Finding Aid for the Earl B. Cleage First World War collection 2017.240.w.r
Wynter Salazar
Center for American War Letters Archives
11/8/2017
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu
Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Earl B. Cleage First World War collection
Creator:
Cleage, Earl B.
source:
Woolston, Linda
Identifier/Call Number: 2017.240.w.r
Physical Description:
1 Linear feet
(2 folders, 1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1918 - 1919
Abstract: This collection contains postcards, a hat and pin from Pvt. Earl B. Cleage during the First World War.
Physical Location: Leatherby Libraries, Special Collections, CAWL Archives
Language of Material:
English
, French
.
Container: WWI 4
Container: 1-2
Container: 1-2
Container: Earl B. Cleage- Series 3: Realia
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Linda Woolston
This collection is arranged in the donor's orginal order by material type, recipient, and date.
- Series 1, Correspondence to Lillian Cleage
- Series 2, Correspondence to Mrs. A. B. Cleage and Clifford Cleage
- Series 3, Realia
This note is from information provided by the donor. Private Earl B. Cleage, American Expeditionary Force was born around
1900 and was the oldest child of Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Cleage of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His younger siblings were Lillian
and Clifford. The household also included his mother's sister and her daughter from about 1914. This daughter was the donor's
husband's mother, Josephine Farris Burdine Woolston. The Cleage children never married and resided together in a house purchased
by Lillian in Collingswood, NJ. Lillian and Farris were very close and visited each other often. Earl died around 1954 and
Lillian died around 1976.
- [Item title, Box number, Folder number],Earl B. Cleage First World War collection (2017.240.w.r), Center for American War
Letters Archives, Chapman University, CA.
This collection contains 21 postcards from Pvt. Earl B. Cleage, AEF to his sister Lillian Cleage, his mother Mrs. A. B Cleage,
and his brother Clifford Cleage during the First World War. These postcards are prominently of French origin and feature photos
of French towns or text written in French. Most of these postcards are holiday cards. This collection also contains a wool,
army tan enlisted man's hat and a brass enameled pin of bird with blue wings with the inscription "Lorraine" that belonged
to Cleage.
There are no restrictions on the use of this material except where previously copyrighted material is concerned. It is the
responsibility of the researcher to obtain all permissions. For further copyright information, please contact the archivist.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War (1914-1918)
Correspondence -- World War, 1914-1918
World War (1914-1918) -- France
Postcards.
World War (1914-1918) -- Christmas
Woolston, Linda
Cleage, Lillian
Cleage, Mrs. A.B.
Cleage, Clifford
box WWI 4, folder 1, folder 1
Series 1, Correspondence to Lillian Cleage 1918 September 30 - 1919 January 19
Creator: Cleage, Earl B.
source: Woolston, Linda
Physical Description: 0.08 Linear feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English, French.
This series contains 15 postcards from Pvt. Earl B. Cleage, AEF to his sister Lillian Cleage. This series also contains a
note from the donor. Most of the dates are illegible so they are arranged in original donor order. This series contains beautiful
postcards from this era, most have coinciding French text. Most of what Cleage wrote to his sister were simply acknowledgements
that he was still alive, she was in his thoughts, and asking her to write him a letter soon. Two postcards have the same
drawing of two yarn figures, one pink and one blue, on the front but are from different dates. These two postcards have the
inscription "Il pleat de mort sur les blondes tetes! Proteger, o vous,fetiches cheris, Tous les Rintintin, toutes les Nenette
Qui dorment daus les berceaux de Paris! Ch. A. Abare" below the yarn figures. On the postcard dated January 25, the pink yarn
figure has "Lillian" written by Cleage next to it and the blue yarn figure has "+ Harris" written by Cleage next to it. The
other postcards of this series are mostly holiday cards including Christmas and Easter as well as birthday cards.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War (1914-1918)
World War (1914-1918) -- France
Correspondence -- World War, 1914-1918
Postcards.
box WWI 4, folder 2, folder 2
Series 2, Correspondence to Mrs. A. B. Cleage and Clifford Cleage 1918 September 20 - 1919 February 6
Creator: Cleage, Earl B.
source: Woolston, Linda
Physical Description: 0.08 Linear feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains 3 postcards from Pvt. Earl B. Cleage, AEF to his mother, Mrs. A.B. Cleage, 1 postcard to his brother,
Clifford Cleage, and 2 postcards that are unspecified. Most of the dates are illegible so they are arranged in original donor
order. The postcards in this series also feature some beautiful postcards from this era, some with coinciding French text.
Some postcards have photos of scenes of French towns, including the street Rue Maison Dieu in the town of Laignes and the
Apse of St. Peter's Church in the French commune of BAR-sur-AUBE. This series also contains 2 postcards that seem to be a
middle of a conversation but these postcards have no discernable beginning or end. These postcards are not dated, have illegible
handwriting, and do not have any indication of who wrote the card or who it was sent to. These postcards are numbered 2 and
3 and feature photos of the church and school of the French city of Darenay in the Haute-Marne department. This series also
features a handstitched card of a black and white bird and blue and pink flowers with the handstitched inscription "Happy
Christmas." Cleage mostly wrote short notes saying that his mother or brother were in his thoughts and asking them to write
him soon.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War (1914-1918)
Correspondence -- World War, 1914-1918
World War (1914-1918) -- France
Postcards.
box Earl B. Cleage- Series 3: Realia, box 1
Series 3, Realia 1918 - 1919
Creator: Cleage, Earl B.
source: Woolston, Linda
Physical Description: 0.5 Linear feet( 1 box)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains one tan wool Army enlisted man's hat and a brass enameled pin of bird with blue wings with the inscription
"Lorraine" that belonged to Pvt. Earl B. Cleage, AEF during the First World War. The pin is attached to the hat. This series
is located in a separate box.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War (1914-1918)
Clothing and dress -- World War, 1914-1918