Grand Rapids History & Special Collections Archives GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY Finding Aid for the Seven Family Glass Plate Negatives Collection # 341 October 2009 version
Abstract The Seven Family Glass Negatives Collection contains 66 4x5 glass plate negatives that depict Grand Rapids, Michigan area views, Grand River flood views, and images of Seven family members, homes, and businesses, primarily on the West Side of the Grand River. The photographer is unknown. Images date probably from shortly before 1900 to before 1912. The buildings shown display the pre-1912 addresses. The flood scenes are believed to be for the 1904 flood, but may also be for other flood years during the first decade of the 20 th Century. Of the four brothers, Peter, John, Cornelius and Miner, who immigrated from the Netherlands to Grand Rapids ca. 1880, this collection appears to document primary the Peter Seven family, with some references to Cornelius. The wallpaper establishment of Peter Seven shown in the collection 130 Leonard, was next to Peter Klute s dry goods at 130 W. Leonard in 1904. The dry goods/grocery establishment of Cornelius Seven at 151/153 W. Leonard (537/539 W. Leonard after 1912), is shown near the fire station, but was also near the Leonard School. Cornelius grocery appears to have been originally established by their father John, as J. Seven & Sons in around 1889/1890. Images of Peter s children, John P. Seven, Henrietta and Martin, are included in the collection, as well as Peter Seven s in laws, the Straayers. Various other unidentified are depicted, several currently unidentified. Images of Grand Rapids include views from Lookout Hill, and the Ryerson Library in construction ca. 1902-1903. The John Seven Paint & Wallpaper Co., which is still in business today, appears to have been established by the Peter s brother John Seven, in the Wealthy St. area, operating on the east side of the Grand River. Peter s son, John P., is listed as working in real estate in 1912, but still living in the family home. Collection #: 341 Accession #: 2004.057 Donor: Barbara E. Seven VandeVusse Span dates: ca. 1900-1912 Original processing date: Aug. 2004 Size: 1.1 linear ft. (13.5 in.) Related Collections Additional Seven Family negatives depicting Holland area views have been given to the Joint Archives of Holland at Hope College. 2
Box Summary Box No. Description of Contents Box Description Box Inventory September 2009 1 Photocopies of contact prints slim 2 Flood images #1-#10 [Negs. #1-10] 4x6 slim 3 Flood images #11-13. Farm images Neg. #1-5 4x6 slim [Negs. #11-18] 4 Farm images #6-9. GR Scenes #1-4 4x6 slim [Negs. #19-26] 5 GR Scenes #5-11 [Negs. #27-33] 4x6 slim 6 Seven Store images #1-9 [Negs. 34-43] 4x6 slim 7 People/ Houses #1-7 [#43-49] 4x6 slim 8 People/ Houses #8-15 [#50-57] 4x6 slim 9 People. Set 2 Nos. 1-9 [#58-66] 4x6 slim 3
Biography Around 1880, four brothers immigrated to the United States from the Holland (Netherlands), settling in Grand Rapids. The exact date(s) of immigration and other family members coming with them are currently unverified. However, their parents are believed to have been John (Jan, or Johanna, b. ca. 1829) and Mensie Seven (b. ca. 1836) [unconfirmed]. The four brothers were: Peter Seven b. ca. 1861-d. 1952 John Seven b. ca. 1864-d. 1935 Cornelius Seven b. ca. 1867-d. 1939 Miner (Myner) Seven b. ca. 1874-d. 1935 No mention of a Seven family is given in the Grand Rapids City Directory until 1882/83, when Jan & Jan, Jr. (John?) are listed as laborers and Peter is listed as a painter, all at 102 Third St. SW. By 1885/86, the household at 420 Turner SW lists Albert, John and John A. as laborers, Peter the Painter, and Cornelius a cabinetmaker for Kent Furniture Company. By 1890, seven Sevens are listed in the directory, most living at 152 W. Leonard. Several are employed at J. Seven & Sons, grocers, including John, Cornelius and Meindert. This John is presumed to be the father, John. The other John, his son, appears to be a wall paperer, living and working at 662 Wealthy. Son