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The New Bedford whaling albums contain approximately 175 photographs in 4 albums pertaining to the whaling industry in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

The New Bedford whaling albums contain approximately 175 photographs in 4 albums pertaining to the whaling industry in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Of the four albums, three were likely compiled by photographer Joseph Sisson Martin while the fourth was published by New Bedford bookseller H. S. Hutchinson & Co. All four albums (30.5 x 26.5 cm) are leather bound and show considerable wear. The Hutchinson album has some flaking of the leather cover. There are some loose pages, but in general the albums remain intact.

In 1903, H. S. Hutchinson & Co. commissioned the album Cutting In a Whale (Volume 1), which documents the processing of a sperm whale carcass in graphic detail. The 25 gelatin silver images document various stages of the process, including the whale being carved up while alongside a ship and various pieces being hoisted onboard for rendering into whale oil and other commercial products. The original photographs were taken by photographer and accomplished travel writer Marian Shaw Smith, who herself was married to a whaling ship captain. Smith rode along on the bark California as it sailed to the western Pacific Ocean and then procuded the images that went into Cutting In a Whale, developing and printing her roll film while at sea. Each photo is accompanied by a detailed caption.

The other three albums in the collection (Volumes 2-4) were produced by New Bedford photographer Joseph Sisson Martin in the 1910s. Martin primarily photographed whaling ships and associated craftsmen who worked around the wharves, creating a nostalgic tribute to a disappearing industry. Two of these albums also contain many earlier pictures that were taken by other photographers dating back to as early as 1868 and reproduced by Martin. Although specific photographers were not identified or credited by Martin, a number of photographs can be traced to earlier works by Joseph G. Tirrell, a major chronicler of New Bedford's whaling industry. Several of Martin's selections from Tirrell's body of work differ slightly from the Tirrell images held by the New Bedford Public Library. The third Martin album (Volume 4) may possibly contain mostly his own work. The majority of the images in this album are from 1905-1918, and each photograph is dated and captioned in a more detailed manner than the other two Martin albums. Throughout all three of the Martin albums, there are occasional checks or crosses in red pencil present in the right-hand margins. It is not clear when these markings were made or what they signify, though they may possibly represent a selection of photos that were intended to be used for some other purpose. Additionally, in the first Martin album (Volume 2) there are seven photographs of engravings of whale chases, while there are also two photographs (one in Volume 2 and another in Volume 4) of the half-sized model whaler Lagoda located in the Old Dartmouth Historical Society (now kept at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.)

• A.E. Wayland (Volume 4)
• A.R. Tucker (Volumes 2, 3, and 4)
• Alice Knowles (Volume 4)
• Andrew Hicks (Volumes 2 and 4)
• Bertha (Volumes 2 and 4)
• Canton (Volumes 2 and 4)
• Catalpa (Volume 3)
• Charles W. Morgan (Volumes 2 and 4)
• Commodore Morris (Volume 3)
• Daisy (Volume 4)
• Desdemona (Volume 3)
• E.B. Conwell (Volume 4)
• Eliza Adams (Volumes 3 and 4)
• Evelyn (Volume 4)
• Falcon (Volume 3)
• Francis Barstow (Volume 3)
• Golden City (Volume 2)
• Greyhound (Volumes 3 and 4)
• Harry Smith (Volume 2)
• Horatio (Volume 4)
• James Arnold (Volume 3)
• Josephine (Volumes 2, 3, and 4)
• Josephus (Volume 3)
• Kathleen (Volume 2)
• Laconia (Volume 3)
• Lagoda (Volumes 2 and 4)
• Leonora (Volume 2)
• Massachusetts (Volume 3)
• Morning Star (Volumes 2 and 4)
• Niger (Volume 3)
• Pedro Varela (Volumes 2 and 4)
• Platina (Volumes 2 and 4)
• Progress (Volume 2)
• Rousseau (Volume 3)
• Sullivan (Volume 2)
• Sunbeam (Volumes 2, 3, and 4)
• Swallow (Volume 3)
• Tamerlane (Volume 3)
• Viola (Volume 4)
• Wanderer (Volumes 2 and 4)
• William Graber (Volume 4)

The New England family travel photograph album contains approximately 600 photographs that document the domestic life and foreign travels of an unidentified husband and wife couple from suburban Boston during the first decade of the 20th-century.

