[Photo Album]: American Soldier in Northern Africa and France in Closing Days of World War II

Egypt, Paris: [circa 1945].

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Hardcover. Oblong quarto. Measuring 12.5" x 9.5". String-tied brown leather with intricate Egyptian hieroglyph design on the front board. Contains 126 sepia toned or black and white gelatin silver photographs measuring between 2" x 3" and 7" x 9.5", without captions, includes several real photo postcards and a few commercially produced images. Very good rubbed photo album with near fine photographs.

A photo album kept by an American soldier while he was stationed in North Africa and France during World War II. From the photos of men in flight jackets, certain insignias, and a few photos of planes, it seems safe to say the compiler of the album was in the Air Force, possibly on a ground crew. The album begins with a group of men and women on a stage, presumably during a U.S.O. show. One photo shows a group of pretty young women hanging around a sleeping soldier, another shows a band on stage posing for the camera. The soldier who kept the album was first stationed in Egypt. Here the album shows uniformed men on camels being led by Egyptian guides through the sights of the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. There are numerous portrait style photographs of the soldier and his comrades posing around the palm tree-lined streets. The photos around the barracks show men on bicycles, playing instruments, and lounging. A few of the photos show men on the wings of planes presumably fixing or investigating damage. The Sphinx, the Nile, and the pyramids are all captured in beautiful shots as well as photos of the soldiers posing around them.

The people of Egypt and the surrounding area are seen throughout his photos, usually as guides. One photo of bare-breasted village women show them holding baskets on their heads. Others are seen on camelback, at the market, and in the desert. The soldiers are seen around the city and in their barracks, some wearing pith helmets. One photo shows two men posing with African-American soldiers in desert khaki uniforms, another shows a man with a rifle on watch. Two photos towards the end of the album show men standing at attention with a high ranking officer inspecting them. Interspersed with the Egypt tour of duty are images of visits to France, particularly around Paris.

An interesting documentation of a soldier’s tour of duty mostly in Egypt with better than usual amateur photography.


Item #403312

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Item #403312 [Photo Album]: American Soldier in Northern Africa and France in Closing Days of World War II