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Three albums with ca. 416 original gelatin silver photos. Oblong Folio album (ca. 27,5x36,5 cm). 25 card stock leaves with tissue guards. With 206 mounted gelatin silver photographs from ca. 8,5x14 cm (3 ¼ x 5 ½ in) to ca. 6,5x10,5 cm (2 ½ x 4 ¼ in). Most photos with period white ink notes in English on the mounts (the captions relate either to individual photos or groups of photos). Period decorative cloth album fastened with a string; gilt-lettered title "Photographs" on the front board. One album leaf removed from the stub and loosely inserted, five or six photos were previously removed from the album, but overall a very good collection of interesting photos. Oblong Folio album (ca. 29,5x40 cm). 24 card stock leaves with tissue guards (9 blank). With 132 mounted gelatin silver photographs of various size, including one panoramic view ca. 9x30 cm (3 ½ x 11 ¾ in) and seven larger photos from ca. 17,5x24 cm (7 x 9 ½ in) to ca. 16x20 cm (8 ¼ x 7 ¾ in). The rest of the photos (some printed as postcards) are from ca. 8,5x14 cm (3 ¼ x 5 ½ in) to ca. 6x9 cm (2 ¼ x 3 ½ in). About fifty photos with period ink notes in English, German or Dutch on verso. About a dozen photos with ink stamps "Palmer Photo Service, S.S. President Coolidge" on verso. Period brown cloth album fastened with a string. Ten album leaves removed from the stub and loosely inserted, a few images very mildly faded, but overall a very good album of strong interesting photos.Oblong Quarto album (ca. 22,5x30 cm). 24 card stock leaves (13 blank). With 73 gelatin siver photos (71 mounted, two loosely inserted) from ca. 9x14 cm (3 ½ x 5 ½ in) to ca. 6x8 cm (2 ¼ x 3 ¼ in). Four photos with period white ink captions on the mounts; three mounts with loosely inserted notebook leaves with period pencil captions in English. Period brown crocodile skin patterned papered boards, fastened with a string. Album slightly rubbed on extremities, but the photos are bright and sound. With five loosely inserted photos, including two large photos ca. 15,5x20,5 cm (6x8 in), mounted on studio card of "K. Satow, Palembang" ca. 28,5x34,5 cm (11 ¼ x 13 ½ in), one photo with a presentation inscription on verso to "G. Phil. O'Vary" from "G.J.E. Fribels[?], Soengei Gerong, Koloniale Sumatra;" with two ink New York postal stamps, one dated 1932. The other photos are from ca. 12,5x17,5 cm (5x7 in) to ca. 6x8 cm (2 ¼ x 3 ¼ in); three photos are with period ink or pencil inscriptions on verso. A couple of images mildly faded, but overall a very good album of interesting strong images. Historically significant extensive collection of original photos documenting the early years of the American oil refinery in Soengei-Gerong (Sungai Gerong) near Palembang city in South Sumatra. The Sungai Gerong refinery was built in 1926 and operated by the Nederlandsche Koloniale Petroleum Maatschappij (NKPM) ? a subsidiary of the American "Standard Vacuum Oil Co." The refinery processed crude oil from the nearby Petak, Trembule and Talang Akar fields. In the 1930s, it spread its operations to the newly-discovered oil fields in central Sumatra and became one of South East Asia's largest facilities. In 1942-45 it was occupied by Japanese forces. After Indonesia's independence in 1945, American control over the Sumatra oil industry gradually lessened; in 1970, the Sungai Gerong refinery was sold to the Indonesian state oil company "Pertamina." The albums' compilers were Geza Philip O'Vary, an NKPM associate (apparently, an engineer) from the United States and his wife Helene. Originally from Budapest (then in the Austro-Hungarian Empire), G.P. O'Vary immigrated to New York in May 1914, shortly before WW1. His wife Helene was originally an Austrian (New Jersey, U.S., Naturalization Records, 1878-1945 [database on-line]). In 1929-1931 O'Vary worked on the Sungei Gerong refinery; the couple returned to the United States later that year. For the rest of their life, they lived in various towns of New Jersey (Scotch Plains, Seller Inventory # P44
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