This is an original WW2-era professional photographic slide group, forming part of a “Basic Ship Set” produced by Fotoshop, a commercial photographic services firm based in New York City. The surviving box contains 186 individually mounted photographic slides, representing a complete and intentionally filled section of a larger reference set originally catalogued as 376 slides per set.

Slide sets of this type were created for industrial, technical, and instructional purposes, rather than casual photography. Firms such as Fotoshop specialised in producing photographic transparencies, duplication, and microfilming services for commercial clients, shipyards, engineers, and institutions. During the WW2 period, photography played a key role in documenting civilian and industrial maritime activity, including ship construction, modification, inspection, and training reference material.

The slides appear uniform in format and presentation, suggesting they were produced and assembled as a cohesive working group rather than an assorted collection. The box is filled to capacity, indicating that the 186 slides it contains were intended as a complete unit, likely representing one section of a multi-box set.

Condition-wise, the box shows clear signs of age and use, including wear and what appear to be period attempts at repair. One end of the lid is missing, and the label has suffered a tear, likely removing information such as a box or set designation. The best way to assess the overall condition is by examining the photographs provided. Importantly, all 186 slides are present and accounted for, having been individually counted, and their individual condition is actually very good. The box tells a story of use, while the slides themselves remain the primary conveyors of information.

A scarce and evocative example of WW2-era professional photographic documentation, with strong appeal to collectors of American Home Front material, industrial history, and photographic archives.