"It can be truly said of Cranbrook's campus that it is a place where history lives. Indeed, visitors to the Cranbrook community can see more than a century of history and tradition in its buildings and landscapes, all as vibrant today as they were any time in the past. But unique within the community is a resource that is available to few schools in the nation: a resource that preserves the history of Cranbrook and connects it to the present in a remarkable way. It is the Cranbrook Archives." Clay Matthews, Director of Communications, Cranbrook Schools.

Cranbrook Archives is the primary research center for the documentation and study of Cranbrook's remarkable history. Though not deemed an Archives until 1966, it originated in 1942 with the suggestions of George Booth's secretary, Helen McIlroy. Now, as the community's official archival repository, the department is responsible for collecting, preserving, and making available community and divisional records of permanent value, the papers of members of the Booth, Scripps and Saarinen families, the records of Christ Church Cranbrook and other ancillary organizations, and the personal papers of faculty, staff, alumni and other individuals who have been associated with the community since 1904.

To ensure the steady growth of the collection, the department is responsible for administering records management systems throughout Cranbrook. In its broader role, the Archives also serves to foster a greater public awareness of the community's history and cultural heritage.

Hours
The Archives is open for research Monday-Friday 9am-4pm. Please call ahead to schedule an appointment with the appropriate staff member.

You can download directions to the Archives here

The Archives Store
Looking for a "Classic Cranbrook" gift? The Cranbrook Archives offers a variety of items including a selection of vintage images depicting stunning interior and exterior views of Cranbrook's most significant buildings.

Other items include the awarding-winning Kingswood School 50th anniversary publication Kingswood: A Study in Design; Corajoyce Rauss' 1998 genealogy of the Booth Family The Cranbrook Booth Family of America; and Cranbrook's 90th anniversary poster, designed by former Cranbrook Academy of Art artist-in-residence Katherine McCoy, highlighting the history of Cranbrook's distinctive architecture. Additional items and prices are available on the order form.

Please contact Marilyn Florek at 248.645.3585 to place an order.