Fort McClellan Internment Camp Photographic Album
Collection
Identifier: 2018-002
Content Description
This collection consists of one photographic album containing 129 silver gelatin prints portraying life at Fort McClellan, Alabama—one of four major prisoner of war camps in the state—in June 1943. Private Charles W. Christopher of the Military Police Escort Guard, a branch of the United States Army, collected and arranged the images into the album. The images depict both military personnel and prisoners of war around the grounds and buildings of Fort McClellan. While many of the military personnel images are posed—most likely by Private Christopher—a number of images show them drilling, standing at attention, doing laundry, and boxing. Private Christopher identifies several of the men in the images with a handwritten caption. The images depicting prisoners of war are of a candid nature, as the men appear to be coming or going to work or performing manual labor. The collection also contains the front page of the Democrat and Chronicle with the headline "Invasion Launched on French Coast" from June 6, 1944.
Dates
- 1943
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Due to the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to certain materials may require additional advance notice.
Conditions Governing Use
Researchers are responsible for using the materials in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any copyright claimants in collection materials. Copyright for official University records is held by The University of Alabama. The library claims only physical ownership of many manuscript collections. Anyone wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of literary property rights or copyrights. Please contact Special Collections (archives@ua.edu) with questions regarding specific manuscript collections.
For more information about copyright policy, please visit: https://www.ua.edu/copyright/. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals without the consent of those individuals may have legal implications, for which the University of Alabama assumes no responsibility.
For more information about copyright policy, please visit: https://www.ua.edu/copyright/. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals without the consent of those individuals may have legal implications, for which the University of Alabama assumes no responsibility.
Biographical / Historical
Fort McClellan was a United States Army training base located in Anniston, Alabama. The United States War Department first established the site in 1917 as a mobilization camp to train troops after the United States entered World War I in April of that year. By 1929, Camp McClellan received funding to become a permanent post at which time it was renamed Fort McClellan. With the onset of World War II, Fort McClellan underwent a major expansion, receiving 6.5 million dollars in federal funding to prepare the base as a training center for new soldiers. In 1943, the Army Corps of Engineers completed a 3,000 person capacity prisoner of war camp at Fort McClellan—one of four major camps in the state of Alabama—to house German and Italian prisoners captured in North Africa. While commonly known as a prisoner of war camp, the camp at Fort McClellan, as seen in a photograph of its sign, was officially named the Fort McClellan Internment Camp. Many considered Fort McClellan a model camp with very few escape attempts or suicides. The POW camp at Fort McClellan operated until 1946.
Private Charles W. Christopher (1922-1964) was a member of the Military Police Escort Guard Company, a branch of the United States Army established in 1941, tasked with providing “supervisory and security personnel for the evacuation and movement of enemy prisoners of war and civilian internees.” (Department of the Army Field Manual)
Extent
1.4 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Overview
This collection consists of one photographic album containing 129 silver gelatin prints portraying life at Fort McClellan, Alabama—one of four major prisoner of war camps in the state—in June 1943. Private Charles W. Christopher of the Military Police Escort Guard, a branch of the United States Army, collected and arranged the images into the album.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The University of Alabama Libraries acquired the Fort McClellan Internment Camp Photographic Album in 2018.
Processing Information
Processed by Jessica Rayman, October 2018.
- Title
- Guide to the Fort McClellan Internment Camp Photographic Album
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Jessica Rayman
- Date
- 2018 November
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the The University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections Repository