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The City of Boston Public Celebration July 4th, 1918, photograph album contains 81 photographs documenting Fourth of July celebrations that took place in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1918.

The City of Boston Public Celebration July 4th, 1918, photograph album contains 81 photographs documenting Fourth of July celebrations that took place in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1918.

The album (39 x 28.5 cm) is sting-bound and has gray cloth covers with "Photographs" stamped in gold on the front and black paper pages. The first page contains a handwritten label that reads "City of Boston July 4th, 1918." Most but not all images include handwritten captions. The album's contents are grouped into three sections marked by handwritten labels: “Patriotic Exercises,” “Sports and Pastimes,” and “The Parade in the Evening."

"Patriotic Exercises" begins on pg. 3 and contains 19 photographs. Images include several views showing Boston mayor Andrew James Peters overseeing flag raising exercises performed by uniformed U.S. Army soldiers on Boston Common; views of a floating stage at Frog Pond; three photographs of speakers at the Old State House including Rabbi Abraham Nowak, Mayor Peters, and Walter A. Whelan; and two photographs related to a speech by Judge Joseph J. Murley at Wood Park Island.

“Sports and Pastimes” begins on pg. 43 and contains 35 photographs. Images include numerous views of swimming and boat races held at the Charles River Basin; views showing a baseball game, brass band performance, and parading Naval Battalion at Wood Island Park; views of the “Italian populace,” “Italian societies,” and others at North End Park; views showing the distribution of ice cream at the Charles River Gym and Prince Street Playground; views of athletic competitions taking place at Boston Common including foot races and tug of war; and a view of bathers at City Point.

"The Parade in the Evening" begins on pg. 115 and contains 27 photographs. All of these images showcase participants in a parade procession and include views of U.S. Army troops and the 10th Massachusetts State Guard, various ethnic groups (including Latvians, Italians, Portuguese, Albanians, Chinese, Greeks, and Armenians), a coordinated group of children in formation as a "living flag," and the Mission Church Band.

"The 337th field hospital in north Russia, 1918-1919," a reminiscence of a soldier in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition."

The reminiscence describes his training at Camp Custer, the journey to Russia, the Russian countryside and towns, hospital work in Shenkursk, Ust Vaga and Osinova, fighting at Nijni Gora, Jan. 1919, the evacuation of Shenkursk, Jan. 1919, and his return to the United States. It includes sketch maps of the Dvina-Vaga front and of the battle at Nijni Gora and Ust Padenga, Jan. 19, 1919.

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.