Vivian L. Rucker WWI Photograph Album & Scrapbook, probably between 1918 and 1926

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Rucker, Vivian L
Title
Vivian L. Rucker WWI Photograph Album & Scrapbook
Dates
probably between 1918 and 1926 (inclusive)
Quantity
1 photograph album: 254 photos and 1 scrapbook (1 box)
Collection Number
PH2017-052
Summary
Photograph album and scrapbook of WWI, Vivian Rucker's wartime service, and her life after the war
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

No restrictions on access.

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Vivian L. Rucker of Walla Walla, Washington, served in the civilian personnel section of the Army as a typist with the Ordnance Department stationed in Tours, France during World War I. Tours was the site of a significant U.S. installtion of some 25,000 troops and staff. Rucker was dispatched from Washington, D.C., to Europe in September of 1918 and returned home in June 1919.

Historical BackgroundReturn to Top

Approximately 25,000 American women worked to support the war effort in Europe, with the overwhelming majority serving in nursing or domestic roles. A smaller group filled clerical and technical positions similar to Rucker's (telephone operators, typists, stenographers, etc.), jobs which had previously been performed in the military by men. Female contributions to the Great War were integral, not only as contribution to the Allied victory, but to the advancement of women's rights and equality going forward.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Photograph album contains prints chronicling Vivian L. Rucker's service in DC and France during World War I and her post-war life in Washington State. The images record her service, American soldiers, Tours and its environs during wartime, post-war damage in Thiers, and a group of intimate views showing a meeting between General Pershing and Marshall Petain of France in early 1919. Scrapbook contains material predominantly related to Rucker's time in France, including a group photo of her fellow "Ordnance Girls" accompanied by a typed list of names and addresses for each, identification cards and service documents, Rucker's oath of loyalty and statement of salary, some photographs & a square piece of the French flag obtained during the celebration in Tours.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Status of creator's copyrights is unknown; restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Users are responsible for researching copyright status before use.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Source: Between the Covers Rare Books, April 6, 2017.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1 Photograph Album probably between 1918 and 1926
1/2 Scrapbook probably between 1918 and 1926
1/3 "Ordnance Girls"
Group photograph and related textual and ephemeral materials
probably between 1918 and 1926

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Buildings--War damage--France--Thiers--Photographs
  • World War, 1914-1918--Participation, Female
  • World War, 1914-1918--Photographs

Personal Names

  • Rucker, Vivian L.--Archives
  • Rucker, Vivian L.--Photographs

Geographical Names

  • Tours (France)--Photographs

Form or Genre Terms

  • Photograph albums
  • Scrapbooks

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)