Emmett R. Dowdell collection

The collection contains pictorial and printed material regarding the Great Lakes sailing career of Emmett R. Dowdell and his leisure activities after retirement. Two scrapbooks form the largest series in the collection. Volume 1 contains photographs, clippings, postage stamps, greeting cards, and brochures spanning the years 1860-1976. Most items are of twentieth century origin. The subjects of these items include views of vessels on which Dowdell was employed and other Great Lakes freighters. Street scenes in Lakewood and Lorain, Ohio show buildings, sporting events, and the Lorain harbor.

Greeting cards and brochures form a large portion of scrapbook one and reflect holiday greetings and vacation plans form Dowdell's personal life. The cards offer researchers with an interest in American popular culture a view of the conventional forms of expressing get well, holiday, and birthday wishes from the 1950s to the 1970s. Brochures offer information on popular leisure activities and travel destinations. The second scrapbook is more narrowly focused on events in November 1958 surrounding the sinking of the CARL D. BRADLEY. All the clippings in this volume relate to the BRADLEY and its crew.

Printed material not placed in the scrapbooks is similar to the bound items. Vacation literature and Great Lakes vessel information are the subject matter for these materials. Items here date from 1913-1976.

A set of nine photographs not bound in scrapbook one complete the collection. Of significance here is a 1920 photograph of Dowdell on the deck of the VERONA with his crewmates.

An index of vessels and Midwest locations appearing in the scrapbooks is linked to this finding aid in the External Documents section.