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.