Peter is also a wall paperer, at 126 W. Leonard. Another Peter, a laborer, boards at 122 Quarry. Of the four brothers listed above, an obituary for the brother John Seven (ca. 1864-1935) states that he established a paint & wallpaper business in 1889 and continued his association there for 46 years, until his retirement. This is presumed to be the John listed in the 1890 City Directory at 662 Wealthy. He passed this business on to his sons, George, Carroll & John H. It is believed to be this Seven Wallpaper & Paint Co. establishment, still operating in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2005, with which most residents associate the Seven family. However, the images in this collection appear to document the various early businesses operated by the other Seven family members, who settled and worked on the West Side of the Grand River. The primary focus of the images is on the family of Peter Seven, including his children John P., Henrietta, and Martin. Early images of another wallpaper establishment run by Peter on Leonard St. are included. Other images show a dry goods and grocery run by Cornelius, also on W. Leonard, which appears to have evolved from the J. Seven & Sons grocery. The years between 1890 and 1912 shows Peter apparently already independent from this father, while Cornelius & Miner are first living at home, and then establish their own residences and businesses. In the 1890 s Cornelius & Meindart (Miner, Myner) are at the establishment on 153 Leonard then including dry goods, as well as the family grocery. By 1900, Miner Seven, listed in the City Directory for the first time under that name, now has a grocery at 120 W. Leonard, apparently in competition with the old family business. On March 22, 1902, the John believed to be the father of the original four sons, dies leaving his widow, Mensie (per the City Directory), at 151 W. Leonard. Cornelius continues operating the family grocery & dry goods on Leonard first under the name of the family business, then in his own name. Peter continues to do wall papering. 4
Biography continued... One of the major events in Grand Rapids, which appears to be documented in the images in the collection, was the Grand River flood of 1904. As evidenced by the images, this effected the Seven businesses, and their nearby homes, on the West Side of the Grand River. The 1904 City Directory has Peter and his son John P. at home at 135 W. Leonard, across the street from the wall paper shop. The wallpaper establishment of Peter Seven, shown in the flood images in this collection, is at 130 West Leonard, next to Peter Klute s dry goods, which in 1904 was at 132 W. Leonard in 1904. By 1912, after the city wide address changes that year, Miner, the youngest of the original four sons is operating his grocery at 500 Leonard NW, and living at 1055 Scribner. Cornelius, has a dry goods establishment at 537-539 Leonard, apparently no longer running a grocery. He lives at 1239 Quarry. Two of his four daughters, Lena and Gertrude, now young adults, are listed as boarders at that address at that time. Two additional younger daughters are not listed. Peter is living with wife Francis (Francina) at 1031 Leonard NW, along with adult children John P. & daughter Henrietta, and young Martin(not listed). In 1910, the original brother John Seven is said to have built the home at 649 Union SE, then known as 425 Union, which between 1923 and 1930 would become boyhood home of U.S. President Gerald R. Ford. In the 1912 City Directory, the next generation of brother John's family lists the sons John H. Seven (also sometimes called John, Jr. d. 1965) as a clerk at the wallpaper company, along with brother George as a bookkeeper. Brother Carroll (d. 1943) is at this time working as a clerk for the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railway. George is killed in WWI, and not mentioned in the later family obituaries. Carroll is listed in his obituary as a President and Traveling Representative of the wallpaper company, dying at age 49, in 1943. His son Phillip at that time was a private in the military, but also a medical student at the University of Michigan. John H. retired as President of the John Seven Paint & Wallpaper Co. after 51 years with the company, and died a year after his retirement. After John H. retirement/death, his son Charles K. Seven, became chief owner & officer of the company, ca. 1965. Charles Seven continued to head the firm until his death in 2004. No images of the original brother John, and his descendants, are known to be in this collection. 5
