"Classen's compilation of photographs from his personal collection span more than 100 years of U.P. history and is sure to bring history to life for readers. Each photo is accompanied by a blurb explaining the story within the image. The collection encompasses myriad subjects, such as homesteading, lighthouses, ships, and even sled dogs. The restored images honor the everyday lives of Yooper and document U.P. heritage and culture." Chronicle, Vol. 46., No. 2 (Historical Society of Michigan)
"Within the pages of his pictorial history, Faces, Places, and Days Gone By-Vol I, Mikel B. Classen gives the world an incredible gift. Comprised of 100 rare vintage photographs, engravings and lithographs, his book opens a window into the history of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Spanning the 19th and early 20th centuries, each is highlighted by a clearly and concisely composed caption that includes documentation, date and location. A treasure for any history buff, Classen's collection should also be a valued reference in every library." -- Sue Harrison, international bestselling author of The Midwife's Touch "Mikel Classen's new book, Faces, Places, and Days Gone By-Volume 1, belongs in every library in the Michigan. And when I say every library, I'm talking about every public, high school and college storehouse of knowledge. I cracked open this book late one evening and was not able to put it down until I had finished it. My father was born in the U.P. in 1901, and from 1914 until 1928, he worked as a lumberjack at dozens of camps throughout the U.P. I was the baby of our family, and every Friday and Saturday night, I laid down with him before I went to my bed, and he would share U.P. stories with me. For instance, when he was 13 years old, he had his foot smashed by a log that accidentally let loose from a loaded sled (as pictured in Mikel's book, page 49). Dad rehabbed for several months before he could get on his feet and back behind another team of horses. To survive, he learned two additional trades: as the lumber camp's barber and, then, making and marketing moonshine whiskey. Dad would have loved this book! In it, Mikel features, labels and explains over 100 fantastic photographs dating from the mid-eighteen hundreds to the mid-nineteen hundreds. As I suggested earlier, every library in the state should have one or more copies of this beautiful book." -- Michael Carrier, MA, New York University, author of the award-winning Jack Handler U.P. mystery series
"I found this photographic history of Michigan north of the bridge surprisingly informative and enjoyable. It piqued my interest when I did a first quick look and had to stop and return to one striking photograph after another. And then there is the photo of a Native American mother holding her baby. I can't help but wonder if, in a few years, the child will be taken from her and sent to a church or government school which will ruthlessly try to entirely strip the child of its Native American culture. Regretfully it was a fairly common practice. Obviously, my response to the photographs was both intellectual and emotional. This book is a rich historical look at the Upper Peninsula that literally shows it from the ragged edge of the frontier to the 1920s." -- Tom Powers, Michigan in Books
