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The Admiral William Mead photograph album contains approximately 250 photographs related to the family and career of U.S. Navy Rear Admiral William Whitman Mead.

The Admiral William Mead photograph album contains approximately 250 photographs related to the family and career of U.S. Navy Rear Admiral William Whitman Mead.

The album (35.5 x 29 cm) has pebbled covers with partial leather bindings and "Photographs" stamped on the front cover and contains around 250 photographs of various sizes and formats, including collodion, gelatin silver, platinum, silver platinum and albumen prints, cyanotypes, and snapshots. The spine and edges show considerable wear. The photographs chronicle three periods in Admiral Mead's naval career: his time as lighthouse inspector in the Great Lakes, and his assignments as commandant of the Newport, Rhode Island naval base and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. Additionally, there is at least one photograph towards the front of the album from the Lomaland School in San Diego as well as a series of others mostly located towards the back of the album that were taken in an unidentified tropical location (possibly Florida).

Some of the album’s captions, primarily in beginning and the lighthouse section, appear to have been first added when it was originally assembled and many are partially erased. The majority of captions, however, were contributed at a later date by Admiral Mead’s niece, Annie Adelia Mead Ferguson. Annie appears to have come into possession of the album at some point and added her own annotations identifying people and places she recognized in the photographs. She also added a handwritten note to the inside of the album’s front cover in 1970 indicating that the album had once “belonged to William Whitman Mead” before explaining that she captioned certain images herself and speculating on which of her children might want to inherit the album. It is unclear who originally took many of the photographs, though there are indications that Annie's mother Unadilla Gazlay Mead may have contributed some material. One photograph on pg. 32 shows Unadilla and her husband Omar C. Mead, Admiral Mead’s brother, posing together on a dock in either Portsmouth or Newport while the former can be seen holding a camera in her hands, while on pg. 44 there is a self-portrait taken in a mirror of a woman with a camera that appears to be Unadilla.

The album provides extensive documentation of lighthouses along the shores of Lakes Superior and Huron in the mid-1890s, as well as views from Great Lakes locations such as Duluth, Copper Harbor, and the locks at Sault Ste. Marie. Specific lighthouses represented include Seul Choix Light, Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, Sand Island Lighthouse, Huron Island Lighthouse, Isle Royale Light, an abandoned lighthouse on Isle Royale, a pair of unidentified lighthouses possibly located in the Keweenaw Peninsula, Windmill Point, a lighthouse in St. Clair Flats, Gull Rock, Stannard’s Rock, Rock Harbor Light, and other unidentified structures. Images related to Admiral Mead’s time at the Newport naval base include portraits of Mead both in and out of uniform, portraits of family members such as Julia Mead, a collotype postcard of Trinity Church, and various buildings and street scenes. Images related to Admiral Mead’s time at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard include views of the Commandant’s house, “The Admiral’s Yacht,” and portraits of various individuals including John W. Yerkes, Elizabeth O. Yerkes, Amelia R. Yerkes, Annie Meade Matthews, Omar C. Mead, and Annie Adelia Meade as a young child. Of particular interest are a number of candid shots of locations and participants in the Portsmouth peace talks that ended the Russo-Japanese War in 1905 (including several photographs of three unidentified Japanese men described as “servants” in one caption) that are present on pgs. 30, 36, 37, and 39. While most of the ships that appear in the album are unidentified, identified vessels include the passenger steamer North Land on pg. 16 and the lighthouse tender Marigold on pg. 23. Other individuals identified by caption include Robert A. Watts (Admiral Mead’s brother-in-law) and Margaret A. Watts (Admiral Mead’s mother-in-law). Also present are three outdoor portraits of unidentified African American men and women on pg. 21 captioned “Those good ole’ days!!” and “Same good ole days!” as well as a cyanotype of an unidentified African American girl on pg. 48.

The Arizona photograph album contains 70 images taken by an unknown photographer showing scenes from Flagstaff, Arizona Territory, and the surrounding area.

The Arizona photograph album contains 70 images taken by an unidentified photographer showing scenes from Flagstaff, Arizona Territory, and the surrounding area. The album (21 x 31 cm) has black pebbled cloth covers and a leather spine. Images of interest include views of men visiting cliff dwellings near Flagstaff; a group visiting the Grand Canyon by carriage and horseback; past the John Hance house and trail; scenic shots of the Grand Canyon taken from the Grand View Hotel; trailside cooking; and a wagon breakdown on the return trip. Additional photographs show Timothy Riordan, president of the Arizona Lumber & Timber Company, and his family at the rustic Thomas' Hotel in Oak Creek Canyon; an excursion to the lava beds including amateur photographer Father Daniel McGillicuddy of Worcester, Massachusetts, who is shown setting up his camera among the rocks; 11 views of the 1902 Fourth of July celebrations in Flagstaff, with masked participants, horse-drawn floats, soldiers in formation, and the former homes of Michael and Timothy Riordan decked out in bunting. Also present are photographs of the home of Frederick Sisson, a manager with the Arizona Lumber & Timber Company, including views of a porch or interior decorated with Native American rugs, pottery, textiles, baskets, and animal skins.