Seven Family Genealogy (tentative) John J.G.H. (Johanes)(1829-1902 / Mensie (Mamie?)(1836?-xxxx) Sara or Lena Seven, b. 1827-d. 1890 Some children of John/Mensie or John/Lena? include: Peter Seven b. ca. 1861-d. 1952 John Seven b. ca. 1864-d. 1935 Cornelius Seven b. ca. 1867-d. 1939 Miner (Myner) Seven b. ca. 1874-d. 1935 Peter Seven (b. ca. 1861-d. 1952) / Francine (b. 1860?-1935?) -John P. (b. 1889-1976) / Jennie (1889?-1954) -Francine (1917?-xxxx) / W. Peter Katt (Rev.) -Dr. Raymond P. Seven (1922?-xxxx) / Dorothy (Wheaton, Il. in 1993) Raymond P. Seven, second wife with Evelyn. (Glen Ellyn, per Martin's obit. -Dr. Marvin J. Seven, Chicago (1928?-1960) Age 33 / Never married, no children. -John P. / Alberta Kortman (1901-1993) age 92. (second wife, no children) -Henrietta (b. 1895-1951) 55 years / Ora Yonker (xxxx-xxxx) Detroit at death. -Martin (b. 1899-d. 1978) No wife mentioned, no children. John Seven (b. ca. 1864-d. 1935) / Maggie Pyle (xxxx-1955) age 92 -George J. (b. 1890-d. 1902. Died in France, WWI. 333 Ambulance Co. -John H. Seven, Jr. (b. 1891?-1965) 49 at death / Henrietta Plasman (1894-1975) age 80 -Charles K. / Jessie -Brian / Carey (Ada) -Thomas / Rachael - -Phyllis / (Phyllis not listed in 1975, but given in 1965) -Carroll (b. 1892?-1943) / Hazel E.(1894-1984) -Phillip (1922-1999) -Sally A. (1926-2000) never married. 6
Seven Family Genealogy (tentative) continued... Cornelius I. Seven (b. ca. 1867-d. 1939) / Rena Kuperus Seven (b. 1868-d. 1925) Still living in 1920, approx. 51 years old -Lena Warren (1892?- d. 1925) / Earl S. Warren -William C. Warren -Phillip A. Warren -Gertrude M. / Jay C. Grebel -Jeanette / Adolph K. Krause -Jan / Harold Knowlton Miner J.(Myner) Seven (b. ca. 1874-d. 1935) / Gertie (b. 1878?-1958) -John M.(b. 1899?-1970) / Florence (1902-1989) -John M. Jr. (xxxx-1961) age 25 -Patricia / Malcolm S. Bonney, Jr. 7
Scope The images included here document a portion of the Seven family who immigrated to Grand Rapids ca. 1880. The ca. 1904 flood images are mostly unidentified, but are believed to show properties on the West side of the Grand River, including those of the Seven family. One view shows Peter Seven's wall paper establishment at 130 Leonard NW, next to Peter Klute's Dry goods at 132 W. Leonard. Images of individuals at a farm are not currently identified. Scenes from the east side of the Grand River include the Ryerson Library building in construction ca, 1902/1903. Views taken from the Lookout Park show the houses and businesses along the river, mainly on the East side. The West Leonard St. schoolhouse is included, as well as other area businesses and institutions. Seven family businesses shown include Peter Seven's wallpaper store at 130 Leonard. One view is said to include his son, John P. Seven, seated in an automobile in front of the store. Another view shows Cornelius Seven's dry goods & grocery at 153 W. Leonard, at Quarry St., near Fire Station #9. Individuals shown in these views may be family members. Family photos have been kepted together as provided, but are mostly unidentified, and may not represent the original order as taken. Several images of Peter's son, John P. Seven, as a student, or as young man picnicking with a group, are included. Peter's mother in law, Hendrika Straayer, is shown seated near a painting of a woman. Peter's wife, Francina Straayer Seven may be included in the images, but is not identified. One image identified as Henrietta, daughter of Peter, is found. Several children are shown, mostly unidentified. Some views are identified as Martin, son of Peter, and brother of John P. and Henrietta. The home of Peter Seven at 135 Leonard NW is shown, as is that of his brother Cornelius on Quarry Ave. at 153 Leonard. 8