The New England family travel photograph album contains approximately 600 photographs that document the domestic life and foreign travels of an unidentified husband and wife couple from suburban Boston during the first decade of the 20th-century. The album (28.5 x 36 cm) has pebbled black leather covers with “Photographs” stamped in gold on the front. By and large, images are presented chronologically and many have extensive captions which mainly identify the locations pictured as well as certain individuals. It appears that many image captions were cut and pasted from white paper and added on top of pre-existing faded captions that had been written directly on the album pages. Some images that show people of African descent have subtly derogatory captions. Photographs showcasing the family’s domestic life include pictures of annual spring blooms in their backyard; friends and family; various domestic activities including interacting with pet cats; and regional outings such as visits to Mt. Washington, Point of Pines nature park in Revere, Massachusetts, and poet John Greenleaf Whittier's birthplace in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

In the summer of 1905, the couple travelled to Montreal and up the St. Lawrence River to Quebec City and beyond, resulting in the production of nearly ten pages of photographic highlights (pgs. 7-16). Later that summer, they also took photographs while vacationing in the Lake Sebago region of Maine with friends whom they later visited in Providence, Rhode Island (pgs. 16-20, 22). A visit to New Orleans, Louisiana, and Beauvoir, Mississippi, in December of 1906 is also documented (pgs. 30-37). In 1907 the couple undertook a period of extensive international travel beginning with a trip to England, Scotland, Ireland, Belgium, and France (pgs. 38-57). A second visit to Quebec in September 1907 is briefly represented (pgs. 57-58), while a series of pictures from a trip to St. Augustine, Florida, in April 1908 are also included (pgs. 59-62). Photographs related to two separate tours of the Caribbean and Central/South America in July and August of 1908 and March of 1909 make up a substantial portion of the album (pgs. 63-103); images from the first tour mainly include scenes from Caribbean islands such as St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. Kitts, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, St. Lucia, and Barbados as well as British Guiana, while images from the second trip include scenes from Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Panama, Venezuela, Trinidad, Dominican Republic, and Cuba. Also present are several commercially-produced photographs, including a number of panoramic views, showing scenes from Mexico (pgs. 104-111). The majority of images taken during the couple’s travels consist of typical sightseeing photographs showing important cultural landmarks and historic buildings as well as street scenes, methods of transportation, and local people and industries. Throughout the album there are also numerous photographs taken aboard various transport vessels mid-voyage.

A few noteworthy historical events are minimally represented by photographs in this album, such as the January 15 1905 Washington Street Baptist Church fire in Lynn, Massachusetts (pgs. 2 & 3); the Quebec Bridge a few weeks after its collapse on August 29 1907 (pg. 57); the Great Chelsea Fire of 1908 (pg. 59); Panama Canal construction in 1909 (pgs. 87-89); long distance views of the site of the village of St. Pierre, Martinique, which was decimated by the volcanic eruption of Mt. Pelée on May 8 1902 (pg. 80); and the wreck of the battleship Maine in Havana Harbor (pg. 179). Individuals identified by captions throughout the album include Dr. Robert L. Bartlett (pgs. 4 & 89); “Miss Morse” (pg. 5); Stanley and Donald Clauss of Providence, Rhode Island (pgs. 17, 19 & 22); Hattie English, Lizzie English, “Mrs. Boynton,” and “Miss Lord” (pg. 19); Samuel Pickard (pg. 20); Jessie Pauline Whitney (pg. 21); "Mr. Little" (pgs. 19 & 22); William Rhodes (pg. 26); Maud Burdett (pgs. 38 & 58); George C. Hardin (pg. 74); Dr. Selah Merrill, American Consul in British Guiana (pg. 80); "Mrs. Parker" (pg. 85); and Hermann Ahrensburg (pg. 91). Other images of interest include a couple of photographs showing United States cavalrymen at camp in Lakeville, Massachusetts (pg. 2); a multiple exposure photograph showing the wife and other women (pg. 22); four photos showing a group of women that appear to be associated with a possible Masonic organization with the acronym “O.E.O.T.” (pg. 23); two photos of local boys diving in St. Lucia (pg. 72); a picture of a school for natives in St. Thomas where students were supposedly fined 10 cents a day for being absent (pg. 82); photos from Kingston, Jamaica, showing women working on a railroad and men operating a hand-made sugar mill (pg. 86); a group portrait of a baseball team in Venezuela (pg. 92); photos of the natural asphalt deposit Pitch Lake in Trinidad (pgs. 94 & 95); and photographs showing people with Brownie box cameras (pgs. 82 & 103).

The New London, Connecticut photograph album contains approximately 180 photographs mainly depicting rural areas, forests, lakes, and beach views in the vicinity of New London, Connecticut, as well as additional travel photographs taken in the 1930s in South Carolina, Florida, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts.

The New London, Connecticut photograph album contains approximately 180 photographs mainly depicting rural areas, forests, lakes, and beach views in the vicinity of New London, Connecticut, as well as additional travel photographs taken in the 1930s in South Carolina, Florida, New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. The album (29 x 21 cm) has brown cloth covers and is disbound. Connecticut-related images include a rustic cabin on Gardner Lake, the New London waterfront, and sailboats in the New London harbor. Also included are summer and winter views of a lodge exterior, and interior views showing Christmas decorations. Most photographs highlight natural features, with very few people included. Many images have manuscript captions, and a large number of photos have become loose.

