American Military History World War I United States Navy Sailor Captioned Photo Album Documenting Naval Mobilization and Training, NYC 1917 to 1919

WWI U S. Navy

Archive

United States Navy sailor photograph album documenting naval mobilization during World War I, circa 1917 to 1919, Each photo has a handwritten inscription below describing the content, Preserving visual evidence of American naval personnel preparing for overseas deployment and recording daily life during wartime service. The photographs appear to originate from a sailor stationed in New York City during the period when the United States expanded naval operations following its April 1917 declaration of war against the German Empire. The United States Navy assumed responsibility for escorting troop and supply convoys across the Atlantic and combating German submarine warfare, a central strategic threat during the conflict. The album contains numerous portraits of sailors in uniform as well as scenes of training, inspection, and barracks life, offering a firsthand visual record of the personnel who participated in the rapid wartime expansion of the American naval forces.

Photograph album compiled by a U.S. Navy sailor, New York City and related naval contexts, circa 1917 to 1919. The album is inscribed on the front cover “US Navy ’17–19.” Many photographs depict sailors posed individually or in groups, sometimes wearing naval uniforms and at other times hospital gowns, suggesting the presence of a naval medical facility or recovery ward. Several images document the urban environment surrounding the sailors’ service, including shipyards and city streets in New York. Each photograph carries a handwritten caption identifying individuals or describing the scene. Captions include “A letter from home,” showing a sailor seated on stairs reading correspondence, and “Sat A.M. Inspection,” depicting a line of uniformed men with their boots and equipment arranged before them for review. Another group photograph shows sailors celebrating while holding a newspaper bearing the headline “Germany Surrenders,” linking the album directly to the conclusion of the war in November 1918. The largest image presents a sepia toned view of a medical unit working with cadavers while masked personnel face the camera, providing a rare visual glimpse into wartime medical training or anatomical study associated with naval service.

Album containing 95 silver gelatin photographs ranging from approximately 2 x 2.75 inches to 2.75 x 4.25 inches, with one larger photograph measuring approximately 5 x 7 inches. Photographs mounted in an olive green paper album secured with cloth cord and measuring approximately 7 x 9.5 inches overall. Each photograph bears a handwritten caption beneath the image identifying subjects or describing events. Minor age toning present; album and photographs remain well preserved overall. The album offers a concentrated visual record of American naval service during the First World War, combining portraiture, training scenes, and contemporary wartime references such as the announcement of Germany’s surrender.

Item #18496

Price: $1,200.00