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The California, Colorado, and Long Island vacation photograph album consists of 65 snapshot photographs from 1904 to 1906.

The California, Colorado, and Long Island vacation photograph album consists of 65 snapshot photographs from 1904 to 1906. The album begins with scenes of Colorado. These images show views from a railway through the Rocky Mountains and a trip to Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs.

A majority of the photographs were taken in San Francisco, California. These photos date from May, 1906, just after the San Francisco earthquake and fire. Many of the images show refugee camps and temporary housing, displaced businesses, and damage on Van Ness Ave, which was used as a firebreak by the United States Army. The McKinley Parade, also known as Fiesta de Los Angeles is photographed as well. Other California scenes include Cliff House in San Francisco, an ostrich farm in Pasadena, vineyards, and orchards of olive trees, palm trees, and lemon trees.

The last portion of the album is of Long Island, New York State. These scenes include people on a boat in the water near Westhampton, people swimming in Jamaica Bay, and Apacuck Point.

The album is 18.5 x 14 cm with red cloth covers.

The Charles J. Merz photograph album contains approximately 147 images, the majority of which show places and people around the area of Detroit, Michigan, during the late 19th and early 20th-centuries.

The album (27 x 36 cm) has maroon faux leather covers with "Photographs" stamped on the front and shows signs of considerable wear, including a damaged spine and detached front cover. While the album contains some traditional formal portraits, the majority of the photographs of people are more candid snapshots in nature. Images are presented on 9 x 12.5 cm prints with four to a page. Most photographs were taken in the Detroit-area (presumably all or mostly by Merz), with images including pictures of Belle Isle Park, elevated perspectives of city streets, boats (such as ferries, sailboats, and cargo boats) on the Detroit River, scenes from the aftermath of the Buick and Sherwood factory fire, Elmwood Cemetery, bridges, railroads, carriages, and family and friends in informal settings, including one portrait of an individual dressed in blackface. Also of interest are 32 photographs related to a militia group, with images showcasing training sessions such as rifle practice and marching drills, tongue-in-cheek portraits of militia members posing humorously in front of their tents at camp, and four views of a military parade in Washington, D.C. near the U.S. Capitol. The militia group being documented was likely the volunteer militia known as the Detroit Grays; one photograph is captioned “Detroit Gray’s Camp Sylvan Lake” while “Detroit Grays” also appears on flags present in some of the images. It may be the case that Merz was a member of the Detroit Grays. There are also a few images taken in Chicago and Colorado, including views of Michigan Avenue and the Garden of the Gods.

Several details help provide a date range for this album. One caption below a photograph of young men with bicycles simply reads “1888,” while the Buick and Sherwood factory fire (the aftermath of which is depicted in several images) took place in 1892. A flag visible in one of the militia camp photographs also reads, “Detroit Grays Organized May 7, 1895,” and a picture of the side paddle ferry Greyhound indicates that it was part of the White Star Line, which acquired the Greyhound in 1902. Finally, the caption of a view of the Belle Isle Power House states that the site represented is “where the casino is today.” Since a casino was built at that location in 1907, this would suggest that the album may have been compiled a number of years after the photos were taken.

Merz himself is identified in a photograph showing him holding a box camera and standing next to two other young men on a city street. He is identified in the caption as “Charles J. Merz Photographer,” and stands alongside two other young men identified as "Charles Rapp" and "Gus Hartman." A self-portrait of an unidentified young man and his camera taken in a mirror could also possibly be Merz, and he appears to show up in other photographs as well. He may also be pictured some of the militia photos, but due to the general lack of captions it is difficult to be certain. Two unused pages at the end of the album are covered with childish doodling, including one drawing adjacent to the inscribed name “Olive Merz”, Charles’s daughter, which would suggest that the album was once in the possession of the Merz family.

The Chicago to Colorado photograph album contains approximately 210 photographs taken by an unidentified photographer related to a tour from Chicago, Illinois, to Colorado and back again through Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Chicago to Colorado photograph album contains approximately 210 photographs taken by an unidentified photographer related to a tour from Chicago, Illinois, to Colorado and back again through Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The album (26 x 32 cm) has black paper covers and a manuscript note inside the front cover that reads: "Tour of 1903." Chicago-related photographs include a commercial street view, the Chicago River, and Lincoln Park. The following 191 photographs were taken in various locations around Colorado, including 20 images of commercial streets, residential streets, and parks in Denver and Colorado Springs; an early motorized sightseeing bus on a Colorado Springs street; and scenic views documenting visits to the Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak, and the Gunnison River.

