The United States Signal Corps Photographic Collection contains approximately 1,630 photographs of the American Expeditionary Forces taken by the Signal Corps during WWI throughout the Western Front. The collection is divided into three volumes and one box, all loosely arranged by topic. General topics include destruction, battlefields and trenches, artillery, monuments, and postwar celebrations.
The United States Signal Corps photographic collection contains approximately 1,630 photos (many of which are duplicates) of the AEF taken by the Signal Corps during WWI throughout the Western Front. The collection is divided into three volumes and one box, all loosely arranged by topic. General topics include the AEF, warfare destruction, battlefields and trenches, artillery, monuments, and postwar celebrations.
Numerous photographs have handwritten and typewriter captions on the back, often stating location and subject matter. Also found on the back are different stamped inscriptions, including "Passed as Censored."
Many photos have an alpha-numeric code handwritten on verso that corresponds to the Catalogue of official A.E.F. Photographs. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1919, which can be found online through the Internet Archive.
Volume 1 contains approximately 270 photographs taken in France, Germany, Belgium, and the U.S. The bulk of these photos are of monuments in Paris, the Palace of Versailles, Rhineland-Palatinate, and unidentified rural areas depicting farmland and civilian life.
Other locations shown include the following (in order of appearance):
- Paris, France
- Washington, D.C.
- Château-Thierry, France
- Bacharach, Germany
- Vincennes, France
- Fontainebleau, France
- Dordogne, France
- Pierrefonds, France
- Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany
- Bendorf, Germany
- Bernkastel-Kues, Germany
- Andernach, Germany
- Altenahr, Germany
- Pont-à-Mousson, France
- Saint-Léger, Belgium
- Humes-Jorquenay, France
- Montsec, France
- Varennes-en-Argonne, France
- Joué-lès-Tours, France
- Soissons, France
- Brieulles-sur-Meuse, France
- Vaux-lès-Palameix, France
Volume 2 contains approximately 270 photographs taken in France, Germany, and Belgium. Much of these photos relate to the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, destruction (both urban and rural), casualties, battlefields and trenches, artillery, cemeteries, various AEF training schools, naval operations, and prisoners.
Other locations shown include the following (in order of appearance):
- La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, France
- Mayschoß, Germany
- Forest of Argonne, France
- Brieulles-sur-Bar, France
- Les Petites-Armoises, France
- Varennes-en-Argonne, France
- Exermont, France
- Chatel-Chéhéry, France
- Étraye, France
- Grandpré, France
- Cochem, Germany
- Pinon, France
- Saint-Remy-la-Calonne, France
- Montfaucon-d'Argonne, France
- Berzy-le-Sec, France
- Dannevoux, France
- Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, France
- Saint-Quentin, France
- Soissons, France
- Ypres, France
- Hooglede, France
- Mouzon, Ardennes, France
- Château-Thierry, France
- Verdun, France
- Metz, France
- Rémonville, France
- Juvigny, France
- Péronne, France
- Chaudun, France
- Chavignon, France
- Moirey-Flabas-Crépion, France
- Reims, France
- Cambrai, France
- Neuvilly, France
- Vaux-Champagne, France
- Haudiomont, France
- Paris, France
- Koblenz (Coblenz), Germany
- Oberwinter, Germany
- Mont-Saint-Michel, France
- Chamonix, France
- Nanteuil-lès-Meaux, France
- Lucy, France
- Thiaucourt-Regniéville, France
- Seicheprey, France
- Nonsard-Lamarche, France
- Colombey-les-Belles, France
- Épieds, France
- Boureuilles, France
- Beaumont, France
- Dormiers, France
- Bertricamp, France
- Bois de Hesse, France
- Gondrecourt-le-Château, France
- Langres, France
- Le Charmel, France
- Villers-Bretonneux, France
- Saint-Aignan, France
- Landreville (Ardennes), France
- Imécourt, France
- Nantillois, France
- Stenay, France
- Butgnéville, France
- Le Mort Homme, France
- Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, France
- Gland, France
- Herbeville, France
- Vacherauville, France
- Baleycourt, France
- Marseilles, France
- Vaux-Andigny, France
- Saint-Juvin, France
- Brieulles-sur-Meuse, France
- Bohain-en-Vermandois, France
- Mézy-sur-Seine, France
- Badonviller, France
- Bois de Belleau, France
- Bazoches, France
- Châteauvillain, France
- Ploisy, France
- Suresnes, France
Volume 3 contains approximately 270 photographs taken in France, Germany, Italy, England, Ireland, Denmark, Switzerland, and the U.S. The most substantial topics are the Treaty of Versailles, postwar parades and celebrations, Interallied Games, U.S. strategic army maps, drawings of army corps and division insignias, and aircrafts. Notable figures include President Woodrow Wilson, General John J. Pershing, Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau, President Raymond Poincaré, and Marshal Ferdinand Foch.
Other locations shown include the following (in order of appearance):
- Chaumont, France
- Langres, France
- Versailles, France
- Paris, France
- Le Havre, France
- Sainte-Menehould, France
- Gironde, France
- Château-Thierry, France
- New York City, United States
- Hoboken, United States
- Bendorf, Germany
- London, England
- Dublin, Ireland
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Montreux, Switzerland
- Florence, Italy
- Vinets, France
- Reims, France
Box 1 contains approximately 820 photographs taken in France, Germany, Belgium, Monaco, and the U.S. This box contains all of the aforementioned topics supplemented by French Riviera, Loire Valley, ruins of Reims, Château de Fontainebleau, Pyrenees, Alps, AEF, and personal photographs.
Other locations shown include the following (in order of appearance):
- Ypres, Belgium
- Albert, France
- Dun-sur-Meuse, France
- Reims, France
- Saint-Quentin, France
- Montsec, France
- Cantigny, France
- Château-Thierry, France
- Paris, France
- Koblenz (Coblenz), Germany
- Meaux, France
- Vincennes, France
- Versailles, France
- Fontainebleau, France
- Joinville-le-Pont, France
- Monte Carlo, Monaco
- Lourdes, France
- Menton, France
- Nimes, France
- Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France
- Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France
- Mont-Saint-Michel, France
- Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
- Azay-le-Rideau, France
- Loches, France
- Amboise, France
- Montrésor, France
- Le Lude, France
- Rigny-Ussé, France
- Saumur, France
- Chinon, France
- Langeais, France
- Blois, France
- Saint-Savin, France
- Luz-Saint-Sauveur, France