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The John D. Bagley photograph albums consist of three photograph albums created by John DuCharme Bagley IV of the Bagley family of Detroit, Michigan.

The John D. Bagley photograph albums consist of three photograph albums belonging to John DuCharme Bagley IV of the Bagley family of Detroit, Michigan.

The photograph albums document the life of John DuCharme Bagley IV over a period of twenty years or so. Bagley IV was clearly an enthusiastic amateur photographer who enjoyed documenting his family and friends. The photos in all three albums are snapshot-sized and mostly taken outdoors. While the earliest album (Volume I) is extensively captioned, the other two are not.

Volume 1:

The first volume (14 x 30 cm) includes images taken between 1903 and 1905, including numerous photographs taken during a Bagley family trip to Europe. Bagley IV was a teenager at the time. Identified family members documented in this album include his older sister Frances, younger brother Phil, parents John N. and Esther, and an “Aunt Frankie” who was likely Esther’s sister. This trip appears to have lasted several months, perhaps the better part of an entire year. Locations visited included the German Alps, Naples, Rome, Pompeii, Lake Lucerne, Amsterdam, and London. The family’s return to New York by steamship is also represented. The remainder of this album documents experiences on Woodcote Farm in Ionia, Michigan, as well as family life in Detroit and outdoor summer activities at Long Lake in Grand Traverse County, Michigan.

Volume 2:

The second volume (20.5 x 30.5 cm) contains material compiled during World War I and afterwards. Views of the U.S. Naval Academy and of Washington D.C. are included, and Bagley IV is shown in many images wearing a naval uniform. Several warships (including what appears to be the USS Pennsylvania, commissioned in 1916) are pictured from afar throughout the album. One series of snapshots shows an Armistice celebration taking place at an unidentified location. Several pages showcase scenic views taken during a train journey through an unidentified mountainous region. The bulk of the remaining pictures in this album consist of portraits of family and friends posing informally in urban, domestic, and rural settings. Bagley IV appears regularly, usually in a business suit, and in a couple of cases he can be seen standing next to a Bagley & Co. company vehicle. Also present is a large loose photo that shows John J. Bagley’s birthplace in Medina, New York, which was photographed in 1895.

Volume 3:

The third volume (20.5 x 30.5 cm) contains numerous photographs taken during visits to New Mexico and Colorado in 1908 as well as Oregon in 1909. Images in the New Mexico section highlight operations and personnel of the Maxwell Irrigated Land Company. Bagley IV’s younger brother Phil may have been involved with this company. While it is not entirely clear which photos were taken in Colorado, numerous images of logging operations and logging camps were most likely taken in Oregon. Also present are personal photos showing Bagley IV and his wife Mary visiting forests and beaches. The final section of the album includes photos of Bagley IV in a navy uniform and views of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland.

This collection consists primarily of letters that Lieutenant Colonel Melvin Brown wrote to his wife Louise while serving at the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Forces during World War II. The letters, which most frequently discuss the couple's two sons and Brown's desire to return home, also offer insight into his views on the role of the United States military following the war.

This collection consists primarily of 17 letters that Lieutenant Colonel Melvin Brown wrote to his wife Louise while serving at the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Forces during World War II. The letters, which most frequently discuss the couple's two sons and Brown's desire to return home, also offer insight into his views on the role of the United States military following the war. The collection also has a letter to Melvin Brown from the Prudential Insurance Company.

Melvin Brown wrote 17 letters to his wife in September 1944 and between April and September 1945. He addressed his letters to "Louise and Sonnies" and signed himself "Daddy B." In his letters, Brown expressed his affection for his family, shared his amusement after hearing stories of the boys' games, and discussed his regret at being absent for his sons' early years. He also commented on finances and the possibility of purchasing an insurance policy to fund his sons' education.

Brown was stationed in Paris after the conclusion of hostilities in Europe and often visited the nearby countryside, where he saw the effects of the war (April 17, 1945). His letter of August 6, 1945, encloses 5 photographs of a picnic held at a château. Occasionally, Brown mentioned his political opinions and his thoughts about the end of the war and the "strange peace proceedings in the Pacific" (August 19, 1945). On August 26, 1945, he wrote about the atomic bomb, suggesting that it might fulfill the apocalyptic stories of H. G. Wells, and expressed his hope that the United States would not return to isolationist politics after the war. One printed letter, addressed to Melvin C. Brown by the Prudential Insurance Company, relates to an insurance check sent directly to Louise Brown (April 3, 1945).