Softcover
1921 · California, Hawaii, Australia
by OSBURN, Willie
California, Hawaii, Australia, 1921. Softcover. Fine. Folio measuring 11" x 9.5". 76pp. Green "De Luxe Line" binder filled with photographs and ephemera from 1917-1921. Tears, foxing, and chips thus very good with fine photographs. A scrapbook detailing an U.S. Navy sailor's time in the Pacific during the end of World War I. Contains three sepia photographs sized between 5.5" x 3.5" and 4.5" x 2.5", as well as various ephemera including: Naval notices, menus, tickets, broadsides, pamphlets, seven postcards and 39 holiday cards.
A scrapbook filled with various ephemera from the end of World War I put together by Willie Osburn, a U.S. Navy sailor. From 1917 to 1921, the scrapbook features notices from Naval posts, menus, tickets to events, broadsides, pamphlets for religious themes and informational guides, as well as postcards and holiday cards. Osburn sailed from Hawaii on the *S.S. Ventura* to San Francisco, California where several of the Naval notices and menus are from a training station there. One menu from the training station features a large eagle holding a rock and paper with the words "Kultur," on it. The Date is July 4th, 1918 and is in full color with a small poem by Henry Van Dyke on the verso. Several other cards and menus are decorated in bright colors, a St. Patrick's day card features an embroidered four leaf clover in green, a Valentine's day card features two small children holding hands with a poem, and several Christmas cards are decorated with holly, angels, and trees. There are also seven postcards from Australia and California that were sent to Osburn featuring illustrated pictures of different locations.
The broadsides feature information for various events such as dance nights, theatrical performances, and high society club events. Among the ephemera Osburn has several membership cards and pamphlets from the Islamic Temple (Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine) in California. The fraternity had nothing to do with Arab culture or Islam but was a prominent social club in the United States. There are also a couple of illustrations of the Freemasonry symbol included in the scrapbook.
The Naval training station's Gazette is also tipped into the scrapbook. *The Yerba Buena Gazette* volume 1, number 1 issue from October 3rd, 1918 which briefly talks about the spread of Spanish Influenza throughout the world and how many of the Naval camps, are being put under quarantine. Another article talks about the mission of the Naval station, "The mission of every man in the Navy is ‘To help the Navy win the war," and goes on to explain that without a mission a man is worthless. Other small, less serious articles are written about camp shows and performances as well as sports games and personal ads. The letters to Osburn are brief and usually ask how he is doing and that his mother is ill. Several letters all give their sympathy to Osburn for losing a family member, but even these letters are a page or less. Aside from the brightly colored cards, interesting pamphlets, and hopeful letters, the time frame does show in a letter from the commandant. The letter states that "All marriages of members of the naval personnel attached to station and ships with persons of other races are prohibited." It can be assumed since the Navy sailors were stationed on Hawaii and Samoa that they may have had relations with other races during their time there.
Osburn's scrapbook ends in 1921 with a detailed review of his banking statements but he did go on to serve in World War II and died in 1971. An extensive look at the various types of ephemera collected during the end of World War I by a Navy Sailor serving in the U.S. (Inventory #: 411203)
A scrapbook filled with various ephemera from the end of World War I put together by Willie Osburn, a U.S. Navy sailor. From 1917 to 1921, the scrapbook features notices from Naval posts, menus, tickets to events, broadsides, pamphlets for religious themes and informational guides, as well as postcards and holiday cards. Osburn sailed from Hawaii on the *S.S. Ventura* to San Francisco, California where several of the Naval notices and menus are from a training station there. One menu from the training station features a large eagle holding a rock and paper with the words "Kultur," on it. The Date is July 4th, 1918 and is in full color with a small poem by Henry Van Dyke on the verso. Several other cards and menus are decorated in bright colors, a St. Patrick's day card features an embroidered four leaf clover in green, a Valentine's day card features two small children holding hands with a poem, and several Christmas cards are decorated with holly, angels, and trees. There are also seven postcards from Australia and California that were sent to Osburn featuring illustrated pictures of different locations.
The broadsides feature information for various events such as dance nights, theatrical performances, and high society club events. Among the ephemera Osburn has several membership cards and pamphlets from the Islamic Temple (Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine) in California. The fraternity had nothing to do with Arab culture or Islam but was a prominent social club in the United States. There are also a couple of illustrations of the Freemasonry symbol included in the scrapbook.
The Naval training station's Gazette is also tipped into the scrapbook. *The Yerba Buena Gazette* volume 1, number 1 issue from October 3rd, 1918 which briefly talks about the spread of Spanish Influenza throughout the world and how many of the Naval camps, are being put under quarantine. Another article talks about the mission of the Naval station, "The mission of every man in the Navy is ‘To help the Navy win the war," and goes on to explain that without a mission a man is worthless. Other small, less serious articles are written about camp shows and performances as well as sports games and personal ads. The letters to Osburn are brief and usually ask how he is doing and that his mother is ill. Several letters all give their sympathy to Osburn for losing a family member, but even these letters are a page or less. Aside from the brightly colored cards, interesting pamphlets, and hopeful letters, the time frame does show in a letter from the commandant. The letter states that "All marriages of members of the naval personnel attached to station and ships with persons of other races are prohibited." It can be assumed since the Navy sailors were stationed on Hawaii and Samoa that they may have had relations with other races during their time there.
Osburn's scrapbook ends in 1921 with a detailed review of his banking statements but he did go on to serve in World War II and died in 1971. An extensive look at the various types of ephemera collected during the end of World War I by a Navy Sailor serving in the U.S. (Inventory #: 411203)