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[World War I Aviator's Photo Album of Service at Ellington Field, Texas]
[World War I Aviator's Photo Album of Service at Ellington Field, Texas]
A sizable vernacular photo album compiled by an Elmer N. May (1893-1962), originally of Washington, D.C., chiefly documenting his domestic service as an American military aviator during World War I. More than half (about 210) of the photos are military related with the balance being of postwar travel and work with the Veterans' Administration. Most of the military images seem to capture scenes, airplanes, fellow soldiers / aviators in and around Ellington Field outside of Houston, Texas.
May seems to have attended the School of Military Aeronautics at Princeton beginning September 18, 1917 and entered active duty shortly thereafter. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant and received an honorable discharge on January 6, 1919 and seems to have been confined to light domestic duty following a plane crash sustained on June 4, 1918 ; a clear, enlarged view of the crash scene is included in the album here with the verso notation:
"Remains of plane in which I fell 3,200 ft. / LaPorte, TX / June 4th 1918."
Additional highlights include dozens of identified portraits of fellow Ellington Field airmen and another enlarged view of a plane crash scene, this one a downed German fighter with the notation:
"Plane brought down by R.G. Jones / Argonne Forest / August 9, 1918."
A broad and well notated primary photographic glimpse at military aviation during World War I and of the early years of an American military airfield presently still in operation.
[Photo Albums] : [World War I] : [Aviation]. [World War I Aviator's Photo Album of Service at Ellington Field, Texas]. Various, including Ellington Field, Texas: (ca. 1917-1920's). Black paper album with leather wrapper panels, approximately 12 1/2" x 7 1/2." 38 black paper leaves with more than 380 black and white photos either loosely fit into corner mounts or adhered to pages at corners amid generous notation in white album pen. About 8 prints are roughly 5" x 7" enlargements with the balance being snapshots of various dimensions. First leaf detached, laid-in loose. About half a dozen prints loose, a few perished. Page notations often faded, illegible. Otherwise, no condition issues of note. Notations to versos of most loose and removable prints. About very good overall.
A sizable vernacular photo album compiled by an Elmer N. May (1893-1962), originally of Washington, D.C., chiefly documenting his domestic service as an American military aviator during World War I. More than half (about 210) of the photos are military related with the balance being of postwar travel and work with the Veterans' Administration. Most of the military images seem to capture scenes, airplanes, fellow soldiers / aviators in and around Ellington Field outside of Houston, Texas.
May seems to have attended the School of Military Aeronautics at Princeton beginning September 18, 1917 and entered active duty shortly thereafter. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant and received an honorable discharge on January 6, 1919 and seems to have been confined to light domestic duty following a plane crash sustained on June 4, 1918 ; a clear, enlarged view of the crash scene is included in the album here with the verso notation:
"Remains of plane in which I fell 3,200 ft. / LaPorte, TX / June 4th 1918."
Additional highlights include dozens of identified portraits of fellow Ellington Field airmen and another enlarged view of a plane crash scene, this one a downed German fighter with the notation:
"Plane brought down by R.G. Jones / Argonne Forest / August 9, 1918."
A broad and well notated primary photographic glimpse at military aviation during World War I and of the early years of an American military airfield presently still in operation.
[Photo Albums] : [World War I] : [Aviation]. [World War I Aviator's Photo Album of Service at Ellington Field, Texas]. Various, including Ellington Field, Texas: (ca. 1917-1920's). Black paper album with leather wrapper panels, approximately 12 1/2" x 7 1/2." 38 black paper leaves with more than 380 black and white photos either loosely fit into corner mounts or adhered to pages at corners amid generous notation in white album pen. About 8 prints are roughly 5" x 7" enlargements with the balance being snapshots of various dimensions. First leaf detached, laid-in loose. About half a dozen prints loose, a few perished. Page notations often faded, illegible. Otherwise, no condition issues of note. Notations to versos of most loose and removable prints. About very good overall.