Research Opportunities

Collections research hours are between 9am and 3pm Monday – Friday unless otherwise arranged and additional fees are paid.

For out-of-town requests, we will do our best to accommodate your needs, but please know that additional charges may apply.A collections associate will be assigned to the researcher in order to assist with specific requests or use of special equipment, however, we cannot guarantee that this person will be an expert in your area.

Detroit Historical Society members at the Patron level are entitled to one hour of research per year and all members receive a discounted rate as noted in the Fees sections below.

Due to the sensitivity of the Collections and Reference materials, children are not allowed in the archives.

On-Site research fees:
This fee is paid as a deposit at the beginning of the session. Additional fees are billed at the end of the day as needed.

Individual - $40/day
Commercial - $60/day
Rush Fees - $80/day

Persons working for non-profit agencies receive a 10% discount on the flat fee.
Detroit Historical Society Patron-level members and above receive a 50% discount on the flat fee.

Additional fees
Photo copies – in-house
Black & White material - $.25 per copy
Color material - $1.00 per copy
Compact Disc - $4.00

All other text or image requests are charged a flat fee depending on the level of difficulty (starting at $25 and up); digital format of images, including non-publication and artifact photographs.

Payment of these fees does not automatically entitle the researcher to handle an artifact if deemed unsafe by the Curator of Collections or on-site staff.

Artifact and Exhibit Loans
The Detroit Historical Society is always open to sending artifacts within our Collections to other Museums, commercial business, associations and clubs as well as other locations. All loans are based on availability of an artifact or collection of artifacts, environment of the host location, security of the host location as well as other possible factors.

Individual artifacts can be borrowed at an average rate of $75 per year. This fee varies depending on the size of the artifact and its value to the Collection. This fee does not include shipping, handling or installation. All loans must be approved by the Curator of Collections after host site conditions are evaluated.

Special fees will be accessed for institutions borrowing large quantities of objects for specific displays or exhibits. All loan requests should be made no later than 30 days in advance of the date that the loan is needed.

Contact the Curator of Collections for more information at 313.297.8391.

The Detroit Historical Society also has several former exhibits available for travel to and rental by other institutions.

Current available exhibits include:

• Fabulous 5: Detroit’s Sports Legends – featuring Joe Dumars, Gordie Howe, Al Kaline. Joe Louis and Steve Yzerman
• Detroit’s Classic Radio Voices – featuring Bob Allison, Sonny Eliot, Ernie Harwell, JP McCarthy, Dick Purtan, and Martha Jean “The Queen” Steinberg
• Era of Elegance – a fascinating look at cruise ships on the Great Lakes
  

To learn more about bringing one of these exhibits to your location, please contact the Director of Exhibitions and Programs at 313.833.1405 or tracyi@detroithistorical.org.