Series This collection has been divided into two series: Series I. Positive images and other paper items. A. Positive Images. Currently, the only positive views of the images in this collection are photocopies of the contact prints retained by the Seven family. Contact prints from the glass negatives or other higher quality positive versions of the images are desired. B. Research on the Seven Family Included here is Census information, obituaries, notes on information in City Directories or Cemetery files, used to compile the history, scope, and genealogy section of this finding aid. Also included is brief information on the John Seven house on Union, which later became the boyhood home of President Gerald R. Ford, taken from the Heritage Hill website. Series II. Negatives. Currently, the only negative images in the collection are the original glass negatives given by the family donors. Most of these are in tact, with one broken, and a few others with flaws. 4x5 copy negatives are desired for higher quality long-term preservation of the images, but now difficult to obtain, due to the migration to digital. 9
Contents Box Neg. No. Description 1 Series I. Photocopies of Contact Prints. Note: Contact prints retained by donor. #1-#13 [Set 1] Flood #1-#13 #14-#22 [Set 2] Farm #1-#9 #23-#33 [Set 3] Grand Rapids Scenes #34-#42 [Set 4] Store Building images #43-#49 [Set 5] People/Houses #50-#57 [Set 6] People #58-#66 [Set 7] People 1 8 Biographical Research data on Seven Family 1 9 Heritage Hill website data on 649 Union SE, built in 1910 by John Seven, and from 1923-1930 it was the home of former President Gerald R. Ford. 10
Series II. Glass Negatives Box Neg.# Set 1. Floods (13 negatives) 2 #1 Flood #1. [Flooded street with two 2-story storefront buildings, a picket fence in the foreground. Believed to be as follows:] 128 W. Leonard, Millinery. 130 W. Leonard, Peter Seven Wallpaper store 132 W. Leonard, Peter Klute Dry Goods 2 #2 Flood #2. [West Leonard St. ca. 1900. Shows a group of people at the left with a boat. View down the streetscape on the left. Includes a James Mol Flour Feed building with ads on the side Lily White Flour Valley City Milling Co.] Back of an original print has: Flood of 1900. Leonard at Hamilton, James Mol, former alderman. 2 #3 Flood #3. [Flooded landscape with utility pole center left in foreground, factory in background behind pole, house sitting in the water center, a fence in the water at right running from the lower right corner to the house.] 2 #4 Flood #4. [Bird s eye view of houses and businesses surrounded by flood waters. Includes a building center left marked for Jacob Mol, and another center right marked by Van Bree? Hardware, 90 W. Leonard. 2 #5 Flood #5. [Believed to be view with houses on near side of river, and factory in the left background on the other side of the river, all standing in water.] 2 #6 Flood #6. [Unidentified streetscape showing the water upon to the window sill on the first floor of the houses.] 2 #7 Flood #7. [Back yards of flooded area with houses, barns and other out buildings. A picket fence in the foreground is reflected in the water.] 2 #8 Flood #8. [Dark image with slender tree in the center, a house behind, another house at right, and a woman barely visible in the lower right foreground. No water visible.] 2 #9 Flood #9. [A landscape with various structures seen behind the water in the foreground.] 11
Series II. Glass Negatives Box Neg.# Set 1. Floods (13 negatives) 2 #10 Flood #10. [Flooded streetscape with a light colored house center left. View at center right appears to show small buildings that have been pushed into a structure behind the white house by the water. The corner of another structure is center right.] 3 #11 Flood #11. [Fence in the flooded area which appears to read Voigt Cream Flares. Houses in the water. A factory in the left background] See Flood #3 above, which appears to be a related view of this site. 3 #12 Flood #12. [View from the rear of two houses standing in the water, with other houses behind.] 3 #13 Flood #13. [View of a streetscape of houses from the rear, sitting in the water. Two men are on the slanting roof of the third house on the left.] 12
