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The Al Parker collection includes three envelopes of photographs, sheet music, and newspaper clippings as well as a scrapbook relating to the professional and personal life of Philadelphia-based photographer and photographic supplies salesman Alfred Parker.

The Al Parker collection includes three envelopes of photographs, sheet music, and newspaper clippings as well as a scrapbook relating to the professional and personal life of Philadelphia-based photographer and photographic supplies salesman Alfred Parker.

Envelope A (photographs): includes unmounted oval portraits of Parker’s children Eda and Ray from the early 1900s; studio portraits of Eda and his wife Alice from the 1910s, two of them from the Philadelphia studio of Gilbert and Bacon; an mounted school class photo (ca. 1890s?)

Envelope B (sheet music): includes three examples of World War I songs from the Eagle Publishing Company of Philadelphia with "music by Geo. L. Robertson and lyrics by Al. Parker."

Envelope C (letters, clippings, etc.): includes a letter appointing Dr. Ray Parker head of plastic surgery at a hospital in Johnstown, PA; a magazine article on “Flood Free Johnstown”; letters and clippings about Dr. Ray Parker; article on World War II factory workers; newspaper article on Theodore Roosevelt urging U.S. entry into World War I; and a note from Christmas 1926 from Parker’s grandson Donald addressed to “Ganco."

Scrapbook: The volume (37 x 28) is cloth-bound and has 66 pages total. Materials are not arranged in any chronological or thematic order and so unrelated items often appear together on the same page.

The album begins with photographs of Parker’s family members while the next few pages focus on scenes from his professional life, including a magazine cover from April 1900 and documentation of his break with Willis & Clements in 1910. Portraits of Parker at every stage of his life appear throughout the scrapbook, though not in any chronological order. The earliest is a tintype from the 1850s that shows him as a young boy with his brothers. Many portraits and casual snapshots of Parker's daughter Eda and son Ray from their early childhood into adulthood are included, while a collection of clippings reflects Parker’s pride in Ray's success as a doctor. His delight in playing the doting grandfather is clear from the drawings Parker made for Eda’s son Donald and in the notes that Donald wrote to Parker using the nickname “Ganco.”

A handful of portraits that were taken by Parker show that he was a capable studio photographer in addition to being a successful promoter of platinum photography products while working for Willis & Clements. Requests for his opinions from Eastman Kodak Company, Photo Era magazine, and the Photographers’ Association of New England testify to his recognized expertise. Numerous portraits of Parker in the company of other well-regarded photographers of the day confirm his acceptance in that professional circle.

Many ephemeral items also help illuminate the arc of Parker's career including programs from his minstrel show days; an advertisement for his Australian window blind company; the initial offer of employment from Willis and Clements; business cards from various stages of his career; and an ad for a new camera shutter he invented. Interspersed amongst these items are letters and photographs from various colleagues and employers along with miscellaneous poems, cartoons, programs, drawings, song lyrics, newspaper clippings, and so on.

This photograph album contains 57 photographs of the Jinan Station of the American Presbyterian Shantung Mission from ca. 1923 to 1928. Much of the images show the Murray High School for Girls and its students.

This photograph album 57 photographs of the Jinan Station of the American Presbyterian Shantung Mission from ca. 1923 to 1928. Many of the images show the Murray High School for Girls and its students. Young girls are shown in the school yard being led through routines and stretches, in class portraits, on a riverboat, and likely participating in May Day celebrations dancing around a maypole. The girls are shown wearing two-piece qipao uniforms with a white blouse and black skirts or trousers. In several photographs students can be seen waving the first national flag of the Republic of China. Two images include a stamp on the back that reads, "Dr. Evalena S. C. Fleming, American Presbyterian Mission, Tsinanfu North China." Dr. Fleming was an amateur photographer and likely the owner of the album. The accordion style album also contains five loose photographs in a mylar sleeve.

The album is 18.25 x 12 cm with decorative cloth covers.

The American Tour photograph album contains 96 Photographs of a tour taken of the United States and Canada, featuring the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago.

The American Tour photograph album (24 x 18 cm) contains 96 Photographs of a tour taken of the United States and Canada, featuring the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago. The photographic narrative follows a trip from Southampton, England, across the Atlantic to New York City; Richmond, Virginia; Chicago, Ill.; the Niagara region; Saratoga, New York; the Hudson River valley; and finally New York City and Coney Island, New York. Images from the trans-Atlantic trip include the dock at Southampton, the Steamship SS Paris at sea; the Sandy Hook pilot boat; views of the Statue of Liberty; and steerage passengers on an ocean liner. Several images of Richmond, Va., and rural homes in Amelia County, Va. appear. One view showing a three adults and one child on a wagon "leaving Sherwood" may be of the travelers. Numerous views of the Columbian Exposition grounds in Chicago are at the center of the album. Photographs of Niagara Falls and the Niagara River include an image of Clifford Calverley crossing the river on a tightrope. Other images include barges on both the Saint Lawrence Seaway and Hudson River; boating and scenery at Lake George; and ice houses and sailboats along the Hudson River. Photographs of New York City depict Wall Street; Brighton Beach and Coney Island; the Statue of Liberty; and Jersey City Ferry Boat "Orange." The album's half-bound brown cloth cover is stamped in gilt "American Tour. 1893."

