Title: Photograph album of African American marine Herbert R. Davis,
Authors: Davis, Herbert R.,
Year: 1944
Subjects: African American soldiers; Marines United States; Peleliu, Battle of, Palau, 1944; Racism against Black people; Racism United States; World War, 1939-1945 Pacific Area; Dutch East Indies (Territory under Japanese occupation, 1942-1945); Palau
Abstract: Contains 326 black and white or sepia photographs, consisting of images produced by Davis and by the United States military. Most depict scenes related to combat (e.g., corpses of Japanese and American servicemen, destroyed materiel, ruined landscapes, prisoners of war, and troop movements) and to the subsequent occupation of various Pacific isles by American forces. The album also contains the following: newspaper and magazine clippings covering the course of the war; commercially produced color postcards; Indonesian banknotes issued by the Dutch government; Philippine banknotes issued by the Japanese and American governments; banknotes issued by the French government in Indochina. Finally, Davis included a signed letter with the heading "To Whom It May Concern", wherein he documents the racism that he experienced during his military service.