Several photographs show the main building and a small cabin at Sprague's Ranch in Moraine Park, Colorado. The travelers, a party of two men and a woman, are shown fishing, posing beside their platform tents, and sightseeing with larger groups. Also shown is the dramatic scenery of Ouray, Colorado, with views of the mountains, the box canyon, Silver Plume mines, and street scenes which include a stagecoach and loaded burros. Following several photographs of hotels in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and a view of the Grand Canyon of the Arkansas, there are three images that show streets in Milwaukee, including the Schlitz Brewery, as well as two additional images of Chicago street scenes.

The Ismailia-Damascus pilgrimage photograph albums consist of a three-volume set containing approximately 260 photographs taken during an Ismailia Shriner pilgrimage trip in 1902 to the western United States and an undated expedition overseas to various places in Greece, Egypt, Turkey, Palestine, Syria, Algeria, Lebanon, and Italy.

Volume 1 (23 x 25 cm) contains approximately 98 photographs pertaining to an overseas Shriner expedition to various locations around the Mediterranean Sea region including sites in North Africa, western Asia, and southern Europe. It is unclear when this expedition took place, though it likely occurred ca. 1902. Many of the sites visited by the group are related to biblical stories, events, and personages. Images of particular interest include the Lion's Gate at Mycenae (pg. 1); the Arch of Hadrian in Athens (pg. 3); the supposed tree under which Mary and Joseph rested in the Land of Goshen (pg.8); ruins from a "last stand" made by European Crusaders (pg. 11); the Plain of Sharon (pg. 12); the Great Pyramid (pg. 14); a "Nilo-meter" on the River Nile (pg. 14); an elevated view of Istanbul (pg. 16); a group of Greek Klephts marching in traditional uniforms (pg. 17); Tiberias (pg. 18); a tour boat conducted by guides of Nassaire, Farajallah & Co. (pg. 19); Jerusalem's Damascus Gate (pg. 21); the bell tower on the Mount of Olives (pg. 24); the Monastery of Choziba (pg. 24); the Mosque of Amr in Cairo (pg. 28); ancient Egyptian ruins at Luxor (pg. 30); the public square in Corinth where Paul was said to have preached (pg. 31); Bisharin villagers near Aswan (pg. 34); a waterfront view of Algiers (pg. 35); Pompeii (pg. 36); Job's Wall in Silwan, Palestine (pg. 40); the Bosporus Strait (pg. 41); Haifa (pgs. 43 & 45); Damascus (pg. 46); Ba'labakk (pgs. 47 & 48); and Hotel Fast in Jerusalem (pg. 49). Many but not all of the images have inscribed captions on their versos. A loose cartoonish engraving/etching of a bald man with a moustache wearing Arabic clothing while riding a camel titled "Dr. Walter D. Greene" is also present inside the front cover. The album is string bound in black leather covers with the word "Photographs" embossed in gold on front.

Volume 2 (18.5 x 27.5 cm) contains approximately 98 photographs related to the Ismailia-Damascus Pilgrimage of 1902. Images of particular interest include a cyanotype of B.W. Rowell (pg. 1); a group portrait of the travelling party at the railroad station in McFarlan, Kansas (pg. 5); scenes from Pikes Peak, Colorado (pgs. 7-23); views of the Garden of the Gods (pgs. 24, 25, 28-36 & 38); the Royal Gorge (pgs. 37, 39, 40, 42 & 44); Glenwood Springs, Colorado (pgs. 47-49, 57 & 58); the Mormon Tabernacle and Salt Lake Temple (pgs. 52-54); Monterey Bay, California (pgs. 64-66 & 67); Santa Barbara, California (pgs. 68-71); Mount Shasta and Shasta Springs (pgs. 73-77); natural landscapes in Oregon (pgs. 81-86); and a ferry boat on the Columbia River (pgs. 91-96). The album is bound in red leather covers with the words "Photographs of the Ismailia-Damascus Pilgrimage 1902; Compliments of B.W. Rowell, Imperial Recorder; To Walter D. Greene" embossed in gold on front.

