Police

1910 · 21021 — 1910. Archive of five photographs documenting African American military service from the Spanish-American War through World War II preserving visual evidence of Black participation in the United States armed forces across multiple generations of conflict and segregation. The material documents military systems of training deployment labor organization and wartime service through images of Black quartermasters sailors signal corps trainees and infantrymen revealing the varied roles occupied by African American servicemen within the segregated military structure of the United States. The photographs provide primary-source evidence for the study of Black military history racial integration and segregation within armed forces wartime labor divisions and the evolving visibility of African American soldiers from the late nineteenth century through the twentieth century.<br /> Archive consists of five silver gelatin photographs ranging in size from approximately 3.75 x 5.5 inches to 8 x 9 inches dating from the 1910s through the 1980s including original photographs real photo postcards and later documentary reprints. One World War I photograph depicts an integrated line of Black and white soldiers standing with cups and mess pans during food service documenting interracial proximity within military camp operations despite broader segregation policies. Another World War I image shows a large group of African American quartermasters posed before a tented encampment while wearing uniforms with insignia caps and holding swagger sticks emphasizing military discipline and organizational identity within support units. A World War II real photo postcard portrays a Black sailor in dress uniform with white cap and necktie posed formally before a training ground where additional servicemen appear in the background. Another mid-century reprint reproduces an image of African American World War I soldiers attending signal corps radio instruction while seated at desks wearing large headsets and making technical notations documenting specialized communications training available to Black troops during the war. The final image reprinted in 1983 for the PBS American Masters documentary The Different Drummer: Blacks in the Military reproduces an 1898 photograph of Black soldiers stationed in Havana Cuba during the Spanish-American War. The troops stand in formation wearing campaign hats and holding rifles upright with several soldiers gazing directly toward the camera.<br /> Together the photographs trace the changing but still restricted position of African Americans within the United States military from the era of overseas imperial expansion through the world wars of the twentieth century. Black soldiers served in segregated units for much of this period while simultaneously contributing to military logistics communications naval service and combat operations despite systemic discrimination within the armed forces. The inclusion of later documentary reproductions connected to public television programming further reflects growing efforts during the late twentieth century to recover and interpret African American military history for broader audiences. Some editor's markings on versos. Minor edge wear throughout with one photograph lacking lower left corner. Overall very good condition. Compact but historically substantial visual archive documenting African American military service across multiple major conflicts. unknown