November 2, 2005
Photos capture hospital history
State Hospital book contains 200 photos relating to structure
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Adding another volume to the oeuvre of Traverse City State Hospital books, Chris Miller weighed in last May with "Images of America: The Traverse City State Hospital."
A computer programmer by day, researcher and author on nights and weekends, Miller penned the lengthy captions to the approximately 200 images in four months.
But he had been gathering pictures and postcards since September of 1998, nursing a kernel of an idea for a few years before serious writing began.
"I'd always wanted to write something someday," Miller said.
The 128-page book spans the history of the State Hospital, which for a time in Traverse City history was one of the area's largest employers. The book begins with an image of the undeveloped land and includes construction photos.
He ends with photos of the current renovation of Building 50, including some photos he took himself. The book's final photo is of Trattoria Stella, an upscale restaurant in the Building 50 complex, illustrating the trajectory of the property's use.
Miller tapped into some rich veins of historic information during his research phase. While he did not have time to travel to the State Archives in Lansing, he sifted through photos in the archives of the Grand Traverse Pioneer & Historical Society for early images. For pictures from 1950s and 1960s, he was able to scan many photos taken by maintenance superintendent Paul Hansen.
"He was proud of his years there and wanted to share these," said Miller, a 1982 graduate of Traverse City Senior High.
Miller also caught up with a collection of State Hospital photos put together by Julius Petertyl. These pictures are now owned by Fred Lortet of the Minervini Group, who let Miller scan them for inclusion in his book.
"Julius did construction work there and his house was across the street from the grounds," said Miller. "I talked to him about the pictures."
Miller also gives Heidi Johnson, a local photographer and author of "Angels in the Architecture," a nod for her generosity in letting him use some of her photos in the book.
"Even though she'd already done her book, she was very helpful and encouraging to me," he noted of the 2001 publication. "I've got more captions and don't make any artistic pretenses in my book."
Two of his three favorite photos are one of a Northern Michigan Asylum baseball team from 1900 and another of the Suttons Bay hermit who ended up at the asylum in the earlier part of last century. The third was a historic coup: a portrait of the architect Gordon W. Lloyd who in 1885 designed the Northern Michigan Asylum, as it was known then.
"The family is kind of stingy with that photo so I'm glad they let me use it," said Miller, who obtained the portrait from the architect's grandson.
Miller was part of the early preservation to save Building 50 from being demolished in the 1990s. He commuted through the complex daily, where the soaring majesty of the architecture of the building captivated him.
"I lived near it, too, and for a while I'd seen them tear down buildings," Miller said. "I'm pleased with the meticulous detail and care that they are taking [with the restoration.]"
A graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in computer science, Miller had previously co-wrote "Winona: In Vintage Postcards" with Mary Pendleton. He began this book after he had the idea for the State Hospital volume, completing the Winona one first.
Miller lived with his family in Winona, Minn., until he was in the fifth grade. His father, a manager at J.C. Penney's, moved the family to Traverse City where he took over the downtown Traverse City store, now the site of Horizon Books.
"I contacted the local historical society there in Winona and they gave me two names to work with," he recalled of finding Pendleton. "I only contacted one and I used her collection."