Description
This collection contains photographs
taken by Abbott during his tour of duty as a member of the 23rd Engineers in Europe during
and after WWI.
Background
Charles Henry Abbott was born in small lumber town of Cambro, Michigan in 1894. The family
moved west to Portland, Oregon when he was young. He lived there until after high school
when he followed his brother to Hawaii to work on a pineapple plantation. While in Hawaii,
he served in the Hawaiian National Guard. Charles was drafted into the Army, 23d Engineers
on Nov. 16, 1917. The next four years were spent on the front lines of WWI in Europe. During
and after the end of the WWI, Chuck photographed the war torn landscape. After the war he
traveled throughout Europe and eventually ended up in New York, where he formed
Chas. H. Abbott Photography and sold sets of his war photos. With
money from the sale of the photographic sets he was able to open an exotic bird shop on
Fifth Avenue with his German partner. The business prospered until the Depression in Germany
destroyed the trade in exotic birds.
Extent
4 Linear Feet
4 photograph boxes
Restrictions
Copyright for the items in this collection is owned by the creators and their heirs.
Reproduction or distribution of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair
use requires permission from the copyright owner. It is the responsibility of the user to
determine whether a use is fair use, and to obtain any necessary permissions. For more
information see UCSC Special Collections and Archives policy on Reproduction and Use.
Availability
Collection is open for research.