The material of this collection was collected by Delbert L Havens, who was born in Grand Rapids in 1898, while he was in Europe with the A.E.F. following World War One from 1919-1922. While in Europe, Delbert was a driver for General John J. Pershing and drove him to the first ever meeting of the League of Nations. He also took photos and collected postcards of the places that he visited and as mentioned before the photos and postcards are a mix of Black and White and some that are tinted. After his service was complete, Delbert returned to the United States and lived in Comstock, Michigan, where he worked as a Metal Finisher in the Auto Body industry and in 1940 he moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan where he continued to word as a Metal Finisher in the Auto Body industry. Delbert got married to Ethel M. Prosser in 1923 and they had 3 sons, Dwight L. Havens, Neil C. Havens, and Eugene V. Havens.

This collection was found after Delbert passed away in 1978 and was organized by his daughter Roselle Chilson Havens. Many questions arose after many photographs of a woman named Dora Gallner appeared. This led to two of Delbert’s granddaughters traveling to Europe to find answers which lead to the creation of the film called The Abandoned Bride.