[Vernacular Photograph Album of a U.S. Soldier in Kolkata During World War II]

[Kolkata, 1945. Very good.. 248 original photographs, most approximately 3 x 4.5 inches. Oblong folio album, string tied; red paper boards, printed in gilt. Light wear at edges of boards and album leaves. Photos in corner mounts. Minor fading and mirroring to a few images. An extensive album of vernacular photographs compiled by an American G.I. stationed in India during or just after World War II. Calcutta (now Kolkata) was the main base of operations for British and American forces against the Japanese in Burma and further into southeast Asia during the war. Kolkata itself was host to over 150,000 American soldiers from the beginning of the India-Burma campaign in Spring 1942 until the end of the war.

This album contains nearly 250 images that depict how U.S. soldiers experienced life in the capital of Bengal. The first series of photographs comprises a lengthy group of street scenes that depict local children swimming and playing; snake charmers, fire eaters, and other street performers plying their trades; and some of the local animal husbandry and transportation. The second section contains images of some of the famous temples and other buildings along the River Hooghly before showing some more typical street scenes in the bustling areas of central Kolkata. The third cohesive group of photos depicts life in camp for the soldiers, with images of them playing sports, at leisure, and engaging in what appears to be some physical training. The final section returns to street scenes around Kolkata, including several images of a funeral in progress, and a few locales farther afield. Uncaptioned, but a substantial and diverse set of photographs that provides an interesting visual document of the American military experience in India during World War II.