US Navy Department [Editor] U SBiblio.com
An album recording his service on the Asiatic Pacific Station.
1925182328Various locations: 1925-27. An individual's snapshot of the chaotic 1920s in China An impressive album and collection of loose photographs recording the voyages of USS West Virginia and USS Beaver. The photographs many taken by a fellow sailor feature US ships underway the recovery of a seaplane and Pacific islands. A number show China in the warlord period of the mid 1920s documenting the gruesome public executions of thieves and other dissidents. Harold Caldwell 1907-1984 enlisted in the US Navy at age 18 and was immediately assigned to the West Virginia. During the 1920s this ship conducted training manoeuvres in the Atlantic and Pacific. In 1924 she became the flagship for the Commander Battleship Divisions Battle Fleet of Asiatic Station then helped to trial the defences of Hawaii and Australia. Caldwell's album opens with official photographs of this tour including shots of other ships operating in the region such as the USS Langley the first American aircraft carrier. The album's most striking feature is a collection of personal and souvenir photographs of Qingdao Shanghai and Hong Kong during the turbulent 1920s many taken by Caldwell and his fellow sailor H. B. Grapes of the USS Beaver. The Beaver was based in the city and assigned to support submarines throughout the Asiatic Station. Over 20 annotated prints record the chaos and brutality of the region depicting public beheadings the supposedly outlawed "death by a thousand cuts" prisoners in the stocks and military tribunals. Further images show Hong Kong from the water the premises of Lao Feng Xiang Jewellery company and the streets of Shanghai blockaded with sandbags. In 1927 communist sympathizers in Shanghai were brutally suppressed by Chang Kai-Shek's forces and Western soldiers were deployed to protect their country's citizens. These soldiers can be seen laying barbed wire and surveying the streets in multiple photographs. Later in the album there are official photographs of the Pacific life at sea and the ship's officers and men. The loose photographs capture the crossing of the Equator and associated festivities operations in Panama and many individual portraits of sailors. Folio 350 x 205 mm. Album with 305 gelatin silver photographs 60 x 90 to 178 x 127 mm landscape or portrait corner-mounted recto and verso on 47 leaves of ruled paper paginated with ink stamps in upper corner 6 printed on red paper 1 printed on green paper approximately 10 printed on postcards 2 hand-coloured some with printers' stamps or manuscript annotations on verso many captioned in the negative 15 numbered in ink direct 1 signed in ink direct manuscript ink captions on leaves 3 colour illustrated postcards 3 lettered menus or tickets for "Topsy's Roost". Also loosely inserted: 91 gelatin silver photographs approximately 75 x 120 mm to 126 x 176 mm 10 printed on postcards many with printers' stamps or manuscript annotations on verso 2 inscribed in ink direct; 2 lettered menus 7 postcards 3 half-tone 4 colour 20 half-tone photographic illustrations of ships with glass plate negative captions 60 x 90 mm many inscribed on verso 2 inscribed and stamped envelopes 7 pieces of printed ephemera 10 business cards inscribed both sides in ink 12 receipts inscribed and stamped on both sides. Original red half cloth album spine lettered in gilt flat bands ruled in gilt black pebbled cloth boards with borders tooled in gilt front board stamped with United States Navy insignia in gilt. Collection housed in three grey archival boxes. Photographs generally well preserved a little toned and rubbed one with horizontal split a couple with creasing pinholes and short closed tears at edges binding a little worn and sprung some leaves likely removed: a very good archive. hardcover
Peter Harrington · Royaume-Uni4 750,00 £GB≈ 5 423,55 €
