photos were also taken of Calcite employees, primarily in the form of annual departmental photographs, and photographs of the crews aboard the Bradley boats.  From 1911 until the 1930s, a 5’x7’ print of virtually every negative was mounted in a series of leather-covered 5”x7” scrapbook.  The scrapbooks were referred to as “Visitor’s Books.”  A total of 60 scrapbooks were eventually filled with photographs.  The use of scrapbooks was discontinued in the early 1930s.

            From 1926 until 1963, Michigan Limestone also published Calcite Screenings, a slick corporate safety magazine that generally came out four times a year.  Once Screenings started, Calcite photographers began taking photos of the activities plant employees were involved in away from the plant.  Church, school, scout, and civic organization activities were frequently photographed, along with major community events, such as parades, fires, and construction projects.  Photographers were also always on the lookout for “scenic photos” that might be suitable for use on the covers of Screenings.