WWII vintage found negatives

[Brad Buszard]

My wife discovered a bunch of old nitrate 35mm at an estate sale a while back. We were shocked to find that the family had no interest in them, so we took them with us. I'm only now scanning some in. I thought I'd put a few up here to let others have a look at them and comment. Lots of pictures of sailors, etc. back from overseas, a picture of Memphis downtown (complete with streetcars), and what looks to me like a military barracks. Other than a bit of a contrast curve, the photos are unaltered and full frame.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6004/5986493884_1a87044f6d_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6140/5985933425_f41d7839e9_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6006/5985933327_0d993ee04e_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6021/5985933387_f5b7a6151a_z.jpg

[Brad Buszard]

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6145/5985933263_e9dc5b1889_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6004/5986493472_bee7b0d4cc_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6149/5986493416_4cff31aef7_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6011/5986493306_9144d94824_z.jpg

[Brad Buszard]

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6014/5986493266_ef1d85828d_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6026/5985932951_4ff6355c7d_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6018/5986493142_3b7fc72d35_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6016/5985931363_ec5fbe63f1_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6132/5986493802_bb4738c61e_z.jpg

[Rogier]

Screw all the new the film, camera's, lenses etc. This stuff looks great!
What size are these negatives?

[tj01]

What a gem !!

[Brad Buszard]

Screw all the new the film, camera's, lenses etc. This stuff looks great!
What size are these negatives?

Just 35mm. I have no idea what type; they just say "Nitrate film" by the sprocket holes. There's some nice swirl in whatever lens this man used, and from the skies I think he must have had a yellow filter on it at least some of the time.

[Mackinaw]

My 90 year old father died a few few months back and, while cleaning out the basement of his condo, we found several boxes of B&W negatives from the 1930's and 1940's in all formats. Talk about a treasure trove of old pictures, most which I had never seen before. Even found some rare WW2 combat pictures he took while stationed in the South Pacific. Absolutely incredible stuff.

Jim B.

[oftheherd]

My 90 year old father died a few few months back and, while cleaning out the basement of his condo, we found several boxes of B&W negatives from the 1930's and 1940's in all formats. Talk about a treasure trove of old pictures, most which I had never seen before. Even found some rare WW2 combat pictures he took while stationed in the South Pacific. Absolutely incredible stuff.

Jim B.

Would love to see some of them if you can.

[oftheherd]

I see US Army uniforms and US Navy uniforms. The area with the two water towers did not look to me like a military area at first. However, in WWII, many areas were set up quickly or areas were taken over. It could be a headquarters area next to a parade field.

The thing that puzzled me was the totem pole. If there aren't or weren't totem poles in the Memphis area, I would wonder it the photographer's unit wasn't sent to Alaska or Canada. There wouldn't have been native totem poles as that would not have fit any USA native indians of the lower 48. The photo of the lady would fit for someone working as a secretary or receptionist for the military. Spartan looking as it was.

The two lieutenants were infantry. I don't know what infantry would have been there, or if those are all taken in the Memphis area. But the Navy used to have a large presence there so soldiers and sailors could have easily been in that area together.

[Brad Buszard]

Lots of great info; thanks especially for the link on the totem pole. I'll get some more scanned over the next few days and we'll see what's what.

Any idea what the fountain is?

also, the church behind the courthouse is still there- -

[charjohncarter]

Fabulous, all great.

[Pfreddee]

More, more!

The little girl in the photo at the fountain would be about my age now, maybe a little bit older.

Wonderful snaps!

With best regards,

Pfreddee(Stephen)

[Mr_Flibble]

Oh early M1941 'Parsons' field jackets with the pocket flaps! Shame I can't make out the Distinctive Unit Insignias on any of them. Definitely 1941-42 ish.

The Navy man feeding the doves is an Aviation Machinest's Mate by the look of it.

Absolutely fantastic pictures Brad, thanks for sharing them!


Mackinaw, I'm with oftheherd, I would love to see those photos.

[bigeye]

From wikipedia:

During the Second World War, the War Department constructed large supply depots in Memphis for the Army and the Army Air Force. The Memphis Army Depot also served as a prisoner of war camp, housing 800 Axis prisoners. ... in 1942, the US Navy built the Millington Naval Air Station (now the Naval Support Activity Mid-South) in Millington, Tennessee, just north of Memphis. This 3,500-acre (14 km2) facility provided pilot training during World War II, and later became the major naval air technical training center for enlisted personnel aviation speciality training. It is currently used as a naval personnel center and Headquarters for the US Army Corps of Engineers Finance Center.

[Mackinaw]

Would love to see some of them if you can.


