Historical Portrait
Ben M. Campbell (World War I, Tulare County)
Archive record
Historical portrait of Ben M. Campbell, World War I soldier from Tulare County, California, circa 1914. Public domain photograph from archive collection.
About this photograph
Ben M. Campbell served in the First World War from Tulare County, a farming region in California's San Joaquin Valley. The portrait likely dates from between 1914 and 1918, as catalogued by the archive, though the United States did not enter the war until April 1917.
Local studios across the country photographed enlistees in uniform before they shipped out. These sittings were often the only formal portrait a young man would have made, and copies were kept at home by families. County historical collections hold many such photographs as a result.
The photograph is part of the Tulare County Library's local history collection, which documents ordinary residents, families, schools and businesses from the area rather than public figures. It has been digitised and made publicly available through California Revealed, a statewide programme that works with libraries, archives, museums and historical societies across California.
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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