Earl Garfield Cunningham World War II scrapbook, photographs, and ephemera

Source Collection

This digital collection comprises selected materials from the following archival collection at David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library:

Earl Garfield Cunningham World War II scrapbook, photographs, and ephemera 1941-1950 and undated

Collection #RL.00275 | 1.25 Linear Feet (1 box); 40 Items

ABSTRACT
Earl Garfield Cunningham (1911-1983) was an African American U.S. Army Lieutenant who served with the 371st Infantry in Italy from October 1944 to the end of 1945. While in Italy, he participated in the campaigns of North Apennines and Po Valley. collection includes 12 scrapbook pages containing more than 150 amateur corner-mounted photographs taken primarily in Italy, together with postcards of Italian sights; military appointment certificates and news clippings; military records; military awards including the Bronze Star Medal; and additional photographs that collectively document the military career and experiences of African American soldier Earl G. Cunningham. Locations documented in Garfield's photographs include Genova, Pisa, Viareggio, Massa, Pietrasanta, and Savona, Images include city streets, rural landscapes, coastal views, damaged buildings and destroyed tanks, Italian citizens, American soldiers, and partisan cemeteries. Many of the photographs have brief captions. Acquired as part of the John Hope Franklin Research Center for African and African American History and Culture.

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