Title

Exhibit - Louis A. Wolfanger International Slide Collection

Louis A. Wolfanger was born January 3, 1896 in Nebraska. He studied geography and soils in college and completed his PhD in geography and geology at Colombia University. At Michigan State, he served as an Associate Professor of Soil Science, specializing in land use and zoning, from 1937 until his retirement in 1966.

His focus on land use and zoning requirements stemmed from his interest in conserving and improving what he called, “…the quality and well-being of our rural, small town, and ‘rurban’ communities.” His inspiration came from studying both geography and soil science, saying he recognized that, “…geographers knew little about the soil environment and its human and geographic significance and that soil technicians were similarly unaware of the significant social and economic relationships of soils.” He believed that, “zoning…offers the local people of a community an opportunity to decide for themselves just how they had best live together,” because “Farms, recreational opportunities, businesses, homes, and the families that fail are all casualties for the entire community. The use of the land – good or bad – affects everybody.”

The Louis Wolfanger collection includes lecture notes, exams, and newspaper and journal articles from Wolfanger’s geography courses at Colombia University and other universities. These courses include the Geography of Europe, the Geography of Latin America, and the Geography of Africa and Australia.

Wolfanger’s courses on the Geography of Europe and Africa might explain the large collection of glass slides also found in his collection. Although there is no evidence that he visited either area, he possessed dozens of slides documenting agriculture and life in Algeria, Spain, Austria, Norway, and Finland.

Exhibit Created by Emily Field June, 2013Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections

Related Objects

A large group of youths in Algeria watch an older man, undated
A large group of youths in Algeria watch an older man, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
A woman in Austria spins at a wheel, undated
A woman in Austria spins at a wheel, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Adult and children outside tent in Austria, undated
Adult and children outside tent in Austria, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Aerial view of Spanish river and agriculture, undated
Aerial view of Spanish river and agriculture, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Algerian (?) man outside building with bike, undated
Algerian (?) man outside building with bike, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Algerian alleyway and canal, undated
Algerian alleyway and canal, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Algerian mother and children in home or stable, undated
Algerian mother and children in home or stable, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Algerian spinner and weaver work, undated
Algerian spinner and weaver work, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
An Algerian (?) works at a sewing machine, undated
An Algerian (?) works at a sewing machine, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Austrian archway in town, undated
Austrian archway in town, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Austrian pig farm with three men, undated
Austrian pig farm with three men, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Austrian pigeage and wine making scene, undated
Austrian pigeage and wine making scene, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Barrels in a vaulted Spanish tunnel, undated
Barrels in a vaulted Spanish tunnel, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Dam in Imatra, Finland, undated
Dam in Imatra, Finland, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Fantoft Stave Church in Norway, undated
Fantoft Stave Church in Norway, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Industrial riverfront in the Basque Country, undated
Industrial riverfront in the Basque Country, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Market on Algerian side street, undated
Market on Algerian side street, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Mine entrance in Algeria with rock transport lines, undated
Mine entrance in Algeria with rock transport lines, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Mountain scene in Algeria with ridgetop town, undated
Mountain scene in Algeria with ridgetop town, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Possible Algerian valley oasis, undated
Possible Algerian valley oasis, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Rural Algerian mountain scene with camels and and tents, undated
Rural Algerian mountain scene with camels and and tents, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Rural Finnish family outside home, undated
Rural Finnish family outside home, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Rural road and cabins in Finland, undated
Rural road and cabins in Finland, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Sailboat with products on rural Spanish river, undated
Sailboat with products on rural Spanish river, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Scene of windmill with geese and town in Austria, undated
Scene of windmill with geese and town in Austria, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Spanish orchard with town in the background, undated
Spanish orchard with town in the background, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Suspension bridge under construction in the Basque Country, undated
Suspension bridge under construction in the Basque Country, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Timgad Roman ruins in Algeria, undated
Timgad Roman ruins in Algeria, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Train at rural Algerian stop, undated
Train at rural Algerian stop, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Urban dock scene with workers and fish, undated
Urban dock scene with workers and fish, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Walled city in Algeria, undated
Walled city in Algeria, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Women in Algeria sit in a covered colonnade, undated
Women in Algeria sit in a covered colonnade, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections
Workers harvest a crop in a Spanish flooded field, undated
Workers harvest a crop in a Spanish flooded field, undated
Image: jpg
MSU Archives and Historical Collections