AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN ARMY CADET PHOTO ALBUM FORT DIX FORT GORDON 1977-1983
Item #1647
African American Army cadet LaKeisha Jones is prominently featured in this collection of approximately 290 photographs made between 1977 and 1983, housed in a red 10 1/4” x 11 7/8” three-ring binder. The photographs are mounted on adhesive “magnetic” album pages beneath plastic sheaths.
The album follows Jones from childhood and adolescence through her Army training years. Early photographs include a studio-style image of Jones jumping rope, as well as a composite modeling or commercial-audition sheet with multiple poses and typed biographical details: birthdate November 14, 1971; height 62”; weight 88 lbs.; hair black; eyes brown. Additional early images show Jones with family and friends, including interracial family scenes, children, recreational outings, and domestic gatherings.
The strongest and most historically compelling portion of the album documents Jones’ military training and Army life. Several photographs are captioned or visually identified with Fort Dix, New Jersey, including images of the barracks, cadets marching in formation, women in uniform, drill instructors, family members attending graduation, and Jones receiving or displaying a Department of the Army Certificate of Training. A handwritten caption dates one Fort Dix sequence to New Jersey, 1982. Jones appears repeatedly in uniform, often wearing a name tag reading “Jones,” and is shown with fellow women cadets, male and female officers, and family members during graduation-related events.
Later photographs appear to place Jones at Fort Gordon, Augusta, Georgia, also in 1982. These images show barracks life and off-duty moments among young soldiers and reservists: quarters, paperwork, cleaning, socializing, bowling, drinking, dancing, and other recreational activities. The album is especially notable for its sustained visual record of a young Black woman’s movement from girlhood into military training, with a strong emphasis on women in uniform, African American Army personnel, and the social world around late-1970s and early-1980s military service.
The final portion of the album includes family gatherings, children, playground scenes, tennis, baseball, reunions, and informal portraits, with some attendees wearing name tags. Together, the album forms a rich vernacular record of African American family life, youth, military aspiration, women’s service, and Army community life in the early 1980s.
The album shows general wear from age and use. The red binder has rubbing, edge wear, corner wear, and surface scuffing. The adhesive pages are toned and somewhat wavy, with the usual aging to the plastic overlays. A few of these pages have been taped down, to prevent any loose photos from slipping. Some photographs show light fading, color shift, glare, or handling wear, but the collection remains substantial and visually engaging throughout.
Price: $650.00