This month, our Collection Spotlight case commemorates Veterans Day by displaying five photographs from Photograph 359, a collection documenting over 8,000 World War I soldiers. The collection was compiled by the
Boston Globe and donated to the library in 1935.
Many of the soldiers in this collection are from the 26th Infantry Division, also known as the Yankee Division because it was comprised predominantly of soldiers from New England states. The units most represented are the 101st, 102nd, and 104th infantry and the 101st and 102nd field artilleries, and the 101st and 301st engineers. Photographs of the following soldiers are displayed:
Clockwise from top-left - H.S. Kendall, 101st Engineers Co. F
- Serafino Mitolo, 301st Engineers
- Roger Sherman Dix, U.S. Army Air Service
- H.F. Carlson (pictured far right), Aviators known as “The Wild Beans”
- Joseph Janick, 104th Infantry Co. I
While some of the photographs in the collection are more relaxed or candid, like the images of Joseph Janick and H.F. Carlson, the majority of the images are formal portraits that also include identifying information like name, rank, unit, and division. Some of the photographs include a Boston Globe “cut-slip” on the back, which gives additional information about the soldier in the event that an article was published about them (this would typically be in the case of a promotion, an injury, a death, or a missing status). While there is no additional information about H.S. Kendall and Serafino Mitolo, there is a cut slip for H.F. Carlson (included here to the right) and an inscription on the back of the photograph that reads, “Trainor of San Antonio, Leo Peterson of Minneapolis, Murphy of Boston, Carlson of Boston; [Murphy and Carlson labeled] The Wild Beans.” (A nickname for these two men that likely came about because Boston is known for its beans!) The back of Joseph Janick’s photograph provides a good deal of biographical information and reads, “Northampton; Joseph Janick, Co I, 104th Reg.; Residence Easthampton; Born in Chicopee, Father Anthony Janick 73 Northampton St.; Easthampton; Enlisted May 23, 1917.”
A companion to the photographs is Ms. Coll. 65, “Data concerning about 39,000 men who served in World War I.” These are index cards that were also donated to the library by the
Boston Globe in 1935. Not all of the soldiers in Photograph 359 have a corresponding index card, and sometimes there are index cards for individuals who are not photographed, but there are occasions where the two collections complement each other. For example, our display shows both the photograph and the index card for Roger Sherman Dix, which sadly includes the printing of his obituary:
Cadet Roger S. Dix, Jr. reported dead in France, was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roger S. Dix of 208 Beacon St. Boston, and Greenbush, Scituate. The father of the young man is in the woolen business with offices at 620 Atlantic Av. Cadet Dix was 22 years of age, and was a member of the class of ’18 Harvard when he joined the air service.
Photograph 359 is fully digitized and can be searched in our
digital repository. Also found in our digital repository is
Photograph 360, which are group photographs of World War I soldiers. This collection also documents the Yankee Division, though it is smaller and is comprised of only 44 images. It was also compiled by the
Boston Globe and donated to the library in 1938. At this time, the index cards that make up Ms. Coll. 65 are not digitized, though our Special Collections staff would be happy to assist with research of a specific name. These three collections are a rich genealogical and historical resource, and commemorate and honor the service of the soldiers who fought, and sometimes made the ultimate sacrifice, in World War I. They also remind us that each soldier had a unique and personal story, and by making this collection accessible, we continue to share and remember them.
It is fitting to display World War I photographs for Veterans Day since the federal holiday originated as Armistice Day, which marks the ending of World War I. In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Allied forces and Germany signed an armistice to officially end hostilities. From 1919 onward, commemorations on November 11 promoted world peace and honored World War I soldiers. It officially became a federal holiday in the United States in 1938, and in 1954 it was changed to Veterans Day and expanded to honor American veterans of all wars, both living and dead. You can read more about Armistice Day and Veterans Day in our
previous blog post.
We are closed in observance of Veterans Day on Tuesday, November 11 but be sure to visit us from November 4 through December 2 to see these World War I photographs on display.
Elizabeth Roscio
Preservation Librarian
