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Esther Gilbert Collection

 Collection
Identifier: WV 0297

Scope and Contents

This extensive scrapbook depicts Gilbert's service in the Pacific Theater of World War II through photos with detailed captions as well as maps, tourism guides, news clippings, and other mementos from the various places in which Gilbert served. Photos depict Gilbert and her colleagues; scenery and animal life on various islands; airplanes, ships and naval officers preparing for battle; Red Cross headquarters; the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester visiting Australia; the devastation of buildings in Manila; an aerial shot of paratroopers landing on Corregidor Island; and scenes in Japan after the surrender. The first page contains a detailed map of the Pacific Ocean with Gilbert's course from 1944 to 1946 charted out with numbered dates in the caption. Other, more specific maps are provided for the various islands on which she served. The scrapbook also contains such things as Gilbert's immunization record; a program from a performance of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra; a Christmas services program for troops stationed in Australia; menus from Japanese restaurants made for US forces; Japanese ski brochures in English; a rail ticket authorizing US troops to ride Japanese trains; and telegrams to Gilbert's family announcing her impending return to the United States.

Dates

  • 1944-1946

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is retained by the creators of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information. Please see our Sensitive Materials Statement.

Biographical Note

Esther Gilbert of Norwich, Connecticut, served as a staff assistant with the American Red Cross in the Pacific Theater of World War II from 10 July 1944 to 24 March 1946. Prior to her overseas assignment, she had been working for the Boston, Massachusetts, chapter of the Red Cross. While serving overseas, she was stationed in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, and Melbourne, Australia; Biak Island and Hollandia, New Guinea; Tacloban and Manila, Phillipines; and finally in Yokohama and Tokyo, Japan.

Extent

.20 Linear Feet (1 Scrapbook)

Language of Materials

English

Metadata Rights Declarations

  • License: This record is made available under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Creative Commons license.

Abstract

Esther Gilbert of Norwich, Connecticut, served as a staff assistant with the American Red Cross in the Pacific Theater of World War II from July 1944 to March 1946.

This extensive scrapbook depicts Gilbert's service in the Pacific Theater of World War II through photos with detailed captions as well as maps, tourism guides, news clippings, and other mementos from the various places in which Gilbert served, including Australia, New Guinea, the Philippines, and Japan.

Method of Acquisition

Purchased in 2002.

Offensive Language Statement

The UNC Greensboro University Libraries collects, preserves, and makes accessible unique and historical materials for learning and research. The nature of historical materials is such that some material may represent positions, norms, and values that are offensive and objectionable. These materials represent the opinions and actions of their creators. By providing access to these records in our reading room and through our digital collections, we recognize that archives and rare books can play a vital role in holding those creators accountable and in helping us learn from the past.

Our finding aids and other collection descriptions may occasionally re-use language provided by creators or former holders of the materials, but we strive to place outdated or offensive terminology in context. That said, we recognize that we may not always make the right decision and welcome feedback from all sources so we can learn and adjust our practices. Please contact us at scua@uncg.edu if you encounter problematic language in our finding aids or other collection description. We will review the language and, as appropriate, update it in a way that balances preservation of the original context with our ongoing commitment to describing materials with respectful and inclusive language.

Processing Information

Processed by Heath Gardner, September 2004

Title
Esther Gilbert Collection
Status
Completed
Author
Beth Carmichael
Date
2007
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
eng

Repository Details

Part of the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives Repository

Contact:
P.O. Box 26170
320 College Ave.
Greensboro NC 27402-6170 US
336-334-5246