The Amherst, Massachusetts photograph album contains 13 photoprints taken in and around North Amherst, Mass., including images of churches, the post office, and parks. Also includes an image of the Amherst College campus and a photograph of a railroad bridge.

The Amherst, Massachusetts photograph album (18 x 26 cm) contains 13 photoprints taken in and around North Amherst, Mass., including images of churches, the post office, and parks. Also includes an image of the Amherst College campus and a photograph of a railroad bridge.

The album cover has black textured paper over boards, with gold printed title "Photographs," bound with string. Housed in a pale blue cardboard box.

The Amy Kelty photograph album contains approximately 333 photographs documenting the professional and personal life of Michigan woman Amy G. Kelty, including from her time spent as an instructor at the Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial School.

The Amy Kelty photograph album contains approximately 333 photographs documenting the professional and personal life of Michigan woman Amy G. Kelty, including from her time spent as an instructor at the Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial School.

The album (28 x 36 cm) has black covers and is itself in poor condition while the photographs are largely undamaged. Images of interest include pictures of Kelty's children Genevieve (1888-1953), Mary (1890-1964), and John Neil (1898-1980) engaged in various activities shown mostly from teenage to adult years; views of Mount Pleasant Industrial School buildings as well as school events with pupils and staff; views of buildings at Central State Normal School, the teaching college attended by Kelty and her daughters; views of Michigan Mining College which her son attended; and scenes from Kelty's later life including trips to the Grand Canyon, Black Hills, Alaska, Colorado, and Washington State as well as her graduation from the University of California at Berkley in 1925. Also present are earlier studio portrait photographs of various relatives from the 1880s and 1890s.

The Anglo-Mexican mining photograph albums are a three-volume set containing approximately 446 images of southern English beaches, architecture of Mexico City, mining operations in Zacatecas, Mexico, and portraits of the Pott family of England.

The Anglo-Mexican mining photograph albums are a three-volume set containing approximately 446 images of southern English beaches, architecture of Mexico City, mining operations in Zacatecas, Mexico, and portraits of the Pott family of England.

Volume one (24 x 16 cm) contains approximately 223 photographs replete with detailed inscriptions as well as two clippings. On the inside front cover are portraits of Cyrus Pott taken in 1906 and 1908 while an image of his son Dennis, who frequently appears throughout all three volumes, can be seen on the first page. Subsequent images of interest include pictures of a 1915 trip to Bournemouth, England; an Easter Monday picnic near Mexico City in 1912; Pott family friends Marquarita and Gorden McCloskey; an interior photograph of the Pott residence at 165 Calle de Londres in Mexico City; and a British Boating Club regatta. Also of note are photographs of the steamer Furst Bismarck; a trip to Bognor Regis, England; a couple on their honeymoon in Bournemouth, English; beachgoers; the Firth of Forth in Scotland; and pictures and clippings related to Cyrus Pott’s service in the National Motor Volunteer Corps.

Volume two (18 x 24 cm) contains approximately 103 photographs and has fewer inscriptions than volume one. Images of interest include views of a trip to Brighton, England, in the fall of 1913; a group of people standing behind a wall captioned “Fleeing from Mexican shells, Feb. 1912”; a group of cooks captioned “Chinese and Mexican cousins. / Louis-Maria-Angela”; a trip on the Furst Bismarck on April 16, 1913; a 1913 trip to Havana, Cuba; a trip aboard the Corcovado on the Viga Canal; Mrs. Pott and friends at La Fe Mine in Guadalupe, Zacatecas; the vantage point from Adolf Goerz’s Mexico City office; and various sites in A Coruña, Spain.

Volume three (18 x 24 cm) contains approximately 120 photographs and has the fewest amount of inscriptions of all three albums. Images of interest include pictures of a bull fighting ring; Villistas at La Fe Mine; more views of the house at 165 Calle de Londres; Christmas at the University Club in Mexico City; Alfred Pott in a cradle on his christening day in 1913 in Stow, England; and Cyrus Pott at La Fe Mine. On the inside back cover there are two photographs of outdoor activities.

The Appalachian Mountain Club photograph album contains approximately 270 photographs showing members of the Appalachian Mountain Club, including men, women, and occasionally children, in a variety of outdoor settings and activities.