Series II. Glass Negatives Box Neg. # Set 2. Farm images. 3 #14 Farm #1 [Unidentified rural landscape] 3 #15 Farm #2 [Field with cows. Shadow of the photographer bottom center.] 3 #16 Farm #3 [Hilly field with cows behind a fence, tree at left.] 3 #17 Farm #4 [Man seated at a plow drawn by two horses, working a field, barn and house in background] 3 #18 Farm #5 [Wagon of hay pulled by two horses. One any stands on top of the hay. Another has a tool and is working with the hay in the field.] Box Neg.# Set 2. Farm Images continued... 4 #19 Farm #6 [Young man in floppy hat, standing in a hay barn with a tool in his right hand.] 4 #20 Farm #7 [Young man in floppy hat, holding a horse that has a boy seated on it. A lane and fences behind.] 4 #21 Farm #8 [Enclosed vehicle (wagon or surrey?), with four people seated in it. A barn is behind the vehicle. The people appear to be 2 girls, a boy, and a woman.] 4 #22 Farm #9 [A family of seven people standing in the yard near a house. Fruit trees? Two adults carry buckets.] 13
Series II. Glass Negatives Box Neg.# Set 3. Grand Rapids Scenes 4 #23 Scenes #1. [Ryerson Library Building in construction, ca. 1903-1904. Grand Rapids Public Library. Front façade view, scaffolding on left side of the building, bricks in the yard, trees, people standing near the entrance] 4 #24 Scenes #2. West Leonard St. Schoolhouse. [Corner view, people sitting or standing in the yard.] 4 #25 Scenes #3. [Veterans Home] 4 #26 Scenes #4. [Street view into the horizon, with utility poles and wires. Van Bree Hardware?] Box Neg.# Set 3. Grand Rapids Scenes 5 #27 Scenes #5. [Bird s eye view of houses and factories on both sides of the Grand River, taken from a hill.] 5 #28 Scenes #6. [Bird s eye view down a hill, possibly Lookout Hill, to houses and factories on the East side of the Grand River.] 5 #29 Scenes #7. [Bird s eye view of houses and factory, perhaps Berkey & Gay. 5 #30 Scenes #8 [Unidentified rural scene with tree reflected in the water, smoke from a stack in the background right.] 5 #31 Scenes #9 [River or lake view, with factories on the shore at left.] 5 #32 Scenes #10 [Picric? Factory building in background at end of a road.] 5 #33 Scenes #11 [Gardens, with buildings and a smoke stack in the background]. 14
Series II. Glass Negatives Box Neg.# Set 4. Seven Store Buildings 6 #34 Store image #1. Peter Seven Wallpaper Store, 130 Leonard N.W., ca. 1904. Man on the left may be Peter Seven. ID by donor. This version from an older contact print. 6 #35 Store image #2. Peter Seven Wallpaper Store, 130 Leonard N.W., ca. 1904. Man on the left may be Peter Seven. ID by donor. This version from a new contact print. 6 #36 Store image #3. [Perspective street view, with the Seven Wallpaper Store center right.] 6 #37 Store image #4. [Peter Seven Wallpaper Store, with new sign 130 Peter Seven 130. Shows Klute Dry Goods store in the same building at right.] 6 #38 Store image #5. Another fuzzier version of this same image. 6 #39 Store image #6. Peter Seven Wallpaper Store, 130 Leonard N.W. with the 130 Peter Sever 130 sign, and an early automobile with driver in front of the store. Ca. 1910? Description per donor, who identifies the driver as John P. Seven, b. 1886-xxxx. 6 #40 Store image #7. Cornelius Seven Dry Good store, 153 W. Leonard, at Quarry St., with a fire station on the other side of Quarry. Description by donor. Lower right corner of negative missing. 6 #41 Store image #8. Cornelius Seven Dry Good Store, 153 Leonard St. N.W., ca. 1904. [Awning reads: Dry goods & shoes. Groceries * provisions]. Shows people and barrels on the board sidewalk. View down Quarry street at right. 6 #42 Store image #9. [Interior. Wallpaper store. Wallpaper in cubicals along the walls. Stove in center of room, Lamps, including the one in the foreground.] Peter Seven sitting, Paul Klute standing per donor, ca. 1905. 15
