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Freeman (Breo) World War I Photograph Collection
MS-0488
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Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & University Archives
Title: Breo Freeman World War I Photograph Collection
Creator:
Freeman, Breo
Identifier/Call Number: MS-0488
Physical Description:
0.92 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1914-1919
Date (bulk): 1918-1919
Language of Material:
English
.
The
Breo Freeman World War I Photograph Collection visually documents soldier life, foreign dignitaries involved in peace negotiations, and the destruction caused by the First
World War. Many of the photographs include captions, agency stamps, or hand-written notes on the back. Photographs with agency
stamps appeared in various publications during and after the war. The collection is divided into four series:
Foreign Dignitaries and Admirals;
Camp Life and Battlefields;
Battleships, Submarines, and Zeppelins; and
British and German Landmarks.
The
Foreign Dignitaries and Admirals (1918-1919) document American, British, and French leaders just after the armistice. Several of these photographs contain
"Copyright – Central News, London" stamps, referring to the British Central News Agency. Dignitaries include President Woodrow
Wilson, King George V, French Premier Georges Clemenceau, British Admiral of the Fleet Sir David Beatty, and American Admiral
William Sowden Sims. Highlights include a photograph of Admiral Beatty overseeing the surrender of the German Fleet. The files
are arranged alphabetically by folder title.
The
Camp Life and Battlefields (c. 1914-1919) series documents Canadian soldier life as well as battle aftermath. The series includes photographs of wounded
and dead soldiers, scenes of soldiers in camp and at work, destruction on the battlefield, and images of US trains transporting
German cannons. Of particular interest is a photograph of two wounded soldiers with faces wrapped in gauze, as well as a photograph
of two soldiers standing in front of a large pile of bombed-out rubble. The majority of photographs in this series say "Canadian
Official Photograph" with typed descriptions pasted to the back of the photograph as well as a "Photo Supplied Central News"
stamp. This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
Battleships, Submarines, and Zeppelins (c. 1918) document the surrender of the German fleet as well as damages to various naval vessels. The series includes photographs
of German submarines, French battleships, battleships awaiting repair at the London docks, and several images of German zeppelins
in Lakehurst, New Jersey. Highlights include an image of a German submarine "on show" in the Thames in front of the Tower
Bridge. Although many of the submarine photographs contain Central News stamps and/or typed descriptions pasted onto the back
of the photograph, none of the photographs of German zeppelins or battleship damage and repairs are stamped.
The
British and German Landmarks (1918-1919) consist of two photographs of London crowds on the London Bridge and in front of the Queen Victoria Monument,
as well as souvenir photographs of German castles along the Rhine River. There is also an image of a train station in New
Jersey. This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.
I. Foreign Dignitaries and Admirals (1918-1919)
II. Camp Life and Battlefields (c. 1914-1919)
III. Battleships, Submarines, and Zeppelins (c. 1918)
IV. British and German Landmarks (1918-1919)
This collection is open for research
These materials are in the public domain. However, the nature of historical archival and manuscript collections means that
copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine. Copyright resides with the creators of materials contained
in the collection or their heirs. Requests for permission to publish must be submitted to the Head of Special Collections,
San Diego State University, Library and Information Access. When granted, permission is given on behalf of Special Collections
as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder(s), which must
also be obtained in order to publish. Materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and
private study. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement
of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials.
Dorothy (Gove) Dobbins Freeman
Georgia C. Amsden Papers
Olin Graves World War I Artifact Collection
Identification of item, folder title, box number, Breo Freeman World War I Photograph Collection, Special Collections and University Archives, San Diego State University Library.
Breo Freeman was born in Lousiana on September 10, 1892. He studied architecture at the Armour Institute in Chicago, and in
1914 moved to Pasadena where he worked for Harrison Albright. Under Albright, Freeman worked on the music space for the 1915
Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park and on the Spreckels Theatre in San Diego. In 1917, he enlisted with the United
States Navy, and was stationed in London where he oversaw repairs to navy vessels. After the war, Freeman returned to Pasadena
to resume work as an architect. His most prominent designs include the Los Angeles County Court Building, the Washington Theater
in Pasadena, and the R.K. Collins House. He also served as the first president of the Pasadena Chapter of the American Institute
of Architects. Freeman passed away in 1975. He had a wife and two sons.
9999-153
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War, 1914-1918--Sources