5x6 Photograph of 1817 Engraving of "Monstrous Sea Serpent as seen at Cape Ann" with handwritten inscription to Charles H. Taylor from [illegible], circa 1900

The album features pasted-down photographs and ephemera, along with some unpasted materials. Materials consist of two newspaper clippings from 1818, three photographic postcards from the 1900s, three letters between 1908-1923, lists of numbered and identified photographs in the album, and 171 photographs with the majority being of whaling vessels in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The photographs show vessels and occassionally their crew at different New Bedford wharves and in open water. Fourteen 8 x 10" bromoil/bromide photographic prints were kept loose in the back of the album. The newspaper clippings and one postcard reference the sea serpent of Cape Ann and Gloucester in Massachusetts. The three letters reference information about the printing of the photographs and the creation of the album. The photographs were printed in 1908 by P. B. Gifford using his personal collection of negatives, which likely were created between 1880-1907.

The album's photograph captions and lists identify 52 whaling vessels. The captions and lists were likely written by P. B. Gifford or Zephaniah Walter Pease of New Bedford. Some captions include the vessel name and type as well as occassionally the date and their geographic location.

The identified vessels are: A. R. Tucker (bark), Abram Barker (bark), Alexander (steamer), Andrew Hicks (ship), Beluga (steamer), Belvedere (steamer), Bertha (bark), Bertha D. Nickerson (schooner), Bowhead (steamer), C. W. Morse (schooner), California (bark), Canton (bark), Charles W. Morgan (bark), Commodore Morris (ship), Daisy (brig), Desdemona (bark), Eliza Adams (ship), Ellen A. Swift (schooner), Era (schooner), Eunice H. Adams (brig), Falcon (bark), Franklin (schooner), Greyhound (bark), Herman (steamer), Horatio (ship), Jeanette (steamer), Jireh Perry (ship), John R. Manta (schooner), Joseph R. Manta (schooner), Josephine (bark), Karluk (steamer), Leonora (brig), Lottie Beard (schooner), Margaret (schooner), Mermaid (bark), Morning Star (bark), Niger (ship), Palmetto (unidentified), Pedro Varela (schooner) Pehel (bark), Platina (bark), Rousseau (ship), Sea Fox (bark), Sea Ranger (bark), Sullivan (brig), Sunbeam (bark), Swallow (ship or bark), Thrasher (steamer), Vineyard (unidentified), Wanderer (unidentified), William A. Grozier (schooner), and William Baylies (steamer).

The identified locations are: the Arctic Ocean, Hatteras Ground, Herschel Island (Canada), Hudson Bay (Canada), Merrill's Wharf, New Bedford, and Rodman Wharf

One individal is identified as Frank Lewis.