Night Photos Taken Before and After the Earthquake and Fire is a photograph album containing 25 nighttime photographs of buildings and streets with electrical lighting in San Francisco, California, from 1901 to 1909.

Night Photos Taken Before and After the Earthquake and Fire is a photograph album containing 25 nighttime photographs of buildings and streets with electrical lighting in San Francisco, California, from 1901 to 1909.

The album (18.5. x 14.5 cm) has black cloth covers with “Photographs” gilt-stamped on front and black paper pages. An inscription on the inside of the front cover reads “Night Photos Taken Before and After The Earthquake and Fire by Cecil C. Cline S.F.” The photographer may possibly have been Cecil Cephas Cline (1884-1949), a San Francisco-based electrician. Buildings pictured include the Ferry Building, the Old Union Trust Building, the Old City Hall, the Tivoli Opera House, and more. While most photographs are exterior views, interior shots of the Ferry Building and Tivoli Opera House are also present.

Towards the back of the album one page is captioned “After the Earthquake and Fire.” Seven photographs are present in this section of the album including several images documenting the Portola Festival held in October, 1909, which was the first city-wide public event held in San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake.

The Noble Strong Elderkin family album consists of approximately 305 photographs, photomechanical prints, and assorted ephemera relating to the family of Congregational minister Noble Strong Elderkin.

The Noble Strong Elderkin family album consists of approximately 305 photographs, photomechanical prints, and assorted ephemera relating to the family of Congregational minister Noble Strong Elderkin. The album (32 x 29 cm) has a green cloth binding. Items of interest include photographs of family homes and churches in Boulder (Colorado), Las Vegas (New Mexico), Cragsmoor (New York), New Haven (Connecticut), and Ogden (Utah); gatherings on Paw Paw Lake, Michigan; a group of Chi Phi members posed in Atlanta, Georgia, for the congress of 1900; Pearl Street in Boulder during 1901; gambling houses on 25th Street in Ogden; and views of Taos, New Mexico. Several large format photographs show school groups, including the interior of the West Division Street Kindergarten; a group of schoolchildren with teachers posed outside a school building; and teachers leading schoolchildren in outdoor activities outside of a school in "Forestville."

Photomechanical prints show tourist attractions and scenic views in Great Britain and Belgium. Ephemeral items include newspaper clippings, some of which pertain to Tiwa Pueblo Indians at Taos; a program from the San Geronimo Feast and Taos Carnival, 1902; and a booklet of souvenir photographs from Las Vegas, New Mexico.

Subjects identified in photographs include: Gustav Lubeck, Albert Hunt, Eline Lubeck Elderkin, Frieda Washington, Elvira Lubeck, Charles McCoy, George Elderkin, Laura Leburg, Dr. Edward F. Williams, Bryant Harroun, Oscar Maurer, Lucius Porter, Eleanor Booth, Marian Booth, Tom Horn, Bernard Devoto, Alice Gunnell, Howard C. Riis, Judith Elderkin, Noble Elderkin, Jr., Louise Pierce, Georgiana Rogers, Leana Elderkin, Frank K. Sanders, Rebecca Holdstock, Amy Ford, Marjorie Richardson, Ruth Sinclar.

The Norwalk, Ohio family photograph albums consist of two volumes containing approximately 560 photographs that depict an unidentified family, their homes, vacations, and construction of a house.

Volume 1: This album (29 x 36 cm) has black leather covers and black paper pages. Images include many affectionate pictures of children and pets as well as photographs of family vacations, homes, and the construction of a large house. At the end of the album, several photographs of children that appear earlier are replicated in larger formats.

Volume 2: This volume (35.5 x 43 cm) is a leather portfolio bearing an elaborate embossed elephant design on the front cover. Contained within is a series of thirty large format mounted photographs of the same house that is pictured while under construction in Volume 1. Photographs include views of surrounding natural scenery and gardens, exterior shots of the house, and images showing the porch and sunroom.

The Ost family photograph album (17.8 x 22.8 cm) contains approximately 60 portrait snapshots, including some taken at Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan. There are several images of people wearing and holding the flag of the United States.

The Ost family photograph album (17.8 x 22.8 cm) contains approximately 60 portrait snapshots. The album is a souvenir from the 1933 Chicago World's Fair with "Gerard Ost" stamped on the front, but the photographs included were not taken at the World's Fair. Many of the photographs appear to have been removed from an earlier album and inserted into this album. The first three pages include photographs taken at Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan, depicting groups of people, the conservatory, the Detroit Boat Club, beaches, and a seaplane on the Detroit River. Also included are many photographs of women and children with a large American flag. The majority of images are of groups of men, women, and children posing in front of houses.

