Historical Portrait
Albert Owen Miller (World War I, Tulare County)
Archive record
Public-domain historical portrait of Albert Owen Miller from Wilson precinct, Tulare County, California, taken in 1914 during World War I era.
About this photograph
Albert Owen Miller was photographed in 1914, during the early years of the First World War, though the United States would not enter the conflict until April 1917.
The archive record identifies Miller as coming from Wilson precinct in Tulare County, which lies in California's San Joaquin Valley. The county library maintains a local history photograph collection focused on ordinary residents rather than public figures.
The 1914 date presents an unusual circumstance. American studios photographed large numbers of enlistees in uniform once the country joined the war in 1917, often creating portraits that young men could leave with their families before departing for service. These studio portraits became common fixtures in county historical collections across the United States. However, this photograph predates American entry into the war by three years.
The record offers no explanation for the military portrait's early date, nor does it identify the photographer or studio that made it. The subject terms link it to the World War I era, but the circumstances of its creation in 1914 remain unaccounted for in the available documentation.
The photograph forms part of material digitised through California Revealed, a statewide programme that makes holdings from local institutions publicly accessible.
Compiled from the catalogue record and reference notes on the formats and events involved. The archive record above is the primary source.
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