The Military collection documents primarily the military activities of African Americans in the United States armed forces, dating from before the American Revolution to the mid-1980s. The collection, which depicts mostly the wartime activities of the United States military and is strongest for the period from World War II (1940s) to the mid-1950s, includes single and group portraits of enlisted personnel and officers; views of battles and troop movements; views of military encampments near battle sites or in foreign lands; and views of military bases and training camps, depicting daily military life and basic training, mainly from the 1940s to the mid-1950s. The U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps are the most represented branches of the armed services. Images from the 1700s, the 1800s, the Korean War and Vietnamese Conflict, and the late-1950s to the 1890s are limited. Images depicting civilians employed in the war industries during World War II are filed separately. There are some depictions of foreign troops, mainly during World War II.