Here are a few action photos, both of Bougainville in the Solomon Islands taken late 1943, early 1944.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/262626-2/Bougainville_+1944.jpg

http://gallery.leica-users.org/d/277575-2/Bougainville+airport+1944.jpg

For the jeep pic, note the Japanese prisoners in the back seat. The second pic is of an airfield (foreground) being built. Note the active volcano, which I think is the Balgana volcano.

Jim B.

[Brad Buszard]

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6132/5988693823_20edd2f78c_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6134/5989252732_35e5facdd6_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6135/5988692973_0810e12b19_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6012/5988693035_a3f50ef9f3_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6121/5988692935_5592a2b489_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6018/5988693277_00f6bfa2b8_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6135/5989253666_f645d658ac_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6144/5988693207_c40abdc825_z.jpg

[Paddy C]

Very cool. Great find/get.

I'm not an archivist, but I believe that nitrate negatives can present some storage problems. They can spontaneously combust. I have no idea if you need to do anything about this but I thought I would mention it.

[oftheherd]

totem pole:
http://www.memphismagazine.com/Memphis-Magazine/December-2009/Crumps-Folly/

Thanks Memphis. Who knew? I thought it looked authentic, but never suspected it was actually a real one imported to Memphis.

Thanks for all the other info as well. Can't beat someone from the local area to give good local information.

[oftheherd]

Brad Buszard - what incredible photos! Can you tell the date on the newspaper? That is a wonderfully historical photo. So are the others as well. Everything from combat to families at Easter and daily military life. Fantastic. Are there more?

[Brad Buszard]

Can you tell the date on the newspaper?

Most of it: Wednesday, November 11 194-

The last digit is too blurry. From the day of the week it must be a 2.

I have at least a few more negatives to scan, and will get to them in the next couple of days.

[Time Freeze]

I had a similiar experience about 10 years ago. I went to a tag sale that was advertising as having photo equipment. When I got there I was told that a dealer had bought just about everything but there were still some darkroom stuff in the basment. I went dowstairs and on the counter was a metal index card file draw filled with 6x6 cm negatives in individual manila envelopes with a contact print attached to the outside of each envelope. There was also a box of loose negatives of various sizes. When I asked if they were for sale, I was told "Oh you can just take those". They turned out to be a treasure trove of images from the 30's to 60's, including a lot of NYC, all taken with high quality cameras. I felt like I won Lotto :D

I wonder how many digital images will survive?

John

[Muggins]

Most of it: Wednesday, November 11 194-

The last digit is too blurry. From the day of the week it must be a 2.


That would fit with the second headline - Tanks Take Oran - see here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Torch

A bit of further rummaging leads to here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vichy_France

Under "Overview" it dates the Nazi occupation of Vichy France as 11th November, so the Washington Post was right on the ball.

Fascinating stuff!

Adrian

[Mr_Flibble]

November 11 1942 is about right for the headline on the Allies capturing Oran.
[edit]...darn, missed Adrian's post.


Jim, thanks for posting those. I think I've mentioned this before, but it's interesting to see they removed the top bows and the windscreen of the jeep.

[Brad Buszard]

This may be it. I'll check with my wife to see if we have more squirreled away somewhere.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/5990118357_21619a4592_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6132/5990677324_dae32c2da0_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6138/5990117999_93965e77e2_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6123/5990677486_761b7740af_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6150/5990677422_73738df295_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6009/5990677578_258d274d91_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6145/5990118275_7dd329f708_z.jpg

[Argenticien]

That would fit with the second headline - Tanks Take Oran - see here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Torch



LOL!! I assume it's Yanks -- not "Tanks" -- take Oran...

[Muggins]

:o I think you might be right...

Adrian

[Mr_Flibble]

Well, I recall a taskforce consisting of units from the 1nd Armored Division fought at Oran. Tanks will very much have been involved :P

[edit, should brush up on History of Operation Torch]

[Beverly Cruthirds]

the trolley shot shows the sterrick building in the left side background

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterick_Building

the fountain where the sailor and lady have their backs to the camera is in court square - walking distance of the sterrick building and the courthouse

the military buildings / barracks could be either millington or the military hospital - the hospital is a few miles south of the sterrick and the courthouse and the totem pole - the totem pole used to be a short walk from the fountain

millington naval is roughly 15 miles north of the courthouse

Actually this is shot from about Adams or Washington Street looking toward the south. The large building visible on the left is the Lincoln American Tower, and further in the background on the left you can see the Commerce Title office building. The old Brys Department Store was torn down in the 60s to clear land for the new civic center buildings.