Saved from trash:Photo album of fascinating WWII portraits of African-American troops in Europe

[snagglepuss]

Deveta Johnson discovered the historic find covered in plastic grocery bags in a Norristown, Pennsylvania trash can.


snip


While much attention is currently being devoted to the Tuskegee Airmen who are the subject of a new Hollywood movie called Red Tails, these photos show the plight of less-publicized groups of African American soldiers during the war.

The rare photographs give a glimpse into the military life of African Americans, whose lives on both the U.S. bases and the European front-lines were not as dutifully documented as their white counterparts.





Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2094070/Rescued-trash-Photo-album-fascinating-WWII-portraits-African-American-troops-Europe.html#ixzz1l0YBmDd3

[WillyT]

1. Great Stuff - Thank You - K & R !!!

<And..>

[JI7]

4. i wonder if those two kids are still alive

they would probably be in their 70s so likely .

[MADem]

5. Look at those cute kids--the "Lone Ranger" on the right,

with his mask, and the ladylike little one in her saddle shoes!

I love old pics, too.

[snagglepuss]

11. Your welcome. They are fantastic images. I love the top picture, it looks like it could have been a

movie still as each man has such strong character.

[Historic NY]

2. 389th ENGINEER GENERAL SERVICE REGIMENT

http://www.military.com/HomePage/UnitPageFullText/1,13476,708248,00.html

[riverwalker]

3. I see old albums at antique shows

full of old photos, and always wonder about the people in the pictures. I've actually bought some old cabinet card photos if I see Norwegian photograph studios engraved on the bottom. They were treasured by the immigrants who brought them along on their ships to the new country. The faces are fascinating.

[Sherman A1]

6. Thanks for Posting

It is so important to protect these old photos. They should be given to a museum at the very least.

[Scuba]

7. "Possible love interest"? Are you kidding me????????????

Hope they're able to identify the owner. These are great. Thanks for posting.

[Starry Messenger]

8. k&r

[mainer]

9. Who on earth would throw out such a treasure?

Sometimes, descendants don't have a clue. I know this because a very precious and rare edition of my great-great-grandfather's poetry was found in a trash dump, and rescued by a man who realized their worth. We found out it was one of my third cousins who threw it out.

[Blue_Tires]

15. Sadly, landlords do it all the time

I've seen it in evictions, and when an elderly tenant dies with next of kin that isn't easy to locate...

[BumRushDaShow]

10. Thanks for posting!

That picture of the "tweens" in the snow - if that had been taken during WW II, they probably would have been around the age of my mother, who will be 82 this year. Assuming the owner was from Philadelphia/Philadelphia area, those row houses could have been in South Philadelphia (I don't recall that many 3-story rowhouses with porch fronts in other locations).

[WillyT]

12. Kick !!!

[Stinky The Clown]

13. Thanks for posting. This is absolutely remarkable.

We are always amazed at the abandoned picture albums we see so often at flea markets and junk shops. This one is also clearly of historical significance for its ordinaryness.

[Canuckistanian]

14. Hope somebody finds the family

Those are precious artifacts of a whole era.

Sad to think they were abandoned like that.