Percy Brown papers, 1900-1967

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Summary

Creators:
Brown, Percy, 1885-
Abstract:
The Percy Brown papers consist of writings, newspaper articles, and photographs relating to Percy Brown, a photojournalist and author who photographed scenes of World War I from the front lines on the Western front. Also included is information on the Ruhleben prison camp in Germany where Brown was a POW for three years, and first-hand accounts of the rescue of the icebound Soviet ship Solovei in 1920.
Extent:
2 manuscript boxes, 1 oversize box. (1.6 Linear Feet)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Percy Brown papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

The Percy Brown papers consist of writings, newspaper articles, and photographs relating to Percy Brown, a photojournalist and author who photographed scenes of World War I from the front lines on the Western front. Also included is information on the Ruhleben prison camp in Germany where Brown was a prisoner of war for three years, and first-hand accounts of the rescue of the icebound Soviet ship Solovei in 1920. Much of the material centers on his writings, including diary entries and unpublished manuscripts, and on newspaper articles, both by Brown and others.

Biographical / historical:

British journalist and photographer; German prisoner of war during World War I.

Date Event
1885 March 9
Born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England
1906-1908
Worked in San Francisco, California, U.S.A as a carpenter after the 1908 Earthquake
1934-1938
Owned and managed Royal Hotel in Portishead, England
1908-1914
Became a "professional rollerskating expert" at the Olympia Rollerskate Rink in London
1914-1915
Photographed scenes of World War I in Belgium and France
1915-1918
Captured by German counter-intelligence and sent to Ruhleben prisoner of war camp
1922-1930
Worked as a photojournalist for The Daily Sketch
1918-1919
Photographed the German Revolution in Berlin
1920
Snuck aboard the icebreaker Svyatogor as correspondent for The Daily Graphic en route to rescue the icebound Solovei
1948
Left England for San Francisco, California; worked as a carpenter, doorman, photographer, and life insurance salesman.
1938-1948
Owned and managed Castle Lodge in Ludlow, England
Acquisition information:
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 1988.
Arrangement:

The collection is organized into 6 series: Biographical Material; World War I; Solovei Rescue file; Writings; Newspaper Articles; and Photographs

Physical location:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Terms of access:

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Percy Brown papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Location of this collection:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003, US
Contact:
(650) 723-3563
hooverarchives@stanford.edu
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