The Atlantic City photograph album contains approximately 90 photographs related to an unidentified couple and their daughter, Jane, during a trip to Atlantic City in April and May of 1914.

The Atlantic City photograph album contains approximately 90 photographs related to an unidentified couple and their daughter, Jane, during a trip to Atlantic City in April and May of 1914. The album (18.5 x 27 cm) is bound in hand-painted varnished leather on paper boards with wood overlay. Images of particular interest include views of horseback riding on the beach, strolling on the boardwalk, and riding in rolling chairs and a pony-drawn cart. Atlantic City is seen largely as a backdrop to family activities. Additional photographs show the young girl sledding and with toys and friends at home. Also includes a photograph of Eleanor R. and Frederick D. Countiss and their daughter, Henrietta, in a studio portrait.

The Augustus J. J. Thibaudeau family photograph album contains approximately 308 photographs and 4 manuscript items related to the family and friends of Augustus J. J. Thibaudeau, a prominent lawyer based in Niagara Falls, New York, and a representative of the Photo-Pictorialist movement in photography.

The Augustus J. J. Thibaudeau family photograph album contains approximately 308 photographs and 4 manuscript items related to the family and friends of Augustus J. J. Thibaudeau, a prominent lawyer based in Niagara Falls, New York, and a representative of the Photo-Pictorialist movement in photography.

The album (26 x 31 cm) has black cloth covers with “Snap Shots” embossed in silver on the front. The 4 loose manuscript items are contained in a Mylar enclosure at the beginning of the album and include two letters from Marie Thibaudeau written to her mother and father while abroad in England in 1923; a booklet made of faux-bark paper containing a watercolor illustration and poem about fishing titled “Stower’s Fish”; and a hand-written recipe booklet containing 18 recipes for various dishes.

Around 111 loose photographs of various sizes and formats are also contained in a Mylar enclosure and mostly include individual and group portraits (both indoors and outdoors), natural landscape views, and images of homes. A small percentage of these photographs have captions on their versos, including some that identify subjects. Of the loose photographs, images of interest include a group portrait of young women at Wellesley College in 1918 during their freshman year; portraits of Marie Thibaudeau, including several showing her posing with her beloved dog Sam-Sam; snapshots taken during a trip to Rome in 1932; and numerous images showing exterior views of houses as well as swimming, fishing, boating, and other outdoor activities taking place near the Thibaudeau family cottage on the Georgian Bay in Ontario.

Approximately 197 photographs are pasted into the album proper. A number of these photographs are partially unglued and in some cases writing on their versos is accessible. The album has many photographs showing waterfront summer vacation scenes from what appears to be different trips to the family cottage over a span of several years; some of these images in the front end of the album have inscriptions on their versos which indicate those photographs were taken in August 1910 by “D.B.” Other images of note include a picture showing a group of young women in a large sleigh with the verso caption reading “Marie Thibaudeau ΖΣΕ Jan, 24, 1912”; a pair of photographs showing siblings Kenneth Fraser Allan and Dorothy Elizabeth Allan when aged 3 and 6 respectively; two group portraits of young men in military uniforms standing in formation; photographs taken at Wellesley College showing buildings, students, campus scenes, large group activities, and a commencement ceremony; two photographs of a biplane mid-flight; and a series of interior views of an unidentified home that appears to have a menorah above the fireplace.

The Brown family photograph album contains approximately 100 photographs (mostly cyanotypes) showing the home, neighborhood, family members, and friends of Phildelphia textile manufacturer Crosby M. Brown (1857-1906) and his wife Addie O. Brown (1857-?).

The Brown family photograph album contains approximately 100 photographs (mostly cyanotypes) showing the home, neighborhood, family members, and friends of Phildelphia textile manufacturer Crosby M. Brown (1857-1906) and his wife Addie O. Brown (1857-?).

The album (31 x 26 cm) begins with the birth of May Marguerite Brown in October or November, 1888, and focuses on the subsequent visits of relatives and neighbors, including the Mayers, Crosby M. Wright, and Aunt Ellen Smedley. Images include family group portraits, exterior and interior views of the large family home at 63rd and Median Streets, winter scenes at nearby parks, and views of the neighboring homes of John Bell, Mr. Hess, and Jacob Jones. Other photographs depict Brown family visits to Ellen Smedley at "Bala" in Bryn Mawr (Pennsylvania), to Norwalk (Ohio), and a fishing trip to Waterville (New Hampshire). Also included are views of mill clerk F. A. Reinstein in his office, and industrial buildings from 33rd and Walnut Streets in Philadelphia (possibly the family textile mills).

