[Photo Album]: An African-American Soldier's Album of Family and Friends, circa 1930s-40s

Title: [Photo Album]: An African-American Soldier's Album of Family and Friends, circa 1930s-40s
Publication: [Philadelphia? circa 1930s-40s]

Description: Hardcover. Oblong quarto (13" x 10"). Contemporary screw-bound sample book (Greeting Cards) re-purposed into a photo album. Contains approximately 95 gelatin silver prints of various sizes mounted on the rectos of the sample book leaves. Some moderate staining, two leaves are partly damaged from the removal of two prints, a few prints are partly torn and stained, else most prints are very good overall.

A remarkable family album featuring images of a young Black soldier in uniform (rank of Corporal), two of which are inscribed by him, together with images of other Black soldiers at a U.S. military training camp, a young Black U.S. Navy sailor, and twenty-five (1 ½" x 2 ½") prints of the Great Lakes Naval Training Station at Great Lakes, Illinois. In the early months of World War II, the Navy Department designated Great Lakes as the only site for training African-American recruits. Also included are several images of women, including one white woman, and several other portraits and outdoor shots of male and female family members and friends socializing together. Laid in are two studio portraits taken at a Philadelphia studio, providing evidence that the family likely resided in Philadelphia.

A rough and tumble album, containing many attractive and compelling images.

Seller ID: 537732

Subject: African-Americana, Photography