World War I African American Soldiers in Uniform, Partially Identified Photo Archive, ca. 1917–1919

Buffalo Soldiers

Photograph

[African American Military][WWI] Photo archive of African American soldiers serving in the United States Army during World War I, ca. 1917–1919. The photographs record Black military service during the period when the U.S. Army maintained strict racial segregation and African American soldiers entered the war under conditions of discrimination in training, command structure, and recognition. Approximately 380,000 African American men served in the U.S. armed forces during the First World War, most within segregated units. Two divisions, the 92nd and the 93rd, included the principal Black combat formations, while many other soldiers served in labor and support roles. Personal photographs such as these provide direct visual documentation of Black servicemen presenting themselves in uniform during a period when military service was widely viewed within African American communities as a demonstration of citizenship and a claim to full political rights in the United States.

Archive of five sepia photographs and real photo postcards depicting African American soldiers in uniform. One image shows a rifleman standing beside a wooden structure in full military dress; a handwritten inscription above identifies the subject as “John Skinner.” Another photograph shows a soldier standing at ease before a stone institutional building with a partially legible inscription identifying the individual as “[J]ames Young.” A studio portrait depicts a soldier in standard World War I Doughboy uniform reclining beside a studio prop column, with a pencil inscription on the verso reading “Bellingham Wash… Roland Hayes.” Another photograph shows two uniformed soldiers posed together standing at attention; an inscription on the verso reads “Pearl of Gladis Pen Pals.” Across the group, the uniforms correspond to standard United States Army dress worn by Black soldiers during the World War I period. The photographs appear to document both studio portraiture and informal views associated with military training or stateside service environments.

Five original photographs including sepia prints and real photo postcards measuring approximately 4 x 6 inches. Several prints retain handwritten inscriptions on the margins or versos identifying individual soldiers and locations. Minor creasing, light edge wear, scattered stains, and surface abrasions visible on several prints; one photograph exhibits chipping and emulsion loss at the lower left corner and another displays two visible cracks across the image surface. Despite these flaws, the images remain clearly legible. Overall condition good. A small but meaningful photographic record of African American military service during World War I, documenting individual Black soldiers who participated in the segregated U.S. Army at a pivotal moment in the relationship between military service and the broader struggle for civil rights.

Item #22894

Price: $1,250.00