The City and country life photograph album contains approximately 70 photographs primarily showing the city and country residences of an unidentified wealthy family.

The City and country life photograph album contains approximately 70 photographs primarily showing the city and country residences of an unidentified wealthy family.

The album (21 x 27 cm) is half bound in black leather and has a detached front cover.

City scenes include views of townhouses on a city block in winter; a woman entering a carriage beyond a decorative wrought iron fence; a well-dressed couple in a two-wheeled carriage; an infant in a wicker baby buggy; a housekeeper or servant standing at a side door; and women and a young girl standing on a city street in elegant winter capes, muffs and hats. One woman stands on a snowy sidewalk holding a Kodak Brownie camera in her gloved hands. Five photographs show well-furnished formal interiors.

Rural scenes include views of a log house on a wooded lake whose well-furnished interior includes bookshelves, Native American baskets and textiles, snowshoes, a wolfskin rug, a desk, a chaise, and a piano. Men and women are shown with guns and gamebirds, fishing from a dock and in a rowboat, and partaking in an elaborate outdoor tea party. One photograph shows a Native American man sitting on the cabin steps. Nature views include images of logs in a flooded river, streams, a small wooded island, and a spotted fawn.

The David V. Tinder Collection of Michigan Photography consists of over 100,000 images in a variety of formats including daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, cartes de visite, cabinet photographs, real photo postcards, stereographs, and mounted and unmounted paper prints. The collection is primarily made up of vernacular photographs of everyday life in Michigan taken by both professional and amateur photographers from the 1840s into the mid-twentieth century. In addition to supporting local history research, the collection has resources for the study of specific events and subjects. Included are images related to lumbering, mining, suburbanization; the industrialization of cities; travel and transportation; the impact of the automobile; the rise of middle-class leisure society; fashion and dress; ethnicity and race; the role of fraternal organizations in society; and the participation of photographers in business, domestic, and social life. The collection is only partially open for research.

The subject contents of different photographic format series within the Tinder collection vary, depending in part upon how each format was historically used, and the date range of that format's popularity. For example, cartes de visite and cased images are most often formal studio portraits, while stereographs are likely to be outdoor views. Cabinet photographs are frequently portraits, but often composed with less formality than the cartes de visite and cased images. The postcards and the mounted prints contain very diverse subjects. The photographers' file contains many important and rare images of photographers, their galleries, promotional images, and the activities of photographers in the field. See individual series descriptions in the Contents List below for more specific details.

Included throughout are images by both professional and amateur photographers, although those by professionals are extant in far greater numbers.

The Delta, Colorado photograph album contains approximately 90 photographs compiled by Gertrude L. Hick related to the Hick family residence and neighborhood in Delta, Colorado, and excursions to various locations in Colorado.

The Delta, Colorado photograph album contains approximately 90 photographs compiled by Gertrude L. Hick related to the Hick family residence and neighborhood in Delta, Colorado, and excursions to various locations in Colorado.

The album (18 x 27 cm) is disbound and has a grey cloth cover with gilt stamped title "The Kodak Book." The album was compiled by Gertrude L. Hick, the wife of physician Lawrence A. Hick, and presented as a Christmas gift to her mother. Images of interest include photographs of the landscape near Delta, Colorado; Gertrude and Lawrence Hick with their young son; the Hick family residence and neighboring homes on Main Street; neighborhood children; the Hicks with friends on excursions to Grand Mesa and Colorado Springs; frontier cabins; and several views of Pitkin, Colorado, including two photographs of mining camps. Two large photographs show the exterior and interior of the Delta Cash Grocery, a store managed by Gertrude's brother, Byram Luce. Additional photographs show a group of children gathered around a maypole; several views of La Platte, Nebraska (Gertrude's hometown); and a bearded man, possibly Delta carpenter Albert Tillotson, displaying his woodcarvings which is captioned, "Compliments of Mr. and Mrs. Tillotson."

The Emmett M. Smith photograph album contains approximately 790 photographs and 6 pieces of ephemera related to the experiences of American soldier and engineer Cpl. Emmett Merle Smith while he served with the United States Army Air Service’s 800th Aero Repair Squadron in France during World War I.

The Emmett M. Smith photograph album contains approximately 790 photographs and 6 pieces of ephemera related to the experiences of American soldier and engineer Cpl. Emmett Merle Smith while he served with the United States Army Air Service’s 800th Aero Repair Squadron in France during World War I.

The album (28 x 37 cm) has black cloth covers with “Postal Souvenirs” stamped on the front; the covers and spine are in poor condition, as are a relatively small number photographs (some of which bear signs of insect damage).

