Louis Baus (1875-1949) was a long-time Cleveland photographer, noted for his photographs of lake and maritime history, as well as this collection of the Ohio Canal. Baus shot numerous scenes along the Ohio & Erie, Miami & Erie, and the connecting feeder canals. This collection portrays a sense of canal life during the late 1800s to early 1900s.

The Louis Baus Canal Photograph Collection consists of 443 images, collected and described by Baus. The majority of images were photographed by Baus between 1896 and 1933. A number of earlier images are also included, which were acquired by Baus from his predecessors. Found in this collection are images of canal boats, crew and passengers, as well as various locks, businesses and homes along the canalways.