Morris C. McEldowney Military Service in Korea and Japan photograph album, 1954-1955

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Summary

Creator:
McEldowney, Morris C., 1905-1986
Abstract:
A hand-made photograph album by US Army Chaplain Morris C. McEldowney, dated 1954-1955. The album contains 190 photographs laid down on 172 stiff cardboard sheets, 7.5 x 4 inches, plus 6 small Japanese color woodblock views laid down on three more pages. The candid snapshots, with handwritten captions, are primarily of Seoul, Korea, the 8th Army military base, and the surrounding area. It also contains photograhs of Pusa, Korea, Tokyo, and Sendai, Japan.
Extent:
0.4 Linear Feet
Language:
English
Collection ID:
RL.10981

Background

Scope and content:

A hand-made album of 190 photographs laid down on 172 stiff cardboard sheets, 7.5 x 4 inches, plus 6 small Japanese color woodblock views laid down on three more pages. Most of the black-and-white gelatin silver photographs measure 4.5 x 3.5 inches and are candid snapshots of the local people, shrines, public buildings, and marketplaces in and around Seoul. Some of the photographs are non-standard sizes, having been cut and cropped by McEldowney. McEldowney also carefully recorded notes in ink on what he was seeing, providing both historical and personal commentary in the margins of most of the pictures.

Twenty-four photographs are views of sites in Sendai and Tokyo, the rest are of Korea, and the 8th Army compound (Yongsan Garrison) in Seoul. He documented the refugee housing in Seoul, a barber shop set up inside a cave near the Thousand Steps, the Capitol Building constructed by the Japanese, the Korean royal palace (Gyeongbokgung), a white buddha statue located in a rock quarry, the Tomb of the Kings, women doing laundry in the river, and many street scenes.

The photographer captured pictures of U.S. Ambassador to Korea Ellis O. Briggs and his daughter Lucy, and his successor, William S. B. Lacy.Several of the chaplains stationed in Korea at this time also appear in the photographs, including Lewis Durden, Bernie Fenton, and John Woods. There are photographs of the opening ceremonies for the 8th Army Chaplain's Leadership School and Retreat, the DMZ, two Korean sisters who worked as secretaries and interpreters for the army, a YMCA school, and a local Boy Scout troop.

Titles of pages are provided by creator. Notes provided are verbatim transcripts of handwritten captions provided by creator.

Biographical / historical:

Morris C. McEldowney (1905-1986) served 17 years as a Chaplain in the US Army, and retired from regular service in 1959. He saw three tours of duty in Europe and one in the Far East.

Acquisition information:
The Morris C. McEldowney Military Service in East Asia Photo Album was received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a purchase in December, 2014.
Processing information:

Processed by: Katrina Martin, Alice Poffinberger, December, 2014

Accessions described in this finding aid: 2014-0198

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. The library may require up to 48-hours to retrieve these materials for research use.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

Morris C. McEldowney Military Service in East Asia Photograph Album, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.