The Appalachian Mountain Club photograph album contains approximately 270 photographs showing members of the Appalachian Mountain Club, including men, women, and occasionally children, in a variety of outdoor settings and activities. The album (26 x 31 cm) has black cloth covers. Activities depicted include boating, fishing, ice skating, hiking, golfing, and swimming. One series of photographs show a large group of men snowshoeing in the mountains and eating around a large table in a log building. Also included are views of loggers with peavey hooks, horse-drawn sledges, several lodge interiors, and scenic mountain views. Five additional photographs show a wedding party, possibly from the 1916 wedding of Leverett S. Saltonstall and Alice Wesselhoeft in Jaffrey, New Hampshire.

Additional laid-in items include the following: luggage tags from the Appalachian Mountain Club marked with the name "F.M. Howe," with destinations of Gorham, N.H. Westport, N.Y., and Au Sable Chasm; newpaper clippings from the 1930s featuring the Harvard football team; newspaper article from 1917 regarding the retirement of Federal Reserve governor Alfred L. Aiken; cartoon showing the participants in the National Shawmut Bank Tournament including Florrimon Howe and Leverett Saltonstall; certificate of appreciation from the Federal Reserve Bank, inscribed to Florrimon M. Howe for assistance with the Liberty Loan of 1917.

The Arabella Chapman carte-de-visite albums primarily contain carte-de-visite and tintype photographic portraits of members of the Chapman family, middle-class African Americans from Albany, New York. Also pictured are friends, neighbors, and a few prominent abolitionists and public figures.

The Arabella Chapman carte-de-visite albums (16cm x 13cm) contain 95 carte-de-visite and tintype photographic studio portraits of the family, friends, and associates of Arabella Chapman, along with public figures and role models. The photos were taken from the 1860s to the turn of the century, with the bulk from the 1870s and 1880s. An inscription indicates that "Bella" Chapman received the second album from R. H. Bundy on October 3, 1878. The albums' covers are bound in blue leather, with designs carved in relief and metal clasps.

The first volume has 32 cartes-de-visite and 17 tintypes, including commercially produced photographs of Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and John Brown. Also included is an autographed carte de visite by New York State Representative and Underground Railroad organizer William Henry Johnson (1833-1918). The second volume has 24 cartes-de-visite and card photographs, as well as 22 tintypes. Each volume has a partially completed index, with some manuscript captions written directly on some mounts and album pages. The sequence of photographs does not correspond to the indices.

Many of the photographs were taken by photographers in Albany, New York, along with a few images taken during visits to Pleasure Island Park; Saratoga, New York; and other locations. Arabella Chapman appears in six photographs taken at different times in her life.

Portraits of Arabella Chapman's immediate and extended family make up the largest portion of the photographs, including repeated photographs of her parents, future husband, siblings, cousins and nieces, daughter, and in-laws. The majority of the remaining images show Chapman's school friends, family friends, and neighbors from Albany. These include William Brent, a hotel waiter born in Washington, D.C.; Jim Goines, a porter; Charlie Butler, the son of a billiard hall owner and also employed as a waiter; and Anna Latour, the Chapmans' next-door neighbor, whose brother William was a waiter. Some portraits show Arabella's female peers, such as Elizabeth Myers, the daughter of Stephen Myers; Anna Bolden, listed both as a student and as a servant in a white household; and Mary Crosby, who with Chapman formed the only recitation team from Wilberforce in Albany's 1868 annual public school exhibition. A photograph pasted into the last page of the second volume shows Arabella's children and their neighbors, the Spragues.

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 Artin Hovsepian photograph collection contains heavily colored portrait crayon enlargements and other portrait photographs created by Artin M. Garabed Hovsepian, an Armenian immigrant who worked as a photographer in Detroit, Michigan during the first half of the twentieth century.

The Artin Hovsepian Collection contains 78 photographic prints, predominantly portrait crayon enlargements. The majority of the subjects are young women, but portraits of men and children are also included. A number of images include props and outfits suggesting first communions, confirmations, and graduations. Other images suggest related religious themes, including a portrait series of a priest, and a group photograph of a religious school class, possibly at St. Albertus School in Detroit, Michigan. Also included in the collection are photographs of buildings from Hovsepian's Detroit neighborhood; animals; one portrait of an African American male; a man in a uniform; a costumed couple; and a group photograph of a 1925 meeting of the National Council of Women. Of special interest is an enlarged carte de visite of the "904-lb. Woman, Big Laura Wolford."

More than half of the collection is comprised of oval hand colored or tinted crayon enlargements colored with a variety of artistic media and techniques including crayon, pastels, airbrushing, and paint. Many of the images are on a convex molded cardboard or paper meant to create the illusion of three-dimensionality when framed in an oval domed "bubble" glass frame.