On the inside of the front cover is a tipped-in copy of A History of the 800th Aero Repair Squadron, an official unit history account of the squadron published by its members in 1919. A small group of 10 loose photos and 6 pieces of ephemera are also present, including postcards, snapshots, YMCA guides to Paris and Marseilles, and two programs related to jointly held French and American Mother’s Day celebrations in Paris in May 1919 that were organized by L’Association des French Homes.

The first pasted-in photographs in the album are a series of 24 panoramic views showing Parisian scenery and famous landmarks. This section ends with another YMCA guide to Paris and a matriculation card for the Université de Paris Faculte des Sciences 1918-1919 for Emmett M. Smith that includes a portrait. Smith appears to likely have been the compiler of this album as he appears in numerous other photographs throughout. He was a member of the 800th Aero Repair Squadron’s Flight A, who were stationed at Camp de Souge near Bordeaux.

From pg. 15 through to the end of the album photographs are individually numbered from 1 to 781. While a typescript index describes photographs #25-28, there is no overarching index for the entire series. Numerous photos have captions (including manuscript captions), though the majority do not. Images come in a range of sizes and appear to have originated from numerous sources including German and French photographers as well as snapshots possibly taken by Smith himself. “AR” also appears on several photographs, possibly indicating that these images were taken by 800th Aero Repair Squadron photographers. However, by and large photographers are not identified for specific images.

In general, this album contains frontline scenes of battlefields, dead soldiers and animals, trench views, and ruined structures as well as images documenting camp life, military bases, and aerial reconnaissance views. Numerous photographs of military equipment, weaponry, airplanes, tanks, warships, soldiers, and street scenes showing cities/towns and civilians are also present. Post-war scenes include documented stays in Paris, southern France, Italy, and Spain.

• #3 (image showing charging soldiers, some in gas masks, with one man appearing to be clutch his throat while falling; captioned “Actual photo of action at Verdune”)
• #7, 651 (800th Aero Repair Squadron group portraits)
• #12 (shot of Kaiser Wilhelm talking with German officers)
• #15, 17 (aerial views of Albert, France, in November 1916)
• #48, 70.1 (pictures of German tanks)
• #73, 76 (view of citadel with German signage and view showing street signage by ruins; amongst other views that appear to be in Belgium)
• #109 ("Toul - French plane ready for a flight")
• #110, 111 (images showing the French and American sections of the 1918 panoramic painting Panthéon de la Guerre)
• #142, 143 (two images of a train wreck by “Chiljian,” possibly Armenian American photographer Pvt. Henry B. Chiljian)
• #146, 148 (two images showing plane crash wreckage)
• #167 (French observation balloon being inflated)
• #209 (Georges Clemenceau visiting aviation field)
• #219 (clipping showing aftermath of the Halifax explosion with inscription reading “Spent 10 day aboard ship here right after explosion was supposed to have been here just before explosion but was delayed”)
• #374 (post-war image captioned “U.S.A. bound” which precedes series of naval voyage images)
• #451+ (images from Italy and Southern France)
• #525 (railroad scene with “Chicago Opera Association” sign in view)
• #631 (view of three men at typewriters working in an office with maps and aerial photographs pinned to the wall)
• #638 (aerial view captioned “My aviation camp. Camp de Souge - North of Bordeaux from the 2nd Artillery Aerial Observation Island 1917-1918-1919”)
• #649 (view showing surgery being performed on a man in operating room captioned “Hell - without [anesthesia]”)
• #699 (view showing a queue outside of a YMCA in Bangor, Maine)
• #712, 715 (two portraits of young women captioned “My Italian fiancée” and “My Spanish fiancée”)

The Family travel photograph album contains approximately 335 photographs depicting the travels of an unidentified family to various locations in California, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington, and British Columbia.

The The Family travel photograph album contains approximately 335 photographs depicting the travels of an unidentified family to various locations in California, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington, and British Columbia. The album (19 x 28 cm) is partially disbound and has green burlap covers. Images include family snapshots primarily taken in Oakland, California (89 photographs in total), and East Orange, New Jersey (73 photographs in total); views of sights in Richmond (Virginia), Victoria (British Columbia), including many home interiors and exteriors, nurses and infants, family groups, and children in cribs and posed with dolls; photographs of parks and scenic views of Oakland; views of the battleships Vermont and St. Louis off the coast of Old Point Comfort, Virginia; and a street and waterfront view of New York City. Other photographs of interest include a light-hearted image of five women with their faces bursting through sheets of newspaper; views from locations in Virginia (Roanoke, Richmond, East Radford, Norfolk, and Jamestown), New York (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Schenectady, and Staten Island), Washington (Seattle and Big Lake), and California (Berkeley and Santa Catalina); White Fleet admiral Robley D. Evans in a carriage; and four real photograph postcards showing night views of San Francisco illuminated to welcome the Great White Fleet, May 6-17, 1908. Most photographs include manuscript captions indicating location and date.