Furthermore, the military indexed and cross-indexed their own photos, which was not always consistent. It is crucial to note that the subject headings used to index WWII military photographs were defined by the individual military branches and not by NARA archivists. William “Bill” Blackford was the USS Mason’s captain.
Before starting our research, we gathered the following information: To illustrate the search process for Navy photographs, we have chosen to focus on the USS Mason. Notable characteristics, accomplishments, and facts regarding the ship and/or crew members.Names of prominent personalities affiliated with the ship.Ship name and hull number (predecessor hull numbers are also useful).However, the type of information needed for photographic research slightly differs from branch to branch. The important information to have on hand prior to searching the Navy photographs includes: Similar to the Army and Air Force photos, the WWII Navy photographs have been indexed by subject.
In this third post of a four part series, we will be providing an example of the type of search path one would follow when attempting to locate photographs related to WWII Navy ships.
Given their popularity, our How to Research posts are intended to be a quick reference guide, with some tips and examples of how to effectively search through our WWII military photographs. When it comes to research in the Still Picture Branch, our staff would agree that World War II photographs are by far some of our most requested records.