The Weston family World War II photograph albums consist of four volumes containing approximately 374 images as well as one box of ephemera documenting the camp life and leisure time of married couple Lawrence and Elizabeth Weston. Lawrence served in the United States Army in France during World War II while Elizabeth worked as a nurse.
The Weston family World War II photograph albums consist of four volumes containing approximately 374 images as well as one box of ephemera documenting the camp life and leisure time of married couple Lawrence and Elizabeth Weston. Lawrence served in the United States Army in France during World War II while Elizabeth worked as a nurse.
Volume one (27.25 x 16.5 cm) contains approximately 88 snapshots and one holiday card. The album is constructed like a graduated flipbook, with images loaded into plastic sleeves bound with metal pins. Many images have typewritten notes on the back written by Lawrence Weston. The photographs primarily depict Lawrence's time at Fort Dix in 1940 and 1941, showing soldiers at rest and camp life scenes. Also present are photographs taken in Trenton, New Jersey.
Volume two (27.25 x 16.5 cm) contains approximately 98 snapshots and three negatives. The album is constructed in the same flipbook style as volumes one and three. The images chronicle leisure time in France in Reims and Ancerville around 1945. Of note are several pictures of French civilians standing next to men in uniform, images of Lawrence at a plane crash site, and a cardigan knit from a parachute.
Volume three (27.25 x 16.5 cm) contains approximately 96 snapshots. This album is also constructed in the same flipbook style as volumes one and two and continues where the second volume leaves off. The first half of the album contains more images from France leading up to Lawrence Weston’s departure from Le Havre and Camp Lucky Strike in August of 1945 while the latter half concerns his return to the United States with his arrival in Boston Harbor in January of 1946. Several identified images of Elizabeth Weston are present, and some of the inscriptions on these photographs may be in her hand. The album concludes with views of Detroit, Michigan.
Volume four (30.5 x 24.25 cm) contains approximately 92 snapshots that detail Elizabeth Weston's life from her time in nursing school until 1942. Many images feature her siblings and coworkers while a 1942 trip to Canada is also represented. The album is blue with a ship design on the front cover and is spiral bound.
Also present is one box of ephemera containing three card photographs, 10 tickets and identifications cards, three "letters on record" envelopes, a memo book, two Bond Drive advertisements, a pamphlet on Camp Maxey, four event pamphlets, a copy of a Formula for Peace, a map of Fort Dix, seven documents relating to Lawrence's candidacy to Officer's Candidate School, a certificate, two 1920 letters regarding the location of Lawrence's father, Elizabeth's certificate as a registered nurse, a large map of Germany, and four 1945 copies of The Stars and Stripes.