Volume 3 (18.5 x 27.5 cm) contains approximately 63 photographs related to the Ismailia-Damascus Pilgrimage of 1902. Images of particular interest include scenes from Spokane, Washington (pgs. 1-3); geysers at Yellowstone's Norris Basin (pgs. 12-22) and Upper Basin (pgs. 27-36); Yellowstone Lake (pgs. 39-43); Yellowstone's Upper and Lower Waterfalls and Grand Canyon (pgs. 46-51); Shriner Caleb Saunders posing with a haul of fish (pg. 52); and Walter D. Greene posing with his wife Mary L. Greene (pg. 55), an unidentified fellow "manager" of the pilgrimage (pg. 56), and alongside George F. Loder and a man identified as "Gass" (pg. 57). The album is bound in red leather covers with the words "Photographs of the Ismailia-Damascus Pilgrimage 1902; Compliments of B.W. Rowell, Imperial Recorder; To Walter D. Greene" embossed in gold on front.

This photograph album contains 72 photographs of a Shriners International trip to Glacier and Grand Canyon National Parks in 1920.

This photograph album contains 72 photographs of a Shriners International trip to Glacier and Grand Canyon National Parks in 1920. Each page includes handwritten notations stating location. The album begins with images of La Crosse (Wisconsin), Vista House along the Columbia River (Oregon), Grand Canyon, and Garden of the Gods. Following, are views of Glacier National Park including Saint Mary Lake, Many Glacier, Many Glacier Hotel, and Shriner members dancing with "waitresses." Of particular note are images of Shriner members among Blackfeet and Hopi Native Americans. The album ends with two images of San Francisco; a birds-eye view of the city and the Golden Gate strait.

The album is 20.5 x 14.5 cm with brown paper covers. "Shrine Trip 1920" is handwritten on the front cover.

The Stereograph-half album (34 x 27 cm) contains approximately 204 photographs, the majority of which are commercially produced half-steregraphs from locations in New Hampshire, New York, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Florida, Colorado and California.

The Stereograph-half album (34 x 27 cm) contains approximately 204 photographs, the majority of which are commercially produced half-steregraphs from locations in New Hampshire, New York, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Florida, Colorado and California. Photographs show Crawford Notch and Mt. Washington in New Hampshire; the American Falls of Niagara in winter; the Erie Canal in Lockport, N.Y.; landmarks and monuments in Washington, D.C. and Arlington, Va.; and 6 views of Lake George, N.Y. by Seneca Ray Stoddard, including the steamboat Horicon and the Sagamore Hotel. Florida photographs, some signed by photographer B.F. Upton, include Castillo de San Marcos; street scenes and a former slave market in St. Augustine; Harriet Beecher Stowe's house and family in Jacksonville; and African Americans standing near a log home and in a field of cotton. California scenes show the beach and town of Monterey, Cliff House in San Francisco, and 16 views of the Yosemite Valley. Two large albumen prints show Summit Station of the Central Pacific Railroad near Soda Springs, Calif., and gateway to the Garden of the Gods, Colorado, with ink stamp on verso: C.R. Savage, Art Bazaar, Salt Lake City, Utah. Additional photographs include botanical views, tourist attractions in Scotland, Paris, and other western European locations, and photographs of artworks.

The album is half bound leather with brown boards and is stored in a blue box.

The Western views - Kodak snapshot album contains 104 photographs primarily of Western landscapes including canyons, rivers, waterfalls, and the Monterey, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz coasts.

The Western views - Kodak snapshot album contains 104 photographs primarily of Western landscapes including canyons, rivers, waterfalls, and the Monterey, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz coasts. The album (26.5 x 32 cm) is fully bound in leather with gilt lettering "Kodak" on the front cover. Most of the locations depicted are represented in one or two photographs with the exception of Yellowstone (approximately 20 images) and the Grand Canyon (approximately 12 images). Other photographs show trains and train tracks, with two photographs of train station gardens in Sacramento and Ypsilanti, Michigan. Non-western locations and objects depicted include the Hudson, Niagara, and Mohawk Rivers, Niagara Falls, Minnehaha Falls, and Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis. In general people appear to be incidental to the scenery, save for two photographs showing posed groups; one in front of a topiary maze, and another in a grove of giant trees. Most photographs have numbers and captions derived from labeled negatives.