Guide to the Harold L. Valentine Jr. photograph album Mss 352
Finding aid prepared by Edward C. Fields, 2018.
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara 93106-9010
special@library.ucsb.edu
2018 March 16
Title: Harold L. Valentine Jr. photograph album
Identifier/Call Number: Mss 352
Contributing Institution:
UC Santa Barbara Library, Department of Special Research Collections
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
1.17 linear feet
(1 flat box)
Creator:
Valentine, Harold L., Jr., 1923-1977
Date (inclusive): 1934-1944
Abstract: Photograph album containing 85 gelatin silver photographs of Valentine family of Gouldtown New Jersey, as well as African-American
soldiers on a military base during World War II.
The collection is open for research.
Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Research Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish
or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Research Collections. Permission for publication
is given on behalf of the Department of Special Research Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.
[Identification of Item], Harold L. Valentine Jr. photograph album, Mss 352. Department of Special Research Collections, UC
Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.
Library purchase, 2018.
Gouldtown, which is located in New Jersey about 60 miles south of Philadelphia, was called "America's Oldest Negro Community"
by
Ebony magazine in 1952. It traces its roots to the 1700s when a freedman named Benjamin Gould married a Finnish woman. Community
lore holds that in the mid-1700s two mixed race brothers, who were previously indentured servants, arrived from the West Indies,
settled near the Goulds and began families of their own after purchasing the passage of two "mail order brides" from the Netherlands.
Shortly thereafter, a mixed race couple (White and Native American) arrived from Cape May. It was descendants of these four
families that formed the core of Gouldtown's population well into the latter half of the 20th century. Harold L. Valentine
Jr., to whom the album originally belonged, was born in 1923 and lived in Gouldtown until his death in 1977. This is an important
visual record of mid-20th century African-American life in one of the most historic African-American enclaves.
This album contains 85 gelatin silver photographs, the first captioned "Harold L. Valentine Jr. Dec 25, 1934."
Photographs depict Valentine family members around the family home and farm in Gouldtown, as well as African-American soldiers
on a military base, where Valentine served as a technical sergeant during World War II. Photographs in the album date to 1934-1944.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
African American soldiers -- Photographs
World War, 1939-1945 -- African Americans
Gouldtown (N.J.) -- Photographs
Gelatin silver prints
Photograph albums
Valentine, Harold L., Jr., 1923-1977 -- Archives
flat-box 1
Harold L. Valentine Jr. photograph album 1934-1944