An album of photography and clippings compiled by an anonymous U.S. Navy sailor with the North Sea Minesweeping Detachment, a combined British and American naval force tasked with clearing the North Sea Mine Barrage, a line of some 70,000 explosive mines covering more than 6,000 square miles between the Orkney Islands and the southwest coast of Norway.

The contents appear to be from 1919-1920. The photos heavily feature exploding mines and the process behind their detonation. Most appear to be vernacular real photo postcards with a handful of obviously commercial views in the mix as well. A photographer (or photographers) is unclear, though a “Bob” is identified in ink on two prints, the letters "BCW" often appear in the exposures, the name "Houston" is written in pencil to several print versos, the clippings appear to be from New York papers, and the number 47 on a mast flag can clearly be seen in one image (likely identifying submarine-chaser U.S.S.C. 47). Any correlation between these scattered clues, in terms of helping to identify any individuals, has proven elusive and though the compiler remains anonymous, their album survives as a rich primary glimpse into this historic and profoundly dangerous mine sweeping campaign at the end of World War I. 

[Photo Albums] : [World War I]. [Photo Album of a Member of the North Sea Minesweeping Detachment]. (ca. 1919-1920). Commercial album, approximately 8 1/2" x 6." Black pebble-grained cloth over flexible card panels with "PHOTOGRAPHS" stamped in gilt to top. Metal post binding at left margin. 25 black paper leaves with a blend of photographs, photographic postcards, and clippings mounted to rectos and versos and loose. Many additional leaves blank. About 45 photographs total, along with about a dozen clippings. Binding posts appear to be non-original. Many contents loose from album pages and with adhesive residue to versos. Album itself remains clean and well preserved. Contents good to very good.