Black U.S. Army Servicemen Partially Identified Photo Archive, Documenting Black Service in Segregated Units, World War II

Black U. S. Army Servicemen Archive

Photograph

[African American Military] Archive of 16 original vernacular photographs depicting African American servicemen in the U.S. armed forces from World War II through the Korean War, including studio portraits, candid camp scenes, and informal snapshots, several with manuscript captions and identifications en versos. The group documents Black military life under segregation. Identified individuals include “Sgt. Darnell Givens, U.S. Army / India{ana]” and “Pvt. Solomon Johnson … Co A 276 QM Bn, Camp Stoneman / Pittsburg Calif / To Judy Johnson,” situating part of the archive within Quartermaster Corps service—one of the primary branches in which Black soldiers were assigned. A group portrait captioned “The P.O. staff,” here understood to denote “Petty Officer staff,” suggests a naval or naval-adjacent administrative unit, broadening the archive’s scope beyond a single branch and reflecting the varied roles Black servicemen occupied across the armed forces. The images collectively support research into African American military participation and the lived experience of Black servicemen prior to and during early desegregation efforts following 1948.

Arphive of 16 silver gelatin photographs, various sizes ranging approximately from snapshot to larger studio formats, depicting individual and group portraits and informal camp scenes. Several images show soldiers in uniform posed in studio settings with painted backdrops, while others document outdoor environments including barracks areas, wooded camps, and roadside settings with military vehicles. A group photograph titled in manuscript “The P.O. staff” shows a cohort of Black soldiers gathered outside a building, indicating a group of petty officers in a Black unit. Additional images depict a soldier operating a typewriter at a field desk dated “1940,” men gathered around cooking equipment, and a civilian scene with a woman posed beside a uniformed serviceman and automobile, suggesting furlough or home-front interaction. One portrait captioned en recto "To Betty With Love / "Korea" 53-54" and en verso "With Lots of Love Always / Joe" and another with an extended caption reading in part "[I am] sending you this to let you see how they turn out," give insight in soldier's personal lives while abroad.

The archive documents African American servicemen during a period when the U.S. military remained institutionally segregated, with Black soldiers frequently assigned to support roles such as logistics, transport, and supply, as reflected in the Quartermaster identification. The presence of named individuals and unit references provides a basis for further archival and genealogical research, while the combination of formal portraits and candid scenes offers insight into self-representation, camaraderie, and everyday military life. Emphasis on leisure, portraiture, and technical work such as typing and communications underscores the range of responsibilities and identities within segregated service structures. Moderate edge wear, creasing, emulsion loss, and staining visible across several photographs, with some images exhibiting significant surface damage; overall condition good. A cohesive and research-relevant visual record of Black military life spanning World War II through the early Cold War period.

Item #23108

Price: $1,250.00