The Pageant of the Dunes photograph album contains 92 photographs including snapshots of scenery in and around the vicinity of Chicago, Illinois, as well as images of the “Pageant of the Dunes” event held in Port Chester, Indiana, in 1917.

The Pageant of the Dunes photograph album contains 92 photographs including snapshots of scenery in and around the vicinity of Chicago, Illinois, as well as images of the “Pageant of the Dunes” event held in Port Chester, Indiana, in 1917.

The album (19 x 29 cm) is string-bound and has black paper covers and pages. Contents begin with images of Chicago scenery including views of Navy Pier, Edgebrook, and the Chicago River, while the following section features several images that appear to be related to an exhibition of statues of World War I soldiers at an unidentified venue. Photographs in the section captioned “Pageant of the Dunes, 1917” consist of images of crowds as well as actors and actresses, including some dressed as Native Americans. Three photographs dated to 1918 are also present.

The Pan-American Expo and Travel photograph album (17 x 19 cm) has 60 amateur gelatin silver prints consisting of architectural photographs taken at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, N.Y, as well as photographs of Niagara Falls, General Grant’s Tomb, and caged animals at the Central Park Zoo in New York City. The album also includes images of the Old Fort in Annapolis, Nova Scotia, and shipbuilding in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. There are also images of the U.S. Navy Battleships U.S.S. Kearsarge, Indiana, and Texas.

The Pan-American Expo and Travel photograph album (17 x 19 cm) has 60 amateur gelatin silver prints, 18 of which are architectural photographs taken at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, N.Y. It also includes 4 photographs of what appears to be a demonstration of Coast Guard lifesaving procedures. Other views show a War of 1812 cannon on display, Niagara Falls, General Grant’s Tomb, and caged animals at the Central Park Zoo in New York City. The album also documents a trip to Fort Independence in Boston, as well as to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, including images of the Old Fort in Annapolis, N.S., and shipbuilding in Yarmouth, N.S. There are also images of the U.S. Navy Battleships U.S.S. Kearsarge, Indiana, Texas. Also of note are a group of 4 photographs of the St. John's River and harbor in New Brunswick accompanied by a newspaper clipping describing the tidal movements in the harbor. All of the photographs in the album are accompanied by handwritten captions.

The album has a brown cover inscribed with the title "Photographs," and is housed in a light blue box.

The Paul A. Meunier photograph albums consist of three large volumes documenting the experiences of the U.S. Army 941st Engineering Aviation Topographical Battalion during World War II including basic training in the United States in 1942, assignments in Tunisia and Italy, and the journey home via the Pacific following the conclusion of the war.

The Paul A. Meunier photograph albums consist of three large volumes documenting the experiences of the U.S. Army 941st Engineering Aviation Topographical Battalion during World War II including basic training in the United States in 1942, assignments in Tunisia and Italy, and the journey home via the Pacific following the conclusion of the war.

All three albums in the collection are 46 x 57 cm in size and have black covers and black paper pages. Each album contains approximately 1,000 photographs. Being a professional artist, Meunier’s attention to detail and exactness is evidenced by the presence of faint framing lines an inch from page margins, with photos carefully arranged within the frames. Numerous captions are present in white ink and neatly printed in appropriate size. Since the three albums present in this collection are titled “Volume 3,” “Volume 4,” and “Volume 5,” it is presumed that Meunier likely produced at least five albums total. Both official photographs as well as personal snapshots taken by Meunier himself are included.

Album A ("Volume 3"): This album documents Meunier’s military service starting from June 1942 when he departed Cleveland for basic training, initial U.S. deployments, his assignment to Tunisia, and his unit’s journey across the Mediterranean Sea to Italy in December 1943. Many snapshot views of street scenes in Tunis and other places in North African Meunier explored while on leave as well as copies of official U.S. Army photographs recording visits to Tunis in 1943 by high-ranking U.S. officials (including Secretary of War Henry Stimson and Generals Eisenhower and Spaatz) are present.

Album B ("Volume 4"): This album documents the transfer of Meunier’s unit to San Severo, Italy. Images of particular interest show the unit working on the production of large-scale lithographically produced bird’s-eye view maps with designated bombing targets charted out. Visits while on leave to Naples, Capri, and Amalfi are also thoroughly represented. Also present is a hand-drawn map of the streets of San Severo and an annotated aerial view of Capri.

Album C ("Volume 5"): This album includes official photos of airborne fighter planes and bombers, aerial views of target sites, and artwork by a fellow soldier. Meunier’s snapshots show soldiers at work as well as on tourist visits to famous Italian sites such as Rome, Florence, Pisa, and Pompeii. Although materials are not arranged in strict chronological order, this volume covers a period of time from when Meunier’s company was headquartered in Bari in mid-1944 to his journey home by ship through the Panama Canal in mid-1945. Also present are a handful of views of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 1944.