Historical Portrait
Charles Hurst (World War I, Tulare County)
Archive record
Charles Hurst, World War I era portrait from 1914, Tulare County, California. Public domain historical photograph from military service period.
About this photograph
The record identifies this as a portrait of Charles Hurst made in Tulare County during the First World War period, though the date range 1914 to 1918 spans both before and after American entry into the conflict.
Tulare County lies in California's San Joaquin Valley, a farming region built on irrigated agriculture and settled during the late nineteenth century. The county library maintains a substantial local history photograph collection focused on ordinary residents rather than prominent figures.
The United States entered the war in April 1917. Around 24 million men eventually registered under Selective Service, and roughly 4.7 million served. Local photography studios found regular work making portraits of enlistees in uniform before departure. Many county historical collections hold numerous examples of these photographs, which were often the only formal portrait a young man ever had taken. Families frequently commissioned them so a copy could remain at home.
The photograph comes to the Internet Archive through California Revealed, a statewide digitisation programme that makes material from California libraries, archives, museums and historical societies available to the public. Items carrying this designation originated at many different local institutions across the state.
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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