Series II. Glass Negatives Box Neg.# Set 5 People / Houses. 7 #43 People #1. 135 Leonard NW (521 Leonard, post 1912), at Wieland (right). Home of Peter Seven, ca. 1904? Wallpaper store across the St. at 130 Leonard NW. Woman and children standing on the porch, and perhaps others. Two story building next door. 7 #44 People #2. Two Couples seated on the grass under trees. John P. Seven in the hat, near right. Ca. 1904-1910. 7 #45 People #3. Blurbed image. Person lying on ground near river bank? 7 #46 People #4. Picnic. People seated on the grass, with a blanket in the center. John P. Seven in the hat center right. Ca. 1904-1910. 7 #47 People #5. People seated, one standing, under trees, similar view of that in Neg. #44 above. 7 #48 People #6. Picnic. People seated on the grass, with a blanket in the Center. Man center front may be John Seven, or the same man center front in neg #46, wearing John Seven s hat. 7 #49 People #7. Five Children. Boy seated with infant on his lap in center. Boy standing at left. Two girls standing at right. Building behind the wooden walk or porch where the children are posing. 16
Series II. Glass Negatives Box Neg.# Set 6. People / Houses continued 8 #50 People #8. Woman in chair and girl standing on the porch of a house. 8 #51 People #9. Multiple images on one glass negative plate. 51.1 Top right. Boy. 51.2. Bottom left. Two boys in caps standing. 51.3 Girl Standing, with bag handing from her sash. 51.4 Woman standing with washing on line behind. 8 #52 People 10. Multiple images on one glass negative plate. Images not very legible in the contact print. 52.1 Male in cap top left. 52.2 Woman, center 52.3 Barely legible view of telephone poles, top & right 52.4 Child in hat bottom left. 8 #53 People. #11. Kids standing near or on porch, some looking down at something right. 8 #54 People. #12. John P. Seven(?), ca. 1900-1904. 8 #55. People. #13. Several people seated under a tree. No contact print photocopy available. 8 #56. People #14. People standing on the front porch of house on Quarry Ave., behind the dry goods store at 153 Leonard NW. House is two story with a back porch center right, cloth awnings, and a picket fence in front. 8 #57. People #15. Interior view, John P. Seven, ca. 1904, seated at a desk, with images on the wall, flocked wall paper, books on the desk. The small framed picture on the desk is identified by relatives as that of John P. Seven, as well. 17
Series II. Glass Negatives Box Neg.# Set 7. People, [Part 2] 9 #58 People #1. Hendrika Straayer, mother-in-law of Peter Seven, mother of Peter s wife Francina Straaper Seven. Image shows an older woman seated in a chair, with a framed painting(?) on a easel behind her, flocked wallpaper on the walls. 9 #59 People #2. Another unidentified elderly woman, seated in the same chair before the same framed image. 9 #60 People #3. Unidentified woman wearing a hat, seated in a chair, holding a photo album on her lap. Flocked wall paper behind. 9 #61 People #4. Male child in a straw hat, with a toy wagon, standing before a tree, in a yard enclosed with a picket fence. Believed to be Martin Seven, youngest son of Peter and Francina Seven. 9 #62 People #5. Male child, leaning against an unidentified house/structure. Identified as Martin Seven, son of Peter. Wears a Dutch cap, a jacket & short pants, and a dark ruffled shirt. 9 #63 People #6. Young woman, standing in front of a building, with snow on the ground. Believed to be Henrietta Seven, daughter of Peter Seven. 9 #64 People #7. Unidentified child with dog, standing under a tree, with an unidentified woman seated on the ground at right. [Upper right corner missing from negative] 9 #65 People #8. Infant, unidentified, in a wicker(?) baby buggy, with a parasol shading it. This buggy appears to be on a porch, in front of a window. 9 #66 People #9. Two boys on bicycles in the yard of a house. The boy on the right, in a straw hat, is identified as John P. Seven, son of Peter Severn, ca. 1900. [NOTE: This negatives was broken upon receipt] 18