Silver gelatin photographic portrait of Corporal Needham Roberts
date: label: Date
content: 1919
name: label: Created by
content: Jacob Raw, American, active 1900 - 1921
label: Subject of
content: Needham Roberts, American, 1901 - 1949
label: Subject of
content: 369th Infantry Regiment, American, 1913 - 1945
notes: label: Caption
content: This 1919 photograph shows Sgt. Needham Roberts, a New Jersey native who served with the 369th Infantry during World War I. Within a month after the 369th entered the trenches, Roberts was on sentry duty with fellow soldier Henry Johnson when their outpost was attacked by German soldiers. Roberts and Johnson distinguished themselves in the ensuing combat, fighting off a reported two-dozen Germans despite being seriously wounded in the attack. For their actions they were awarded the Croix de Guerre, becoming the first African American recipients of the medal. The French called them “a magnificent example of courage and energy," and General Pershing’s official communiqué declared, "Two soldiers of an American colored regiment … should be given credit for preventing, by their bravery, the capture of any of our men.”
label: Description
content: Full length studio photo of 369th Infantry Regiment soldier Needham Roberts in military uniform. He is wearing gaiters and a helmet and has his hands folded in front of him. The French Croix de Guerre is visible on his proper left chest, along with two service stripes adn two wound stripes. He has two chevrons on his lower proper right sleeve. Inscribed into the negative in the bottom left corner is the photographer's mark: [J. Raw / TRENTON, N. J.]. There are no marks or inscriptions on the back.
place: label: Place captured
content: Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Military
label: Topic
content: World War I
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Photographs and Still Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2013.88.2
objectType: label: Type
content: gelatin silver prints
label: Type
content: portraits
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
label: Dimensions
content: L x W: 6 3/4 x 4 3/4 in. (17.1 x 12.1 cm)