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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.

The M. W. I. European Tour photograph albums contain commercial prints and lithographs from the compiler's trip to several European countries in the summer and fall of 1871. The photographs show landscapes and scenery, secular and religious buildings, European royals and nobility, and statues and paintings.

The two M. W. I. European Tour photograph albums contain commercial prints and lithographs from the compiler's trip to several European countries in the summer and fall of 1871. Each of the 28cm x 22cm volumes has a red pebbled cover with the title "M. W. I. 1871" stamped in gold on the front. Volume 1 contains around 175 items, including three loose albumen prints, and Volume 2 contains around 140 items. Smaller photographs and lithographs are mounted as many as five to a page and larger items are only slightly smaller than the albums' pages.

The first book primarily contains pictures from England, Scotland, and France, and the second has images from France, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany. Many of the pictures from England and Scotland show royal residences, cathedrals, and other landmarks, such as the houses of Parliament and the Crystal Palace. Natural scenes from Lochs Lomond and Katrine are also present, as are views of Edinburgh and Holywood Palace. Photographs from Continental Europe show similar scenes of religious buildings, monuments, and landscapes, particularly in the Alps. A few lithographs from Versailles pertain to the execution of Georges Darboy in May 1871, and others from Strasbourg show destruction after the Franco-Prussian War. Each album has portraits of royal families and prominent individuals from countries such as England, France, Germany, and Spain. Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper is shown in one item, and the second album has several lithographs of religious and secular paintings by Raphael and other artists, as well as photographs of artistic statues. Included is a ticket for a passion play performed in Oberammergau, Germany.